The Best Jam Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
I’m sharing the best Jam Thumbprint Cookie recipe to make any kind of jam thumbprints you like! Strawberry, apricot, blueberry, and more. This post shares a simple base recipe that you can fill with any flavor of jam you like!
If you’re looking for more butter cookie recipes try Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies With Sourdough Discard, Olive Oil Shortbread Cookies, Strawberry Lemonade Sandwich Cookies, or Sourdough Jam Thumbprint Cookies.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: The Best Jam Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
- Ready In: 1 hour 4 minutes
- Makes: 30 cookies
- Main Ingredients: salted butter, cane sugar, all purpose flour, jam
- Flavor Profile: buttery, jammy, sweet
- Dietary Info: no seed oils, gluten free swap available
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: flexible butter jam thumbprint cookie recipe
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy Base Recipe: This is the best thumbprint cookie recipe, no matter what flavor of jam thumbprint cookies you want to make as it's an easy base recipe that you can use for any flavor of jam. I even provide flavor ideas below!
- Adaptable: These simple thumbprint cookies can be made gluten free with just one simple adjustment. They can also be made at high altitude or at sea level. These thumbprint cookies with glaze are a perfect cookie recipe to have in your recipe box for when you’re craving buttery, soft jam thumbprint cookies.
- Buttery & Sweet: This is the absolute best Jam Thumbprint Cookie recipe ever. I’ve tested this with raspberry jam, apricot, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, cranberry and more. These thumbprint cookies with glaze are buttery and sweet thanks the the addition of the glaze. I think glaze is a must on these simple thumbprint cookies!
- Perfect Texture: These are tender butter cookies with slight cracks, giving them a perfect buttery texture that just melts in your mouth.
Jam thumbprints are one of my top five favorite cookies for sure, especially during the holiday season. They were something that I didn't get to eat often as a child so I put them up on a pedestal. My best friend (and next door neighbor) always had them at her house around Christmas time. Her mom would conveniently pick up a box from a local bakery for holiday cookies (because she didn't bake!). And, I always reveled in the buttery, sweet, strawberry filled cookie!
So, I've created these classic thumbprint cookies that taste just like the ones I had as a child! I make these easy thumbprint cookies all the time now, not just around the holidays. The best part about this recipe is you can fill them with any flavor jam or preserves so they can be made year round. That's just one of the reasons why I think this this the best Jam Thumbprint Cookie recipe!
Try more nostalgic cookies like Eggless Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies, Soft Sugar Cookies With Pink Frosting, or Homemade Peanut Butter Oreos.
Ingredients
- Butter: I use organic salted butter, but if you want to use unsalted butter you can do that too, just add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the recipe. Check out Best Salted Butter for Baking for my top picks for butter!
- Vanilla Extract: My favorite is Simply Organic, be sure to use a high quality vanilla you like the flavor of. You can also use almond extract as well, if you prefer.
- Eggs: I use organic large eggs. Using eggs that are too small can result in dry cookies, eggs that are too big can result in flat cookies.
- Jam or Preserves: The best thing about these simple thumbprint cookies is you can use any flavor of jam or preserves! Blueberry, apricot, and strawberry are favorite choices of mine!
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Flavor Ideas
- Strawberry: Use Organic Strawberry Jam With Fresh or Frozen Berries
- Blueberry Ginger: Add 1/4 teaspoon of ginger to the dough and use my Homemade Blueberry Preserves (No Pectin)
- Blackberry: Use Blackberry Jam
- Apricot: Fill with my Small Batch Organic Apricot Jam Without Pectin
- Raspberry: Use Raspberry Jam
- Peach: Use Peach Jam
- Mixed Berry: use Mixed Berry Jam
- Blackberry Lemonade: Add the zest of one lemon to the dough and fill with blackberry jam
- Raspberry Lemonade: Add the zest of one lemon to the dough and fill with raspberry jam
Baker's Tips
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- I use my stand mixer for ease, but if you want to use an electric mixer like a hand mixer, that's okay too.
- Make sure your butter is soft. I prefer to let butter soften out on the counter as it softens the best!
- Use a good quality jam. If you're not making your own, then make sure you get a good one. This is where a lot of the flavor will come from!
