These raspberry thumbprint cookies are a classic holiday recipe! The cookies are made with cream cheese for a smooth and soft texture that wont crack, and then they are stuffed with sweet raspberry jam. Drizzle them with their sweet and sticky cream cheese icing for a cookie everyone will love!

Raspberry thumbprint cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet

Who can say no to a raspberry thumbprint cookie! Definitely not me! As a trained pastry chef, I have tasted my fair share of cookies, but I have to tell you these raspberry jam stuffed cookies are on my list of top 5 favorite holiday cookies.

Thumbprint cookies got their name from the way they are made. You roll the cookie dough up in a ball and then press your thumb into it to made an indentation, then bake! These thumbprint cookies are made with cream cheese in the cookie dough for a smooth texture that won’t crack when baked.

They are then stuffed with raspberry jam and drizzled with a tangy cream cheese glaze. If you want to up the raspberry flavor you can instead drizzle these with raspberry cream cheese frosting. Or if you ran out of butter you can use my cream cheese frosting without butter recipe.

The contrast between the thick cookie base, the sweet raspberry stuffed glaze, and the tangy icing is such a delicious combo, they almost melt in your mouth. You seriously won’t be able to stop at just one. Like I said, these are definitely one of my favorite easy cookie recipe ideas!

Ingredients

Ingredients for thumbprint cookies.

Recipe step by step

Creamed butter and sugar in a glass bowl on a gray surface
Cream the butter, both sugars, and cream cheese together on low speed if using a mixer or stir really well until light yellow and foamy.
Cookie dough in a glass bowl on a gray surface
Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix again. Add in the flour and salt and mix until the dough forms.
Cookie dough balls lined on a parchment covered cookie sheet
Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon kitchen, scoop the dough and roll it into a ball. Place it on a cookie sheet and repeat till you’re finished with the dough.
Pressed thumbprint cookie dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet
Wet your thumb and gently press in into the middle of each cookie. Chill for 30 mins.
Thumbprint cookies filled with jam on a cookie sheet
Bake the cookies at 375°F for 15 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Cool the cookies for 10 minutes then fill with 1/2 tsp of raspberry jam.

Lastly, In a small bowl whisk together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and milk until a smooth glaze forms. Drizzle the glaze all over the cookies. Drizzling them on a diagonal makes them look really pretty!

FYI I fill these cookies with jam after they are baked.

I tried the before method and although they still tasted good, I didn’t like the way they looked. The jam kind of dried out a little bit too.

Tips for recipe success

  • When the cookies come out of the oven they may puff up a little. Press them down again with your thumb when they are still warm to make the thumbprint even deeper. Just be careful they may still be hot!
  • To make the jam easier to fill, warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds.
  • This recipe doesn’t spread a lot so you can bake more cookies per sheet. You only need about 1 1/2 inches in between the cookies.
  • I fill these cookies with jam after they are baked. I tried the before method and although they still tasted good, I didn’t like the way they looked. The jam kind of dried out a little bit too.
  • To store these without the cookies sticking, wait to glaze them with the icing before serving. Also line the cookie tin with wax paper if you are planning on stacking the cookies.

Why these won’t crack

Because of the cream cheese in this recipe it really helps to keep the dough soft so there shouldn’t be any cracking. It also really helps to wet your thumb before pressing it in. If they do crack you can just smooth the dough back together and it should bake smooth.

Glazed Raspberry thumbprint cookies on a parchment lined baking tray next to a bowl of jam
Raspberry thumbprint cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet
5 stars (3 ratings)

Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies with Raspberry Jam

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
These raspberry thumbprint cookies are a classic holiday recipe! The cookies are made with cream cheese for a smooth and soft texture that wont crack, and then they are stuffed with sweet raspberry jam. Drizzle them with their sweet and sticky cream cheese icing for a cookie everyone will love!
Print Pin Review Save

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) confectioners sugar
  • 4 oz (113.4 g) cream cheese, 1/2 cup
  • 1 (1 ) egg yolk
  • 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups (312.5 g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (170 g) raspberry jam

For the glaze

  • 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup (40 g) confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) milk

Instructions
 

Make the cookies

  • You can use a hand mixer, stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or make this recipe by hand. In the bowl combine the 1 cup softened butter with 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. Cream on low speed or mix by hand until foamy and light. Add the 1/2 cup cream cheese, egg yolk, and 2 tsp vanilla and cream again.
  • Add the 2 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 tsp kosher salt and mix until the dough forms.
  • Scoop out the dough using a small cookie scoop or using a kitchen spoon and roll into a ball. Line the cookies up on the baking sheet 1 1/2" apart. Wet your thumb and press it into the cookie.
  • Preheat the oven to 375° and bake for 15 minutes. Cool.
  • Warm up the jam for 30 seconds in the microwave. Spoon 1/2 tsp jam into each cookie.

Make the Cream Cheese Glaze

  • Combine the 2 tbsp cream cheese with 1/3 cup confectioners sugar and 1 tbsp milk. Whisk until a smooth glaze forms. Line the cookies up on a cookie sheet and drizzle the glaze all over the cookies. Enjoy!

Notes

You can use any kind of jam for the filling.
Make sure when rolling out the dough that it is smooth with no cracks to ensure the cookies won’t crack while baking. 

Storing and freezing tips

Storing- You can store the cookies at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 3 days. They will keep longer in the fridge for up to 6 days. Use wax paper to line the rows of cookies so they don’t stick.
Freezing- To freeze the cookies you can either freeze the cookie dough or freeze the baked cookies. For baked cookies, don’t fill or glaze before freezing. Place the bake cookies in a zip top freezer safe bag for up to 2 months. When you are ready to serve, fill with jam and drizzle with the glaze.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 195kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 72mg, Potassium: 30mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 327IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Cookies
Author: Sam Adler
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I read them all!

I love when you share my recipes!!