Easy Heart Thumbprint Cookies Recipe with Jam for Valentine’s Day Baking
These heart thumbprint cookies are a buttery almond shortbread cookie shaped into a heart and filled with a glossy strawberry or raspberry jam center, perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day you want to show someone you care. Ready in about an hour total, makes 24 cookies, and the dough needs just a short chill before shaping.
There’s something about a heart shaped cookie that just feels like you made it with love, even if you’re really just trying to use up that jar of jam in the fridge. These heart thumbprint cookies take the classic round thumbprint cookie and give it a little makeover for Valentine’s season, or really any time you want a cute cookie that doesn’t take much extra work.
The dough is a simple almond shortbread base, buttery and a little nutty, with just enough structure to hold its shape in the oven. Instead of pressing a round well like a normal thumbprint cookie, you press a little V shape into the dough, and as it bakes that V opens up into a heart all on its own. It looks fancy but it is really just a little trick with your thumb.
Once the cookies cool, you fill the heart with jam, not before baking. That part matters more than it sounds like it should, and I will explain why below.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Buttery almond shortbread dough with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth bite
- The heart shape forms itself as the cookie bakes, no cookie cutters needed
- Great for Valentine’s Day, a bake sale, or just a sweet weekend treat
- Jam filling goes in after baking, so the color stays bright and glossy
- Dough comes together in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients
- Easy to make ahead, since the dough and jam can both be done a day early
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (if it’s too soft or melty, the dough will spread and lose the heart shape)
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (about 80g) strawberry or raspberry jam, boiled and strained (this removes the seeds and extra liquid so the filling sits neatly in the heart instead of pooling out)
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Jam: Boil the jam for about a minute and strain out any seeds or chunks before using. This thickens it slightly and gives you a smooth, glossy fill instead of a runny one.
- Gluten-free flour: A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works, but the dough needs a little extra help to hold together. Add an extra egg yolk or about 1 tsp of cream cheese to the dough, or you’ll likely end up with cracked edges once the heart shape opens in the oven.
- Almond extract: This is what gives the shortbread its flavor. If you’d rather skip it, use an extra 1/2 tsp vanilla instead, though the cookie will taste a little plainer.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. This step builds the air into the dough that keeps the shortbread tender instead of dense.
Step 2: Add the Egg Yolk and Extracts
Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract until fully combined. The dough will look slightly glossy at this point, which is normal.
Step 3: Mix in the Flour and Salt
Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour. Overmixing here is what makes shortbread turn tough instead of tender.
Step 4: Chill the Dough
Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This firms up the butter so the hearts hold their shape instead of spreading flat in the oven.
Step 5: Shape the Hearts
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, a couple inches apart. Using your thumb, press a V shape into the top of each ball, angling your thumb in from two sides to meet at a point in the middle. Pinch the bottom point of the V a little as you go. This is the fussy part the first time around, but pinching that bottom point is what makes the heart read clearly once it opens up in the oven instead of looking like a blob.
Step 6: Chill Again Before Baking
Pop the shaped cookies back in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before baking. Baking from a chilled state keeps the heart shape crisp instead of letting it soften and round out.
Step 7: Bake
Bake at 350°F for 15 to 17 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. The centers will still look pale and the heart shape will look open and defined. Don’t wait for golden all over, or the dough starts to lose that sharp heart outline.
Step 8: Cool Completely
Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet or a wire rack before filling. This is the step people skip and regret. The heart shape actually opens up more as the cookie bakes and sets while cooling, so if you try to fill it warm, the jam will just slide off instead of sitting in the well.
Step 9: Fill with Jam
Once the cookies are fully cool, spoon a small amount of the strained jam into the heart center of each one. Fill just to the top of the well, not over it, so the heart shape stays visible.
Tips for the Best Results
- Shaping the V takes a couple of cookies to get the feel for it. Don’t worry if your first two or three look a little rough.
- Keep a small bowl of water nearby to dip your thumb in if the dough starts sticking as you shape.
- Fill the cookies close to serving time if you can. The jam stays soft, so cookies filled too far ahead can soften at the center.
What to Serve With It
- A batch alongside these chocolate thumbprint cookies for a mixed Valentine’s cookie tray
- Fresh strawberries or raspberries on the side, to match the jam filling
- A warm cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon treat
- Pair with strawberry thumbprint cookies if you want a whole table of pink and red desserts
Heart Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: Beat the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. This step builds the air into the dough that keeps the shortbread tender instead of dense.
- Add the Egg Yolk and Extracts: Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract until fully combined. The dough will look slightly glossy at this point, which is normal.
- Mix in the Flour and Salt: Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. Stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour. Overmixing here is what makes shortbread turn tough instead of tender.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This firms up the butter so the hearts hold their shape instead of spreading flat in the oven.
- Shape the Hearts: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, a couple inches apart. Using your thumb, press a V shape into the top of each ball, angling your thumb in from two sides to meet at a point in the middle. Pinch the bottom point of the V a little as you go.
- Chill Again Before Baking: Pop the shaped cookies back in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before baking. Baking from a chilled state keeps the heart shape crisp instead of letting it soften and round out.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F for 15 to 17 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. The centers will still look pale and the heart shape will look open and defined.
- Cool Completely: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet or a wire rack before filling. The heart shape actually opens up more as the cookie bakes and sets while cooling, so if you try to fill it warm, the jam will just slide off.
- Fill with Jam: Once the cookies are fully cool, spoon a small amount of the strained jam into the heart center of each one. Fill just to the top of the well, not over it, so the heart shape stays visible.
Notes
- Fill the hearts only after the cookies have cooled completely — the shape opens up more as they cool, and warm jam will slide right off.
- Pinch the bottom point of the V shape as you press it in, so the heart reads clearly once baked.
- Don’t stack the baked cookies for storage since the jam filling stays soft. Use parchment or a piece of cardboard between layers if packaging them as a gift.
- Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients and will vary with brands and portion size.
Make These Heart Thumbprint Cookies for Someone You Love
These little hearts are a simple way to make an ordinary afternoon feel a bit more special, whether you’re baking for a partner, a kid’s class party, or just yourself with a cup of tea. They pack up nicely in a small box too, so if you’re looking for a homemade Valentine’s gift, this is an easy one.
Once you get the hang of shaping the V, you’ll find yourself making these any time you want something a little sweeter than a regular cookie. They disappear fast, so you might want to double the batch.
If you give these a try, I’d love it if you left a star rating and a comment below to let me know how they turned out.
For more thumbprint cookie recipes you will love:
