Thumbprint Cookies Multiple Fillings

Love elegant holiday cookies? Try my applesauce cookies, lemon ricotta cookies, healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and flourless cookies next. As much as I love classic cookie flavors, it’s thumbprint cookies that have always reminded me of growing up. We didn’t bake them all the time (usually only Christmas!), so it felt like a treat when we did. I’ve stolen (I mean, borrowed!) my grandma’s tried and true recipe to share with you all today!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Common baking ingredients. You’d probably have them all in the pantry already. Perfect texture and flavor. The cookie base is sweet and buttery, the peanuts add a savory crunch, and the tart filling balances out the cookies perfectly. Great for sharing. No one (and you can quote me on this) can resist these cookies. They’re perfect for the holidays and make a great addition to any dessert table or cookie exchange. No chilling time. Seriously, the worst thing about any cookie is having to chill the dough. Not this one, though. And they bake in just 12 minutes.

Ingredients needed

Butter. Softened. I prefer to use unsalted butter since it gives me more control over how salty the cookie dough is. Sugar. Granulated sugar works best. Egg yolks. To add richness and mouthfeel to the cookies. Vanilla extract. A must for any good cookie recipe! For a more Italian-inspired cookie, use almond extract. All-purpose flour. Good old-fashioned AP flour will do the trick, or gluten-free flour can be used if preferred. Salt. A little goes a long way to amplify the rest of the ingredients. Chopped nuts. Half the cookies will get rolled in chopped pecans, walnuts, peanuts, or almonds to add extra flavor and texture. Feel free to omit if that’s not your style. Lemon curd and raspberry preserves. For the filling.

How to make thumbprint cookies

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. If you’re unfamiliar with them, thumbprint cookies are a type of shortbread cookie that originated in Sweden but have quickly become widely popular for holidays and special occasions. Each cookie is indented into a “thumbprint” and filled with various jams and curds. Raspberry jam is the most traditional, but my favorite is lemon curd.

Arman’s recipe tips

Use a plastic bag to pipe in the filling. My secret tip! Fill a plastic bag with the jam and curd, then use scissors to cut the corner off the bag. Use this to fill each cookie with about ½ teaspoon of jam. Change the filling. Any jam or jelly works. Try strawberry jam, apricot jam, marmalade, or apple butter instead. Warm up the jam. If the jam is too cold and won’t spread evenly, microwave it for 10 seconds to soften it up. Avoid overbaking the cookies. The cookies continue to cook as they cool down, so if you pull them out when they’re firm, they’ll get too crispy and break. Skip the fruit altogether. If you’re not a fan of jam, fill each cookie with melted chocolate, caramel sauce, or my homemade healthy Nutella.

Storage instructions

To store: Place leftover cookies in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days. Avoid stacking the cookies so they don’t stick to each other. To freeze: Store the leftover cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag with sheets of parchment paper between each layer of cookies and freeze for up to 3 months.