These Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are made with a simple cookie dough and loaded with toasted pecans and raspberry jam. Every bite of this classic Christmas cookie just crumbles and melts in your mouth.
Every December we have specific Christmas cookie recipes that we just HAVE to make, and this raspberry thumbprint cookie is one, along with Linzer Cookies and Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
My family loves these Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies. This holiday classic is so easy, and it’s perfect for serving at parties, potlucks, and as an afternoon treat.
- TASTE: Sweet raspberry jam is paired with nutty cookie for a combination you won’t be able to resist.
- TEXTURE: These cookies are chewy and tender. The centers are made of gooey jam that’s perfectly sticky.
- TIME: This recipe takes about 50 minutes to make.
- EASE: This is an easy holiday recipe that you’ll want to make every year. It’s simple, yet perfectly festive for a quick cookie platter addition.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Butter– This gives the cookies their rich flavor. Use unsalted to control the salt level.
- Toasted pecans– These add a warm nuttiness to these cookies. Toasting them gives the best flavor.
- Raspberry jam– Homemade or store bought jam works here.
- Egg yolk- This acts as a binder that yields extra chewy and tender cookies.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute other flavor jams- Try this recipe with 3 Ingredient Strawberry Jam (no pectin), blueberry jam, apricot jam, peach jam, or any other that you like, including Chocolate Ganache.
- Make them gluten-free- Just substitute the flour for gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1:1, to make these cookies gluten-free.
- Add a glaze- Using a mixture of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, you can make an icing that you can drizzle atop these cookies.
- Substitute the butter-Using plant-based butter makes these Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies dairy-free.
How to Make Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Cream the sugar. First, you’ll want to start off by combining softened butter and granulated sugar in a bowl, then add egg yolk and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, mix in the flour, salt, and chopped pecans. Now stir everything with a spatula until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Scoop out the dough. Now scoop out mounds of the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Then make a cave or well in the middle of the cookie dough balls and fill it with raspberry jam.
Pro Tip: I like to use the back of a teaspoon to make the well. It’s the perfect size for this application.
- Bake. Then bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown in color.
Recipe Tips
- Sift the flour- Sifting the flour gets out any clumps and helps it mix more thoroughly with the other ingredients for the most incorporated cookie dough.
- Use a cookie scoop- Scoop the dough using a cookie scoop to get a uniform size so the cookies all cook at the same rate.
- Thumbprint with a teaspoon- This spoon is the perfect size to indent the cookies in a uniform way before adding the jam.
- Pipe the raspberry jam- Use a piping bag to pipe the jam into the indents in the cookies to avoid overfilling and making a mess. This is so much easier.
FAQs
Thumbprint cookies are made with a shortbread dough that can easily be shaped and molded. They all have a cave in the middle that holds some sort of filling. They are commonly filled with jam or chocolate ganache. The most common variation of this cookie is raspberry thumbprint cookies.
If the dough is too cold, it will crack when you apply pressure. The best thing to do if you have refrigerated your cookie dough is to allow it to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before making your thumbprint.
If your thumbprint cookies are coming out flat, then the oven is probably too hot. If the butter is melting too quickly, the cookies will flatten and spread. Make sure you bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Serving Suggestions
These delicious Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are perfect for adding to a holiday cookie plate, or for enjoying with desserts or coffee. Serve them with all your favorites.
- Cookies: Pair these cookies with some Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, Pecan Shortbread Cookies, Gingersnap Cookies, or Chewy Nutella Cookies.
- Cakes: Enjoy them with a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake (VIDEO), Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Flourless Chocolate Cake, or Gingerbread Cake.
- Pies/Cobbler: Serve them alongside a slice of Chocolate Cream Pie, Homemade Apple Pie Filling in a Homemade Pie Crust, Cherry Cobbler, or Blueberry Pie.
- Beverages: Enjoy these Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies with a Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Caramel Macchiato, or Brown Sugar Boba.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Make this cookie dough ahead of time and freeze or just keep it in the fridge for a few days until you’re ready to bake.
Storing: Store these Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies in an airtight container once cooled for up to 5 days.
Freeze: If you don’t want to make the cookies right away, don’t worry, you can freeze the unbaked cookie dough in an airtight bag like ziplock, then keep it frozen for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the baked and cooled cookies for 3 months in an airtight container.
More Scrumptious Cookies!
This post has Amazon affiliate links for tools we used to make this recipe.
If you love cookies with nuts inside, you have to try my talented friend’s Hazelnut Cookies. Love, from MunchkinTime.com, has amazing recipes!
Watch a video on how to make these Thumbprint Cookies
Full Recipe Instructions
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 1/3 cup flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup toasted pecans finely chopped
- Raspberry jam
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer.
