A tray of Christmas Thumbprint Cookies always brings back the best holiday memories. No joke. They’re the little buttery cookies my family reaches for first when the Christmas baking begins. The dough is rich and soft with a tender bite while the centers hold sweet raspberry and strawberry jam.
If you love classic christmas cookies with a pretty homemade look, these belong on your baking list. A good thumbprint cookie is one of my favorite treats to make in December. Not only do the red jam centers look festive but the dough uses simple baking staples you probably have already. And there’s nothing tricky about the method.
I know people often search for easy christmas cookies simple enough to make with kids, and this is exactly that kind of recipe. For more old-fashioned holiday favorites, take a look at our Vintage Christmas Cookies. With a little butter and flour plus your favorite thick jam, you can make a full batch for cookie exchanges or family gatherings without spending the whole afternoon in the kitchen. They’re also lovely tucked into gift boxes. And if you’ve got a few extra minutes, you can make half the batch with raspberry jam and the other half with strawberry jam for a bright red holiday mix.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter: Softened to about 65°F to 68°F so it creams smoothly with sugar and gives the shortbread a tender crumb.
- granulated white sugar: Beaten into the butter to sweeten the dough and help form a light texture with delicate golden edges.
- large chicken eggs: Separate and use the yolks only to enrich the dough while helping the cookies stay tender.
- pure vanilla extract: Mixed into the butter base for a warm vanilla aroma that balances the fruit filling.
- all-purpose wheat flour: Measured by spooning and leveling to build a sturdy shortbread dough without making the cookies dense.
- fine sea salt: Mixed evenly through the flour to balance the sweetness of the butter dough and fruit jam.
- seedless raspberry jam: Stirred until smooth and spooned into 12 thumbprint wells for a thick deep ruby-red filling.
- strawberry jam: Use a thick variety and stir before filling the remaining 12 cookies for a bright red fruit center.
Tools You’ll Need
- Large mixing bowl: A 3-quart or larger mixing bowl leaves enough space for creaming the butter and combining the flour without spilling, while a smaller bowl makes mixing uneven.
- Electric hand mixer: A hand mixer with at least three speed settings creams the butter evenly, while a stand mixer with a paddle attachment also works if you avoid overbeating.
- Rubber spatula: A flexible silicone spatula scrapes the bowl and folds flour into the dough without excessive mixing, while a stiff spoon requires more effort.
- Measuring cups and spoons: A standard set with a 1-tablespoon measure helps portion uniform cookies and jam wells, while oversized scoops can cause uneven baking.
- Two baking sheets: Two flat 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets provide room for 12 cookies each, while dark thin sheets may brown the bottoms too quickly.
- Parchment paper: Oven-safe parchment rated to at least 425°F helps prevent jam from sticking to the baking sheets, while wax paper isn’t suitable for oven baking.
- Wire cooling rack: A cooling rack at least 10 inches wide allows air to move beneath the baked cookies, while leaving them on hot sheets can overbrown their bases.
- Small white serving plate: A 6-inch white dessert plate holds one or two cookies for serving, while a narrow plate makes a broken cookie harder to present neatly.
Instructions
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar into a fluffy dough base
Set 1 cup of unsalted butter on the counter for 30 to 45 minutes until it feels soft but still holds its shape. Aim for about 65°F to 68°F. Add the butter and 2/3 cup granulated white sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until the mixture turns pale and light.
Scrape the sides halfway through so no dense butter stays near the rim. Next add 2 large egg yolks and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat for another 30 to 45 seconds until the yolks blend into the butter. Stop before the mixture gets greasy.
The mixture should look creamy and slightly fluffy with no streaks of yellow egg yolk. You’ll notice a mild vanilla smell. If the butter gets too warm or you keep beating for too long, the dough can spread too much later. Keep the butter cool enough to hold air.
Tip: Separate the eggs while they’re cold because the yolks break less easily. Save the whites for another recipe.
Step 2: Mix in the flour and chill the cookie dough
Add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose wheat flour and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on low speed for 30 to 45 seconds until thick crumbs begin to form. Then switch to a rubber spatula and fold the dough over itself until the dry flour disappears. Don’t keep beating once the dough holds together.
Press it gently into a thick disk and cover the bowl. Refrigerate at about 38°F for 30 minutes so the butter firms up before you shape the cookies. The dough should feel soft but not sticky when you press it. You’ll see a pale cream-colored dough with a few fine cracks at the edges.
That’s normal. If the dough becomes too firm after chilling, let it sit for 5 minutes before shaping. Overmixing makes cookies tough because it builds excess gluten.
Tip: Measure flour with the spoon-and-level method rather than scooping hard from the bag. Too much flour makes the dough dry and crumbly.
Step 3: Roll the dough balls and press the thumbprint centers
Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the chilled dough into 24 pieces of roughly 1 tablespoon each. Roll each piece between your palms until it forms a small round ball. Place 12 balls on each sheet with about 2 inches between them.
Now press the center of each ball with your thumb or the rounded end of a measuring spoon. Make each well about 1/2 inch wide and 1/4 inch deep. If a cookie cracks deeply, pinch the edge back together before filling it. Work steadily so the butter stays cool.
You’ll see 24 small pale dough rounds with uneven but clear center wells. The edges should remain thick enough to hold the jam. Press too hard and the dough can split right through. A shallow well keeps the jam in place.
Tip: If the dough sticks to your fingers, chill the shaped balls for another 10 minutes before pressing their centers.
Step 4: Fill the centers with raspberry and strawberry jam
Stir 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam until smooth and do the same with 1/3 cup strawberry jam. Both should be thick and spoonable rather than runny. Fill 12 dough wells with raspberry jam and the other 12 with strawberry jam. Use about 1/2 teaspoon per cookie and keep the filling just below the rim.
Next check each well and nudge any off-center jam toward the middle. Keep the oven at 350°F while you finish the tray. Don’t overfill. Extra jam will bubble over and stick to the parchment during baking.
The raw cookies should now have bright red centers against pale buttery dough. The raspberry jam looks deep ruby while the strawberry jam appears a little lighter. (I found that a level spoonful keeps the centers much neater. ) Thick jam stays inside the wells as it warms.
Tip: If your jam has large fruit chunks, mash them before filling. A smooth texture makes 1/2 teaspoon easier to portion.
Step 5: Bake until the cookie edges turn lightly golden
Place one sheet on the middle rack of the 350°F oven. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the cookie tops look set and the bottom edges turn pale golden. The centers may bubble gently as the jam heats. Pull the sheet out before the tops turn dark because these cookies should stay tender rather than crisp all the way through.
Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack and bake the second sheet the same way. Watch the last 2 minutes closely because small cookies can brown fast. The dough changes from soft cream to a pale golden shade with slightly darker bases.
The jam becomes glossy and thick. If you lift the cookies while they’re hot, the shortbread can break. Cooling lets the butter-rich crumb firm up.
Tip: Check your oven with a separate thermometer if the first tray colors unevenly. Even a 15°F difference can change these small cookies.
Step 6: Cool the cookies and arrange them for serving
Let all 24 cookies cool on the wire racks for 25 to 30 minutes until the jam feels set and the shortbread is no longer warm. Keep the room around 68°F to 72°F if possible. Then lift the cookies from the racks by supporting their bases with your fingertips. Arrange the batch on a serving plate or divide them into smaller portions for guests.
Don’t stack warm cookies because the jam can stick to the layer above. For the final serving, place one cookie on a small white plate and break it open gently to show the tender center. You’ll see a fine buttery crumb beneath the pale golden crust and a soft red jam center that holds its shape. Each cookie may have a slightly different edge.
That’s part of its charm. Full cooling keeps the jam from smearing.
