Name: Thumbprint Cookies with Apricot Preserve
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cup brown sugar; 3/4 cup vegan butter, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 3 tbsp oat milk; 1/3 cup apricot preserve; A large mixing bowl; 1/2 sheet baking tray and cooling rack grid; 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop

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Thumbprint Cookies with Apricot Preserve – These bite-sized cookies are an ode to rustic, homemade thumbprint cookies. Vegan and nut-free!

What are thumbprint cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are sugar cookies with a slight dip in the middle that is filled with either jam or chocolate filling. They are called thumbprint cookies because the dips were traditionally created by pressing down with your thumbs.

These cookies are most commonly made with a raspberry jam filling, but I used apricot preserve in this recipe for the added tartness that contrasts with the sugary cookie.

I personally am not a huge fan of thumbprint cookies that are very sweet (which happens when both the cookie and the jam are sweet), so you may find that this recipe is less sugary than the cookies you have had previously.

This recipe calls for just 5 ingredients and 40 minutes of your time. Let's get started!

What do you need to make these Thumbprint Cookies with Apricot Preserve?

You only need the following 5 ingredients to make these delicious thumbprint cookies!

all-purpose flour
brown sugar
oat milk
vegan butter
apricot preserve

Note that I didn't use any vanilla extract, which is often used in baking. You can add it if you want, but I think these cookies taste fine without it.

You will also need the following equipment:

How do you make these Thumbprint Cookies with Apricot Preserve?

Making these thumbprint cookies is very simple! You only need 15 minutes of active time.

In a large bowl, mix the vegan butter and sugar together.
Add in the non-dairy milk and sift in the flour. Mix with a spatula until you form a rough dough. Use your hand to knead the dough for a minute until the dough is uniform.
Line a ½ sheet baking tray with parchment paper. Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to measure out equal amounts of the mixture. The dough is is not very squishy so you may need to pack the dough into the scoop to get equal amounts.
Use your hands to roll the cookie dough pieces into a ball shape.
Use the back of a 1 tsp measuring spoon to press down the cookie dough pieces, creating a dip ('thumbprint') in the middle. Don't press too hard as you may break the base. Cracks are normal, but if you want less cracks, I recommend that you press down the cookie dough gently with the palm of your hand to flatten the cookie initially before using the measuring spoon to press down. This will help prevent the jam from spilling through the cracks.
Use the 1 tsp measuring spoon to place small amounts of the apricot preserve into the dips in the cookies. Do not overfill as this may result in the preserve overflowing in the oven. Bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are light brown and firm.

Tips and Tricks

Flatten the cookies before pressing down to make the 'thumbprint'. Doing so will help to prevent cracks forming on the sides of the cookies, which will increase the risk of the jam spilling through the cracks. If you see a a big crack down the side of a cookie, just roll the dough back into a ball to start again.
Use a tart jam or a preserve. Because the cookies are sweet, I find that it is best to use a tart jam for the filling to make sure the final product isn't too sweet. However, this is personal preference and you can use any kind of jam or preserve you like as the filling!

These thumbprint cookies are...

Made with just 5 ingredients!
Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside
Sweet with some tartness from the apricot preserve
Vegan!
Nut-free and soy-free

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these gluten-free? I have not tried making these cookies with gluten-free flour. If you do try it out, please let me know how they turned out in the comments!
Can I use a different kind of jam? Yes! I recommend using a tart jam or preserve to keep the cookies from being too sweet.

If your question isn't answered here, be sure to check out the comments section below. You might find the answer to your question down there. Otherwise, please leave a comment on this post so I can get back to you ASAP!

As always, thanks for reading!

Best,