Over the years, baking these raspberry thumbprint cookies has become a Christmas tradition for our family! Their crumbliness and sweet raspberry jam centers make them a hit with everyone we know.
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These christmas cookies are great to bake with kids and share at parties, gift to loved ones, or place on a cookie tray. My daughter says pressing the thumbprints is “the only thing more fun than eating them”!
For more holiday sweet treats, try my 3-Ingredient Sugar Cookie Fudge, White Chocolate Covered Oreos or Chocolate Covered Pecans with Flaky Sea Salt. They’re perfect for holiday gifting. Now, let’s bake these jam thumbprints!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Variations
- Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings for Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Storage Tips
- Top Tips for Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- FAQs
- Related
- Pairing
- Easy Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (Classic Shortbread)
Why You’ll Love This Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
These easy cookies with a jammy center are a classic for holiday baking! They’re one of our go-to cookie recipes for festive gatherings.
Super quick: Prep, chill, and bake in under an hour.
Kid-approved: Toddlers and kids love rolling the dough and filling the thumbprints with jam.
Perfect for gifting: Package in a cute tin or bag for a sweet holiday treat.
Versatile: Swap jam flavors, add crunchy pecans, or roll the dough in sugar.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This easy holiday cookie recipe comes together with pantry staples! Scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post for full ingredient amounts.
- Unsalted butter: Salted butter is a great swap. Margarine works too, but may alter the texture.
- Powdered sugar: Creates a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Granulated sugar makes cookies denser but is still okay.
- Vanilla extract: Feel free to use almond extract, but reduce the amount by half.
- Lemon zest: You can substitute it for orange zest.
- All-purpose flour:Don't use whole-wheat flour or the cookies won't be as light.
- Salt: Kosher salt or pink Himalayan salt both work. Avoid coarse salt because it won't dissolve well.
- Raspberry jam: I've also made this recipe with raspberry preserves.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
These raspberry thumbprints are a simple holiday baking project! Beat the butter, roll the dough, and fill for some fruity cookies everyone loves.
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add unsalted butter and powdered sugar. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature so it blends easily.
2. Step 2: Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar together on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, or until the mixture becomes light, smooth, and creamy. Pause once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
3.Step 3: Add the vanilla extract and freshly grated lemon zest to the creamed butter mixture.
4. Step 4: Mix again with the hand mixer on low speed until the flavorings are fully incorporated and the mixture is fragrant.
5. Step 5: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt to the bowl. You can sift them together first for an even texture, if desired.
6. Step 6: Beat on low speed until the dough begins to come together and forms a soft, smooth ball. If the dough appears slightly crumbly, use your hands to gently knead it a few times until cohesive.
7. Step 7: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls using your palms, and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing each ball about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
8. Step 8: Using your thumb or the back of a small spoon, press a small indentation in the center of each dough ball. Once shaped, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill—this helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
9. Step 9: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the cookies from the fridge and fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon of jam of your choice. Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the tops remain pale.
10. Step 10: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Variations
These jam thumbprints are perfect for the holidays but very easy to customize! Try these yummy seasonal twists:
Almond raspberry thumbprints: Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to the dough for a marzipan-like flavor.
Lemon curd thumbprints: Fill with lemon curd instead of jam for a tart twist.
Skip the jam: Make them snowball cookies by rolling the dough into balls as usual, chilling, baking, and dusting them with powdered sugar while still warm.
Go nuts: Fold ½-1 cup roughly chopped pecans into the dough for some nutty crunch.
Make them sparkle: Roll each ball of dough in granulated sugar before pressing your thumbprint and filling with jam for a sweeter, crunchier bite that also sparkles.
Chocolate thumbprints: Skip the jam and press a chocolate Hershey's Kiss into the center right after baking
Swap the jam: Use any of your favorite jams. I love apricot jam, strawberry jam, and cherry jam. Sometimes I'll make a bit of each.
Serving Suggestions & Food Pairings for Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
These buttery raspberry christmas cookies are a great addition to any cookie plate, tray, or tin! Here are our favorite ways to enjoy them:
- Serve with hot cocoa, tea, coffee, or a glass of milk.
- Enjoy with some Slow Cooker Mulled Wine or Raspberry Moscow Mule for a sweet pairing.
- Add to a cookie platter or tin with my Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies and Lemon Blueberry Cookies.
- Place on a cookie board with my Christmas Tree Oreos, Edible Sugar Cookie Dough, Healthy Brownie Batter Dip, 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookie Fudge and Caramel Apple Pretzel Bites.
- Set on a dessert table with my Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake.
Storage Tips
Prepping this crumbly raspberry thumbprint cookie recipe ahead or saving leftovers? Here’s how to keep them fresh and delicious for when Santa comes around:
Counter
Place in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keep away from direct heat and sunlight.
Fridge
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Layer with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Serve at room temperature.
Freezer
Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Top Tips for Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
These simple tips and tricks will ensure your raspberry thumbprint cookies are perfect every time:
Use room temperature butter: It creams smoothly for a tender crumb. If it's not softened properly, the mixture will have clumps of butter no matter how long you beat it. Don't melt the butter either, as it will cause the dough to spread in the oven.
Chill the dough: Refrigerating prevents spreading and keeps the thumbprint shape.
Don’t overfill: Use just ½ teaspoon jam to avoid bubbling and overflow. Any jam that spills onto the parchment usually burns and isn't super tasty.
Soften thick jam: Microwave your jam for 5-10 seconds to soften it if needed. This should make filling the cookies much easier.
Pipe it: Fill a pastry bag with raspberry jam. Cut off a small bit of the tip so you can pipe the jam. Gently squeeze it into the center of each cookie to fill the thumbprints.
FAQs
Here’s what other home bakers and cookie-lovers are asking about this new recipe!
Yes! Try apricot jam, strawberry, blackberry, or your favorite fruit one.
Absolutely! Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days.
Yes! Shape into round balls, freeze on a tray, then store in a freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Chill the shaped cookies for 30 minutes before baking.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies:
These classic raspberry thumbprint cookies are our favorite way to kickoff our December holiday baking! Share your creations on social media with Hungry Whisk, and don’t forget to subscribe for more cookie recipes and recipe cards!
Easy Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (Classic Shortbread)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup raspberry jam
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest until well combined.
- Stir in flour and salt on low speed until the dough comes together and forms a soft ball. If slightly crumbly, knead gently with your hands.
- Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Use your thumb or the back of a small spoon to press an indentation in the center of each ball. Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 30 minutes to help them hold their shape while baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon of jam, then bake for 12–14 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
- Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Madhu (Author) says
It is so wonderful to see these Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies getting some love! They are one of those recipes that feel so classic and festive, yet they are deceptively easy to make, which is exactly what we all need during the busy holiday season. That buttery shortbread base with the vibrant jam center is just perfection. If you are thinking of trying them, I highly recommend using a high quality jam for that really bright, fresh raspberry pop!
Risa says
We love these cookies! My kids enjoyed making them too. They are so classic, and your recipe was so good!
Madhu (Author) says
That makes me so happy to hear! Nothing beats a classic cookie, and it is always a bonus when the kids can get involved in the kitchen.