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These cream cheese thumbprint cookies are soft, tender, and incredibly easy to make.
The dough comes together quickly, bakes evenly, and stays soft for days.
Each cookie is filled with your favorite jam, making them perfect for holidays, cookie boxes, or a simple sweet treat at home.
Cream cheese gives these cookies a delicate texture that feels like a cross between shortbread and sugar cookies. They are not dry, they do not crumble, and they keep their shape beautifully when chilled properly.
If you are new to thumbprint cookies, this is one of the easiest versions to start with.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for holidays or everyday baking
- Soft and tender texture that stays fresh for days
- Simple ingredients you probably already have
- No baking powder or baking soda
- Easy to shape and beginner friendly
- Works with many types of jam
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cream cheese, softened
- Butter, softened
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Jam or preserves of choice
- Powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Use a thick jam that holds its shape. Raspberry, apricot, cherry, strawberry, or orange marmalade all work well.
How to Make Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
- In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Alternatively use a hand mixer and a mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and mix again until well combined.
- Add the flour and salt (optional) and mix just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour. Chilling is important for shaping and preventing spreading.
- Scoop small portions of dough and roll lightly in flour to prevent sticking. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Press gently in the center of each dough ball using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to create an indentation.
- Fill each indentation with about 1 teaspoon of jam.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 13 to 15 minutes, until the edges look set and just lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Helpful Tips for Success
- Do not add extra flour or the cookies will turn dry
- Always chill the dough before shaping
- Roll dough balls lightly in flour to prevent sticking
- Make the indentation slightly deeper than you think. The dough puffs slightly while baking
- Fill with jam before baking for the cleanest shape
- Use thick jam to prevent overflow
Troubleshooting
If the cookies spread too much, the dough was too warm. Chill longer or chill the shaped cookies before baking.
If the centers puff up, gently press them down again while the cookies are still warm.
If the dough feels too sticky to handle, lightly flour your hands. Do not add more flour to the dough.
Storage
Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
They can also be frozen after baking for up to 2 months.
FAQ
No. Use full-fat block cream cheese. Low-fat or spreadable cream cheese makes the dough too soft and sticky and the cookies will spread.
Yes. Chilling is essential for this recipe. Cream cheese and butter make a very soft dough. Chilling helps the cookies keep their shape and prevents spreading.
This is normal. The dough expands slightly in the oven. Gently press the centers down again with the back of a spoon while the cookies are still warm.
You can, but they look and behave better when baked with the jam inside. Baking without jam often causes the indentation to rise and crack more.
Use thick jam or preserves. Raspberry, apricot, cherry, strawberry, or orange marmalade work well. Very runny jam can overflow while baking.
About 1 teaspoon per cookie. Overfilling can cause the jam to bubble over the edges.
Yes. You can freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. You can also freeze shaped, unbaked cookies with the jam already added and bake directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They stay soft and tender.
Yes. This recipe doubles well with no changes.
Why Didn’t Mine Turn Out?
They spread too much
The dough was too warm. Chill longer or chill the shaped cookies before baking. Soft or European butter needs extra chilling.
The dough was too sticky to handle
The dough needed more chilling. Lightly flour your hands, but do not add more flour to the dough.
The cookies cracked a lot
The dough was too cold when shaped or had too much flour. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling.
The centers puffed up
This is normal. Gently press the centers down again with the back of a spoon while the cookies are still warm.
The jam overflowed
The jam was too runny or the cookies were overfilled. Use thick jam and limit to about 1 teaspoon per cookie.
The cookies taste dry
They were overbaked or had too much flour. Bake just until set and pale, not golden.
They lost their shape after baking
The dough was not chilled enough or the baking sheet was warm. Always start with a cold dough and a cool baking sheet.
More Cookie Recipes
- Cherry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Keto Almond Cookies
- Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
- Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies
- Chocolate Spritz Cookies
- 50 Must Try Christmas Cookies
Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup 113 g cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 stick, ½ cup / 113 g salted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups 150 g all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt, optional
- 2 tbsp flour, for rolling
- Jam or preserves of choice, about 1 tsp per cookie
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, beat ½ cup cream cheese and ½ cup butter together for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Add ½ cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Add 1¼ cups all-purpose flour and pinch of salt and mix just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop small portions of dough and roll lightly in the 2 tbsp flour to prevent sticking. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Press gently in the center of each dough ball using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to create an indentation.
- Fill each indentation with about 1 teaspoon jam.
- Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the edges look set and just lightly golden.
- Let cookies cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
- Always chill the dough before shaping to prevent spreading.
- Roll dough lightly in flour instead of adding more flour to the dough.
- Make the indentation slightly deeper, as the dough puffs while baking.
- Use thick jam for best results.
- If centers puff up, gently press them down while cookies are still warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
