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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Cookies / Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

    Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

    December 2, 2016 Updated December 16, 2017 BySam 60 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Trust me when I tell you that these chocolate thumbprint cookies are going to be your new Christmas cookie favorite, this year and every year.  These buttery vanilla thumbprint cookies are rolled in sugar and filled with wells of dark chocolate ganache (and a hint of bourbon!); these are irresistibly festive and simple but decadent cookies.  

    Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies -- Make sure you add a little bourbon to the ganache, it's amazing! || Sugar Spun Run

    I hope you don’t have a problem with cookies.

    I have a feeling that you don’t (and this is why we’re friends), but I just want to give you fair warning that I make a lot of cookies in December.

    I’ll try to mix things up a bit and push out some candy recipes (one coming Monday, actually) and maybe even a cake or cupcake, but there are definitely cookies in your pre-Christmas Sugar Spun Run future.  ‘Tis the season, right?

    First up for this month are one of my new favorites: Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.

    We’ve got buttery, vanilla-bean flecked cookie bases, a coating of sugar crystals, and sweet chocolate wells of a bourbon infused chocolate ganache.

    Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies -- Make sure you add a little bourbon to the ganache, it's amazing! || Sugar Spun Run

    Do I have your attention?

    These chocolate thumbprint cookie bases aren’t quite a shortbread, but they’re close.

    They’re supremely buttery, but softer and less crumbly than standard shortbread (I’m all about soft cookies around here).  They also have an egg yolk added for a richer dough, and a little more vanilla than your standard shortbread cookie.

    Good vanilla extract is a must in any good cookie recipe, and that’s why I always use Rodelle vanilla extract (also why I’m now a brand ambassador for them!).  Their Rodelle’s vanilla bean paste might be my favorite way to use vanilla in baking yet, so I added a little bit of that to the dough as well.

    Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies -- Make sure you add a little bourbon to the ganache, it's amazing! || Sugar Spun Run

    I definitely recommend an electric hand mixer or (preferably) a stand mixer when making your chocolate thumbprint cookie dough, as this dough is pretty thick and it can be tough to work in all of the flour that the recipe calls for.

    Once everything is done mixing, the dough should be firm enough that you can roll it into balls and in sugar without needing any chilling beforehand.  We’ll chill them after we’ve rolled them (I’ll get to that in a bit), but first we want to roll them into balls and roll them in sugar.

    Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies -- Make sure you add a little bourbon to the ganache, it's amazing! || Sugar Spun Run

    I rolled these cookies in a coarse organic cane sugar because I liked the bigger sugar crystals, but regular granulated sugar would work just fine, too (turbinado sugar has a slightly more molasses-y flavor, but would also work with these cookies).

    Next, press thumbprints into the dough.  It’s best to do this at room temperature because if the dough is too stiff or too cold, the edges will crack.  We want our edges smooth and seamless, because it’s just prettier that way.

    Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies -- Make sure you add a little bourbon to the ganache, it's amazing! || Sugar Spun Run

    Once you’ve prepped your cookie dough, chill it in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes.  Your cookies will spread a little bit when they bake, but by chilling the dough beforehand you prevent any major spreading — you don’t want your thumbprints to be completely flat when they come out of the oven!

    You will likely lose a little bit of depth in the craters when they come out of the oven, so keep a rounded teaspoon handy to re-indent those thumbprints as soon as they’re done baking (you only have a small window to do this, once they cool you won’t be able to re-indent your cookies without breaking them).

    chocolate-thumbprint-cookies-9-of-13

    Enjoy, and if you’re looking for more great Christmas cookie ideas, Rodelle has a whole collection that you can check out HERE!

    Chocolate thumbprint cookies

    Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

    The perfect Christmas cookie!  These Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are made of a buttery vanilla cookie and filled with a bourbon-infused chocolate ganache.  Simple, but decadent!
    4.91 from 22 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes
    Servings: 30 cookies
    Calories: 166kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
    • ⅓ cup sugar (70g)
    • ⅓ cup light brown sugar tightly packed (70g)
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon Rodelle vanilla extract* (5ml)
    • ½ teaspoon Rodelle vanilla paste** optional
    • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (280g)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup coarse sugar for rolling turbinado or organic cane sugar both work well (100g)

    Chocolate Bourbon Ganache

    • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (175g)
    • ¼ cup heavy cream (60ml)
    • ½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 teaspoon Rodelle vanilla extract* (5ml)
    • 1 teaspoon bourbon optional but recommended (5ml)
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Using an electric mixer, beat butter until well creamed.
    • Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
    • Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, and vanilla paste (if using), and stir well, pausing to scrape down the sides and mixing until ingredients are well-combined.
    • Add flour, gradually (about ½ cup at a time), pausing to scrape down sides of bowl. Halfway through the addition of the flour, sprinkle in the salt with the beater still running.
    • Roll cookie dough into approximately 1" balls and roll through the coarse sugar until completely covered in sugar.  Place on a wax paper lined plate and use your thumb to create an indent/crater in the center.  
    • Transfer cookie dough balls to freezer and chill for at least 30 minutes (this will keep cookies from spreading too much).
    • Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper (if you don't have parchment paper, just use an ungreased cookie sheet).
    • Once oven is preheated, remove cookie dough from freezer and transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 1 ½" apart.   Bake for 12 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and immediately use a rounded teaspoon to re-indent the thumbprints, if needed.
    • Allow cookies to cool while you prepare the ganache filling.
    • Combine chocolate chips, heavy cream, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-heat.  Stir frequently until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
    • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, bourbon, and salt.  Stir well.
    • Allow mixture to sit and cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
    • Use a spoon to pour chocolate ganache into the crater of each prepared thumbprint cookie.  Ganache will set after about 1 hour at room temperature or you can put them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to speed up the process (cookies taste best at room temperature though).

