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Thumbprint Cookies are buttery, melt in your mouth shortbread with a little well of raspberry jam in the center, and a sweet lemon glaze drizzled on top. I made a big batch with Maddie last Christmas and we could not stop sneaking them off the cooling rack. If you love an easy cookie that looks bakery fancy, you will want these next to our white chocolate raspberry cookies.
A simple shortbread dough is rolled in sugar, pressed with a thumbprint, filled with jam, and baked until tender before getting a lemon glaze finish.
Thumbprint Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 12 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour
- 🍽️ Serving: 36 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 118kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Buttery, tender shortbread with sweet raspberry and bright lemon
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our Lofthouse cookies
Quick Answer
Cream softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Mix in flour and salt to form a soft shortbread dough. Roll the dough into balls, coat them in sugar, and press a thumbprint into each. Fill the wells with raspberry jam and bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes until set. Drizzle the cooled cookies with a simple lemon glaze.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- An egg yolk keeps them tender. Using just the yolk instead of a whole egg gives thumbprint cookies a rich, melt in your mouth shortbread texture without making them cakey.
- Rolling in sugar adds sparkle and crunch. A coat of granulated sugar before baking gives the cookies a delicate crackly, sparkly exterior.
- Pressing the well before baking holds the jam. Making a deep thumbprint and reshaping any cracks gives the jam a neat well to sit in so it does not spread.
- Jam goes in before baking. Filling the wells before they bake lets the jam set into a glossy, jammy center that stays put.
- A lemon glaze brightens every bite. A simple powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze cuts the sweetness and adds a fresh, bright finish.
- No chilling required. This soft dough is easy to roll right away, so you can go from bowl to oven without a long wait.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They look bakery fancy but use a handful of simple pantry ingredients.
- The buttery shortbread, sweet jam, and bright lemon glaze are an irresistible combination.
- They are perfect for holiday cookie trays and gifting, right alongside our soft Lofthouse cookies.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes these thumbprint cookies so buttery and tender. See the recipe card below for the exact amounts.
- Butter: Softened real butter is the base of this shortbread, giving the cookies their rich, melt in your mouth texture.
- Egg yolk: Just the yolk keeps the cookies tender and shortbread like instead of cakey.
- Flour and sugar: All purpose flour and granulated sugar form the simple dough, with extra sugar for rolling.
- Raspberry jam: A spoonful in each well bakes into a glossy, sweet tart center. Any thick jam works.
- Powdered sugar and lemon: Whisked together into a quick glaze that adds a bright, sweet finish.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make these thumbprint cookies your own.
- Swap the raspberry jam for strawberry, apricot, blackberry, or cherry preserves.
- Fill the wells with Nutella, lemon curd, salted caramel, or melted chocolate instead of jam.
- Roll the dough balls in finely chopped nuts or sprinkles before baking, like our Easter sugar cookies.
- Skip the glaze and dust with powdered sugar for a simpler finish.
How to Make Thumbprint Cookies
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until fully combined and smooth.
- Add the flour and salt and mix until a soft dough forms, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, then roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat.
- Place the balls on a lined baking sheet and press a deep well into the center of each with your thumb or a small spoon.
- Spoon raspberry jam into each well, then bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes until the edges are set.
- While the cookies cool, whisk the powdered sugar with lemon juice until smooth to make the glaze.
- Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cookies with a fork and let it set before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use softened, not melted, butter so the dough creams properly and the cookies hold their shape.
- Reshape any cracks around the wells after pressing so the jam stays neatly in the center.
- Do not overfill the wells. A small spoonful of jam is plenty and keeps it from bubbling over.
- Bake just until set. Thumbprint cookies should stay pale and tender, not browned, for that shortbread melt.
- Let them cool fully before glazing so the lemon glaze sets instead of sliding off.
- Use a thick jam rather than a runny one so the centers stay glossy, the same trick we use for our white chocolate raspberry cookies.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These thumbprint cookies are made for sharing. Pile them on a cookie tray with an assortment of other treats for holidays, parties, and cookie swaps.
