Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

These Grandma's Perfect Jam Thumbprint Cookies are shortbread-style cookies and a family recipe that was popular in the 1950s. We have included many notes on healthier ingredient swaps if you choose while sticking close to the original, classic recipe. These Grandma's Perfect Jam Thumbprint Cookies are also known as Thimble Cookies, Jam Thumbprints, and Thumbprint Cookies.

Grandma's Perfect Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Hi Everyone, I am so happy to share this classic cookie recipe! It's tradition to be served around the holidays like Christmas for gatherings, cookie swaps, and cookie sales but it can be made as a special treat year-round when the inspiration strikes.

It's a recipe that's fondly looked at as a classic recipe in our family and many others being most popular in the United States from the 1940s and 1950s to the present day.

Ingredients

I link to the ingredients and kitchen tools of what I use, or close to it with affiliate links #commissionearned in the full, printable recipe card at the end of the post.

• ¼ cup shortening
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, (egg yolk and egg white separated, beat the egg white, slightly)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup finely chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans, optional, see notes
• your favorite jelly, for example, raspberry, strawberry, or grape, see notes

Kitchen Tools

• measuring spoons and cups
• silicone baking mat(s)
• rimmed baking sheet(s)
• baking spatula
• sifter, optional if needed for sifting flour or for using confectioner's sugar for topping, if you chose

Web Story

Recipe Notes

• Yield: This recipe makes about 2 dozen (24-27 cookies), 1-1 ½-inch sized cookies.
• Shortening Substitute: You can substitute the ¼ cup shortening with ¼ cup coconut oil for a healthier option.
• Jelly: 1.) You can substitute the Jelly for a healthier, low-sugar fruit preserves option. 2.) You can also alternate the types of jam/jelly/preserves depending on what you have available to you. 3.) I recommend using a seedless jelly that is thicker in consistency for this recipe.
• Flour: You can substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 ratio gluten-free flour option, and use it in the same amount.
• Vanilla: Check out our recipe tutorial for How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract.
• Nuts: 1.) You can use walnuts or pecans as the most traditional option but you can also use almonds, pistachios, or your favorite nuts in the same amount. 2.) You can use a food processor to process the nuts to make it easier to make them finely chopped. 3.) You have the option not to use nuts and you can also use sprinkles or sparkling sugar in place of the nuts. 4.) Another option is sprinkling the confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) over the top of the cookies when they are done with a sifter.
• Oven Temperature: the original 1950s recipe that this is inspired by has the oven set to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In this recipe, the oven temperature is at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) to take into account modern oven temperatures being more accurate. I note that just in case you are baking with a vintage oven and want to experiment with the oven temperature that may work better.

Method: How to Make Grandma’s Perfect Jam Thumbprint Cookies

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line a baking sheet or 2 if you have 2, with silicone baking mats (ungreased) and set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, the flour, and the kosher salt, until combined.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line a baking sheet or 2 if you have 2, with silicone baking mats (ungreased) and set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, the flour, and the kosher salt, until combined.
5. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer (or by hand), mix the shortening, unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, until evenly combined.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture, mixing after each addition, until fully combined. You can use the handheld electric mixture or mix it by hand.
7. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Dip each dough ball into the (lightly beaten) egg white, then roll the dough ball in the finely chopped nuts. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet(s) 1 inch apart. Repeat until all the dough is used up. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Carefully and quickly, press your thumb (or a thimble) into the top middle of each dough ball. Return to the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes longer. When they are done, allow them to cool. Add the jelly into the middle indent of each cookie (see notes for other options). Enjoy!

Recipe Attribution

This recipe is most similar to the Jam Thumbprint recipe that my Grandmother made for my Father often when he was young. I interviewed my father and asked him to describe to me exactly what they looked like and how she made them.

In my research, I noticed that it was most similar to a Jam Thumbprint recipe called "Thumbprint Cookies" from the Betty Crocker cookbook that was popular at the time. My father told me that she had a Betty Crocker cookbook from prior to 1950. I have seen the 1950s version and noticed that the spelling of "cookie" is shown as "cooky".

I have heard of these cookies also being called "Thimble Cookies" in older cookbooks because bakers would use a Thimble to make the indent for the jam.

I made minor changes to the ingredients list, made suggestions on how to make this recipe healthier in the notes, and wrote the method in my own words.

Latest Posts

• Iced Cashew Milk Latte
• Mother's Day Recipes
• Breakfast and Brunch Recipes Collection
• Blueberry Syrup
• Perfect Coconut Cream Lush Dessert Recipe

If you make this recipe and like it, please give it a rating in the recipe card below and let us know in the comments at the end of the post.

Thank you for reading and following along!

If you like these cookies, you might also like the following cookie recipes:

Continue to Content

Grandma's Perfect Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 53 minutes

These Grandma’s Perfect Jam Thumbprint Cookies are shortbread-style cookies and a family recipe that was popular in the 1950s. We have included many notes on healthier ingredient swaps if you choose while sticking close to the original, classic recipe. These Grandma’s Perfect Jam Thumbprint Cookies are also known as Thimble Cookies, Jam Thumbprints, and Thumbprint Cookies.

Print

Ingredients

• ¼ cup shortening
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, (egg yolk and egg white separated, beat the egg white, slightly)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup finely chopped nuts, like walnuts or pecans, optional, see notes
• your favorite jelly, for example, raspberry, strawberry, grape

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line a baking sheet or 2 if you have 2, with silicone baking mats (ungreased) and set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, the flour, and the kosher salt, until combined.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer (or by hand), mix the shortening, unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, until evenly combined.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture, mixing after each addition, until fully combined. You can use the handheld electric mixture or mix it by hand.
5. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Dip each dough ball into the (lightly beaten) egg white, then roll the dough ball in the finely chopped nuts. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart. Repeat until all the dough is used up. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Carefully and quickly, press your thumb into the top middle of each dough ball. Return to the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes longer. When they are done, allow them to cool. Add the jelly into the middle indent of each cookie (see notes for other options). Enjoy!

Notes

Yield: This recipe makes 2 dozen (24-27 cookies), 1-1 ½-inches size cookies. You can get a different amount if you make them a different size.

• Shortening Substitute: You can substitute the ¼ cup shortening with ¼ cup coconut oil for a healthier option. I often make this substitution and the recipe works well! Just a thought to keep in mind, with any ingredient substitutions, the more substitutions that you make, the further you get away from the original recipe.
• Jelly: 1.) You can substitute the Jelly for a healthier, low-sugar fruit preserves option. 2.) You can also alternate the types of jam/jelly/preserves depending on what you have available to you. 3.) I recommend using a seedless jelly that is thicker in consistency for this recipe.
• Flour: You can substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 ratio gluten-free flour option, and use it in the same amount.
• Vanilla & Brown Sugar: Check out our recipe tutorial for How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract and Dark Brown Sugar recipe.
• Nuts: 1.) You can use walnut or pecans as the most traditional option but you can also use almonds, pistachios, or your favorite nuts in the same amount. 2.) You can use a food processor to process the nuts to make it easier to make them finely chopped. 3.) You have the option not to use nuts and you can also use sprinkles or sparkling sugar in place of the nuts. 4.) Another option is sprinkling confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) over the top of the cookies when they are done with a sifter.
• Oven Temperature: the original 1950s recipe that this is inspired by has the oven set to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In this recipe, the oven temperature is at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) to take into account modern oven temperature being more accurate. I note that just in case you are baking with a vintage oven and want to experiment with the oven temperature that may work better.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned #ad

• 
  OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop, Medium, Stainless Steel
• 
  OXO Good Grips Small Cookie Scoop

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 161Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 65mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best. If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe!

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? If you share it on social media tag us @lifeslittlesweets and hashtag it #lifeslittlesweets - Thank you in advance!

• First published: 12/10/2021
• Updated & republished: 12/17/2022, 7/3/2024, 12/17/2024

• Author
• Recent Posts

Follow me

Sara Maniez

Owner at Life's Little Sweets

Sara is an architectural designer turned work-at-home Mom. She lives in New Jersey by way of New England and New York, with her husband and 3 kids under 8. She loves design, being creative, and spending time with family and friends. She loves checking out local businesses and eats and being apart of the local farm to table community.

Follow me

Latest posts by Sara Maniez (see all)

• Iced Cashew Milk Latte - May 13, 2025
• Mother's Day Recipes - May 9, 2025
• Breakfast and Brunch Recipes Collection - May 8, 2025