These easy, classic thumbprint cookies have an almond-flavored dough, get rolled in nuts, and are filled with your favorite jam to create the best Christmas thumbprint cookie. Sure to be a holiday favorite, these jelly thumbprint cookies stay soft for days and have a few make-ahead options.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Holiday favorite - these classic thumbprint cookies are always a Christmas favorite in my family. We call them Italian Thumbprint Cookies - a recipe from my Nana - and this is THE cookie of our Christmas baking. It's the biggest crowd-pleaser and is always the first cookie to leave the cookie platter.
Almond flavor - the thumbprint dough is filled with almond extract, so I guess you could really call these almond thumbprint cookies! The flavor is strong, but not overpowering, and acts as the perfect pairing to many types of jams (especially raspberry).
The best cookie texture - the dough is a mix between a sugar cookie and a shortbread cookie, allowing it to hold its shape, but giving it the perfect chewy texture. The chopped nuts add a nice layer of soft crunch paired with the jammy centers.
If you're searching for more thumbprint cookie flavors, try these Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies or Strawberry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies!
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Ingredients
- Unsalted butter. This should be at a true room temperature, and not too warm.
- Granulated sugar.
- Eggs. The yolks will be used in the cookie dough, and the egg whites will get whipped to roll the dough balls through.
- All-purpose flour.
- Extracts. Vanilla and almond extracts are used in this recipe. I love that classic almond flavor, which tends to be a holiday favorite.
- Jam. Use any type of jam or jelly you prefer. My family loves to use black raspberry jam and apricot preserves.
- Walnuts. The dough balls get rolled through walnuts prior to baking. Because they are slightly bitter, they pair very nicely to the sweet cookie and jam.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
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Substitutions and Variations
There are a number of ways you can adapt this recipe to change the flavors and make it to your liking.
- Nuts - pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
- Jam or jelly - raspberry, strawberry, apricot, fig. Almond raspberry thumbprint cookies are a great combination.
- Sugar - roll the cookie dough balls through sugar (granulated or coarse Demerara sugar), omitting the rolling through the egg whites.
- Extracts - use lemon, orange, spice, or coconut in place of the almond extract. Keep the vanilla, though.
- Icing - Mix together powdered sugar with a touch of water or milk and drizzle over the cookies for thumbprint cookies with icing. Adding a drop or two of almond extract is also nice.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then scrape down the sides.
Two: Add the egg yolks, extracts, and salt and beat again.
Three: Once fluffy again, scrape down the sides once more.
Four: Add the flour and mix until just combined. Fold in any excess flour on the sides off the bowl by hand.
Five: Chop the walnuts, whisk the egg whites, and set up your rolling station.
Six: Roll the dough between your hands into one-inch balls.
Seven: Dip the dough ball into the egg whites to coat completely.
Eight: Add the dipped dough to the walnuts and roll to coat.
Hot tip! Roll enough balls for one cookie sheet, then use one hand for the egg whites, and the other hand for the walnuts.
Nine: Use the tip of your thumb to press an indent into the center of each dough ball, about ⅔ of the way down.
Ten: Use a small spoon or teaspoon to fill the indent with jam or jelly, then bake. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack or paper towels to finish cooling.
Expert Tips
- Chop the nuts finely, otherwise, they won't stick well.
- Work quickly or else the dough will be more prone to cracking. Work with one sheet pan batch at a time, covering the remaining dough with a towel.
- Make a narrow indentation with your thumb, and only press about ⅔ of the way down.
- If baking two pans at a time, switch them at half, and try to keep them as much in the center of the oven as possible.
- If reusing baking sheets, be sure they're completely cool before adding the next round of cookie dough.
Recipe FAQs
They're very close in terms of ratio of fat to sugar to flour. The main difference is that shortbread cookies do not contain eggs, and these thumbprint cookies do contain egg yolks. This helps to make them chewy and moist.
However, due to the similar ratios, these classic thumbprint cookies hold their shape just like shortbread.
First, be sure the flour is at a true room temperature, and not too warm. Then, you'll want to be sure you're working rather quickly and not allowing the dough to get too warm.
If needed, add a pan of assembled cookies to the fridge for about 15 minutes prior to baking to help prevent any spread.
Storage
Store the classic thumbprint cookies in a sealed container for one week. These stay moist from the jam. If, needed add a piece of parchment paper in between the cookies if you're worried about sticking, though I always toss them all in a cookie jar and never have an issue with sticking.
Make Ahead and Freezing
These jam thumbprint cookies can easily be made ahead and baked off another day.
Fully assemble the cookies, add them to a sheet pan, and wrap snugly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cookies for up to two days, then bake directly from the fridge, adding about one to two more minutes to the bake time.
To freeze, add the fully assembled thumbprints to a cookie sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer to a zip top bag or sealed container and freeze for 3 months. Thaw on a prepared sheet for 30 minutes at room temperature, then bake.
The fully baked cookies can also be frozen for up to two months in a sealed container. Allow the cookies to fully thaw (uncovered) at room temperature before enjoying.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes You'll Love
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📖Recipe
Classic Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- Rubber spatula
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature (170g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature and separated
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- 2 cups walnuts finely chopped (225g)
- Jam or preserves of your choice black raspberry, apricot, raspberry, and cherry are great options
Instructions
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and cream on medium high speed for three minutes. Scrape down the sides.¾ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsalted butter
- Add the salt, egg yolks, vanilla and almond extracts and beat for one minute. Scrape down the sides.1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 large eggs, ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract, ¾ teaspoon almond extract
- Add in the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in any excess flour by hand, if needed.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Whip together the egg whites in a bowl until frothy. In another bowl, add the chopped walnuts.
- Roll the dough into 1” balls, then add into the egg whites to coat. Transfer to the walnuts and roll to coat completely.2 cups walnuts
- Note: use one hand to roll through the egg whites, and the other hand to roll through the walnuts.
- Add about 12 cookies to an uncreased cookie sheet (they have barely any spread).
- Use your thumb or a ½ teaspoon measure to make depression in the center of the dough. Only press about ⅔ of the way down.
- Fill the center of each cookie with your choice of jam(s).Jam or preserves of your choice
- Bake at 350°F/177℃ for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to cool completely.
Notes
- Chop the nuts finely, otherwise, they won't stick well.
- Work quickly or else the dough will be more prone to cracking. Work with one sheet pan batch at a time, covering the remaining dough with a towel.
- Make a narrow indentation with the tip of your thumb, and only press about ⅔ of the way down.
- If baking two pans at a time, switch them at half, and try to keep them as much in the center of the oven as possible.
- If reusing baking sheets, be sure they're completely cool before adding the next round of cookie dough.
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