Tip: For gift boxes, separate cookie layers with small parchment squares. Let the jam firm up for at least 30 minutes first.
Pro Tips
- Use butter at 65°F to 68°F before mixing because it should bend under gentle pressure without looking oily. Butter that’s too warm encourages spreading.
- Spoon all-purpose wheat flour into your measuring cup and level it with a straight edge. Packing in even 2 extra tablespoons can make these cookies crumbly.
- Keep each dough ball close to 1 tablespoon so the cookies bake at the same rate. Oversized pieces may need 2 extra minutes.
- Press each thumbprint about 1/4 inch deep using the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measure. Leave enough dough beneath the well to prevent cracks.
- Choose thick seedless raspberry jam or strawberry jam that holds a mound on a spoon. Watery fillings tend to spread beyond the cookie edges.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack at 350°F. This helps prevent uneven color from crowded oven shelves.
- If the dough becomes sticky while shaping, refrigerate the formed rounds for 10 to 15 minutes. Cold butter helps the wells stay defined.
- Let the cookies cool for at least 30 minutes before packing them into gift boxes. Warm jam can smear against neighboring cookies.
- Make lemon raspberry thumbprints by adding 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the dough and filling all 24 centers with thick seedless raspberry jam.
- Try chocolate thumbprint cookies by replacing 1/4 cup of the all-purpose wheat flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder and keeping the same baking temperature.
- For an almond twist, replace 1/2 teaspoon of the pure vanilla extract with 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract and fill the wells with thick apricot preserves.
- Make a festive three-jam assortment by filling 8 cookies with raspberry jam and 8 with strawberry jam and the final 8 with thick apricot preserves. Use 1/2 teaspoon per cookie.
Storage Instructions
Store your Christmas Thumbprint Cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days at a cool room temperature if your chosen jams allow room-temperature storage after opening. Otherwise, refrigerate them at 40°F or below for up to 7 days. Keep parchment between layers so the glossy jam centers don’t stick together.
For longer storage, freeze the fully cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Place parchment between each layer and keep the container tightly sealed to protect the buttery texture. These cookies taste best at room temperature, so let chilled cookies sit out for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
You can warm a plain cookie gently at 275°F for 3 to 4 minutes, but jam-filled cookies are better served without reheating because the filling may become runny. Don’t add water or fresh jam during reheating. Throw away any cookies with mold, an odd smell or unexpected moisture around the filling.
Print
Christmas Thumbprint Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 53 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies servings 1x
Description
These easy Christmas thumbprint cookies bring buttery shortbread and bright raspberry jam together in one sweet holiday bite. They’re a quick and simple choice for Christmas baking ideas and look lovely on any party cookie tray. What makes this version special is the short chill and gentle thumbprint method that keep the centers from spreading. For the best results, use thick jam and cool the cookies fully. Add them to a holiday treat box Search focus: christmas cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (Softened to about 65°F to 68°F so it creams smoothly with sugar and gives the shortbread a tender crumb.)
- 2/3 cup granulated white sugar (Beaten into the butter to sweeten the dough and help form a light texture with delicate golden edges.)
- 2 large large chicken eggs (Separate and use the yolks only to enrich the dough while helping the cookies stay tender.)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Mixed into the butter base for a warm vanilla aroma that balances the fruit filling.)
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose wheat flour (Measured by spooning and leveling to build a sturdy shortbread dough without making the cookies dense.)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (Mixed evenly through the flour to balance the sweetness of the butter dough and fruit jam.)
- 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam (Stirred until smooth and spooned into 12 thumbprint wells for a thick deep ruby-red filling.)
- 1/3 cup strawberry jam (Use a thick variety and stir before filling the remaining 12 cookies for a bright red fruit center.)
Instructions
- Set 1 cup of unsalted butter on the counter for 30 to 45 minutes until it feels soft but still holds its shape. Aim for about 65°F to 68°F. Add the butter and 2/3 cup granulated white sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until the mixture turns pale and light. Scrape the sides halfway through so no dense butter stays near the rim. Next add 2 large egg yolks and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat for another 30 to 45 seconds until the yolks blend into the butter. Stop before the mixture gets greasy. The mixture should look creamy and slightly fluffy with no streaks of yellow egg yolk. You’ll notice a mild vanilla smell. If the butter gets too warm or you keep beating for too long, the dough can spread too much later. Keep the butter cool enough to hold air.
- Add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose wheat flour and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on low speed for 30 to 45 seconds until thick crumbs begin to form. Then switch to a rubber spatula and fold the dough over itself until the dry flour disappears. Don’t keep beating once the dough holds together. Press it gently into a thick disk and cover the bowl. Refrigerate at about 38°F for 30 minutes so the butter firms up before you shape the cookies. The dough should feel soft but not sticky when you press it. You’ll see a pale cream-colored dough with a few fine cracks at the edges. That’s normal. If the dough becomes too firm after chilling, let it sit for 5 minutes before shaping. Overmixing makes cookies tough because it builds excess gluten.
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the chilled dough into 24 pieces of roughly 1 tablespoon each. Roll each piece between your palms until it forms a small round ball. Place 12 balls on each sheet with about 2 inches between them. Now press the center of each ball with your thumb or the rounded end of a measuring spoon. Make each well about 1/2 inch wide and 1/4 inch deep. If a cookie cracks deeply, pinch the edge back together before filling it. Work steadily so the butter stays cool. You’ll see 24 small pale dough rounds with uneven but clear center wells. The edges should remain thick enough to hold the jam. Press too hard and the dough can split right through. A shallow well keeps the jam in place.
- Stir 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam until smooth and do the same with 1/3 cup strawberry jam. Both should be thick and spoonable rather than runny. Fill 12 dough wells with raspberry jam and the other 12 with strawberry jam. Use about 1/2 teaspoon per cookie and keep the filling just below the rim. Next check each well and nudge any off-center jam toward the middle. Keep the oven at 350°F while you finish the tray. Don’t overfill. Extra jam will bubble over and stick to the parchment during baking. The raw cookies should now have bright red centers against pale buttery dough. The raspberry jam looks deep ruby while the strawberry jam appears a little lighter. (I found that a level spoonful keeps the centers much neater.) Thick jam stays inside the wells as it warms.
- Place one sheet on the middle rack of the 350°F oven. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the cookie tops look set and the bottom edges turn pale golden. The centers may bubble gently as the jam heats. Pull the sheet out before the tops turn dark because these cookies should stay tender rather than crisp all the way through. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack and bake the second sheet the same way. Watch the last 2 minutes closely because small cookies can brown fast. The dough changes from soft cream to a pale golden shade with slightly darker bases. The jam becomes glossy and thick. If you lift the cookies while they’re hot, the shortbread can break. Cooling lets the butter-rich crumb firm up.
- Let all 24 cookies cool on the wire racks for 25 to 30 minutes until the jam feels set and the shortbread is no longer warm. Keep the room around 68°F to 72°F if possible. Then lift the cookies from the racks by supporting their bases with your fingertips. Arrange the batch on a serving plate or divide them into smaller portions for guests. Don’t stack warm cookies because the jam can stick to the layer above. For the final serving, place one cookie on a small white plate and break it open gently to show the tender center. You’ll see a fine buttery crumb beneath the pale golden crust and a soft red jam center that holds its shape. Each cookie may have a slightly different edge. That’s part of its charm. Full cooling keeps the jam from smearing.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use butter at 65°F to 68°F before mixing because it should bend under gentle pressure without looking oily. Butter that’s too warm encourages spreading.
- Spoon all-purpose wheat flour into your measuring cup and level it with a straight edge. Packing in even 2 extra tablespoons can make these cookies crumbly.
