Matcha Almond Butter Thumbprint Cookies
This fun play on the classic thumbprint recipe uses matcha almond butter to give it a nutty-earthy flavor that goes perfectly with the tart-sweetness of the raspberry preserves.
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Note from Jenn(12/04/20224): This post was originally created for Lasto Foods. However, the company has stopped producing nut butters since then. So, I have included links to a new brand of matcha almond butter to make your shopping easier.
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Christmas is only a few days away and we’re getting a snowstorm and freezing temps. So why not stay inside and bake? I’ve had thumbprints before, a classic sugar cookie, rolled in sugar and filled with the jam of your choice. So when I got a couple of almond butter flavors from Lasto Foods, I knew I wanted to try some fun new things my family would love. As soon as I tried the matcha almond butter I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Make matcha almond butter thumbprints with raspberry jam!!!!
After I created this recipe, I surveyed on Instagram to see who wanted it, and 67% of you wanted it! So here I am, three days before Christmas, sharing a cookie recipe that I think would be great any time of the year!
About the Ingredients
LASTO Foods Matcha Almond Butter
The matcha almond butter is a nice earthy and nutty flavor. Nothing is too overpowering and it gives a nice subtle flavor to the cookies.
Why Raspberry Jam
I choose raspberry preserves in this recipe because of the slightly tart raspberry flavor. It goes well with the sweetness from the sugar in the preserves and the earthiness of the matcha.
Tips for thumbprint cookies:
- Use a silicone mat: I’ve been baking cookies since I was 9 (I know this sounds young, but I’m an elder millennial-IYKYK). I’ve used everything from aluminum foil to non-stick spray and I mean it when I say Silicone Mats are the way to go. You won’t regret it.
- Your thumbprints might crack: I found this dough is a bit crumbly and did crack a bit as I was pushing down on the cookies. It honestly doesn’t bother me, so I generally tend to leave it be. If you see the dough starting to crack and it does bother you, you can usually press the dough back together successfully!
- Add the jam before baking the cookies: It’s just easier. If the jam is too firm and isn’t easy to drop into the cookies, then place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for just a few seconds, just until it is easy to stir. The jam does not need to be hot, just easy to work with.
- If you forget you can add the jam before baking: It can be added afterward, but take care, you’ll need to re-indent the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. The cookies will be hot and delicate burning yourself could happen. I’m just saying.
Tips to prevent spreading:
- Cooling the dough before baking helps with this, especially when using any kind of butter.
- Never place your cookies on a hot cookie sheet. Ensure your cookie sheet has cooled completely before placing your next batch of cookies on. If you don’t they’ll start melting before they can begin to baking and are much more likely to spread.
Cooking with Kids
DISCLOSURE: These tips are generalized, and meant to be suggestive. Everything I’m sharing I do with my kids, and they are all different even within my own five. So please take these as suggestions or ideas and if you think your child needs more or less help, then go with what you and your child are comfortable with. Ultimately, you know your kids, do what YOU think is best.
For more details on baking with kids check out my Must-Know Tips for Baking with Kids blog post.
Thumbprint Cookie Storage
You can stack the cookies after cooled. As the cookies cool the jam will settle and firm up, it might remain slightly tacky even when cooled. However, I have found that they were still firm enough to stack the thumbprint cookies with no issues.
Store thumbprint cookies in an airtight container, they will last for:
- 1 week at room temperature
- up to 10 days in the fridge
- up to 2 months in the freezer. If you freeze them, I recommend laying them on a baking sheet first. Then freeze, and store them in a freezer-safe, container so they don’t stick to each other. When you’re ready to enjoy, Simply bring them back to room temperature and enjoy!
You Can Also Freeze the dough!!!
Freeze the cookie dough in a freezer-safe bag/container for up to 4 months. I LOVE the Stasher Silicon Bags for pretty much everything, including freezing.
*Quick tip: freeze the dough as pressed cookies without jam for easy bake-ready cookies (Simply add jam and bake when ready).
Check out my blog post on How to Freezing Cookie Dough to get all the details on the easiest way to do this.
Did you try it, have questions?
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Want more cookie recipes?
Try These:
Print
Matcha Almond Butter Thumbprint Cookies
A fun play on the classic thumbprint cookie recipe. Made with matcha almond butter to give it a nutty and earthy flavor, then indented and filled with raspberry preserves to give you that little bit of sweetness you want in a cookie with a touch of tart!
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 12 oz Matcha Almond Butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar (tightly packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup raspberry preserves (give or take)
Instructions
- Add the Matcha Almond Butter, the granulated sugar, and light brown sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat on medium with a hand mixer until combined (about 30-60 seconds).
- Add the eggs and almond extract, and beat with the hand mixer until combined and lighter in color.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, tapioca starch, and salt.
- Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix on medium until completely combined. This dough will seem very dry and crumbly, so be sure to pause occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. If it starts to strain your mixer or doesn’t seem to be mixing together, you can use your hands to finish working the dough together (I did have to do this to get the cookies to really come together).
- Scoop cookie dough into 1-1.5 Tablespoon-sized balls and roll very well (so that the dough is round and there are no cracks/seams in the cookie dough, this will help with cracking, although, mine did crack on the outside.
- Place at least 2″ apart on a parchment paper or silicone mat-lined cookie sheet. Use your thumb or the rounded back of a teaspoon/measuring spoon to gently press an indent in the center of the cookie dough. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
- Freeze the dough for about 30 minutes (I essentially waited for the oven to preheat).
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 375°F
- If your jam is new and at room temp, skip this next step. If your Jam is refrigerated: Place your jam in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat briefly (about 5-10 seconds) or until the jam is not hot but is no longer firm and is easy to stir.
- Spoon jam into each thumbprint, filling each indent to the brim.
- Once the oven is preheated, Bake for 11-14 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before enjoying them.
Equipment
Mora Ceramics Small Mixing Bowls Set of 2 – 2.5 & 1.6 Qt (Vanilla White)
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Stainless Steel Baking Sheet Set with Silicone Mats and Cooling Racks (Set of 9)
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Cuisinart 9-Speed Handheld Mixer (HM-90S Power Advantage Plus)
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Tips for thumbprint cookies
- Use a silicone mat: I’ve been baking cookies since I was 9 (I know this sounds young, but I’m an elder millennial-IYKYK). I’ve used everything from aluminum foil to non-stick spray and I mean it when I say Silicone Mats are the way to go. You won’t regret it.
- Your thumbprints might crack: I found this dough is a bit crumbly and did crack a bit as I was pushing down on the cookies. It doesn’t bother me, so I tend to leave it be. If you see the dough starting to crack and it does bother you, you can usually press the dough back together successfully!
- Add the jam before baking the cookies: It’s just easier. If the jam is too firm and isn’t easy to drop into the cookies (like it was in the fridge), then place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for just a few seconds, just until it is easy to stir (you don’t want the jam to be hot, just easy to work with).
- If you forget you can add the jam before baking: It can be added afterward, but take care, you’ll need to re-indent the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven with a rounded teaspoon. The cookies will be hot and delicate burning yourself could happen. I’m just saying.
- Tip to prevent spreading:
- Cooling the dough before baking helps with this, especially when using any kind of butter.
- Never place your cookies on a hot cookie sheet. Ensure your cookie sheet has cooled completely before placing your next batch of cookies, otherwise, they’ll start melting before they can begin baking, and they’re much more likely to spread.
Storage
- You can stack the cookies after cooled: As the cookies cool the jam will settle and firm up, and it’ll remain slightly tacky even when cooled. I found that they were still firm enough that I stacked these thumbprint cookies on a platter to serve them and they were fine.
- Store thumbprint cookies in an airtight container, they will last for:
- 1 week at room temperature
- up to 10 days in the fridge
- up to 2 months in the freezer. If you choose to freeze them, I recommend laying them on a baking sheet, freezing them, then storing them in a freezer-safe container so they don’t stick to each other. When you’re ready to enjoy, Simply bring them back to room temperature and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 2142
- Sugar: 194
- Sodium: 1352
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 460
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 44
- Cholesterol: 327
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