These Christmas thumbprint cookies have crisp buttery outsides, are super soft inside, and are so easy to make! The best part is you can customize the flavors to make a variety of cookies using only one batch and one recipe! There’s no chill time, they stay soft for days, and aren’t fragile - making them the perfect cookies for Christmas cookie boxes. If you’re looking for a cookie recipe that you can customize with a huge variety of flavors, you need to make these cookies! I filled up a huge cookie box with just one batch of these cookies - and there are so many flavors to choose from!
The flavors that I made here are chocolate peppermint, lemon curd, chocolate hazelnut, classic raspberry thumbprints, vanilla peppermint, coconut raspberry, and chocolate raspberry.
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🍪 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Easy: This recipe is super quick and easy! No need to chill the dough prior to baking.
- Versatile: There are a few flavor options listed in the recipe but feel free to get creative with them. The combinations are endless!
- Awesome gift: All you need is a decorative box or tray and these Christmas thumbprint cookies would make the perfect host gift or even for the office!
These gingerbread cookies and lemon shortbread cookies are both Holiday cookie favorites. Include this easy peppermint fudge in your cookie box as well!
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
- Brown and granulated sugar: The granulated sugar gives the cookies crisp edges and the brown sugar adds flavor and makes them softer.
- Cocoa powder: Dutch processed cocoa powder adds rich chocolate flavor. I added it to only half of the batch so that you can get a wider variety of cookie flavors.
- Baking powder: Not to be confused with baking soda, baking powder helps these cookies rise, preventing them from spreading too much in the oven. It also makes them nice and soft.
- All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Coatings/toppings: Customize these Christmas thumbprint cookies with your favorite coatings and toppings! This is what the cookie dough balls are rolled in before indenting, filling, and baking. This is important because it prevents the cookie dough from sticking while indenting. Some fun ideas are granulated sugar, coarse sugar, powdered sugar, colored sugar, coconut, finely chopped nuts, cocoa powder, crushed peppermint candies…
- Fillings: My favorite part of a thumbprint cookie! Seedless raspberry jam is classic and melts beautifully into the cookie, creating a glossy top. Different curd flavors are a fun twist - including a classic lemon curd. You can fill and top the cookies with chocolates, Hershey kisses, Nutella, and even cookie butter after baking.
If you're looking to make a whole batch of lemon cookies, try these lemon curd cookies! They're so tangy and zesty.
👩🍳 How to make Christmas thumbprint cookies
Thumbprint cookie dough step by step
Step 1: Combine butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl to combine evenly.
Step 2: Add the salt, egg, and vanilla extract into the butter and sugar mixture. Beat well until light and fluffy.
In the same bowl, sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold the mixture until a cookie dough forms.
Step 3: Remove and set aside half of the cookie dough in a separate bowl. Add cocoa powder into the rest of the dough and mix until completely incorporated.
Step 4: Scoop the vanilla and chocolate cookie dough into balls using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll each ball between your hands to form a smooth even ball.
Thumbprint cookie assembly step by step
Step 1: Roll the cookie dough balls in your topping of choice (granulated sugar, coarse sugar, powdered sugar, finely chopped roasted nuts, or desiccated coconut - see notes for ideas and flavor combinations).
Step 2: Press the middles down with your thumb or a measuring teaspoon to create space for the filling. To create a heart shape, push an indent with your index finger and then push again with your index finger at a slight angle to create a heart shape. Fill the indents with jam (I love seedless raspberry jam), lemon curd, fruit curd, hard candies… see notes for filling ideas. For fillings and toppings like Nutella, chocolates, or Hershey kisses - I recommend adding those after the cookies are baked and are right out of the oven.
Step 3: Arrange the cookies on a parchment lined or nonstick cookie sheet with about 2 inches of space in between cookies to allow for spreading. Bake the cookies at 355°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes - don’t overbake or they’ll be hard and crispy throughout.
Step 4: After baking, top with any additional toppings like Nutella, chocolates, or Hershey kisses. If filling them with a topping like Nutella, press a measuring teaspoon into the middle to create space for the Nutella.
Bake the cookies in batches and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
✔️ Expert thumbprint cookie tips
- Don’t overmix the cookie dough: as soon as everything is incorporated, stop mixing! This will prevent a tough and hard cookie
- Don’t overbake the cookies: They should be puffed and slightly under baked in the center to ensure a beautiful soft cookie texture. The cookies will continue to cook and set as they cool.
