chocolate thumbprint cookies
These easy Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies filled with a rich chocolate ganache are made in under 30 minutes. They are tender, moist and intensely chocolate.
These chocolate thumbprints are an easy, no chill cookie that tastes fresh for days! These two-bite cookies pack in the chocolate flavor like my chocolate cupcakes, chocolate mousse, and the best chocolate pound cake. To lean into the chocolate cookie experience, try these chocolate sugar cookies too!
I loved these cookies with both chocolate ganache filling, strawberry jam, and homemade salted caramel sauce. The jam soaks the cookie, which makes it even more moist and flavors the cookie all the way through. It also keeps them tasting fresh and moist for up to 10 days! They are the perfect Christmas cookie to bake ahead along with chocolate orange shortbread cookies and cut out sugar cookies.
Table of contents
Why These are the Best Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Quick & easy cookie recipe. The cookie dough does not need to chill, so you will have cookies cooling in under 30 minutes.
- Rich chocolate cookies that aren’t dry. Adding cocoa powder without adjusting the other ingredients can make for drier cookies, but these chocolate thumbprints have just enough cocoa powder for a rich, chocolate flavor and enough sugar and butter to compensate!
- Cut the butter in for the most tender cookies. We make the dough by cutting the butter into all the ingredients until it comes together in a soft cookie dough. Using this mixing method eliminates the need for liquid ingredients and creates less gluten. This yields a very tender, crumbly cookie
Professional Tips for Making Chocolate Thumbprints
- Bake in a conventional oven. These cookies bake best when baked in a conventional oven (without the fan). The fan (convection) does bake them slightly faster but it dries out the outside before the center has a chance to bake especially with jam.
- Use a 50:50 ganache for filling. This is a ganache made with equal parts semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream. It is equal in weight not volume! This produces a ganache that sets at room temperature but is still soft.
- Fill with jam before baking but ganache after. The jam will hold the cookie down during baking but when filling with ganache, make the thumbprint before and after baking. This ensures you have enough space for that chocolate filling!
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted Butter: The cookie dough will come together easier if the butter is softened. Unlike with chewy cookies like chewy sugar cookies, room temperature or very soft and pliable is ideal.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is very finely ground and will mix into the cookie dough better than granulated sugar. This also makes it sweeter by the ounce than granulated sugar.
- All-purpose Flour
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: I prefer Dutch-processed cocoa powder for its flavor in this recipe, but any quality cocoa powder will be good.
- Kosher salt: Kosher salt is essential in these cookies. It heightens the chocolate flavor, tames the sweetness and gives the cookies depth.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract enhances the chocolate flavor just like in devil’s food cake, and it also adds just enough moisture to the dough!
- Granulated sugar: Rolling the cookie dough balls in sugar adds a nice crunch and just a touch extra sweetness. You could also use sparkling sugar like my Neapolitan thumbprint cookies.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate: Use a good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate for the ganache filling. I used Ghirardelli bittersweet morsels for the cookies in the photos. Milk chocolate would also be nice especially if flavored with Cointreau!
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream will give you the best texture and consistency but you could also use half and half or non-dairy creamer.
- Jam (if desired)
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Roll them in sprinkles or jimmies instead of sugar: Sprinkles will give them a pop of color like these funfetti cookies!
- Flavor the ganache: Add a tablespoon of liquor like Bourbon, Chambord or Frangelico to the ganache after it comes together. Try adding reduced orange juice for a non-alcoholic option.
- Decorate the top: Sprinkle jimmies, dehydrated strawberries or edible sugar pearls over the ganache before it sets for a colorful finish.
- Flavor the dough: Add a little coffee, orange or peppermint extract to the dough for an easy variation. You might also try these classic thumbprint cookies!
How to Make Chocolate Thumbprints
Use these instructions to make easy chocolate thumbprint cookies with jam or ganache. Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Make & bake the cookies:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F conventional (no fan) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I do not recommend using the convection setting (fan) for these cookies.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and all the dry ingredients. (Butter, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, kosher salt, and vanilla extract.) Mix on medium-low speed until a smooth dough forms, which will take a minute but it is worth the wait!
Step 3: Pinch off pieces of dough about an inch across. Roll into a ball and then roll the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar. You will have approximately 15 cookies.
Step 4: Place on parchment lined baking sheet about an inch apart, offset slightly. Press your thumb or forefinger into the center of each cookie gently, making an indentation. It should go about halfway into the cookie. For perfect circle indentations, use the back of a round teaspoon measuring spoon.
Step 5: If filling with jam, pipe or spoon the jam into the center of each cookie before baking. It will be about ½ teaspoon each, but it depends on your thumbprint! Don’t mound the jam up or it will run over the edge during baking.
Step 5: Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the surface looks matte and no longer glossy. I rotated my trays after 6 minutes.
Step 6: If you are filling with ganache, press the baked centers down slightly to make a little more space for your filling. The cookies puff slightly in the oven and this just allows for a nice amount of chocolate filling.
Step 7: Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
Prepare the Ganache:
Step 1: While the cookies bake, prepare the ganache. Place chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a medium bowl set on a folded tea-towel. Heat cream in a small saucepan just until it comes to a boil then pour over the chocolate.
