Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies
Eggless and easy-to-make, these Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies balance the tenderness of the cookies with the tartness of the raspberry jam.
Why are thumbprint cookies called thumbprint cookies?
Half Teaspoon Cookies?
I never liked the name “Thumbprint Cookies.” Yuck.
But “Half Teaspoon Cookies” are an uphill branding battle.
With most thumbprint cookie recipes, you indent the cookies by using your thumb.
To indent these cookies, I use a half teaspoon measuring spoon.
Safer for your fingers (the pan is hot) and safer for your cookie eaters.
Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies Video
🖨️ PRINT RECIPE
Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies Ingredients
Cookies
- 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (135g) peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter)
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (53g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup (49g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Rolling Cookies
- 1/4 cup (49g) granulated sugar
For Filling Cookies
- 1/3 cup (113g) raspberry jam
How to Make Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies (24 cookies)
Place the oven rack on the middle level. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).
Line two 18-inch by 13-inch rimmed baking pans (half sheet pans) with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, add peanut butter, butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
Add the peanut butter, butter, and sugars.
Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla to the peanut butter mixture. Beat to combine.
Add vanilla and beat to combine.
With mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, in 3-4 additions, just until combined.
Gradually add the flour mixture.
Using a cookie scoop or leveled tablespoon, form dough into 1-inch balls (15g each).
This cookie dough is soft, so the “dough balls” will be more like dough blobs.
Roll the dough balls in the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, then transfer to prepared pan, spacing dough balls about one inch apart.
These cookies do not spread, so you can fit 12 cookies on a pan.
Form the dough into balls.
Bake cookies (one pan at a time) for 10 minutes until cookies are puffed.
Bake cookies until puffed.
Remove pan from oven and use the back of a rounded half teaspoon measuring spoon to indent the top of each cookie. Be careful. The pan is hot.
Bake until golden brown around the edges.
Return cookies to the oven to bake until golden brown around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes more.
Remove pan from oven and place the pan on a wire rack.
Indent cookies again.
While cookies are still warm, use the rounded half teaspoon measuring spoon to indent the top of each cookie again. Be careful. The pan is hot.
Let cookies cool completely on pan. Repeat baking steps for the remaining cookie dough.
Once both batches of cookies are cooled completely, spoon or pipe the jam into each cookie. If needed, use a toothpick to smooth the jam in the cookies.
Spoon or pipe jam into cooled cookies.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Tender cookie. Tart jam. Take a bite.