Buttery, tender almond-vanilla shortbread meets raspberry jamโthese raspberry almond thumbprint cookies are a classic for a reason. With their melt-in-your-mouth texture, perfectly paired sweet flavors, and pretty presentation, it’s hard to believe you only need 7 ingredients for the dough and 1 bowl to make them!
I originally published this recipe in 2013, and it now features updated photos, added success tips, and a revised shaping method for even better results.
If thereโs one cookie that feels like a holiday classic and a year-round treat, itโs this one.
Why You’ll Love These Thumbprint Cookies
- Soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture: The dough is buttery and delicate, yet sturdy enough to hold a jam filling.
- Bright fruit flavor: Raspberry jam in each indentation brings a vibrant, flavorful contrast to the sweet almond-kissed cookie.
- Short ingredient list: These cookies make the cut for my list of recipes requiring 8 ingredients or less!
- 1-bowl cookie dough: An electric mixer and 1 bowl is all you need to make the dough!
- Egg-free baking recipe: Whether you have an allergy or are simply out of eggs, these cookies don’t require any.
These raspberry almond thumbprints are perfect for cookie exchanges, gifting, or simply enjoying with a cup of tea. And on a holiday dessert platter, these cookies stand out like little jewels!
Ingredients You Need & Why
- Butter: Unsalted butter is the foundation of shortbreadโs rich, tender texture. Because butter carries the flavor here, make sure itโs properly softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugar.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the dough and helps it hold structure, giving the cookies a soft, tender bite without ever turning cakey.
- Vanilla: A splash of vanilla rounds out the flavor and complements the raspberry jam.
- Almond Extract: The star of the show! I mean, the dough! ๐ Almond extract adds a warm, bakery-style aroma that pairs beautifully with berry preserves.
- Salt: Balances the sweet.
- Flour: All-purpose flour forms the base of this egg-free cookie. It absorbs the butter and creates a dough thatโs soft but not sticky, perfect for shaping.
- Raspberry Jam: Use a thick, high-quality raspberry jam or preserves. Seeded or seedless both workโchoose your preference. Other flavors such as strawberry, apricot, or blackberry also work wonderfully.
Optional Icing: For a pretty finish, whisk together confectionersโ sugar with a splash of milk (or half-and-half, or cream). A little almond or vanilla extract is lovely here, too.
Almond Shortbread Dough
Typical shortbread cookies are made up of one part sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour. Some recipes have eggs, some don’t. Some recipes have chemical leavening agents, some don’t.
My shortbread cookie dough is just sugar-butter-flour with a little salt, plus almond and vanilla extracts. I like to use a variation of today’s dough for wedge-shaped shortbread cookies. The dough is pretty easy to work with and is versatile for lots of different shapes of cookies.
After you mix up the dough, it will be quite soft and buttery. Shortbread cookies are supposed to be buttery, so if the dough feels extra butteryโyou’re on the right track.
Shaping Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Hereโs whatโs new: Roll and indent the cookie dough before chilling. Chilling the shaped dough prevents spreading and makes it much easier to handle. Previously, the dough was chilled as a whole, which made shaping trickier.
Roll the dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough (20g) each. Make sure theyโre smooth so they bake evenly.
Make the indentation. Press your thumb into each ball. The dough may crack slightly, so just use your fingers to smooth the edges together.
Chill the shaped dough. Place the indented dough balls on a lined baking sheet or large plate and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Once chilled, transfer them to fresh baking sheets with space between each cookie.
Fill each with about 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam per cookie. Feel free to swap in another jam or preserves.
Then it’s time to bake. The cookies will puff up and spread just a bit. Avoid overbaking; the bottoms should be pale with only the faintest hint of browning.
Success Tip: Use light-colored baking sheets for these cookies. Dark metal conducts heat faster and contributes to browning. If you bake these light-colored cookies on a dark baking sheet (even if it’s lined!), the bottoms will over-brown. Same rule applies for these peppermint meltaway cookies.
The Icing on the Cookie
Nowโฆ the creamy icing! Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk. Feel free to add a bit of almond or vanilla extract to the mix as well. Drizzle the icing onto each cookie.
This recipe comes together beautifully because the buttery shortbread (with its hints of vanilla and almond) is mellow yet rich, the raspberry jam adds brightness and tang, and the glaze ties it all together. Theyโve been a trusted go-to for more than a decade, and once you taste them, youโll understand why.
More Thumbprint Cookies
- Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Peanut Butter Jam Thumbprints
- Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprints
- Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
- Caramel Apple Spice Thumbprints
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 59 minutes
- Yield: 30-36 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft, buttery almond shortbread cookies filled with sweet raspberry jam. These easy, egg-free thumbprint cookies come together in 1 bowl and bake into tender, melt-in-your-mouth treats perfect for the holidays or any time of year. See Note below about keeping the dough cold at all times, to help prevent over-spreading.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2ย teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (160g) raspberry jam*
Icing
- 1ย cup (120g) confectioners’ย sugar
- 1โ2 Tablespoons (15โ30g/ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract
Instructions
- Make the cookies: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Switch mixer to medium speed and add the the sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the salt and flour. Turn the mixer on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed. If the dough seems too sticky for rolling, beat in another Tablespoon of flour.
