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Made with just 5 ingredients, you can fill these thumbprint cookies with your favorite flavor jam. One of the easiest desserts, just make the cookie dough, roll the dough into balls, stuff with jam, and bake. Get ready to bake these jam thumbprints over and over again! Store thumbprints at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze them for 2 months!
Jenna says 
“I have made these cookies so many times I’ve lost count. It’s a bold statement but they’re my favorite cookie out there! So simple, but so good and addicting.”
I bake Christmas cookies for about 75 people every holiday season. I rotate the flavors each year, but the one cookie that’s ALWAYS in my cookie boxes? Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies!!! They’re even more popular than my famous chocolate chip cookies, molasses cookies, and gingerbread men! My husband has even gone as far as to say these thumbprint cookies are his favorite cookies ever.
Why these are the Best Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies…
- Quick to prep – the cookie dough comes together in less than 10 minutes!
- Short chill time – you can roll the dough into balls, stuff with jam, and bake after just 45 minutes of chilling.
- An egg-free dessert recipes (great for an allergy friendly cookie platter). And no messing with separating egg yolks and egg whites! Yay.
- Use raspberry jam like me, or any kind of jam or jelly! Apricot jam, lemon curd, blueberry preserves, or apple butter are a few of my favorite flavors.
- Fun to make with kids – let them gently press their fingertips into the dough balls.
- Add more flavor to the cookie dough by adding a splash of vanilla extract or almond extract.
Thumbprint Cookie Recipe: The Ingredients
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat brick-style cream cheese works best for this recipe. Soften your cream cheese to room temperature before making the thumbprint cookie dough.
- Salted Butter: If you don’t have salted butter, add a 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the flour. Add the flour and salt at the same time.
- Granulated Sugar: Do not sub with light brown sugar or any other sugar variety. I also don’t suggest cutting back the amount of sugar used.
- All-Purpose Flour: I don’t suggest using any other variety of flour. Some readers have reported good results using a 1-for-1 gluten free flour substitute. For best results, weigh flour with a digital kitchen scale.
- Raspberry Jam: Or use your favorite flavor of jam, jelly, curd, or preserves! Or bake without any filling, then add chocolate ganache to the indentation.
You’ll also need a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, a stand mixer or hand mixer, and a cookie scoop.
How to Make Thumbprint Cookies: The Method
- Make the Cookie Dough: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. This will help you evenly combine the ingredients. Once you add the flour, beat on low just until combined.
- Chill the Cookie Dough: Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. You can chill the cookie dough up to 2 hours, so you can wait to bake a few hours. I don’t suggest chilling the cookie dough much longer than this.
- Preheat the Oven: 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven. This is also a good time to prep your large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Roll the Cookie Dough: Using a cookie scoop to scoop out 1 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Roll them into rounds and place them on the cookie sheet.
- Thumbprint Time: Gently press your thumb in the center of each round of cookie dough. Then fill each indentation with a 1/2 teaspoon of jam before baking.
Can I add Almond Extract or Vanilla Extract?
To add vanilla extract or almond extract to the cookie dough, add it with the cream cheese and butter in step 1. I suggest adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.
Time to Bake Thumbprint Cookies
- Bake the Cookies: Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until just golden at the edges. The thumbprint cookies will still be soft when you remove them from the oven – that’s a good thing!
- Cool the Cookies: On the baking sheet for a full 10 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. They will firm up quite a bit as they cool, but remain soft inside.
- Add a little Pizzazz: If the cookies look like they could hold more jam, add more filling into each indent. I usually add an extra 1/4 teaspoon so they look extra full and glossy.
How to Store Thumbprint Cookies
- You can store baked thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Even though these cookies contain cream cheese, there’s no need to refrigerate them. However for a chewier cookie, you may store them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- If you have extra cookies, feel free to freeze them for up to 2 months.
Can you Freeze Thumbprint Cookies?
- Like most cookies, these raspberry thumbprints taste best the day they’re baked. You can freeze these thumbprint cookies.
- Once fully cooled, place the cookies on a baking sheet, side to side, and freeze until solid. Then transfer the cookies into a freezer bag.
- Press as much air out of the freezer bag as possible before sealing. Then label, date, and place in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw in the fridge or on the counter until soft enough to enjoy.
And if you love these, you have to try my 5-Ingredient Oreo Cheesecake Cookies next!
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5-Ingredient Raspberry Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
These 5-Ingredient Raspberry Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies are so flavorful and basically melt in your mouth!!! An easy cookie recipe you’ll make over and over again!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 cup raspberry preserves
Instructions
- In the body of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the sugar and beat well.
