These peanut butter jam thumbprints combine extra soft peanut butter cookies, salty peanuts, and a sweet jam filling. Use your favorite jelly flavor like strawberry, grape, or raspberry. Add a simple drizzle of peanut butter white chocolate for extra flair. Chilling this cookie dough is imperative, so make sure you follow the recipe closely.
First, I know chocolate is supposed to be “the best” with PB, but give me raspberry jam and peanut butter any time of day, any day of the year. (No offense peanut butter brownies and peanut butter filled brownie cookies.)
And second, this recipe is from my cookbook Sally’s Cookie Addiction! Easily one of the best cookies in the book, these peanut butter & jelly thumbprint cookies are extra soft with mega peanut butter flavor. Have you tried them yet? I didn’t stray from the recipe much, but I did add a white chocolate peanut butter drizzle because why not… 😉
Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Jam Thumbprints
Today’s recipe is my super soft peanut butter cookies recipe only with jam in the center. (Note that the plain version uses *slightly* more flour.) They’re melt-in-your-mouth soft and what I use when making peanut butter blossoms, and peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies, too.
Here’s why you’ll love them:
- Extremely soft
- Irresistible peanut butter flavor
- Sweet jam filling
- Salty crushed peanuts
- Peanut butter white chocolate topping that sets
How to Make Peanut Butter Jam Thumbprints
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Cream the wet ingredients together.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients together. The dough is extra soft.
- Refrigerate cookie dough. 1 hour is ideal.
- Roll cookie dough into balls. Use about 1 scant Tablespoon of dough each.
- Indent each cookie. Use the end of a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Remember when I taught you that with my chocolate peppermint thumbprints? This way you don’t dirty your thumbs or get dough under your nail AND you obtain a perfect uniform indent in each cookie. Of course, you can still use your thumb if that’s easiest for you!
- Chill the indented dough. 2 hours is best.
- Fill with jam. You can fill the indented cookies with jam before or after you chill them. I’ve done it both ways, no problem. You need 1/2 teaspoon of jam for each, the same amount of lemon curd I use to fill my lemon thumbprint cookies, too.
- Bake. The cookies take about 12-13 minutes.
- Drizzle with peanut butter white chocolate. See below!
Chill the Cookie Dough for 3 Hours
I wrote a post on how to prevent cookies from spreading. If you have trouble with your cookies spreading, I highly recommend reviewing it. My #1 tip is to chill the cookie dough. This is imperative with many of my cookie recipes, like chocolate chip cookies. Since this cookie dough (and the baked cookies) is so soft, you actually need to chill the cookie dough twice. It sounds more dreadful than it actually is.
- First Chill is 1 Hour: After you mix together the cookie dough, cover it and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Do yourself a favor and make the cookie dough the night before, so it’s one less step to do the day you bake the cookies. Roll the dough into balls, roll into crushed peanuts, then indent them.
- Second Chill is 2 Hours: Chill the shaped cookie dough for 2 hours. Place all of the shaped dough on a baking sheet or a few plates, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
3 hours total chill time isn’t so bad, it’s just that you need to break it up. I’ve tested this cookie recipe numerous times, both when I was writing my manuscript and again last month. At least three hours of chilling is the ONLY WAY to guarantee your beautiful PB&J thumbprint cookies hold their shape.
If you’re making multiple batches of Christmas cookies this season, you can use this time to make a quick no-chill recipe like shortbread cookies or spritz cookies.
Best Peanut Butter & Jam to Use
- PB: The best peanut butter to use is processed peanut butter, Jif or Skippy are my preferred brands for baking, just like when you make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. It’s dessert, you’re allowed to use the processed stuff. Natural-style is my choice for eating, but it doesn’t produce the same type of cookie as its processed counterpart. Natural peanut butter lends dry, crumbly cookies.
- Jam: No rules here! Use your favorite flavor jam, jelly, or preserves. I usually use raspberry preserves and/or strawberry jelly because we always have both on hand. Anything goes—grape, blueberry, blackberry, peach, you name it.
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Topping
This is totally optional, but if you want to dress up your peanut butter jam thumbprints, add a drizzle of peanut butter white chocolate. Melt 4 ounces of pure white chocolate, then stir in a heaping Tablespoon of creamy peanut butter. Drizzle all over the cookies. I always use a squeeze bottle for drizzling, but a spoon or fork works, too.
‘Tis the season to be… jelly!
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
- Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches
and here are my top 10 cookie baking tools if you’re looking for recommendations!