    Notes

    *Find out more about Rodelle vanilla extract HERE
    **Go here to learn more about Rodelle's vanilla bean paste!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    PIN IT:

    chocolate-thumbprint-cookies-definitely-include-the-bourbon-wow

    In case you’re interested, I’ve used the recipe for the base of this cookie multiple times on my site (with slight variations).  Here are a few other recipes that you can make with this dough:

    Chocolate Star Sprinkle Cookies

    sprinkle cookies-5

    Homemade Tagalongs 

    Tagalong (1 of 1)-5

    Key Lime Thumbprint Cookies

    key lime cookies-3

    « Homemade Dog Cookies
    Gingerbread Spice Fudge »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marjorie Console

      January 10, 2023 at 9:04 am

      5 stars
      delicious and came out perfect. Can I adjust the recipe with cocoa for a chocolate cookie?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 10, 2023 at 9:38 am

        We’re so happy you enjoyed them! You can use the base for our turtle cookies or chocolate peanut butter thumbprint cookies. 😊

        Reply
    2. Robin Nigro

      December 26, 2022 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      These are probably the best thumbprint cookies I ever made! We are bakers in our family and the cornstarch in the dough makes all the difference!My cookies held together beautifully and the chocolate ganache was amazing!I did use some milk chocolate and semi sweet chips and a touch more bourbon with my vanilla paste that I love👌🏻!Thank you for sharing💕Merry Christmas ☃️

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        December 27, 2022 at 10:00 am

        Thanks for letting us know how you liked them, Robin! We’re so glad you gave our recipe a try 🥰

        Reply
    3. Casey

      December 08, 2022 at 9:34 pm

      The prep time is misleading because it didn’t account for the 30 minutes the dough needs to sit in the freezer. I found it to be more like an hour and 30 minutes to make the recipe.

      Reply
    4. Kathy Hicks

      March 21, 2022 at 3:48 pm

      Thanks Sam for such a quick response. I agree – I think they will be great – they are for a ladies tea. I mixed the ingredients quite thoroughly with a hand mixer – no signs of unincorporated flour – used 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour. Any thoughts on using Lily White flour. I’ve never tried it, but I see it recommended often here in SC.

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 22, 2022 at 9:29 am

        Hi Kathy! I have never personally used Lily white flour so I can’t comfortably comment on any differences it makes.

        Reply
      • Ginger

        December 09, 2022 at 10:39 am

        No baking soda or powder? Making the recipe as is now so we’ll see. Just surprised.

        Reply
        • Sam

          December 11, 2022 at 10:13 pm

          Nope. Not needed here. 🙂

    5. Kathy Hicks

      March 21, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      I just made these cookies and they are cooling. Every single one of them cracked when I put in the thumbprint. I didn’t vary from the directions including the recommended vanillas. I bake often and not sure what happened here. They cracked a little more when I put in the thumbprint after baking. They are cooling now – I am sure they will be delicious when they are complete, but don’t understand why they cracked. Any thoughts?

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 21, 2022 at 3:15 pm

        Hi Kathy! If the dough wasn’t very thoroughly mixed or if a bit too much flour was used, that can cause cracks. I’m sure they will still be tasty, too, though, and hope that you enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Susan

      December 18, 2021 at 6:07 am

      Can you make dough or cookies in advance and freeze at some point to help with prep at Christmas? At what point would you suggest?

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 18, 2021 at 9:58 pm

        Hi Susan! I would form it into the thumbprints before freezing, but that should work just fine. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Lisa

      December 12, 2021 at 7:00 pm

      They don’t have coarse sugar at stores in my town. Can I use regular granulation? Thank you

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 12, 2021 at 8:41 pm

        Hi Lisa! Granulated sugar will work just fine here. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Judy Kirinch

      December 12, 2021 at 4:01 pm

      5 stars
      Winner winner chicken dinner! These are the best! Only problem with them is you can’t stop eating them! Everyone at my party raved over these, even more so than the coveted Pecan Tassies. Needless to say there was a fight for the last cookie. They are easy peasy to make, affordable, quick and delicious! I didn’t even have the vanilla paste, just the pure vanilla, I can’t imagine them being any better! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 12, 2021 at 8:43 pm

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Judy! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Lisa

      December 08, 2021 at 1:20 pm

      Can these thumbprint cookies be mailed in a tin?

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 08, 2021 at 1:21 pm

        Hi Lisa! I don’t see why not 🙂

        Reply
    10. # Baking queen

      February 17, 2021 at 9:14 pm

      Hi, I’m Tia and I am actually just 11 years old and i’m in love with baking!
      Today i made your thumbprint cookies and used you chocolate ganache filling and it was absolutely awesome! I really really loved it! So thank you sooo much for sharing this recipe and I will be sure to use your website all the time!
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 17, 2021 at 9:54 pm

        That is so awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed everything, Tia! Keep up the great work! 🙂

        Reply
    11. # Donuts Go

      February 17, 2021 at 9:14 pm

      Hi, I’m Tia and I am actually just 11 years old and i’m in love with baking!
      Today i made your thumbprint cookies and used you chocolate ganache filling and it was absolutely awesome! I really really loved it! So thank you sooo much for sharing this recipe and I will be sure to use your website all the time!
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 17, 2021 at 9:55 pm

        That is so awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed everything, Tia! Keep up the great work! 🙂

        Reply
        • # Donuts Go

          February 17, 2021 at 10:02 pm

          aww thanks!

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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