These jam thumbprint cookies are made with a butter cookie dough & filled with jam! Use a cookie press to easily shape & fill cookies with jam or simply roll into a ball and press down with your thumb!
These jam thumbprint cookies are an easy cookie to make any time of year, but especially during Christmas! They look festive with the bright red color of the strawberry jam in the center and make a great edible gift during the holidays!
Jam thumbprint cookies are normally rolled into a ball and then shaped by pressing down with your thumb or the back of a spoon.
For this recipe, I wanted them to look a little more fancy for the holidays, so I decided to shape these with a cookie press. It makes portioning and shaping these jam spritz cookies so easy as it's all done with the cookie press.
Fill your jam cookies with any flavors you want! I used strawberry jam because I love the strawberry thumbprint cookies from Pepperidge Farms but raspberry, apricot, or blackberry jam are great options too.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream together the softened butter and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the mixture and keep beating until it turns light and fluffy.
- Add the flour and beat on low or combine it by hand using a spatula. Once combined add the dough to your cookie press and use the sunflower shaped disc.
- If you're not using a cookie press, chill the dough in the fridge for about 10 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Follow the instructions for your cookie press to stamp out the shapes. If not using a cookie press, roll the chilled dough into 1 inch spheres and lay them on a sheet of parchment paper. Then press down gently using your thumb or the back of a small, round spoon to create an indentation.
- Spoon your strawberry jam or jam of choice into each cookie, being careful not to overfill the indentation.
- Bake them at 350 degrees F for 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. The strawberry jam will have thickened as it bakes in the oven, resulting in a slightly chew, thick layer of delicious jam in the center of the jam thumbprint cookie.
- Allow them to cool then store them in an airtight container for up to a week. Or package these jam spritz cookies as an edible gift for Christmas!
FAQ
Yes you can! Wait for the cookies to completely cool. Store the cookies in an airtight container and if necessary, layer them individually with parchment paper so that the jam doesn't stick the cookies.
Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
You can store these at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.
Yes these jam cookies make great edible gifts because hold their shape well and can be packaged without breaking apart. They're made with a sturdier butter cookie dough that doesn't crumble like shortbread cookies often do.
Most thumbprint cookies are made with a shortbread cookie dough which are very crumbly and soft. This recipe is made using a butter cookie dough that hold their shape better and are more resistant to crumbling.
More dessert recipes:
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
☑ Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour - (270g)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup jam - strawberry, raspberry, apricot, blackberry
- 1 cup unsalted butter - (230g or 2 sticks); softened at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Optional Flavorings:
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest or orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add the softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and beat on high until the mixture becomes soft and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Add the flour and salt to the mixture and slowly mix together until you have smooth batter. Add the lemon or orange zest at this time, if using. If the batter becomes too thick for a hand mixer, you can mix it with a spatula.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper or silicone paper. Insert the sunflower disc shape in your cookie press and then add in the cookie dough. Stamp out designs according to its instructions. This shape will naturally have an indentation for the jam.If not using a cookie press:Roll out the dough into 1 inch diameter spheres (about 1 or 2 Tablespoons of dough) and place them on the parchment paper. Using your thumb or the back of a small spoon, gently press down until there's an indentation. If the dough is too sticky, chill it in the fridge for about 10 minutes so it's easier to work with.
- Fill each cookie with your jam of choice, being careful not to spill over the edge of the indentation. I used a seedless strawberry jam but raspberry or apricot are great too.
- Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges start to turn a light golden brown. Note: if you've rolled the cookies by hand, the baking time will vary based on how large the cookies are. Take them out when the edges turn lightly golden brown and the jam in the center has thickened slightly. See Notes for cookie yield.
✎ Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools.
Allison
After making your heart cookies recently for Valentine's Day, I was so excited to try these jam thumbprint cookies. Well, they were an absolute delight. I had some homemade blueberry jam which worked so well. Next time, I will use a selection of different jam colours, which will look so beautiful on the plate.
Jamie
Thanks Allison! Glad to hear you enjoyed these! Blueberry jam's a great choice.
Claudia Lamascolo
Wow those are perfect they look like they came from a 5 star bakery!
Carrie Robinson
Such a classic cookie recipe! They would go perfect with my cup of tea this afternoon. 🙂
Jovita
These thumbprint cookies look absolutely amazing. I love that you included step-by-step instructions!