These adorable Heart Shaped Thumbprint Cookies can be filled with either jam, Nutella, or any other filling of choice. They have a delicious almond flavor and an adorable heart shape that we make with our pinkies! Perfect for Valentine's Day, or any special occasion!
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Whether you need something cute and special to make for Valentine's Day, or you just want to make something adorable, these cute and easy to make cookies are perfect.
Buttery and delicious, you just need a handful of ingredients to make them.
Love thumbprint cookies? Try these Nutella thumbprint cookies too!
If you're looking for another fruity dessert to try, make sure to check out these cherry chocolate brownies.
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❤️Why We Love This Recipe
- Adorable and delicious! These cookies are not only cute, but they taste great too. There's no better way to spread the love than to make these super cute cookies.
- Easy to make. You don't need any special tools or ingredients to make these cookies. They're super simple to make for beginners or with the family.
- Made with simple ingredients. You only need a couple of easy-to-find ingredients that can be found anywhere. You don't even need any leavening agents.
- Make them ahead, and bake them later. Make these in advance, and bake them when you're ready to enjoy.
💘Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- All-purpose flour. We use Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour in all of our recipes. Our top tip is to always weigh the flour in grams with a kitchen scale for the most accurate results, the best possible texture, and fewer dishes!
- Kosher salt. We use Diamond Crystal kosher salt in our kitchen. We like using their new fine-grain baking salt for baking, it's perfect! If using table salt or Morton's, use less salt, because they are saltier.
- Butter. We tend to recommend using unsalted butter whenever possible so you have full control over the salt level of the
- Cream cheese. This is the secret ingredient that makes these cookies so tasty, gives them a great texture, and helps prevent the cookies from cracking.
- Extracts. We use both vanilla and almond extract for this recipe. The almond extract is optional, but delicious if you like almond desserts like this yummy Swedish almond cake or this almond apple cake, you'll love it!
- Egg yolks. For this recipe, we use yolks only. Be sure to save the whites and use them in an omelette or scramble!
- Filling. We used a mixture of jam and Nutella to fill the cookies with. You can use both, or one or the other, your choice! For the jam, we chose cherry jam, but you can use any jam you like.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & Variations
- Gluten-free. Feel free to swap the flour for your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour. It should work well!
- Brown butter. For even more delicious flavor, brown the butter and let it cool and re-solidify for even tastier cookies!
- Try different fillings. Try adding some homemade raspberry compote or any fruity jam of choice, some chocolate ganache or homemade salted caramel sauce, or even some homemade apple butter for a delicious fall version!
This recipe hasn't been tested with any other substitutions or variations, so we can't guarantee any results. If you make a change, let us know how it goes in the comments below!
🔪Prep Work
- Allow cream cheese and butter to sit out at room temperature for 3-4 hours, or even overnight to become soft and easy to work with.
- Bring the eggs to sit out at room temperature for about an hour to reach room temperature.
- Measure out the rest of the ingredients using a kitchen scale.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Pro Tips
- To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place the eggs in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 10-15 minutes.
- You can also gently warm butter, and cream cheese in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second spurts to soften them quickly.
Instructions
Mix dry ingredients
In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar
In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add remaining wet ingredients
Add in the cream cheese, egg yolks, vanilla, and optional almond extract.
Mix until smooth
Mix well, and make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add dry ingredients
Reduce the mixer speed to low and sift in the flour mixture, switching to a rubber spatula about halfway through to avoid overmixing.
Pro Tip
Be very careful not to overmix once the dry ingredients are added! This can lead to a dense, dry cookie. Mix until totally combined and no streaks of flour remain, and then stop.
Make cookie dough balls
Scoop the dough into 18-20 portions using a #40 or 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, then, using your hands, roll the cookie dough into smooth balls.
Make the first indent
Use your pinky or an oval-shaped ¼ teaspoon (we think our pinky works best) and gently press into a cookie dough ball on one side.
Pro Tip
To prevent your finger from sticking, we recommend dipping your pinky in a bit of flour before making the heart shape.
Finish the heart shape
Make the second indent to make the heart shape.
Chill the cookies
Place the completed cookies in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to help them hold their shape.
Fill with jam
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill with jam before putting them into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until slightly golden brown.
Pro Tip
If filling with Nutella, wait until after baking to fill!
Finish with Nutella
After baking, re-press the cookie shapes back in if filling in with Nutella. Allow the cookies to cool completely, then enjoy!
