Officially kicking off the holiday season with these delicate Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies. They’re buttery and delicate with the perfect amount of strawberry jelly. Finished off with a light dusting of powdered sugar, these cookies are so festive!
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I adore these cookies! This is the time of year when deserts are richer and decadent. There are tons of fudge, caramelized apples, all things pumpkin, and peppermint. In a season of indulgence, these cookies, with their simple butter cookie and sweet strawberry jam, change the game. Trust me when I say, these cookies do not last in my household, and they won’t in yours either!

Tips for making Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies:
- One of the best parts about this dough is it does not need to be refrigerated. They hold their shape beautifully. That being said, if you find your dough is slightly greasy, pop it in the fridge to set up again.
- These are tiny cookies, just about bite sized. This helps ensure there’s a good cookie to jam ratio. I have a scalloped 1-inch cookie cutter, but any small cutter will work.
- We’re a big strawberry preserves family; it’s our go to flavor. Also, our go to brand is also Smucker’s (not sponsored, I simply love it). You can substitute for other flavors as well (orange and apricot would be lovely here).
- Make sure that you’re using seedless jelly. Jams and preserves have chunks of fruit, which on toast or biscuits is delicious. These cookies are so small that one stray berry can cause an uneven bake. Stick with the jelly here.
- The recipe says to spoon the jelly into the cookie. I personally like to pipe it into the hallow. Doing so creates more uniform cookies, creates less of a mess, and is an easier clean up

- You can make this dough in advance (no more than a day or two). Wrap the unrolled dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove the dough 20 min prior to baking.

That’s about it! Enjoy! 🙂

Strawberry Thumbprint Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks , room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar plus an additional 1½ tbsp
- 2 egg yolks
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup strawberry jelly seedless
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add in the flour and mix until just combined.
- Turn out the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press the dough together until one uniform disk. Divide into 4 even sections. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough, a section at a time, to ⅓in thick. Cut out rounds using a 1-inch scalloped cookie cutter. Place the cookie on the lined baking sheet, 1-inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Gently press down in the center of each cooking with your thump to make a small hallow. Spoon a small amount of the strawberry jelly into the indentation.
- Bake the cookies for 18 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to brown slightly. Cool completely on a wire rack, then lightly dust the tops with powdered sugar.