These easy Christmas thumbprint cookies with Chocolate or Jam are one of those holiday cookies that look festive without being difficult to make. You won't believe how easy they are to make, and you only need 5 ingredients + fillings. These thumbprint cookies are soft, tender, buttery, and incredible, just like Linzer Cookies.
If you're planning more Christmas baking, my Gingerbread Men Cookies are another good one to add to the list. Keep reading because I’ll show you how to shape the cookies without cracking them too much and what they should look like when they come out of the oven.
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Video Instructions
Try These Christmas Thumbprint Cookies
If you usually make the same Christmas cookies every year, these are worth adding to the tray. They’re soft and buttery, and the little centers give you room to play around with chocolate, jam, curd, peanut butter, or whatever you feel like using.
The different fillings are my favorite part. I like making a mix rather than choosing just one, so you get a few different cookies from the same batch without having to make several doughs.
Why You’ll Love It
- Only a few basic ingredients: The dough itself uses just butter, sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, and flour, easier than shortbread thumbprint cookies.
- Easy to change up: Roll some in sugar, some in sprinkles, and some in nuts if you want a mixed Christmas cookie tray.
- Lots of filling options: Chocolate spread, jam, curd, peanut butter, nuts, or Hershey kisses all work.
- Soft and buttery: The cookies stay tender as long as you don’t overbake them.
- Good for making ahead: Stored properly, they stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients
- Butter: I use unsalted butter here because it gives the cookies that soft, buttery texture without making them too salty.
- Egg yolks: The egg yolk help make the dough richer and more tender. You don’t need the egg whites for this recipe.
- Vanilla: A vanilla bean gives a stronger vanilla flavor, but 1 teaspoon vanilla extract works perfectly well if that’s what you have.
- Fillings: This is where I like to have fun with them. Jam and chocolate spread are probably the easiest, but peanut butter, curd, nuts, or Hershey kisses also work.
How to Make Christmas Thumbprint Cookies
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
2. Add the butter and sugar to a mixing bowl. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes, until creamy.
3. Add the egg yolks, salt, and vanilla and mix for about 1 minute.
4. Add the all purpose flour and mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients on low speed until the dough starts coming together. Knead it by hand a few times until smooth.
5. Divide the dough into 40 equal portions. Roll each piece into a ball with your hands.
6. Roll the dough balls in sugar, sprinkles, chopped nuts, food coloring, or another coating you like for a different flavor variety.
7. Place half of the cookies on the prepared baking cookie sheet, leaving about 1.5-2 inches between them. Use the back of a ½ teaspoon or your thumb to gently press an indent into the center of each cookie.
8. Fill the centers using a spoon or pipe with chocolate spread, a jam filling, peanut butter, nuts, curd, or Hershey kisses.
9. Bake one sheet at a time for about 9-10 minutes. The cookies should still look pale, puffed, and matte rather than browned.
10. Leave them on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- Spoon and level the flour rather than packing it into the measuring cup. Too much flour can make the cookies dry and harder to shape as any baker would tell you.
- Don’t push too hard when making the center indentation. A gentle press is enough.
- A few cracks around the edges are normal, so don’t worry if they aren’t completely smooth.
- Don’t overbake them. They should still look pale when you take them out.
- Let the cookies stay on the baking sheet for the full 5 minutes before moving them.
- Make sure the baking sheet has cooled before you start the next batch. A hot sheet can make the cookies spread too quickly.
What Can You Serve With This?
- Hot chocolate
- Coffee
- Tea
- Eggnog
- Mulled cider
- Fresh berries
- Vanilla ice cream
- Other Christmas cookies
FAQs
A few cracks are completely normal. Even well-shaped cookies can crack a little when you press the center. As long as the dough isn’t falling apart, they’ll still bake and taste just fine.
The baking sheet may have been too warm. Always let the sheet return to room temperature between batches. Putting cookie dough onto a hot pan can make it start spreading before it even goes into the oven.
Yes. Jam works really well and is one of my favorite fillings for Christmas thumbprint cookies.
They should still look pale, puffed, and matte after about 9-10 minutes. Don’t wait for them to turn golden brown, or they can dry out.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe
Easy Christmas Thumbprint Cookies With Chocolate Or Jam
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226g)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar (100g)
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 vanilla bean* (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (300g)
Roll in 1 cup of sugar, nuts, or sprinkles
Fill with ½ cup of chocolate spread, nuts, curd, jam, or Hershey kisses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy for about 1-2 minutes.
- Add egg yolks, salt, and vanilla* and mix for about 1 minute.
- Stir in flour until it comes together on low speed. Knead by hand a few times until smooth.
- Separate the dough into 40 equally sized portions. Form balls with your hands and roll in sugar, sprinkles, nuts, or whatever you like.
- Place half of the cookies on the prepared baking sheet with about 1.5-2 inches space in between. Press the back of a ½ teaspoon in the center and fill up with chocolate, nuts, jam, peanut butter, or Hershey kisses.
- Bake one sheet after another for about 9-10 minutes until they look pale, puffed, and matte. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. They will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month. When freezing, let them thaw overnight in the fridge and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Cooking Time and Temperature
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 9-10 minutes. The cookies should look pale, puffed, and matte when they’re ready. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.Taste & Texture
These cookies are soft, tender, and buttery with a slightly firmer edge. The center changes depending on what you use, so jam gives them a fruity sweetness while chocolate makes them richer.Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1 month.
- Thawing: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let the cookies come to room temperature before serving.
- Reheating: There’s no need to reheat them.
Serving Recommendations
- I like serving these as part of a mixed Christmas cookie tray because the different fillings make them look more interesting. A few with jam, a few with chocolate, and a few rolled in sprinkles give you plenty of variety from one dough.
- They’re also good with coffee, tea, or eggnog, especially when you want something small and buttery rather than a heavy dessert.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Jam: Use raspberry, strawberry, apricot, or another jam you like.
- Chocolate: Fill the centers with chocolate spread or Hershey kisses.
- Peanut butter: Use a small spoonful in the center.
- Curd: Lemon or another fruit curd works well.
- Coatings: Roll the dough balls in sugar, Christmas sprinkles, or chopped nuts.
- Vanilla: Use 1 vanilla bean or substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Nuts: Chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds can be used for rolling.
Proper Storage Tips
- Let the cookies cool completely before putting them into an airtight container.
- Keep layers separated with parchment if you’re using sticky fillings.
- Store them somewhere cool and dry at room temperature.
- If freezing, make sure the container or bag is tightly sealed.
- Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before bringing them back to room temperature.
Pro Tips
- Spoon and level the flour carefully.
- Don’t overwork the dough once it comes together.
- Roll the portions as evenly as possible so they bake at the same rate.
- Press the centers gently with the back of a ½ teaspoon.
- Don’t worry about a few small cracks.
- Leave 1.5-2 inches between the cookies.
- Bake one sheet at a time.
- Use a cool baking sheet for each batch.
- Take them out while they still look pale.
- Let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them.
Video
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Danielle
Can you put them in the refrigerator over night, until you serve them the next day?
Sabine
The baked cookies don't need to be refrigerated. Just store them at room temperature.