CookiesAmericanEasy

Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Name: Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened, softened to room temperature; ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar; 1 (50 g) large egg, room temperature, room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1¾ cups (218 g) all-purpose flour; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) salt; ½ cup (150 g) raspberry jam, at room temperature

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Buttery, tender cookies with jammy centers made by pressing your thumb into the dough before baking. Studded with raspberry jam and finished with a hint of vanilla, these classic thumbprint cookies are soft in the center and slightly crisp at the edges. Perfect for afternoon tea, holiday platters, or homemade gifts.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 12 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 47 min
Makes: 24 cookies

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Steps

Before you start

Bring butter and egg to room temperature (about 1 hour)
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
Have raspberry jam ready at room temperature for easier spreading into thumbprints

1
Cream butter and sugar
- In a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy and pale.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale, light, and fluffy
Tip: Do not skip this step—aerating the butter creates tender cookies. If butter is too cold, the mixture will be grainy.
2
Add egg and vanilla
- Add the room-temperature egg and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture.
- Beat on medium speed for 1–2 minutes until fully combined and smooth.
- Scrape down the bowl.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and homogeneous with no streaks of egg white
Tip: A room-temperature egg incorporates more smoothly and prevents the dough from breaking.
3
Mix dry ingredients
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Flour and salt are evenly combined
4
Combine wet and dry
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in one addition.
- Mix on low speed, or fold by hand with a spatula, until just combined.
- Do not overmix.
- The dough should come together without any visible streaks of flour.
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Ready when: No streaks of flour visible; dough is soft and uniform
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes cookies tough. Stop as soon as no flour is visible.
5
Portion cookies
- Scoop the dough into 1-tablespoon (15 g) portions and roll each into a ball between your palms.
- Place balls 1½ inches (4 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly with about 12 cookies per sheet.
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Ready when: 24 evenly sized balls arranged on baking sheets
Tip: Use a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon for even-sized cookies that bake uniformly.
6
Make thumbprints
- Using the tip of your thumb or a small spoon (like a ½-teaspoon measure), gently press a shallow well into the center of each dough ball.
- Do not press too hard or the cookie will be too thin; you want a small indent about ¼ inch (6 mm) deep.
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Ready when: Each cookie has a distinct shallow indent in the center
Tip: Keep your thumb moist or dip it lightly in water to prevent sticking. A small spoon gives a more consistent indent.
7
Fill with jam
- Fill each thumbprint indent with about ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of room-temperature raspberry jam.
- Fill them just before baking, or jam may sink or seep.
- Do not overfill—stay within the indent so jam doesn't spread onto the baking sheet during baking.
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Ready when: Each cookie has a jam-filled thumbprint, with jam level to or slightly above the indent
Tip: If jam is cold, it will be stiff and hard to spoon. Room-temperature jam spreads into the indent smoothly.
8
Bake until setOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–12 minutes.
- Cookies are done when the edges are set and very lightly golden, but the centers still look slightly underdone.
- The jam will bubble gently around the edges.
- Do not overbake, or the edges will be hard and the centers dry.
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Ready when: Edges are pale golden and set; jam bubbles slightly at the edges; centers look slightly soft
Tip: Set a timer and check at 10 minutes. Overbaking is the most common mistake—cookies will firm up as they cool.
9
Cool on sheets
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let cookies cool on the sheets for 4–5 minutes.
- This allows them to set enough to handle without breaking.
- You should be able to lift them gently with a spatula.
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Ready when: Cookies are firm enough to lift with a thin spatula without breaking
Tip: If cookies cool too long on the sheet, they can stick. Transfer them while still slightly warm.
10
Transfer to cooling rack
- Slide a thin spatula under each cookie and transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- Let cool completely, about 10 minutes, before serving or storing.
- The jam will continue to set as the cookies cool.
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Ready when: Cookies are completely cooled and jam is set
Tip: A thin offset spatula makes transfer easier and helps prevent breakage.

Good to know

Tips

Use jam at room temperature—cold jam is stiff and hard to fill, warm jam may seep out during baking.
Do not overbake. Cookies continue to cook on the baking sheet after removal from the oven. Underbaked is better than overbaked.
Room-temperature butter and egg are essential. Cold ingredients don't mix smoothly and result in a tougher dough.
If you don't have a stand mixer, use a hand mixer or cream butter and sugar by hand with a wooden spoon for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Make ahead

Dough can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Chill for at least 1 hour before portioning and baking, as warm dough will spread more. Baked cookies keep for up to 5 days.

Storage & reheating

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Layer parchment paper between cookies to prevent sticking. Freeze baked cookies in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 1–2 hours before serving. Do not refrigerate, as this dries them out.

Substitutions

raspberry jam → apricot, strawberry, or blackberry jam. Use any smooth or seedless jam of equal weight. The flavor will shift but the method remains the same.
vanilla extract → almond extract. Use 0.5 teaspoon (2.5 ml) almond extract for a more delicate flavor that complements berry jam.
all-purpose flour → whole wheat pastry flour. Use the same weight (218 g / 1.75 cups). Cookies will be slightly denser and nuttier.
granulated sugar → packed light brown sugar. Use the same amount (100 g / 0.5 cup). Cookies will be slightly chewier with a subtle caramel note.