Raspberry thumbprint cookies are soft and buttery shortbread sugar cookies filled with seedless raspberry jam. Enjoy these bite sized thumbprint cookies plain, dusted in powdered sugar or with a sweet glaze. They’re simple, easy to make and deliciously delectable cookies.
Why Should You Make This Recipe
I have a couple of thumbprint cookies on the blog. I love my Rye and Almond Thumbprint Cookies and Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies. These buttery raspberry thumbprint cookies are another delicious thumbprint cookie recipe I know you’ll because:
- They are quick and easy to make. All you need to do is mix the cookie dough, scoop, press the thumbprint into the cookie dough, chill for 30 minutes, fill with jam and bake.
- Layers of flavor and texture. From the soft, buttery and slightly crumbly cookie to the sweet seedless raspberry jam in the middle, these cookies will delight your senses.
Ingredients
This raspberry thumbprint cookie recipe requires only a handful of pantry basics to make. Make sure you have these ingredients ready to go.
- Dry ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, cornstarch and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, egg yolk, vanilla extract and seedless raspberry jam.
Substitutions
Here are my recommended substitutions to make these wonderfully buttery thumbprint raspberry cookies:
- All purpose flour: This recipe hasn’t been tested with an alternative flour. However, if you want to make this recipe gluten free, use a good 1-1 flour and measure by weight (270 g) rather than cups.
- Cornstarch: This gives the cookies a soft and tender texture while also helping the cookies retain their thumbprint shape.
- Granulated Sugars and Light Brown Sugar:This recipe hasn’t been tested using alternative sugars. However, I love using maple sugar as a refined sugar free option in my other cookie recipes. Maple sugar bakes very similarly to light brown sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: You can use the same amount of salted butter as written in the recipe, but omit the added salt. To make these thumbprint cookies dairy free, use a plant based butter.
- Egg Yolk: Adding an egg yolk keeps these soft and buttery. If you choose to omit the egg yolk the cookie will be a bit more of a shortbread texture.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for flavor. Use vanilla to enhance the buttery flavor.
- Seedless Raspberry Jam: I like to use seedless raspberry jam or regular jam to make these thumbprint cookies. Choose the one you prefer.
How To Make
Learn how to make raspberry thumbprint cookies in a few easy steps.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch and salt together until well combined.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters, cream the room temperature butter with the sugar and light brown sugar until well combined. This takes about 3 - 4 minutes on medium speed. On low, mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until well combined. Mix the dry ingredient into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- If you would like to cover the cookie dough in sugar, roll each cookie dough ball into a bowl of sugar until fully coated. Use a small ¼ teaspoon sized measuring spoon to press a “well” into the center of the the cookie. Cover the dough and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or fridge for 60 minutes.
- While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop seedless raspberry jam into the wells of each chilled cookie. Place 15 cookies onto the lined baking sheet. Bake the raspberry thumbprint cookies for 10 -14 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be very lightly golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack. After 10 - 15 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Once the cookies have cooled, dust the cookies with powdered sugar or top with a glaze.
How To Store, Make Ahead, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Make Ahead: Simply prepare the cookies according to the recipe directions through to chilling and store covered the cookie dough in plastic wrap in the fridge for 1 day. Fill the cookies with jam right before baking.
- Freeze: To freeze baked cookies, prepare, bake and cool the cookies to room temperature. Layer the cookies in a single layer and freeze the cookies in a air tight and freezer safe container for up to 1 month. To freeze unbaked cookies, prepare the cookie dough through to the freezing/chilling step. Freeze the unfilled cookies in a single layer for 30 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to an airtight container.
- Thaw: Transfer your desired amount of frozen baked cookies onto a plate to thaw at room temperature for a few hours. Frozen cookies can be baked from frozen. Fill the frozen cookie dough with jam and bake for a few minutes longer.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. Room temperature butter is soft, but still cool to the touch. This results in a soft, tender and delicious cookie.
- Mix the flour until just combined. I like to mix the flour into the sweetened butter just there are a few stray pieces of flour coated butter. Then mix the rest of the flour by hand or with a flexible spatula.
- Use a cookie scoop. To get perfectly round cookies, use a cookie scoop to scoop and roll the same size cookies every time.
- Chill the cookies. After scooping the cookie dough and forming the signature “thumbprint” make sure to chill the cookies. Cold cookie dough will hold the thumbprint shape the best.
- Fully preheat the oven. Use an oven thermometer to double check the temperature.
- Fully cool the cookies on the hot sheet pan. These raspberry jam cookies need about 10 minutes on the pan to set enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
FAQs
These thumbprint cookies are soft and buttery shortbread style sugar cookies with a small “well” created by pressing a small measuring spoon into the center. The center is then filled with seedless raspberry jam.
Similarly to baking shortbread or sugar cookies, when the edges of the thumbprint cookies are set and lightly golden brown, the thumbprint cookies are done.
Yes, the colder the dough cookie, the more likely the cookie will hold it’s shape. This recipe for raspberry thumbprint cookies calls for 30 minutes of chill time in the freezer or 1 hour in the fridge.
Yes, thumbprint cookies can be frozen either baked or unbaked. To freeze baked cookies, prepare, bake and cool the cookies to room temperature. Layer the cookies in a single layer and freeze the cookies in a air tight and freezer safe container for up to 1 month. To freeze unbaked cookies, prepare the cookie dough through to the freezing/chilling step. Freeze the unfilled cookies in a single layer for 30 minutes. Then transfer the cookies to an airtight container.
Other Raspberry Cookie Recipes To Try
If you try this Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 - 2 large baking sheets
- 2 sheets parchment paper
- 1 small cookie scoop (1 tbsp, 15 ml)
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, sliced
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar for rolling, optional
- ½ cup (120 ml) raspberry jam, warmed slightly
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch and salt together until well combined.2¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour , 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt
- Heat the cold, sliced butter in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds to slightly soften the butter.Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters, cream the room temperature butter with the sugar and light brown sugar until well combined. This takes about 3 - 4 minutes on medium speed. On low, mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until well combined. Mix the dry ingredient into the wet ingredients until just combined.1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, sliced , ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Using a small tablespoon sized cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and roll into a smooth cookie dough ball. If you would like to cover the cookie dough in sugar, roll each cookie dough ball into a bowl of sugar until fully coated. Use a small ¼ teaspoon sized measuring spoon to press a “well” into the center of the the cookie. Cover the dough and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or fridge for 60 minutes.½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar for rolling, optional
- While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop seedless raspberry jam into the wells of each chilled thumbprint cookie. Place 15 cookies onto the lined baking sheet. Bake the raspberry thumbprint cookies for 10 -14 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be very lightly golden brown.½ cup (120 ml) raspberry jam, warmed slightly
- Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack. After 10 - 15 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Once the cookies have cooled, dust the cookies with powdered sugar or top with a glaze.
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