Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
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Melt-in-your-mouth raspberry thumbprint cookies are tender with a delicious burst of raspberry fruit jam in the center. This classic cookie is soft, sweet and has a delicious buttery almond flavor. These are one of the tastiest cookies on any cookie plate and is an easy recipe to bake for friends and family.
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Why We Love Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Tender Buttery Cookies– These delicious buttery cookies are tender and just melt in your mouth when you bite into them. The sweet raspberry jam in the center of the cookie dough gives this dessert a delicious pop of fruit flavor in these classic cookies.
- Great Cookie For Christmas or Valentine’s Day- Raspberry thumbprints are a great Christmas cookie for around the Christmas tree. These jam thumbprint cookies are fun to make with the kids, and are perfect for the holiday season on cookie trays and for cookie exchanges. This recipe is also great for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day too!
- Simple Ingredients– These cookies have simple ingredients that can be found in most kitchens, and are pretty easy to make overall.
If you love the fruity taste of these cookies, you’ll love these soft lemon sugar cookies, the cheery orange cranberry cookies with sweet orange glaze, or my fresh raspberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!
I made these cookies for a party recently. While the kids tended to be pulled towards cookies with brightly colored sprinkles like my frosted sugar cookie bars, the adults couldn’t stop snacking on the raspberry thumbprint cookie recipe.
When I gave these cookies to kids without the sprinkle-filled cookies nearby, they seemed to all especially enjoy that the cookies are filled in the center and love this recipe.
One friend even told me thumbprints are usually not her favorite cookie because they are often hard, but these cookies were just soft enough and delicious! I’m not sure you can beat a compliment like that!
If you are feeling more adventurous, try these cookies with my easy homemade raspberry jam recipe or mix it up with my easy blackberry jam recipe in the center of the cookies.
Ingredients For Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter – 1 stick (unsalted, softened)
- 1 cup white granulated sugar divided
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam – You can use raspberry preserves or your favorite flavor of jam. Using the best quality jam you can will make the cookies taste even better in this recipe.
How To Make Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
First make the cookie dough, then roll and press the shortbread cookies in the center with an indent. Fill the cookies with jam, chill and then bake the cookies, easy peasy! I like to make a batch of these raspberry cookies and a batch of my green Grinch-inspired thumbprint cookies and put them on the same platter, the red and green is festive together.
Making The Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking oil.
- In a large bowl add softened butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar. With an electric hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) at medium speed cream the butter and sugar mixture together until smooth. You can use a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, but a whisk attachment will also work.
- Add the egg and almond extract to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Sprinkle the salt around the bowl of wet ingredients so it distributes evenly in the cookie dough. Add the flour a little bit at a time, mixing in between until a dough forms. Scrape down the bowl as needed. The cookie dough may look a little crumbly at first, but it should hold together more like playdoh.
- Shape dough balls with about a tablespoon of cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Use a cookie scoop for more even cookies. Roll each cookie dough ball in 1/4 cup of white sugar then place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Use the end of a wooden spoon or your thumb to create a hole in the center of each ball for the jam. I’ve also found using the round end of my extract bottle or a clean cork from a bottle of wine gives me the best shape and size for the jam to stay in the cookie. About 3/4 of an inch across is the perfect size circle.
- Fill each hole with about 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam. It can be less messy to put the jam in a zip-top bag and then snip the bottom corner. Use the bag of jam to fill the cookies. Sprinkle the tops with a little additional white sugar before baking.
Baking The Cookies
- Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes, the cookies will spread a little as they bake. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are just lightly brown.
- Fill the middle with extra jam if any need a little more jam. Move cookies to a cooling rack or clean cooking towel to cool completely. Allow cookies to cool, then enjoy! then enjoy!
Variation Ideas
Swap The Jam Flavor– You can make more than one flavor of cookie from this cookie, simply swap the flavor of jam! Try strawberry, apricot, cherry preserves, blueberry preserves, or even lemon curd. For a twist, fill these cookies with chocolate ganache or Nutella, yum! If you love fruit and chocolate together try these maraschino cherry cookies which have both!
Add A Glaze– A drizzled glaze is another way to take these pretty cookie and make them feel even fancier. Use the glaze from my sweet glazed blueberry biscuits recipe to drizzle over these cookies! You’ll need powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla to make the glaze.
Why Did My Cookies Spread Too Much?
The cookies spreading too much is usually caused by the cookie dough being too warm. Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for at least twenty minutes, or about fifteen minutes in the freezer after portioning and filling the cookies with jam.
If the cookies still spread too much you may need to put the cookies in the fridge or freezer for a little longer before baking.
What Is The Best Way To Press The Center Indent Of The Cookie?
I’ve found a clean wine cork (if you have one) or the small end of my bottle of vanilla extract works really well for pressing the circle in the center of these cookies. Both are a little wider than the wooden spoon handle at about 3/4 inches across, which gives a little more room for the jam in the cookie than using a spoon handle.
Make sure to clean the wine cork or lid first, and use the side of the cork that wasn’t in the wine. (It’s not so bad for the baker most of the time to open up a bottle of wine for the adults!)
You can also use a measuring spoon that is round, a teaspoon is usually about 3/4 inch across.
