These Eggless Thumbprint Cookies are a wonderful treat for this holiday season! They are gorgeous, delicious, and guaranteed show-stoppers at any holiday party. Sharing is highly recommended. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
Eggless Thumbprint Cookies Recipe Highlights
Ring in the holidays with these Eggless Thumbprint Cookies! These buttery cookies and bright strawberry jam will match perfectly with your holiday spread. Perfect for company, a holiday snack, or for a cookie swap.
When it comes to cookie recipes, I only have one rule: They have to be mouthwateringly good and yet incredibly simple to make. These Eggless Thumbprint Cookies fit the bill!
I cannot tell you how much my kids (and I) love cookies! They don’t just love to eat but to make them too, and these Eggless Thumbprint Cookies are so easy and fun to make that my children can help me prepare them.
Since this will be our first Holiday season in our new neighborhood, I plan to pilgrimage around with plates of cookies. After all, cookies are basically the point of Christmas, right? just kidding…kind of.
Serve these succulent Eggless Thumbprint Cookies out with after-dinner coffee and/or tea, and they’ll disappear in no time!
Eggless Thumbprint Cookies Ingredients
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
You’ll need:
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour. Make sure to measure accurately; a kitchen scale is the best way to measure your ingredients, in my opinion.
- Cornstarch: You can substitute for potato starch 1:1.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Butter: Unsalted butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cookies.
- Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract! If you are looking for non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring, I recommend Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring.
- Jam: I used strawberry. See more filling ideas below.
Eggless Thumbprint Cookies Step-By-Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Step 1 – Make The Eggless Cookie Dough
This cookie dough is very easy to make! First, mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla. And finally, add dry ingredients in two batches and continue beating at low speed, scraping the bowl often, until well mixed.
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Step 2 – Shape the cookies
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or with the rounded back of a teaspoon. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to 4 days.
Pro Tip: If you see the dough starting to crack anyway when you make the indentation, you can usually press the dough back together with your fingers successfully!
Step 3 – Bake
Fill each indentation to the brim with jam or with the filling of your choice. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Pro Tip: I recommend filling the cookies with jam before baking. However, you can also add the filling after baking the cookies. In that case, you’ll need to re-indent the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. Then add the filling immediately.
Tips To Make Eggless Thumbprint Cookies
Measure: Use a scale to measure your ingredients. That way, you avoid adding too much or too little.
Chill the Cookie Dough: Chilling cookie dough helps prevent spreading. The colder the dough, the less the cookies are likely to over-spread.
Secret ingredient: Adding a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch will help prevent excess spreading and will make your cookies extra soft.
Filling: If the jam/preserve is too firm, place it in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat briefly (about 5-10 seconds) or until the jam is not hot but is no longer firm and is easy to stir.
Don’t care too much about the baking time! The reason for this is that every oven is different, so the cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly browned.
Filling Ideas for These Eggless Thumbprint Cookies
Jam/preserve: any jam or preserve will work fantastic for these cookies, from strawberry to lingonberry and everything in between. I recommend filling the cookies with jam before baking. However, you can also add the filling after baking the cookies. In that case, you’ll need to re-indent the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. Then add the filling immediately.
White Chocolate-Peppermint: melt the chopped white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Add a few drops of peppermint extract. Fill each indentation and let it set before serving. This filling idea is best to add after baking the cookies. So bake the cookies as instructed. Then re-indent them immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. And then add the filling immediately.
Dark Chocolate and hazelnuts: melt the chopped dark chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Add chopped hazelnuts. Fill each indentation and let it set before serving. This filling idea is best to add after baking the cookies. So bake the cookies as instructed. Then re-indent them immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. And then add the filling immediately.
White Chocolate + Crushed Pistachios: melt the chopped white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Add chopped pistachios. Fill each indentation and let it set before serving. This filling idea is best to add after baking the cookies. So bake the cookies as instructed. Then re-indent them immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. And then add the filling immediately.
Dulce de Leche + Coconut: After the cookies are cool, fill each indentation with dulce de leche. Sprinkle with shredded coconut (unsweetened). This filling idea is best to add after baking the cookies. So bake the cookies as instructed. Then re-indent them immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. And then add the filling immediately.
Hershey’s Kisses: press the Hershey’s Kisses into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
Milk Chocolate and M&M: melt the chopped milk chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Fill each indentation with melted chocolate and add the M&M on top. Let it set before serving. This filling idea is best to add after baking the cookies. So bake the cookies as instructed. Then re-indent them immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. And then add the filling immediately.
Lemon curd: After the cookies are cool, fill each indentation with eggless lemon curd. This filling idea is best to add after baking the cookies. So bake the cookies as instructed. Then re-indent them immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. And then add the filling immediately.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
STORE your cookies covered in a container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
FREEZE the unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then make an indent into each, and fill with jam before baking. Baked cookies with jam filling, freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
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Recipe Card 📖
Eggless Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (230 g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup jam (I used strawberry)
Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 – 3 teaspoons (30-40 ml) milk or water
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat butter and sugar, scraping bowl often, until creamy, pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla; mix to incorporate. Then add dry ingredients in two batches and continue beating at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls. You can also use a small ice cream and scoop 1” balls. Place balls onto prepared baking sheets. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or with or the rounded back of a teaspoon (edges may crack slightly). Refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to 4 days.
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C).
- Fill each indentation to the brim with jam, about 1/4 – 1/3 teaspoon each. Place them in the prepared baking sheet 2-inch apart. IMPORTANT NOTE: if you decide to fill the cookies with any type of chocolate, caramel, lemon curd, or dulce de leche the cookies must be filled after baking once they are completely cool.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack.
- Combine all glaze ingredients in a bowl with whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cookies, if desired.
- If the jam is too firm to fill the indentations, place it in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat briefly (about 5-10 seconds) or until the jam is not hot but is no longer firm and is easy to stir.
- If you don’t have enough space in your refrigerator to cool the cookies in two baking sheets, you can place all the cookies in one baking sheet to cool. After the cooling time is over, distribute the cookies in two baking sheets making sure they are 2-inch apart.
Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
This recipe was originally published on November 2021. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in November 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!
