Jam thumbprint cookies
These jam thumbprint cookies are one of the easiest biscuits you can make with young children so are a great way to while away an afternoon baking with kids.
Jam thumbprint cookies / biscuits are really easy to make so are a great way to while away an afternoon with the kids. In fact, these are some of the easiest biscuits for toddlers or young children you can make. The cookie dough is really easy to make and you don’t have to spend time rolling and cutting them out – simply roll balls of biscuit dough out and use your thumb to make the indent for the jam (which is where they get the thumprint biscuit name!)
Do I have to fill the thumbrptint cookies with jam?
The cookies themselves are soft and crumbly and the strawberry jam topping adds a sweet bit of interest. We used strawberry jam, as we had a jar left over from our swiss roll but other flavours of jam like raspberry or apricot work just as well. If jam isn’t your thing, our chocolate thumprint biscuits are also a great alternative.
How can kids help to make jam thumbprint cookies?
These are a fun, easy bake for young children, and even toddlers. As well as measuring the ingredients and making the cookie dough, my kids enjoyed getting to form the biscuits with their hands. There’s not always a chance for kids to get their hands messy in the kitchen so this is a great recipe if you’re kids like to do just that!
The cookies take their name from the thumbprint hole you make in the centre that you fill up with the jam. Rolling out the dough is a fun job for kids as is pressing the indent with their thumbs – in fact, kids fingers are just the right size for this job.
If your kids prefer to keep their hands clean, you can always make the ‘thumbprint’ with a small measuring spoon (1/4 tsp worked perfectly for us.)
Another fun job for children is to fill each hole up with the jam. It can get a wee bit messy, but if you use a small spoon and get them to use small amounts of jam to fill up each cookie.
What other easy biscuits can I make?
If you enjoy making these jam thumbprint cookies, why not try one of our other simple kids’ biscuits?
Easy cookie recipe for kids
Gingerbread men
Chocolate thumbprint cookies
Custard biscuits
Empire biscuits
Melting moments
Jammie dodgers
Iced biscuits
Bourbon biscuits
Custard creams
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these jam thumbprint cookies:
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Hand held mixer
Baking tray
Measuring cups
Wooden spoons
Wire rack
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Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20 minutes plus 12 minutes baking
Serves: 25 biscuits approx
Ingredients
200g (7/8 cup) butter (unsalted) (softened )
200g (7/8 cup) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
320g (3 cups) plain flour
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
50g strawberry jam
how to make jam thumbprint cookies
Pre-heat the oven to 180C / 160C fan /gas mark 4 / 350 F and line two or three baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla
Get your little one to measure the butter (200g), sugar (200g) and vanilla (1 tsp) and add them to a large mixing bowl or freestanding mixer.
If your butter isn’t soft (we always forget to take ours out of the fridge in time), simply pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until it has softened, but not melted. Get your kids to chop it into small pieces to make it easier to mix.
Beat together with the k-paddle attachment of your mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Add the egg
Get your kids to crack the egg in a small bowl first then add to your mixture. We never add the egg straight in, just in case some rogue shell goes in the bowl. If it does, simply use a larger piece of shell to get it out (shell sticks to shell better than your finger!)
Beat it together until it is well combined.
Add the remaining ingredients
Measure the flour (320g), baking powder (1/2 tsp) and salt (1/2 tsp) and add to your biscuit dough. Mix everything together until you have a soft dough.
Form the biscuits
Roll small bits of dough into balls (about 3cm in diameter) and place on your baking tray. Leave a gap between the biscuits as they’ll spread in the oven. If your kids are helping you with this, I normally give them the right amount of dough and let them roll the cookie dough balls – otherwise we’d have lots of different sized cookies.
Gently press your thumb into the centre of each biscuit to create a small hollow. Make sure you don’t go all the way through. Alternatively, use a small measuring spoon (we used a 1/4 tsp) to make the hollow. If the edges of your cookies crack a little when you do this, simply use your fingers to bring the edges back together again.
Add the jam
Spoon a small amount of jam (about ½ tsp) into the centre of each biscuit until the hollow is full. If your jam is quite thick put it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so to loosen it up first.
Bake the jam thumbprint biscuits
Bake in the oven for round 12-15 minutes. They’re ready when they have started to turn golden at the edges. Leave to cool on the baking trays before moving to a wire rack.
Jam thumbprint cookies
Ingredients
- 200 g (7/8 cup) butter (unsalted) (softened )
- 200 g (7/8 cup) golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 320 g (3 cups) plain flour
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 50 g raspberry jam
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 180C / 160C fan /gas mark 4 / 350 F and line two or three baking trays with baking paper.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla
- Get your little one to measure the butter (zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so if it’s not soft), sugar and vanilla and add to a large mixing bowl or freestanding mixer.
- Beat together with the paddle attachment of your mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Add the egg
- Crack the egg in a small bowl first then add to your mixture. Beat it together until it is well combined.
Add the remaining ingredients
- Measure the flour, baking powder and salt and add to your biscuit dough. Mix everything together until you have a soft dough.
Form the biscuits
- Roll small bits of dough into balls (about 3cm in diameter) and place on your baking tray. Leave a gap between the biscuits as they’ll spread in the oven.
- Gently press your thumb into the centre of each biscuit to create a small hollow.
Add the jam
- Spoon a small amount of jam (about ½ tsp) into the centre of each biscuit until the hollow is full.
Bake the thumbprint biscuits
- Bake in the oven for round 12-15 minutes. They’re ready when they have started to turn golden at the edges. Leave to cool on the baking trays before moving to a wire rack.
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Similar recipes
If you like these jam thumbprint biscuits, you’ll love our empire biscuits, our jam tarts as well as our favourite easy bakes for kids.
Mimi84 says
Made these lots of times with my 3 boys and they’re always a winner. Simple, tasty and fun to make for little ones.
cookingwithmykids says
Thanks for getting in touch, i’m so glad you liked them. They’re always a hit in our house too!
Sarah says
OMG these were perfect!! I had a flashback of these biscuits as i used to have them at school from the cafeteria! And look where it’s got me! I used almond extract another time baking these and oh so delish, honestly thanks for getting this out there perfect to do during these times
cookingwithmykids says
I’m so glad you liked them! Your cafeteria sounds like it sold more interesting things than mine!
Sam says
any chance these can be frozen, please? I made a batch the other day, half with cocoa (reducing the flour) & instead of jam I added a chocolate button & turned them into snowmen & reindeers. be good if I could freeze next time for the church & school fetes
cookingwithmykids says
They sound great for Christmas! I’ve never frozen these particular ones but biscuits do generally freeze either the dough or after baking as long as you wrap them really well. They should keep for a month or two that way.
Lucy At Home says
These look delicious! I love baking with my kids and I think these would go down a treat!
And congratulations because someone loved this post so much, they added it to the BlogCrush Linky! Feel free to collect your “I’ve been featured” blog badge 🙂 #blogcrush
cookingwithmykids says
Thanks! These biscuits are so simple they’re perfect for little chefs.
Kristie - Mammaprada says
These look so simple to make. I’m on the lookout for recipes can adapt for my daughter who is diabetic. I think I could use almond flour and stevia in these no problem! Thank you! #blogcrush x
cookingwithmykids says
Yes, these are really simple to make and you could put whatever you like in the middle where the jam is. There’s not many ingredients in our fork biscuits so they might be easy to adapt as well?