I’ve also found that using something small and round to make the imprint works better than your thumb. When I created the indentation with my thumb the shape is a little more oval. This can cause the jam to sometimes spill out of the cookie when baking if the oval is not a super neat shape. For the most consistent cookies use something round to make your indentation.
Can I Freeze These Cookies?
Yes, you can freeze these raspberry thumbprint cookies.
You can also freeze cookies that have been baked. I like to freeze cookies on a cookie sheet completely first, then stack them in a container so they stack easier.
Place freezer paper or parchment paper in between the layers and freeze in a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe zip-top bag. Expect frozen cookies will taste fresh for about three months.
If freezing these cookies as dough I like to portion the dough and press the centers of the cookies before filling. Then I fill the frozen cookies and bake from frozen. This cookie recipe may need an extra minute or two in the oven if baking from frozen.
How Do I Store These Cookies?
Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter. Cookies should taste their best if eaten within three days.
If cookies are stored in the refrigerator, you may want to let them come to room temperature before eating.
Other Recipes You Will Love
Stained Glass Cookies– These soft cookies have a chewy, fruity gummy center you can see right through! These sweet cookies are easy to make and are so pretty!
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars– A creamy layer of cheesecake on top of a buttery graham cracker crust swirled with raspberry on top, these bars are always on my husband’s request list and are a big hit at parties.
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes– Sweet vanilla cupcakes topped with a cream cheese frosting and lots of fresh strawberries, amazingly delicious!
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies– Sweet, buttery, and slightly tangy in all the right ways! Cranberry white chocolate chip cookies are chewy and delicious!
No Bake Cornflake Cookies– These sweet peanut butter no-bake cornflake cookies are quick to make and delicious to eat!
Snickerdoodle Cookies– Soft, chewy snickerdoodle cookies rolled in sweet cinnamon sugar, delicious!
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick (softened)
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar divided
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam
Instructions
Making The Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking oil.
- In a large bowl add softened butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar. With an electric mixer at medium speed cream the butter and sugar mixture together until smooth.
- Add the egg and almond extract to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Sprinkle the salt around the bowl of wet ingredients so it distributes evenly in the cookie dough. Add the flour a little bit at a time, mixing in between until a dough forms. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Form cookie dough balls with about a tablespoon of cookie dough. Use a cookie scoop for more even cookies. Roll each cookie dough ball in 1/4 cup of white sugar then place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Use the end of a wooden spoon or your thumb to create a hole in the middle of each cookie for the jam. Fill each hole with about 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam.
- Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little additional white sugar. Chill the filled cookie dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes before baking.
Baking The Cookies
- Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are just lightly brown.
- Fill the middle of each cookie with extra jam if any need a little more. Move cookies to a cooling rack or clean cooking towel to cool completely. Allow cookies to cool, then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- While a wooden spoon handle or your thumb can be great for making the center of a thumbprint cookie, I’ve also found a clean wine cork works well. It leaves a little more room for jam in the cookie.
- It can be less messy to put the jam in a zip-top bag and then snip the bottom corner. Use the bag of jam to fill the cookies instead of a spoon in the center of each cookie.
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
I tried this recipe and it came out exactly as stated. Delicious Raspberry Filled Cookies I’ll be taking to work with me to eat during break time!
They are such yummy cookies, so glad you liked them Ang!
I made these cookies they came out wonderful.
First of all 7 to 8 minutes cooking times is a joke. It’s more like 10 to 11 in any oven. Also, you MUST AMadd baking soda and baking powder because these will not hold up.
Hi Nancy- I’ve made these cookies many times. The base is a shortbread which does not need baking powder or baking soda. If you added baking powder or soda that could explain why it took longer to cook. Ovens also sometimes vary, and while I temperature check mine with a thermometer inside the oven not everyone does. It could also the size of your cookies are not the same as mine. If you rolled the dough balls larger, they will take longer to cook. Have a great day, hope they were still delicious.
Can I make the dough ahead and put in fridge overnight? My family and I get together and make cookies. It would be easier if I made my dough tonight instead of tomorrow…limited kitchen space.
Yes, the dough should be ok if you let it refrigerate overnight. With no baking powder or baking soda in this recipe, the dough should hold up just fine. I would place the dough in a covered airtight container. I also suggest letting it warm up on the counter before you start to work with it to get the thumbprint. Hope you enjoy!
The recipe calls for almond extract but the instructions say vanilla.
Hi Candace- I originally made this recipe with vanilla extract, but later changed it to almond extract because I thought the flavor was even better. You can use the two interchangeably in this recipe, whichever you prefer, but I do think the almond gives a better flavor.
I’m going to my sister place in PA. Us sister are making different cookies on saturday Nov 25 for Christmas and for our mother at the retirement home for everyone there.
Hope you have a lovely time!
Your raspberry thumbprint cookies are exactly what i am looking for, but i have a question.
The recipe doesnt call for a levening agent like baking soda. Is that correct?
Hi Jay, You are correct, these raspberry thumbprint cookies do not need any leavening agent. The recipe is for a buttery shortbread style cookie which doesn’t need baking powder or baking soda like a chocolate chip cookie or sugar cookie does. Hope that helps and you love them! -Kristy
I’ve made them 3 times now and they are absolutely delicious and easy to make!
Tomorrow, I’m taking a batch to the person who taught me to bake over 50 years ago — my mother!