- Then mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- Lastly, mix in flour, salt, and chopped toasted pecans. Mix until well incorporated. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out mounds of the cookie dough into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon press into the center of each cookie.
- Fill a piping bag with raspberry jam and pipe the jam into the center of each cookie
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown in color.
Notes
- Thumbprint with a teaspoon- This spoon is the perfect size to indent the cookies in a uniform way before adding the jam.
- Pipe the raspberry jam- Use a piping bag to pipe the jam into the indents in the cookies to avoid overfilling and making a mess. This is so much easier
- Freeze: If you don’t want to make the cookies right away, don’t worry, you can freeze the unbaked cookie dough in an airtight bag like ziplock, then keep it frozen for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the baked and cooled cookies for 3 months in an airtight container.
Nutrition
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Lesya says
Everyone loves these cookies when I make them! They’re easy and delicious!
Dina says
I am so glad that everyone loved these cookies Lesya! Thank you for the kind feedback 🙂
Tricia says
Hello, just to be certain….this recipe for thumb print cookies calls for 1. 5 on the butter which equals 3 sticks?
Dina says
Hi Tricia 🙂 Yes, 1.5 cups of butter is equal to 3 sticks of butter. I hope you love these thumbprint cookies! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Vonnie says
It is a good thing I followed my instincts when I saw the bake time of 30-35 min! I knew this must have been a misprint- mine were browned & done in 15 min! Please have your bakers check them sooner than 30 min!
Dina says
Hi Vonnie, every oven bakes a little differently so baking time may vary. Mine usually take longer than 15 minutes to brown.
Olga araque says
Podrías darme en gramos la cantidad del harina
Dina says
Hola, si haces clic en el botón que dice “metric” debajo de la lista de ingredientes, convertirá la receta en gramos.
Rose Ann Laureto says
I have a question regarding the baking time it says 30 to 35 minutes but clearly this is got to be wrong. I made them burnt the first batch but my husband tried them anyway loved them. I’m gonna try them again but I’m gonna reduce the baking time.
Dina says
Hi Rose, I am sorry to hear that. I think the baking time really depends on your oven. I would just keep a close eye on them next time. Thank you for letting me know.
Tanya K says
Discovered this recepie during Christmas and made it millions of times already. Can’t get enough, so easy and delicious, melts in your mouth crunch! The combo of tart raspberry jam and sweet buttery cookie is just perfect 👌
Dina says
That is so awesome to hear Tanya! I also love the crunch and flavor of these thumbprint cookies! Happy that you enjoyed my recipe 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback and I hope you find many more recipes to enjoy on my food blog! 🙂
Lesya Shishko says
One of my favorite cookie recipes! They’re always a hit everytime I make them!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much for the kind recipe review, Lesya! It means a lot to me! 🙂
Cristina says
love it, the best cookies I ever made.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Cristina! These thumbprint cookies are definitely one of my all-time favorites. All that those crunchy pecans are so irresistible 🙂
Delilah says
These were amazing! One of my favorite cookies and I had always wanted to make them. I made them in December and everyone loved them.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Delilah for the kind review! I am so happy to hear you everyone loved these raspberry thumbprint cookies!
Rosi R says
Do you have a recipe for the raspberry jam?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Rosi, unfortunately, I do not have a recipe for raspberry jam. I do have a raspberry sauce recipe that can be used to top on cheesecakes and other desserts though 🙂
Nata K says
Delicious cookies family favorite
What cookie scoop are u using ? I found some on amazon but not sure what size is urs
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you, Nata! I used a medium-sized cookie scoop. Mine was about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Diana says
I wanted to make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. How long do you recommend the dough the thaw? And after the dough is soft do you recommend to put it in the fridge for 30 minutes or should I continue with the recipe make a cave in cookie and fill with jam?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Diana, If you freeze the cookie dough, it should take about 2-3 hours to thaw. Then you can scoop it and add the indents right away while it’s still cold. Therefore there won’t be any need to refrigerate it. I hope that helps 🙂
Nata Kozhaev says
Best cookies ever seriously I couldn’t wait till they cooled so I ate warm ones with milk lol very delish
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much for your awesome feedback Nata! I’m so happy to hear you loved the thumbprint cookies 🙂
Maria says
Everyone, this one is a must to make! So delicious and easy to make! Everyone loved it from my family!
Thank you Dina for sharing!
Love from Munchkintime.com says
OMG! Your cookies look Amazing! I love cookies with jam in it, can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you for sharing my hazelnut cookies with your readers. I appreciate you! =)
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Love! 🙂