Step 2: Allow the cream to sit on the chocolate undisturbed for 2 minutes. This melts the chocolate and will allow you to emulsify the ganache easily with less whisking. Less whisking means less of a chance for the ganache to break.
Step 3: Start whisking in one direction in the center of the chocolate until you see a smooth ganache beginning to form. Then gradually make your whisking strokes larger, pulling in more of the cream. Once a smooth ganache forms, stop whisking. Add any flavorings you desire at this point.
Step 4: Transfer to a piping bag or cover the surface with plastic wrap and allow to cool while the cookies finish baking and they cool completely.
Fill Chocolate Thumbprints with Ganache:
Step 1: Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe or spoon some of the ganache into each thumbprint. Piping the ganache will make for more perfect thumbprint cookies.
You want the ganache to be loose enough to flow freely. This will give you smooth tops on the filling. If the ganache has thickened too much, warm it gently over a pot with warm water. Stir it just enough to loosen.
Step 2: Let the thumbprints set, or don’t! They will taste delicious even if you are too impatient to wait for the ganache to set.
How do you store chocolate thumbprints?
- Store baked chocolate thumbprints in an air-tight container at room temperature in one layer. Thumbprints with ganache keep for around 4 days, but those baked with jam will stay fresh tasting for up to 10 days!
- For longer storage, store baked thumbprints in the freezer. They will keep frozen for up to 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the cookie dough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thumbprints are excellent shipping cookies especially when made with jam. Baking the jam with the cookie not only extends their shelf-life but also adheres the jam to the cookie base. This will ensure they arrive presentable at their destination!
I do not recommend chilling this thumbprint cookie dough before baking. They will crack when pressed and they will not spread during baking.
When baking, I always check my measurements first! Did you remember to tare the scale or did you measure by volume, which can be inconsistent? Also, different cocoa powders do have different hydration requirements, so it could simply be that I tested this recipe with Ghirardelli and you have chosen another brand! Lastly ensure your butter was softened and you mixed it long enough. It does seem like it won’t come together but it always does!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
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Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 15 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
These easy Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies filled with a rich chocolate ganache are made in under 30 minutes. They are tender, moist and intensely chocolate.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (36g ) 1 cup all-purpose flour (126g)
- 1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder (40g)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- 1/3 cup jam, optional
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped or morsels
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make & bake the cookies:
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F conventional (no fan) and line one baking sheet with parchment paper. I do not recommend using the convection setting for these cookies.
- Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add all the ingredients. (Butter, powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, kosher salt, and vanilla extract.) Mix on medium-low speed until a smooth dough forms.
- Step 3: Pinch off pieces of dough about an inch across. Roll into a ball and then roll in granulated sugar. You will have approximately 15 cookies.
- Step 4: Place on parchment lined baking sheet about an inch apart, offset slightly. Press your thumb or forefinger into the center of each cookie gently, making an indentation. It should go about halfway into the cookie. Fill with jam before baking, but bake unfilled for a chocolate filling.
- Step 5: Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the surface looks matte and no longer glossy. I rotated my trays after 6 minutes.
- Step 6: If you are filling with ganache, press the baked centers down slightly to make a little more space for your filling. The cookies puff slightly in the oven and this just allows for a nice amount of chocolate filling.
Prepare the Ganache:
- Step 1: While the cookies bake, prepare the ganache. Place chocolate in a bowl set on a folded tea-towel. Heat cream just until it comes to a boil then pour over the chocolate.
- Step 2: Allow the cream to sit on the chocolate undisturbed for 2 minutes. This melts the chocolate and will allow you to emulsify the ganache easily with less whisking. Less whisking means less of a chance for the ganache to break.
- Step 3: Start whisking in one direction in the center of the chocolate until you see a smooth ganache beginning to form. Then gradually make your whisking strokes larger, pulling in more of the cream. Once a smooth ganache forms, stop whisking. Add any flavorings you desire at this point.
- Step 4: Transfer to a piping bag or cover the surface with plastic wrap and allow to cool while the cookies finish baking and they cool completely.
Fill Chocolate Thumbprints with Ganache:
- Step 1: Once the cookies are completely cool, pipe or spoon some of the ganache into each thumbprint. Piping the ganache will make for more perfect thumbprint cookies.
- Step 2: Let the thumbprints set, or don’t! They will taste delicious even if you are too impatient to wait for the ganache to set.
Notes
Yield – 15 cookies
Presentation – Fill with the chocolate ganache after baking or fill with your favorite jam before baking.
Variations – Try adding 1 tablespoon liquor to the ganache.
Storage – Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days. They taste best when eaten within 5 days, but those filled with jam will stay soft & moist for 10 days!
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this easy cookie recipe! You might also enjoy Neapolitan thumbprint cookies too or peruse all our cookie recipes!
This is just crumbs. It is too dry to be dough.
Hi Heather, I’d love to help you troubleshoot. It does take some time to come together in the mixer, but I promise it will. If you get tired of waiting, you can add milk but it will change the texture.