Grandmother's Jam Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (2024)

Jam Thumbprint Cookies make a quick and easy cookie recipe that is filled with your favorite flavors of jam. Always a crowd-favorite cookie!

Looking for more easy cookie recipes? I think you’ll love my bakery-style chewy sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and peanut butter cookies!

One of my favorite jobs growing up was helping my Grandmother Verdie make her Jam Thumbprint Cookies. They always turned out perfectly and were always a favorite. Sometimes, Grandmother would make these cookies for family or church showers and sometimes they were just special treats to go along with our afternoon grape Kool-Aide party she served in her fine crystal glasses.

How to Make Jam Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

For these cookies, you’ll need butter, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and your favorite jam, preserves, or fruit curd. Make sure that all of your ingredients, especially the butter and the eggs are at room temperature so that they incorporate well into the cookie dough.

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Make the cookie dough and refrigerate. Mix together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and eggs until well incorporated and then slowly add flour, baking powder, and salt. Shape the dough into a large ball. Cut the dough ball into four evenly sized pieces. Wrap each section tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
• Form the cookies. Remove one section of the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop 1 teaspoon of the dough and roll in between the palms of your hands until a ball, about the size of a walnut, has formed. Drop onto a cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of the dough ball to form a slight well. Repeat until all the dough from that section has been used. Then, if baking all of the cookies at once, repeat with the remaining dough sections, one section at a time.
• Freeze the unbaked cookies. Place sheet pans in the freezer for about 12 minutes to firm to prevent spreading during baking.
• Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes until brown. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
• Fill the cookies. Scoop 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite jam, preserves, or fruit curd to fill the center of the cookie.

Storage Tips

Cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Here’s Grandmother’s recipe for her Jam Thumbprint Cookies.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo