A recipe for Iced Thumbprint Cookies! These nostalgic treats have a buttery, tender cookie base with a sweet vanilla icing in the center.
As a child, Iced Thumbprint Cookies were one of my absolute favorites from a local bakery while living in Montgomery, Alabama. Since moving away, I have been working on a recipe that brings me back to those flavors and this is the closest I have come so far.
Start by bringing together the buttery, vanilla almond cookie base using either a stand mixer or hand mixer in a large bowl. After chilling in the refrigerator, form the dough into individual rounds, press an indentation in the center of each, and rest briefly again before baking in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven until set.
Once cooled, pour a little vanilla icing into the thumbprint of each cookie and allow to set before serving.
Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to four days. I personally love these Iced Thumbprint Cookies the day after baking when the texture settles a bit.
A Few Iced Thumbprint Cookie Tips
Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.
The tablespoon of cornstarch will help create a more tender texture in the cookies.
If avoiding almonds, swap the almond extract for another 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Beat the dough just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix or the cookies may become tough.
Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to an hour to make it easier to handle. If refrigerating longer, it may be too cold to form without cracking and require a short rest at room temperature.
If the dough does start to crack, continue to roll between your hands to slightly warm or bring to room temperature for a couple more minutes before trying again.
For small cracks, gently press together to seal before placing the baking sheet in the oven.
Take care not to over-bake the cookies. They should stay in the oven just until set with no coloring on the top and just barely golden edges on the bottom. This usually takes about 10-12 minutes. They will continue to set further as they cool on the baking sheet.
The cavity in the center may fill in a little while baking. If this occurs, gently press back down with your thumb or the back of a spoon after about 5 minutes while the cookies are still warm.
Allow the cookies to cool completely to room temperature before adding the glaze.
What a little more decadence in the glaze? Check out my White Chocolate Thumbprints. Another option, which I have featured in the past, is a jam center such as in these German Engelsaugen (Angel Eyes).
Seasonal Variations
I gave these Iced Thumbprint Cookies a neutral look with basic sprinkles and green, yellow, blue, and white colors to the icing.
The decorations and colors can be adjusted for birthday parties, Halloween, Christmas, and other celebrations.
For even more fun, I sometimes roll the edges of the dough in sprinkles before adding to the baking sheet. I usually only do this to a handful of the cookies, since I have one child who loves sprinkles and one that prefers the cookies without them.
You could also add sprinkles to the top of the cookies after pouring in the icing. If doing this, work quickly. The icing will start to harden and you want the sprinkles to adhere before a film forms over the top.
If avoiding food coloring, simply top the Iced Thumbprint Cookies with the plain vanilla icing.
Looking for more cookie recipes?
Try my:
This recipe was originally posted in July 2015 and updated in June 2025.
Iced Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
Iced Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Thumbprint Cookie:
- 2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (8 grams) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Icing:
- 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- food coloring
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg yolk, followed by the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Add the flour mixture and beat in just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until firm enough to handle without sticking.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.
- Break off a 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) piece of dough and roll into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Use your thumb or the back of a 1/2 teaspoon to slightly flatten the ball in the center, making an indention. If any cracks form around the edges, gently press them back together. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing them on the prepared baking sheet 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) apart.
- Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Place the chilled baking sheets in preheated oven and bake the cookies just until set and barely golden on the bottom, 10-12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature. If the indentations are too shallow, lightly press down to make them more pronounced while still warm.
To make the icing:
- Place the sifted powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
- Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract to form a thick glaze. If too thick to pour over the cookies, slowly add a little more milk. If too thin, slowly whisk in a little more powdered sugar.
- If desired add a drop of food coloring, or divide the icing between smaller bowls and mix a different color into each bowl.
- Add a small spoonful of the icing into the center indentation of each cookie. If desired, add a small pinch of sprinkles over the top.
- Allow the icing to set for 1-2 hours at room temperature before serving.
- Once the icing has set, store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
lk529
How fun!