Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Filled with your favorite jam, these Thumbprint Cookies are sweet, buttery, and tender. It's the perfect holiday cookie!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Chill Time 30

Total Time 52

Servings cookies

Calories 134kcal

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt, and beat until well combined. While mixing on low, gradually add in the flour and beat just until combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl as needed during mixing.
Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls and roll into smooth balls between your palms. (If desired, toss in granulated sugar to coat the outside.) Place on a parchment- or wax paper-lined sheet or plate, and press your thumb or the back of a teaspoon into the center of each dough ball to create a cavity. (Press any cracks back together.) Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Working with one sheet at a time, place the frozen dough on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Fill with about ½ teaspoon of jam. (Thumbprints should be very full but not overflowing.)
Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

If the dough cracks a bit when making the center indentation, roll the ball in your palms a bit longer to warm the dough up more.
Don’t skip chilling the dough. Chilling the dough will make shaping it into balls easier and hold them together so they won’t fall apart when indented.
Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake that will yield dry and dense cookies. The best and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
If you only have one baking sheet, make sure it has cooled thoroughly before adding the second batch of thumbprint cookies to them. A cool cookie sheet will help prevent the cookies from spreading.
If you’re having difficulty filling the indent with jam, you can transfer the jam to a piping bag to pipe the jam into the cookies.
Be careful not to over-whip the butter and batter. Overwhipping the butter can lead to the cookies spreading, and overmixing the batter can lead to dense cookies.