27 Festive Ways to Make Thumbprint Cookies This Christmas

By Kaitlyn Yarborough

The Christmas season sees its share of bite-sized treats, from fudgy bourbon balls to crunchy nut brittle to spiced sugar cookies. There are too many occasions to count, from Thanksgiving through the New Year, that call for these holiday treats. Need something festive but simple? That’s when you can turn to our easy thumbprint cookies.

To start, thumbprint cookies come in so many cheery forms. Some are tender and shortbread-like, filled with dollops of traditional raspberry jam. Others are chewy and chocolatey, topped with gooey caramel and flaky sea salt, even making use of peppermint kisses and colorful sprinkles. What’s more, Christmas thumbprint cookies are so festive they’re practically begging to be doled out as food gifts, bagged for the cookie swap, or served at the holiday party. Read on for the best thumbprint cookies to make this season.

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Red Velvet Thumbprints

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Red Velvet Thumbprints

The jolly man in red would approve of these cheery cookies. Red velvet thumbprints couldn't ask for a better topping than this white chocolate-cream cheese mixture. 

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Nutty Chocolate Thumbprints

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Nutty Chocolate Thumbprints

Chocolate lovers, rejoice! These thumbprint cookies turn chocolate and peanut butter into little bites of holiday heaven. 

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Raspberry Jam Thumbprints

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Raspberry Jam Thumbprints

Drizzled with creamy white chocolate, these raspberry thumbprint cookies are always welcome on the Christmas party spread. The classic shortbread-like cookies are topped with fruity pockets of jam.

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Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Hot Beauty Health

Recipe: Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

These cookies have as much Christmas spirit as Buddy the Elf. Trade milk chocolate Hershey's kisses for these whimsical candy cane-inspired ones. 

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Stamped Thumbprints

Beyond the Butter

Recipe: Stamped Thumbprints

Pretty as a Norman Rockwell picture, this take on traditional thumbprint cookies calls for simple stamping to make them look sophisticated and old-fashioned. 

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Chocolate Ganache Thumbprints with Crushed Peppermints

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Chocolate Ganache Thumbprints with Crushed Peppermints

This rich chocolate ganache is just what Santa put on his list. Crushed peppermints make the crunchiest, cheeriest holiday topper. 

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Apple Butter-Walnut Thumbprints

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apple Butter-Walnut Thumbprints

Embrace a more fall-inspired flavor combination with these apple butter-and-caramel-topped cookies. 

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Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

Swanky Recipes

Recipe: Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

This recipe gives classic gingerbread a tasty twist. With a chewy center and spiced white chocolate filling, these cookies will disappear mighty quick from Santa's plate. 

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Coconut Thumbprints with Dulce de Leche

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Coconut Thumbprints with Dulce de Leche

Coconut and dulce de leche make a festive duo. Watch these thumbprints disappear. Fast. 

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Chocolate Thumbprints with Caramel and Sea Salt

Photo: Erin Kunkel; Styling: Kelly Allen

Recipe: Chocolate Thumbprints with Caramel and Sea Salt

Looking for a cookie swap winner? These chocolate thumbprints are topped with gooey caramel and flaky sea salt, making them anything but a basic butter cookie. 

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Apricot-Almond Thumbprints

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Apricot-Almond Thumbprints

Bright and cheery, these will give Santa's elves a run for their money. Almond-flavored thumbprints are delightfully finished with apricot preserves. 

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Crackle Kiss Cookies

The Stay At Home Chef

Recipe: Crackle Kiss Cookies

Fudgy, crackled, and dressed up in powder sugar, these thumbprints are begging to be doled out as food gifts this holiday season. 

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Peppermint Kiss Thumbprint Cookies

Crème de La Crumb

Recipe: Peppermint Kiss Thumbprint Cookies

Sealed with a (peppermint) kiss, these cute cookies are so festive they could turn Scrooge.

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Peanut Butter Cup Thumbprint Cookies

Crème de La Crumb

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Thumbprint Cookies

Three layers of chocolate send a merry message. Give these peanut butter cup-topped cookies as food gifts this year. 

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Salted Caramel Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

Cooking Classy

Recipe: Salted Caramel Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

Serve up all the flavor of chocolate turtles, but in a chewy cookie form. Salted caramel adds a gooey, sweet-and-salty finish. 

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Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Southern Living

Recipe: Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Give your holiday dessert table a citrus touch. A classic combination, lemon cookies and raspberry jam make quite the zingy duo.

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Cherry-Chocolate Thumbprints

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Recipe: Cherry-Chocolate Thumbprints

These'll look both elegant and festive at your Christmas cookie swap. The irresistible flavor combination of cherry and chocolate gets topped with melted white chocolate. 

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Blackberry Thumbprints

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Buffy Hargett; Food Styling: Rebecca Kracke Gordon

Recipe: Blackberry Thumbprints

Simple and classic, these jam thumbprint cookies are like spiced butter cookies with a Southern finish. 

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Peanut Butter Thumbprints with Salted Chocolate

Cook Nourish Bliss

Recipe: Peanut Butter Thumbprints with Salted Chocolate

Peanut butter and chocolate go together like Dasher and Dancer. Add some flaky sea salt, and you're set with a holly, jolly batch of cookies. 

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No-Bake Almond Butter Thumbprints

Jen Causey

Recipe: No-Bake Almond Butter Thumbprints

These no-bake thumbprint cookies strike the perfect sweet-and-salty balance. Creamy almond butter and crushed pretzels are complemented by a festive dollop of strawberry jam. 

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Triple Mint Cookies

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Triple Mint Cookies

Chocolate and mint just love getting together for the holidays. This thumbprint recipe feels Yuletide-ready with green frosting. 

 

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Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies with Tomato Jam

Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies with Tomato Jam

Thumbprint cookies get a sweet-and-savory—and totally Southern—makeover. A dollop of tomato jam is just what the cornmeal-flavored cookies call for. 

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Raspberry-Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Sugar Salt Magic

Recipe: Raspberry-Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

If raspberry ganache is wrong, we don't want to be right. Add a pop of color to your Christmas party spread. 

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Snowman Thumbprint Cookies

In Katrina’s Kitchen

Recipe: Snowman Thumbprint Cookies

Frosty, is that you? Give your thumbprints a little extra Christmas cheer by turning them into snowmen. 

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Mini Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Pinch of Yum

Recipe: Mini Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

As if these chocolate thumbprint cookies aren't cute enough already, they've been shrunken down to a party-friendly bite size. 

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Ambrosia Macaroons

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Ambrosia Macaroons

Ambrosia gets a modern makeover in these soft, chewy macaroons. Cherries—red or green—make festive buttons on top. 

 

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Chocolate Kiss Sprinkle Cookies

Two Peas & Their Pod

Recipe: Chocolate Kiss Sprinkle Cookies

Rolled in Christmas sprinkles and topped with a chocolate kiss, these cookies are ready to feed hungry little elves. 

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