- Shape the cookies: Line a baking sheet or plate with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Scoop and roll the dough, about a Tablespoon (18โ20g) each, into balls, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press an indentation with your thumb in each ball. The dough may crack slightly when you press your thumb into it. Simply smooth it out with your fingers if you can.
- Place the baking sheet with the thumbprint cookies in the refrigerator and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line large baking sheets withย parchment paperย orย silicone baking mats.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2โ3 inches apart, about 12 cookies per baking sheet. Fill each cookie with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
- Bake the shortbread thumbprint cookies for 13โ15 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the edges. The cookies will puff up and spread slightly. Do not overbake. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before glazing.
- Make the icing: Whisk the icing ingredients together until smooth. Add more liquid to thin out or add more confectioners’ sugar to thicken to your desired consistency. Drizzle over cookies. Icing will set after about 1 hour.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Shaped shortbread dough (rolled and indented) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, and then continue with step 4. Baked cookies (with or without icing) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk
- Jam: Use a thick, high-quality raspberry jam or preserves. Seeded or seedless both workโchoose your preference. Other flavors such as strawberry, apricot, or blackberry also work wonderfully.
- Cold Dough: The shaped cookie dough must stay cold and firm before baking. After rolling and adding the thumbprint, chill the shaped dough for at least 4 hours (or up to 3 days). If the dough softens as you fill with jam, simply return the shaped cookies to the refrigerator to firm up again. When baking in batches, keep the remaining shaped cookies in the refrigerator while the first batch bakes. You can also shape and indent a second tray, refrigerate it, and bake it right after the first.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Delicious…I froze mine for about two hours before baking as I had no room in the frig. They pretty much all came out perfectly! because my butter was at room temp for too long, I had two which collapsed a little bit, so they will become taster pieces!! But all the others were perfect!!
Hi Sally! If I use gluten free flour (like Cup4Cup), should I add a bit of extra moisture so that the dough stays buttery and crumbly instead of getting gritty?
Thank you!
Hi Michelle, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but some readers have reported success with a 1:1 swap with no other changes with gluten free flour substitutes like Cup4Cup!
These are so beautiful and delicious! I’m allergic to dairy, so I subbed soy milk (for the icing) and vegan butter (for the dough) with wonderful results. These were part of our holiday cookie boxes and were a huge hit with everyone!
These quickly became a favorite among the holiday cookies. Wonderful flavor and very easy to make. Another one that will stay in my Holiday cookie rotation.
I made this cookie for the first time and had to bake another batch because they disappeared!!! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes! I also bought your book. Exciting!!
I made these for Christmas and they were delicious. Great recipe.
These are the most requested cookie at Christmas time. I find them too hard to roll after chilling the dough though. This year I rolled first, made the indent, then chilled. It worked out perfectly! Much quicker and easier. Just a hint! Merry Christmas!
Everytime I make these cookies, my jam spreads. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong?
Hi Kelly, It’s possible that the jam you are using is too thin or runny; thicker jams or preserves hold their shape much better during baking.
Not only were the cookies delicious but so easy to make. Thank you!!!
The technique update to this recipe was a total game changer for me! This has always been a beloved holiday favorite for us but rolling the doll before chilling saved so much time! Off to make another batch… ๐
I’m a tried and true Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe follower but this is the first time that I’ve experienced a flop. I followed each measurement of this recipe to a tee and the cookies turned out flat and greasy. Not sure where I went wrong but I feel like a leavening agent is missing in order for these to rise and look like the reference photo. just food for thought based on other thumbprint cookie recipes, oh well!
Hi Bryana, thank you so much for trying the cookies and for leaving your feedback. These are shortbread cookies, so there is no leavening agent in the dough to keep them buttery, tender, and a bit crumbly. If you ever decide to try the recipe again, be certain your butter is still cool to the touch (not at all warm or greasy) and you can try adding an extra Tbsp or 2 of flour to help soak up moisture. Thank you again and sorry these were disappointing.
I’ve made these for the past two years for Christmas and am getting ready to go again today. They’ve always turned out beautifully. I’ve tried several different fillings for the thumbprint and the favorite among my crew is always Lemon Curd!
I was a little weary about trying these after reading some of the reviews but these came out PERFECT for me! I made sure to chill for a long time before putting in the oven and used a chapstick cap to make the indentations (saw this tip on another website). I also used a baggie to neatly pipe the jam and icing onto the cookies. These were a huge hit at my holiday party and will be another Sally staple recipe for me!
Ok, so the taste and texture of these are absolutely delicious, but in no way did they puff up like the sample photos/video. I used room temp butter, weighed the ingredients, mixed properly, formed the cookies, wrapped and chilled in the fridge for 24 hours, and went promptly into the oven when it was time to bake. They didn’t completely flatten like a pancake, but they definitely spread flatter than I anticipated. They also did a weird flaky/crumbly thing around the base of the cookie with more of a golden brown rim. Again, delicious, but not what I expected.
Can i substitute lemon extract for the almond extract
Hi Donna, I can’t see why not. Let me know how they turn out.