Peanut Butter Jam Thumbprints
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes chilling)
- Yield: 32 cookies
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These peanut butter jam thumbprints combine extra soft peanut butter cookies, salty peanuts, and a sweet jam filling. Use your favorite jelly flavor like strawberry, grape, or raspberry. Chilling this cookie dough is imperative, so make sure you follow the recipe closely.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (195g) creamy peanut butter*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (110g) finely chopped salted peanuts*
- 6 Tablespoons (120g) jam*
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Drizzle
- one 4-ounce quality white chocolate bar (113g), finely chopped*
- 1 heaping Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. On medium-high speed, beat in the peanut butter and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be thick and soft. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour (and up to 2-3 days) in the refrigerator.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll into balls, 1 scant Tablespoon (5/8 ounce or 18g) of dough each. Roll each ball into crushed peanuts. Indent your thumb or the bottom end of a silicone spatula or wooden spoon into the center of each dough ball to make a crevice. Place each on 1 or 2 large plates or a lined large baking sheet. Loosely cover the dough balls and chill for 2 hours (and up to 2 days).
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Remove dough balls from the refrigerator and arrange on the baking sheets 3 inches apart. Spoon heaping 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indent.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The jam won’t look completely set, but will set as the cookies cool. Mine usually take the full 13 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional White Chocolate Drizzle: You can melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chopped white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 20 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Stir in peanut butter and drizzle lightly over cookies. Allow the drizzle to set completely at room temperature for about 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Up to 2 days in step 3 and up to 2 days when chilling again in step 4. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then roll in peanuts, make an indent into each, and continue with step 5. Baked cookies, with jam filling and with or without drizzle topping, freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler (optional for melting chocolate) | Squeeze Bottle (optional for drizzling chocolate)
- Peanut Butter: It’s best to use a processed peanut butter like Jif creamy or Skippy creamy. I do not suggest using natural style, oily peanut butter. Crunchy peanut butter adds peanut chunks as well as a more crumbly texture. I recommend using creamy in this recipe.
- Peanuts: For a salty/sweet cookie, I recommend using roasted salted peanuts. If desired, you can use unsalted or raw (not roasted) peanuts. You can skip the crushed peanut coating if desired, too.
- Jam: Use any jam, jelly, or preserves you enjoy with peanut butter. I usually use strawberry jelly and/or raspberry preserves, whichever I have on hand.
- Optional White Chocolate Drizzle: For the best results, use a 4 ounce “baking chocolate” bar found in the baking aisle. I prefer Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. Do not use white chocolate chips for the drizzle, as they contain stabilizers preventing them from melting into the proper consistency.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
I love the peanut butter white chocolate drizzle. They are really hard to keep their shape cuz they spread out, but if you drizzle them no one cares and they look beautiful anyways!!! I decided to go with a bigger recipe, with two eggs, two cups of dark brown and white sugar combined, and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Man freezing still makes a difference and the crumbling is gone adding the extra egg. I used salted butter too and baking powder plus baking soda. One tsp each. Still added salt too. It just made more, plus two cups of jif instead. I still like using unsalted butter better, but it really helped keep the cookie from crumbling.
Hmmmm, not sure where I went sideways on these ones but think I may have made them a bit too big. They really spread so no longer look like thumbprint cookies… taste good though. Did do all the chilling
Is the 3/4 cup peanuts measured before or after they’re chopped?
Hi Amy, you can measure the peanuts after they have been chopped.
Oh man, these are amazing! Soft chewy, sweet, flavorful. All the things! We don’t love whole peanuts though, so we opted to roll in sugar instead. My husband won’t stop eating them, and I’m having to have serious self-control.
Do you think Biscoff spread could be substituted for peanut butter for a nut free alternative?
Hi Joanna! We haven’t tested Biscoff, but we would try sunflower seed butter instead. Let us know what you try!
I was thinking biscoff might be a more similar consistency to processed peanut butter? Sunflower seed butter would be more like natural peanut butter, would this still be okay?
True, we were thinking Biscoff would yield a very sweet cookie, but would love to hear how it goes if you try!
I use sunflower butter with this recipe and it works well.
Apologies in advance my comments are about the Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies (there was no comment section for them). I followed the re pie to the letter, weighed the ingredients, refrigerated dough for 3 hours. Once ready to start baking the dough was hard as a rock. I let it sit at room temperature, I still could not pry it from the bowl. Kindly recheck the ingredients. I have loved all your other recipes….your site is my go to page.
Thank you for your feedback; let me check that recipe to see what’s going on, and why the comments aren’t coming through or working. I plan to revisit that recipe for this holiday season.
I love the nostalgic energy of these cookies! I had some troubles with peanuts falling off, so I ended up rolling them in sugar!