Spiced Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies
Soft, melt in your mouth cookies topped with a spiced blackberry jam make up these Spiced Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies. Clove, ginger, and cinnamon spice up the blackberry jam in these dairy-free thumbprint cookies.
Cookies are my jam. No seriously, chocolate chunk cookies, fluffernutters, and sugar cookies just barely scratch the surface. What is not to love about a dessert that can be consumed in a quick 2-3 bites, like it never even happened!?!
The inspiration to make these thumbprint cookies honestly came while surfing Pinterest (seriously I have no idea how I get work done with the amount of time I spend on Pinterest) I stumbled upon a string of delicious looking sugar cookies with tempting drops of jam inside.
After seeing my first Thumbprint Cookie, I knew I needed to try them. It took me a solid month of staring at these online to finally get me off the computer and into the kitchen to whip up a batch as tempting as Pinterest but without all the dairy.
This may be a bold claim, but these are the best thing to happen to sugar cookies since those Lofthouse cookies came out in the early 2000’s. A soft pillowy cookie, spiced and jammy center, and best of all no rest time for the dough. So, if you are craving cookies, you can have them now!
Why You’ll LOVE These Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies
As a chocolate chip cookie kinda gal, I found myself completely obsessed with these blackberry thumbprint cookies. Some of the reasons I love making these cookies during the holiday season include:
- Soft buttery cookie base. They simply melt in your mouth.
- Seasonal spices in the blackberry jam. Adding a little cinnamon, clove, and ginger to the blackberry jam just ups the festive flavor in these delicious cookies.
- Easy to make. With no rest time you can quickly whip up a batch of these cookies in under an hour.
Dairy-Free Changes to Thumbprint Cookies
There are two ingredients you will want to keep your eye on when it comes to making these spiced blackberry thumbprint cookies.
- Plant-based Butter. In place of a traditional butter, use a dairy-free butter baking stick like Country Crock’s Plant Butter.
- Check your jam/jelly. While most jams and jellies don’t typically have dairy, its always better to check before assuming.
How to Make Spiced Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Plant-Based Butter– Softened to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar– Creamed with the vegan butter.
- Egg Yolk– At room temperature.
- Vanilla– For a little flavor and color.
- Flour– All purpose flour works wonderfully in this recipe.
- Salt– Kosher salt or table salt both work well in this recipe.
- Spiced Blackberry Jam– ]Blackberry Jam mixed with ground clove, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon.
Directions for Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cream butter + sugar: In the base of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until creamy.
- Mix in wet ingredients: Add the yolk, salt, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Add flour into the bowl and stir until smooth. It might be crumbly at first, but keep mixing until the dough comes together.
- Scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Press your thumb into the dough ball.
- Spoon about ½ tsp jam into the well of the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
When you are ready to make these spiced blackberry thumbprint cookies, here are some kitchen tools you might find helpful along the way.
- 1 Tablespoon Cookie Scoop– Great for scooping identical sized dough balls time and time again.
- Rimmed Baking Sheet– Helps keep the cookies from sliding off when you are sliding them in and out of the oven.
- Round Teaspoon– Perfect for pushing a round circle into the cookie dough for the jam.
Baking Success Tips for Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies
After 5 years of making these dairy-free blackberry thumbprint cookies, here are a few tips I have found helpful to getting perfect thumbprint cookies time and again.
- Room temperature ingredients: Allow the vegan butter and the egg to come to room temperature before making the dough. This ensures a smoother mixture and an even bake.
- Be patient with the dough after adding the flour: When you stir the flour into the batter it will become very crumbly. Continue stirring until smooth. It might take a minute, but it will come together.
- Use a round teaspoon to make the well in the middle of the dough: I like to use a teaspoon to press a “thumbprint” well into the dough. This keeps the well closed so no jam spills down the side of the cookie while it bakes.
- If you don’t have a round teaspoon use your thumb: Be careful not to press a slope down the side of the cookie dough when pressing your thumbprint into the dough. If you notice it sloping down simply push the side of the cookie up a bit to close the well for the jam.
Holiday Cookies to Make Next
Craving more dairy-free holiday cookies to make next? Here are some of my favorites to include on my Christmas cookie plate!
If you made this Blackberry Thumbprint Cookie recipe please let me know in the comments below!
You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!
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Spiced Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies
A soft, dairy-free cookie filled with a spiced blackberry jam make these blackberry thumbprint cookies an irresistible holiday cookie.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Vegan Butter Room Temperature
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 1 Egg Yolk Room Temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Flour
Spiced Blackberry Jam
- ⅓ cup Blackberry Jam
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Clove
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
-
In the base of a stand mixer, cream together ½ cup butter and ⅓ cup sugar until creamy.
-
Add 1 egg yolk, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until combined.
-
Add 1 cup flour into the bowl and stir until smooth. It might be crumbly at first, but keep mixing until the dough comes together.
-
Scoop 1 Tbsp of dough and roll into a ball. Press your thumb into the dough ball.
-
Spoon about ½ tsp jam into the well of the dough.
-
Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes.
Recipe Notes
If you have extra jam, spread it on a biscuit or some toast, you’re welcome.
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