- Keep each dough ball close to 1 tablespoon so the cookies bake at the same rate. Oversized pieces may need 2 extra minutes.
- Press each thumbprint about 1/4 inch deep using the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measure. Leave enough dough beneath the well to prevent cracks.
- Choose thick seedless raspberry jam or strawberry jam that holds a mound on a spoon. Watery fillings tend to spread beyond the cookie edges.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack at 350°F. This helps prevent uneven color from crowded oven shelves.
- If the dough becomes sticky while shaping, refrigerate the formed rounds for 10 to 15 minutes. Cold butter helps the wells stay defined.
- Let the cookies cool for at least 30 minutes before packing them into gift boxes. Warm jam can smear against neighboring cookies.
Storage: Store your Christmas Thumbprint Cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days at a cool room temperature if your chosen jams allow room-temperature storage after opening. Otherwise, refrigerate them at 40°F or below for up to 7 days. Keep parchment between layers so the glossy jam centers don’t stick together. For longer storage, freeze the fully cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Place parchment between each layer and keep the container tightly sealed to protect the buttery texture. These cookies taste best at room temperature, so let chilled cookies sit out for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. You can warm a plain cookie gently at 275°F for 3 to 4 minutes, but jam-filled cookies are better served without reheating because the filling may become runny. Don’t add water or fresh jam during reheating. Throw away any cookies with mold, an odd smell or unexpected moisture around the filling.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and the dough is a great choice for planning holiday baking. Mix the dough and cover it tightly before refrigerating it at 40°F or below for up to 2 days. Then let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes if it’s too firm to roll. Shape the cookies and add the jam just before baking at 350°F.
Butter that’s too warm is often the problem. Aim for 65°F to 68°F when creaming it and chill the mixed dough for 30 minutes before shaping. If the dough feels greasy after rolling, chill the formed cookies for another 10 minutes. Also check that your oven has reached 350°F before baking.
You can adapt the recipe but the texture will change. For an egg-free batch, start with 1 tablespoon plain unsweetened Greek-style yogurt in place of the 2 yolks and add another tablespoon only if needed. For gluten-free baking, use a 1-to-1 flour blend containing xanthan gum. Expect a more delicate crumb and handle the dough gently.
These buttery jam cookies usually keep well for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container at a cool room temperature if the jam is shelf-stable after opening. For a longer storage window, refrigerate them at 40°F or below for up to 7 days. Separate stacked layers with parchment and discard any cookies showing mold or an unusual smell.
Absolutely. Double each ingredient to make about 48 cookies and divide the dough into four groups of 12. Keep unused portions in the refrigerator while each tray bakes. You’ll still bake each sheet at 350°F for about 12 to 14 minutes rather than doubling the oven time. Check the edges closely during the final 2 minutes.
This recipe works best when you add the thick jam before baking. Spoon approximately 1/2 teaspoon into each shallow well and leave a little space below the rim. The filling warms and settles during the 12 to 14 minutes in the oven. If a well rises slightly, don’t press it again while the jam is hot.
Yes, but freeze them only after the jam has set and the cookies are completely cool. Arrange them in one layer until firm and then pack them in a freezer-safe airtight container with parchment between layers. Freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the closed container for 1 to 2 hours to limit condensation.
Final Thoughts
One bite of Christmas Thumbprint Cookies takes me right back to those holiday afternoons when everyone gathered around the kitchen to help with the baking. I wish I’d made this buttery little recipe part of our Christmas routine sooner because it’s simple and the bright jam centers make every cookie tray look special. Now it’s one of my favorite best christmas cookies to share with family and friends.
If you enjoyed these, check out our Vintage Christmas Cookies and Butter Pecan Cookies for more christmas cookies easy enough to make during a busy holiday week. And leave a comment to tell me which jam you tried. I love hearing about your baking!
The same batch covers christmas cookies sugar cookie and gluten free christmas cookies without a single change.
