Heart Jam Cookies (Heart-Shaped Thumbprint Recipe)

These Heart Jam Cookies are made with a simple sugar cookie dough and filled with your favourite type of jam. These delicious cookies are perfect for the holiday season, valentine’s day, or for any special occasion. 

There aren’t too many things better than crumbly, melt in your mouth buttery cookies topped with strawberry or sweet raspberry jam. The best part about this recipe is they are incredibly easy to make with no special equipment.

I actually initially saw these being made in a tiktok video. Small balls rolled in sugar then filled with a little jam seemed like a great idea to me.

Since the holiday season is just around the corner I figured I better brush on my baking skills. If you love Holiday baking you should try my Brownie Crinkle Cookies and my Gluten Free Molasses Cookies.

 

WHAT ARE THUMBPRINT COOKIES?

Jam thumbprints are delicious buttery shortbread cookies filled with strawberry or any other flavor of jam. They are the perfect sweet treat to pair with a cup of tea or coffee.

You can absolutely make your own jam if you like. I find it easier to use storebought strawberry jam, blackberry jam, or raspberry jam in this thumbprint cookie recipe.

Store bought jam tends to have more sugar than actual fruit, causing them to be super sweet rather than fruit forward. I prefer a sweeter jam in these cookies as there isn’t a ton of added granulated sugar.

INGREDIENTS FOR THESE HEART-SHAPED JAM COOKIES

You will need the following ingredients listed below to make this Valentines day cookie recipe (the step by step instructions, nutrition information and full recipe are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post):

• Unsalted butter – can substitute for vegan butter to make this recipe vegan. Room temperature or softened butter is best.
• Granulated sugar – I wouldn’t recommend using brown sugar as a replacement. Stick to white sugar or monk fruit sweetener.
• Egg yolk
• Vanilla extract – almond extract would also probably taste great here if you were out of vanilla extract
• All-Purpose Flour – a 1:1 gluten free flour blend would most likely work well here. There may just be a bit more cracking in the cookies.
• Salt – less than 1 tsp salt to bring out all the flavors.
• Jam – I use strawberry jam but any type of jam will work here!

HOW TO MAKE THE TRADITIONAL THUMBPRINT COOKIE

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large stand electric mixer using the paddle attachment or large bowl with hand mixer, cream butter and sugar at medium speed for 1-2 minutes. It will begin to get fluffy and will change to a lighter color.

Add the egg yolk and mix well. Then add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.

Make 12 cookie dough balls and then roll into additional sugar.

Using the tip of a spoon, your thumb, or your index finger, immediately press the centers of the cookies down in a criss cross to make a small heart shape. If you wait too long to press down the cookies will start to crack.

Fill the hearts with jam and bake cookies for 12-15 minutes on the prepared baking sheet. The edges will just begin to turn golden brown.

Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack or cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

TIPS FOR THE BEST HOMEMADE TIKTOK JAM HEART COOKIES RECIPE

• Make sure you press down hard enough on the top of the cookie to create a deep enough indent to add the jam.
• Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or a different shape of cookie cutters for each different time of year. Heart jam cookies are perfect for valentine’s day or Christmas.
• Make sure your jam is a thick enough consistency, otherwise it can leak out of your cookies.
• Once you have rolled the balls of dough, press into it immediately to create the heart shape. If you leave it too long the cookie dough will end of cracking on the edges.
• Ensure your butter is at room temperature.
• Never place your cookies on a hot cookie sheet. Make sure your cookie sheet has cooled completely before placing your next batch of cookies, otherwise they’ll start melting before they can start baking, and they’re much more likely to spread.

HOW TO STORE THE HEART THUMBPRINT COOKIES RECIPE

These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days, or in the fridge for a week.

If you want to make a double batch you can also freeze the cookies and leave them out at room temperature to thaw out.

CAN YOU USE ANY TYPE OF JAM FOR THE FILLING?

Yes, you can use a variety of jams, jellies, or preserves for the filling. Popular choices include strawberry, raspberry preserves, apricot, and even lemon curd for a tangy twist. Use your favorite jam for best results.

CAN I MAKE THE BUTTERY COOKIE DOUGH AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, you can make the cookie dough ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. Just be sure to let it come to a slightly softer consistency before working with it.

CAN I CUSTOMIZE THE FLAVOR OF THE BUTTERY SUGAR COOKIES?

Certainly! You can add various flavorings like vanilla extract, almond extract, or citrus zest to the cookie dough to give it a unique taste.

CAN I MAKE DIFFERENT SHAPES OTHER THAN HEARTS?

Absolutely, you can use different cookie cutter shapes or even make thumbprint-style cookies with round wells for the jam. Use the palm of your hand, your pinky finger, or cookie cutters to make the shapes you desire.

OTHER GLUTEN FREE COOKIE RECIPES

• Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
• Healthy Oatmeal Protein Cookies
• Chocolate Brownie Sea Salt Cookies
• Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

IF YOU TRIED THESE STRAWBERRY JAM COOKIES PLEASE LEAVE IT A COMMENT AND STAR RATING. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN PIN THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING @basicswithbails and #basicswithbails