- Add in flour, a small bit at a time, beating in on low speed, just until incorporated.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
- 30 minutes prior to baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough, roll them into rounds, and place them on the cookie sheet. Lightly press your thumb in the center of each round. Fill each indentation with a 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
- Place pan in the oven to bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until just golden at the edges. They will still be very soft when you remove them from the oven – that’s a good thing!
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 full minutes, then very carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Tried it and loved it?Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @Bakerbynature and by using the hashtag #BakerByNature
these cookies were amazing! I wish i would’ve made 2 batches, they were all gone on the second day! the key is to take them out of the over right when they’re beginning to brown on the bottom. that way when they cool off, they’re perfectly soft.
Hi, these sound great! What kind of flour should I be using, self-rising or all purpose? I have both I just don’t want to want waste a whole batch of dough by using the wrong one!
I made these cookies the other day and they turned out great! Going to double the recipe again and will make half of them with cherries. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Merry Christmas!
Hello – Would you make any adjustments for high altitude? Thanks!
Hi Kelley. I have no experience with high altitude baking so I cannot make any suggestions. I’m sorry!
Where should they be stored? I made them and they came out beautifully. Was curious with the cream cheese, do they need to be stored in the refrigerator? Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Mary. You can store them in an airtight container or in the fridge. Up to you 🙂
Love these! I got so many compliments on these when I took them to work this week. Next I’m going to try replacing the raspberry with caramel! This is my new go to butter cookie recipe
Hi Patti! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this cookie recipe 🙂 Let us know how it goes with the caramel 🙂 xo
Hi Patty, it’s funny you should say that about trying them with caramel next time, I’m planning on trying a blueberry jam I made and a caramel filling that I haven’t made yet, I’ll comment on it after they’re made.
Sylvia S.
These look so good, but mine also came out flat and very greasy. I’ll have to throw them out. I mixed them yesterday and left them in the fridg overnight. I keep an oven thermometer in my oven, so I know the temperature was right. I may try again though. The only thing I can think of that may have done this is mixing the butter/cream cheese too long. I noticed that the mixture started separating while mixing. I’ll try again, and let you know how it goes.
Hi Bev. As noted in the instructions, the cookies should only be refrigerated for up 2 hours. Not overnight.
I just made these again, and they turned out perfect! I usually always mix up several kinds of cookies on one day, then bake them all the next. I guess that doesn’t work for these!
Hi Bev. So happy they turned out 🙂 I like to make cookies ahead of time too, but yes, for these that method does not work. Happy holidays!
I’m planning to bake these tonight but I’m going to try cherry pie filling instead of preserves. (So they’d be my cherry cheesecake cookies.) Yum! I saw another cookie recipe that used pie filling. I’m thinking I’ll just chill the batter 45 minutes since by the comments it sounds like they may spread too thin if they’re refrigerated for a longer period of time. Do you agree?
Hi Lisa! I think that should work just fine. Just be sure to test a few cookies with the cherry filling to make sure the filling doesn’t leak too much 😉
i made a double batch of the dough. I chilled the dough overnight. My first two pans of cookies came out flat as pancakes. They look terrible, not rounded like yours!
I’d hate to throw the rest of the batter out!
Hi. I’m so sorry you’re having issues with the batter. You could try freezing the rounds of dough before baking… I wish I could help more but I’ve never encountered this issue before.
I also left the dough to chill in the fridge overnight but mine turned out fine! I broke my cookie dough scoop though as it was such a firm dough. My edges didn’t get at all browned. I had baked a couple extra minutes and am using stones but figured I shouldn’t cook any longer. I am following the directions to let them sit on the pan 10 minutes before removing but can’t wait to try them! I’m hoping they become a new holiday favorite 🙂
JANKENT I wonder if in deed you did double the dough. I say this because my cookies also came out flat, flat, flat. What I did was double the cream cheese and butter only. I got the measurements totally wrong and the cookie was very wet. The cookie is flat but still tastes yummy. hope this helped.
Usually if the cookie is flat it is because the flour wasn’t measured correctly and not enough was used. Even though I’m a very experienced baker, I’ve had it happen to me. Most likely, since your comment in 6 years old, you threw it out. But now, anyone who reads this will try adding a bit more flour.
Confused about how many cookies this makes. At first you said 1 dozen then in a later comment you said about 2 dozen.
Never said if they can be baked ahead and then frozen. Do you know?
Thanks
Hi Laura. They will make about two dozen, give or take (no one measures cookie dough exactly the same way). I am not sure if they can be baked ahead of time and then frozen, but my guess is they probably won’t taste as fresh. Good luck!