- Make sure to refrigerate your cookie sheets. This helps the cookies hold their shape once baked. Thumbprints are a dense little cookie, so this is why refrigerating is an important step.
- Thumbprint cookies are a dense and buttery cookie. So these should not be stored in an airtight container or they may get soggy. Make sure to store them in a cool dry place.
- Gluten Free — Replace the organic flour with 397 grams (2 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon) Namaste Organic Perfect Flour Blend, which is what I used for testing.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.
How to Make The Best Jam Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on low until combined, then set a timer for 5 minutes and mix until the mixture is light in color and fluffy.
- Add the egg, and mix until combined. Then add the flour.
- Mix on low until combined into a smooth dough.
- Using your hands, form the dough into 30 balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to create an indent.
- Fill with jam. Refrigerate the cookie sheets for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 19 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets. (If you’re baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
- To make the glaze: In medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and water.
- Drizzle over the tops of the cookies.
The Best Jam Thumbprint Cookie Recipe FAQ’s
These are buttery and crisp, they have a tender texture, I wouldn't classify them as one or the other. They are just perfectly buttery!
Yes, these are similar to shortbread cookies because they are made up of mainly butter. But, these do use an egg, where shortbread cookies usually do not use eggs, which makes them a bit more crispy. These are more buttery and tender.
Yes, thumbprints are a great cookie to bake ahead if you need to. Bake them the day before and just allow them to sit on the baking sheet overnight. This will allow the glaze to harden. Since these are butter cookies, they should also be stored in a cool dry place.
You can use any kind of jam you like in this recipe. I really love blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, apricot and more! I use the Les Comtes de Provence brand a lot and also the Whole Foods organic brand! I really like the consistency of both of these brands. But, you can use different brands to suit your preferences!
You add the jam before baking. This will help cook the jam slightly and solidify it in the cookies.
Yes, there’s a simple adjustment gluten free in the Notes at the bottom of the recipe. I even link the flour I used to test this with.
Yes, if you prefer, you can leave the glaze off. I believe thumbprint cookies with glaze is the only way to eat them, but that’s just me!
If you didn't press your thumb into the cookie enough to make a large enough indent, the jam filling can leak out. Or, if you overfill the the cookies with jam filling then it will leak out.
Incorrect measuring can cause this if you didn't add enough flour. Make sure to weigh ingredients to ensure you have the correct measurements.
You can freeze the dough. I recommend freezing the dough in an airtight container. Then, thaw it to room temperature, ball the cookie dough, then fill with jam and bake off.
Thumbprint cookies are a butter cookie, so they need to be stored in a cool dry place. I prefer to just leave them out on a platter on the counter for a few days while we eat them.
Yes, thumbprints are a wonderful holiday cookie. You can easily customize these for more holiday flavors too! Try them with Persimmon Apple Cider Jam for the holidays!
More Fruity Cookie Recipes
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The Best Jam Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Stand Mixer
- Half Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper Sheets
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
Dough
- 226 grams salted butter (softened)
- 170 grams cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 383 grams all purpose flour
Filling
- 170 grams preserves or jam
Glaze
- 142 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined, then set a timer for 5 minutes and mix until the mixture is light in color and fluffy.
- Add the egg, and mix until combined. Add the flour, and mix on low until combined into a smooth dough.
- Using your hands, form the dough into 30 balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to create an indent.
- Refrigerate the cookie sheets for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 19 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Let cool completely on the cookie sheets.
- To make the glaze: In medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and water. Drizzle over the tops of the cookies.
- Store in a cool dry place for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- I use my stand mixer for ease, but if you want to use an electric mixer like a hand mixer, that's okay too.
- Make sure your butter is soft. I prefer to let butter soften out on the counter as it softens the best!
- Use a good quality jam. If you're not making your own, then make sure you get a good one. This is where a lot of the flavor will come from!
- Make sure to refrigerate your cookie sheets. This helps the cookies hold their shape once baked. Thumbprints are a dense little cookie, so this is why refrigerating is an important step.
- Thumbprint cookies are a dense and buttery cookie. So these should not be stored in an airtight container or they may get soggy. Make sure to store them in a cool dry place.
- Gluten Free — Replace the organic flour with 397 grams (2 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon) gluten free flour blend.
- High Altitude — Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.
Nutrition
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The best thumbprints!
These ones are muy delicioso!!