They are a beautiful addition to any Christmas cookie box. Pack them alongside our Lofthouse cookies and almond cookies for a gift everyone loves.
Serve them with coffee or tea for an afternoon treat, or set them out for dessert next to our Easter sugar cookies for a festive spread.
Thumbprint Cookies FAQs
Thumbprint cookies crack when the dough is too dry or the wells are pressed too hard. Cream the butter and sugar well, do not over measure the flour, and gently reshape any cracks around the well before adding the jam.
Add the jam before baking. Filling the wells before the cookies go in the oven lets the jam set into a glossy, jammy center. Use a thick jam so it stays put instead of running.
Store thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you have glazed them, let the glaze set fully first, then layer them between parchment so they do not stick together.
Yes. Freeze the baked, unglazed cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and add the glaze just before serving for the best texture.
Absolutely. You can make the dough a day ahead and keep it chilled, or bake the cookies a few days early and store them airtight. Glaze them the day you plan to serve for the freshest look.
A thick seedless jam or preserves works best. Raspberry is classic, but strawberry, apricot, blackberry, and cherry are all delicious. Avoid thin, runny jam that will spread out of the wells.
Looking for more easy cookies? Try our soft frosted Lofthouse cookies next, then come back and tell us how your thumbprint cookies turned out.
Add our creamy sopapilla cheesecake to your next easy dessert lineup.
Love berries and lemon? Our berry cobbler brightens mixed berries with a squeeze of lemon.
Use our fig jam as a sweet filling for thumbprint cookies.
Serve our tall, golden popovers alongside cookies and jam for a cozy spread.
Add our s’mores cookies to your cookie tray for a gooey, chocolatey treat.
Set out our cookie dough ice cream alongside cookies for the ultimate dessert bar.
Use our peach jam to fill thumbprint cookies for a sweet, jammy center.
Add our cranberry oatmeal cookies to your holiday cookie tray for a cozy, spiced favorite.
Serve these cookies alongside our cozy homemade hot chocolate for a sweet winter treat.
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/4 – ½ cups all-purpose flour*
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
For the glaze:
- 1 & 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together 2 & 1/4 cups of the flour and salt, set aside.2 & 1/4 – ½ cups all-purpose flour*, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In the body of a stand mixer cream the butter and ⅔ cup sugar with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy for 3 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Add the lemon zest and vanilla, stir to combine. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until it’s incorporated, scrape down the sides as needed. If the dough appears a little too wet, add the additional 1/4 cup of flour and mix it in. The mixture should appear slightly crumbly and will roll into a smooth ball in your hands. This may be due to humidity where you are from if you need the additional flour.zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl.
- Roll 1 tablespoon worth of dough between your hands to form a ball, roll it in the sugar and place it on the sheet tray. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, placing the cookie balls 2 inches apart on the sheet tray.
- Using the round end of a wooden utensil or something similar, make indentions in the middle of the cookie dough ball about ⅔ of the way down into the dough. They may slightly crack along the edges, that’s okay.
- Fill each cookie with a heaping 1/4th teaspoon of jam.1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
- Bake for 13-15 minutes until the cookies look dry on the outsides and the bottoms are lightly golden brown. Let cool on the sheet tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When the cookies are cool, make the glaze. Place the powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl and add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the vanilla, whisk to combine until smooth. It should be thick yet pourable, if it is too thick add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice.1 & 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Glaze the cookies. I like to dip a fork into the glaze to drizzle it over the cookies. Let them sit for about 15 minutes so the glaze sets then enjoy.
Notes
- Always line your cookie sheet with parchment paper for best results and easy cleanup.
- For even cookies, use a cookie scoop or form 1-inch balls of cookie dough.
- Make sure your butter is soft but not melted for that perfect cookie texture.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the glaze; it makes a difference!
- If you’re making these during the Christmas season, red and green food coloring can make them extra festive.
- Before storing in an airtight container, let the glaze set completely.
Nutrition
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