These Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are made with a simple cookie dough, then rolled in chopped walnuts, baked and filled with jam in the center.
Give this classic easy cookie recipe as gifts over the holiday season or place on a cookie platter to serve as dessert after the big holiday meal.
Check out all the other Christmas Cookies for more easy-to-prepare holiday cookies.
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Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are the ultimate holiday treat, right? My mother only made thumbprints once a year...for the holidays. But I think they could be made all year round.
For these cookies I used strawberry jam to fill the center with, however, feel free to use your favorite jam. You could even use a few different flavored jams.
My favorite jam to use would be seedless raspberry like I used with my Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies. Apricot jam would also be nice for the holidays.
Looking for more Easy Desserts and Easy Cookie Recipes? Try my Peppermint Christmas Cookies, or my Christmas Cupcakes Recipe.
Table of Contents
Helpful Kitchen Tools
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Ingredients
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
- Butter - softened
- Shortening - the combination of both butter and shortening in a cookie will give you a really soft cookie.
- Brown Sugar
- Egg
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Flour - All Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Walnuts - finely chopped
- Strawberry Jam - again, you can use any flavor jam you want!
📌Quick Tip: Check out the easy way to measure shortening without making a mess!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: In a large bowl, using either a KitchenAid mixer or hand-held mixer, add the butter and then the brown sugar.
- Step 2: Add the shortening and then cream together until light and fluffy.
- Step 3: Add the egg yolk.
- Step 4: Then add the vanilla extract.
- Step 5: Combine the flour and salt together and slowly add it to the butter mixture.
- Step 6: Mix until the dough comes ccompletely together.
- Step 7: Shape dough into balls.
- Step 8: Roll in egg white, then walnuts.
How to Make a Thumbprint Indentation
- Step 9: Place the cookies on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Make an indentation in each cookie using a melon scoop.
- Step 10: Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking.
📌Baking Tip: You may need to indent the cookies again after they have bake so you can add the the jam.
Baking Instructions
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until the cookies are set.
- Remove the tray from the oven and indent them again, if you need to.
- Fill the cookies with a little bit of jam.
- Cool completely before serving.
Before You Begin!
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Substitutions and Variations
- Jam - you can use any flavor of jam you want for the filling in the center of the cookies.
- Melted Chocolate - you could even add melted chocolate to the centers. Allow the chocolate to harden completely before serving.
Storage Tips
- Store the cookies in an airtight container either in the refrigerator or in a dark corner of the pantry. They should last up to 10 days at room temperature.
- You can also freeze the cookies by flash freezing them on a baking sheet in the freezer and then storing in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Top Tip
If you find the jam is too "hard" when spooning it into the center of the cookies, you can warm it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Most recipes have you fill thumbprint cookies after they have baked.
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking to help the cookies not spread.
📖 Recipe Card
Christmas Thumbprint Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup shortening
- ¼ cup brown sugar; packed
- 1 egg; divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
- strawberry jam
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, using either a KitchenAid mixer or hand-held mixer, cream together the brown sugar with the butter and shortening.
- Add the egg yolk.
- Then add the vanilla extract.
- Combine the flour and salt together and slowly add it to the butter mixture.
- Mix until the dough comes ccompletely together.
- Shape dough into balls.
- Roll in egg white, then walnuts.
- Place the cookies on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Make an indentation in each cookie using a melon scoop.
- Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until the cookies are set.
- Remove the tray from the oven and indent them again, if you need to.
- Fill the cookies with a little bit of jam.
- Cool completely before serving.
Donna says
Holy Christmas, these are delicious! Simply fantastic. Simple to make too. I used some sweet pepper jam, plum jam and apple cider jam. Needless to say I ate almost the whole batch so I need to make more for Christmas, lol. Thank you so much. I am trying the Christmas Tree pesto appetizer too.
Lois says
Thank you!!! Hope you enjoy the Christmas Tree Pesto recipe. I have also have the puff pastry recipe using Nutella. Yummmmm!
Lois says
What a great comment!! Thank you so much for enjoying the recipe. Your jams sound yummy!!!