- Make sure to coat the cookie dough in sugar or another topping to prevent the cookie dough from sticking while pressing it down.
- Add chocolate spread or chocolates to the cookies after baking to prevent the chocolate from burning and forming a crust.
- Add jam and curd to the cookies before baking to get a beautiful smooth and shiny top.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
The baked cookies will store well in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Depending on the fillings you use for the cookies, they may have a shorter or a longer storage time.
It’s best to make the dough and bake the cookies the same day because the cookie dough will be difficult to work with if you store it in the fridge before baking. The sugar won’t stick on the outside, they’re not as soft, and they’re more prone to cracking.
❔ Why these are the best thumbprint cookies to make for Christmas
You only need one cookie recipe and one batch of cookies to make a wide variety of cookies perfect for filling up a Christmas cookie box or for your holiday hosting needs. You can customize them with your favorite flavors! Check out at all of the flavors I made using only one batch of cookies:
These are also a great last minute cookie to make because you don’t need to chill the cookie dough. So you can have them in the oven within 20 minutes of making the cookies.
And the cookies are delicious! They have a lovely bit of crunch on the edges with the middles being soft and chewy. The filling in the middle adds a nice pop of flavor.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! For all vanilla cookies, don’t add any cocoa powder. For all chocolate cookies, double the amount of cocoa powder and add it to the whole batch!
You can customize these cookies with any of your favorite flavor combinations! The chocolate and vanilla cookie doughs are a great blank canvas. Some more unique flavors that you could do are cocoa powder and adding peanut butter after baking, matcha and raspberry jam, desiccated coconut and lemon curd…
I tried doing this and the results weren’t as good as making the cookie dough and baking right away. They ended up cracking a lot and the sugar coating didn’t stick well.
These thumbprint cookies are very sturdy while still being soft, so they should ship well but I haven’t tried it. If you’ve tried it, let us know how it worked in the comments!
🎄 More related cookie recipes
Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below! Share your creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Follow me on Pinterest to save and for more recipe ideas.
📖 Recipe
Christmas Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 300g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar for coating or your preferred topping (see notes)
- ½ cup seedless jam or your preferred fillings (see notes)
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl to combine evenly.1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar
- Add the salt, egg, and vanilla extract into the butter and sugar mixture. Beat well until light and fluffy.¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Sift the flour and baking powder right into the same bowl. Fold the mixture until a cookie dough forms.2 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Remove half of the cookie dough and set aside in a separate bowl. Add cocoa powder into the rest of the dough and gently mix just until completely incorporated into the dough.2 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
- Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the vanilla and chocolate cookie dough and roll each ball between your hands to get a smooth even ball.
- Roll the cookie dough balls in your topping of choice (granulated sugar, coarse sugar, powdered sugar, finely chopped roasted nuts, or desiccated coconut - see notes for ideas and flavor combinations).½ cup granulated sugar for coating
- Press the middles down with your thumb or a measuring teaspoon to create space for the filling. To create a heart shape, push an indent with your index finger and then push again with your index finger at a slight angle to create a heart shape. Fill the indents with jam (I love seedless raspberry jam), lemon curd, fruit curd, hard candies… see notes for filling ideas. For fillings and toppings like Nutella, chocolates, or Hershey kisses - I recommend adding those after the cookies are baked and are right out of the oven.½ cup seedless jam
- Arrange the cookies on a parchment lined or nonstick cookie sheet with about 2 inches of space in between cookies to allow for spreading. Bake the cookies at 355°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes - don’t overbake or they’ll be hard and crispy throughout.
- After baking, top with any additional toppings like Nutella, chocolates, or Hershey kisses. If filling them with a topping like Nutella, press a measuring teaspoon into the middle to create space for the Nutella.
- Bake the cookies in batches and let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Powdered sugar and lemon curd
- Granulated sugar and raspberry jam hearts
- Desiccated or shredded coconut and raspberry jam
- Red sugar and peppermint Hershey kisses (pressed on after baking)
- Finely chopped roasted hazelnuts and Nutella (after baking)
- Finely crushed peppermint and sugar mixture and round peppermint candy
- Granulated sugar and raspberry jam
- Don’t overmix the cookie dough.
- Don’t overbake the cookies.
- Coat the cookie dough in sugar or another topping to prevent the cookie dough from sticking while pressing it down.
- Any chocolate should be added after baking to prevent it from burning and forming a crust.
- Jam and curd are best added prior to baking.
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