Perfect strawberry jam cookies: this is a quick, easy, and delicious strawberry jam thumbprint cookie recipe that works out every time. Only 5 ingredients.
A simple recipe for strawberry jam cookies using just five ingredients, these soft and chewy jam-filled cookies are everyone's favorite, the perfect sweet treat for this time of the year. The Cinnamon Shortbread is made with only 4 ingredients!
Thumbprint cookies are a classic Christmas cookie worldwide; the combination of buttery, soft dough filled with sweet and fruity jam and sprinkled with just a hint of icing sugar is irresistible.
For more Christmas dessert ideas, check out the Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cakes, the Coconut Macaroons, or the Easy Brownie Blondie Recipe.
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Simple ingredients
Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour and a pinch of salt, icing sugar.
Butter: Cold, unsalted, full-fat butter. Please don't use any low-fat products in baking; the baked goods will not be the same. European-style butter with a fat content of 82% is best.
One egg
Strawberry jam: Smooth jam without any seeds or small fruit pieces. Try these Strawberry Turnovers when strawberries are in season.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make cookies with strawberry jam?
- Step #1: Sift and combine flour, icing sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer or food processor. Add butter and egg. Knead or pulse shortly until the dough comes together; don't overmix.
- Step #2: Shape the dough. Don't be tempted to knead it; press it together to form a smooth ball. Wrap the ball and refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.
- Step #3: Form small balls about the size of a smaller cherry. Place them on the prepared baking sheet. Use your thumb or the back of a wooden spoon to make a small well in the center of each cookie.
- Step #4: Fill each well with about ยฝ teaspoon of stirred strawberry jam. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden.
Alternatively, bake the cookies without the filling and fill them with jam once baked. Cool cookies on the trays for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, sprinkle the strawberry jam-filled thumbprints with a bit of icing sugar.
Make the dough with your hands
Cut the cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture. Rub the mixture with cold hands until it resembles sand. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract, and mix again with the knife and your cold hands until the dough comes together
To make your hands cold, keep them under cold running water for a few moments, then dry them very well.
Variations
- Nutella: Fill the baked thumbprint cookies with Nutella.
- Lemon curd: Fill the baked cookies with lemon curd instead of jam and add a bit of lemon zest to the dough.
- Other jam: Use any other smooth jam you like.
Tips
Pro tip: Use a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients; it guarantees the best results (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
Never place the cookies on a hot baking tray; they will start melting before they start baking, making them spread. If you only have one baking sheet, bake one batch of cookies first and let the tray cool before baking the second batch. Keep the waiting dough (or already formed cookies) in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them.
Filling: I prefer to fill the cookies with jam before baking them; the filling will set better. But if you prefer to fill the cookies after baking them, it is also fine. Let them rest on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes after baking; they will become firmer. Fill them with strawberry jam and let the jam set and dry for 2-3 hours before transferring the cookies to a container.
Recipe FAQs
Any jam you like is fine (bought or homemade jam). I love to make classic thumbprint cookies with seedless raspberry jam or red currant jam.
What you must consider is that the jam should be perfectly smooth (without any seeds or tiny fruit pieces) and that it should be a tart sort.
I love to fill thumbprint cookies with lemon curd or Nutella (kids' choice). In this case, fill the cookies after baking and let the filling set.
Keep the strawberry jam cookies in an airtight container; they will keep for 4-5 days.ย Bake some festive Crushed Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies this December, too.
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๐ Recipe
Strawberry Jam Cookies (5 Ingredients)
Equipment
- Food processor OR stand/hand mixer with hook attachments
- 2 cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 2ยฝ cups all-purpose flour Note 1
- ยพ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- ยพ cup + 2 Tbsp unsalted butter cold, Note 2
- 1 egg large
- ยฝ cup strawberry jam smooth, Note 3
- confectioners' sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Cut the cold butter into small cubes.ยพ cup + 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Dry ingredients: Sift flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of the food processor or stand mixer, and stir or pulse them a few times to combine.2ยฝ cups all-purpose flour + ยพ cup confectioners' sugar + 1 pinch of salt
- Dough: Add butter and egg. Knead or pulse shortly until the dough comes together; don't overmix. Turn the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and bring it in shape with your hands. Don't knead it; press it together to form a ball.1 egg
- Chill dough: Wrap the ball and chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and leave it on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before making the cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF/200ยฐC. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Form cookies: Break small pieces of dough and form small balls about the size of a smaller cherry, about 60 pieces.
- Make wells: Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets leaving some space between them. Use your thumb or the back of a wooden spoon (works best) to make a small well in the middle of each cookie.
- Fill: Stir the jam to soften it. Fill each well with about ยฝ teaspoon of jam (Note 4).ยฝ cup strawberry jam
- Bake the thumbprint strawberry cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden. Allow them to cool on the trays for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, sprinkle them with a bit of confectioners' sugar .
Notes
- It's best to use a digital kitchen scale to measure the ingredients; it guarantees the best results (Amazon affiliate link). Measuring flour and butter consistently using cups is close to impossible.
- Butter with 82% fat is best (European style). Please don't use lower-fat alternatives; they contain more water, and that will affect the results.
- A tart jam is best (lower sugar). You can use another flavor of your choice. Ensure the jam is smooth, without any seeds or fruit pieces.
- Alternatively, bake the cookies without the filling, and fill them with jam once baked. In this case, allow them to get a bit firmer while resting on the baking sheet (about 10 minutes). Fill them with jam (lemon curd, Nutella, etc) and let the filling set for 2-3 hours before transferring them to a container.
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