Equipment
- We strongly suggest getting an oven thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oven. Some ovens run hot, and some run cold. We also suggest never trusting the *beep* sound on the oven! In our experience, it always goes off way too early!
- A kitchen scale is truly your best friend, especially when baking! It produces the most accurate results, resulting in much better-tasting baked goods with a better texture. It also means less dishes. YES!!
Storage
Room temperature
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Fridge
If filling the cookies with a dairy-filling, store the cookies in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.
Make Ahead Tips
The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before shaping.
You can also pre-shape the cookies and store them in the fridge for about 3 days before baking, or keep them in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale for best results. Using a kitchen scale makes all the difference for accurate measurements, so you don't end up with too much flour in the cookie dough. This is usually our top top all the time when it comes to baking.
- Don't skip the cream cheese. It's crucial to make sure the cookies have a nice shape and it gives them great flavor too!
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese are nice and soft so they cream together easily.
- Don't overmix the cookie dough once you add the dry ingredients, or your cookies can become dense and tough.
- Freeze the heart-shaped cookies to help them hold their shape better when they bake. At the very least, be sure to give them ample time to chill in the fridge. We like freezing them because it helps the heart shape stay more reliably.
- Re-indent any cookies you plan to fill with Nutella while they're still warm, as the cookies will puff up a little bit, and this will make room for more filling.
- If filling with Nutella, fill after baking! We tried baking the cookies that were filled with Nutella before baking, but this just made the Nutella dry out, so be sure to fill them after.
- Use an oven thermometer. Some ovens run hotter or cooler than the temperature dial says they are. We always recommend using an oven thermometer to verify the temperature of your actual oven.
💬Common Questions
Make sure your dough is properly chilled before baking, and don't skip the cream cheese - it helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking.
Some cracking is just inevitable and part of the process, but to minimize it, you can make sure to roll the dough balls nice and smooth before making the shapes and be sure not to press too hard when making the indents.
💘More Valentine's Day Desserts
Need the perfect dessert for Valentine's Day? Try one of these!
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📖 Recipe
Heart Shaped Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- #40 cookie scoop 1.5 tablespoon size
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour 272 grams
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened, 1 stick
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 2-3 tablespoons fruit jam of choice we used cherry, you can use whatever filling you want
- 2-3 tablespoons Nutella or filling of choice
Instructions
- Sift together salt and flour. Set aside.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar
- Add in the cream cheese, egg yolks, vanilla, and optional almond extract. Mix well, and make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.2 ounces cream cheese, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, 2 large egg yolks
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and sift in the flour mixture, switching to a rubber spatula about halfway through to avoid overmixing.
- Scoop the dough into 18-20 portions using a cookie scoop, then, using your hands, roll the cookie dough into smooth balls.
- Dip your pinky in flour to prevent sticking, use your pinky or an oval-shaped ¼ teaspoon, and make 2 indents joined at the bottom to create a heart shape. We think using our pinky makes the best shape.
- Place in the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes to help them hold their shape.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill with jam before putting them into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. If filling with Nutella, fill those after baking, or the Nutella will become too dry.2-3 tablespoons fruit jam of choice
- For any cookies you plan to fill after baking, re-indent them briefly after baking while warm, and fill with Nutella or other filling.2-3 tablespoons Nutella
- Allow the cookies to cool completely, then enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale for best results. Using a kitchen scale makes all the difference for accurate measurements, so you don't end up with too much flour in the cookie dough. This is usually our top top all the time when it comes to baking.
- Don't skip the cream cheese. It's crucial to make sure the cookies have a nice shape and it gives them great flavor too!
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese are nice and soft so they cream together easily.
- Don't overmix the cookie dough once you add the dry ingredients, or your cookies can become dense and tough.
- Freeze the heart-shaped cookies to help them hold their shape better when they bake. At the very least, be sure to give them ample time to chill in the fridge. We like freezing them because it helps the heart shape stay more reliably.
- Re-indent any cookies you plan to fill with Nutella while they're still warm, as the cookies will puff up a little bit, and this will make room for more filling.
- If filling with Nutella, fill after baking! We tried baking the cookies that were filled with Nutella before baking, but this just made the Nutella dry out, so be sure to fill them after.
- Use an oven thermometer. Some ovens run hotter or cooler than the temperature dial says they are. We always recommend using an oven thermometer to verify the temperature of your actual oven.
Briana says
We seriously ate these cookies in two days... between 3 people! They are THAT good! 🙂