As a sourdough baker who tests new recipes every week for my blog, I’ve made a lot of cookies, but these sourdough thumbprint cookies are the one recipe my family asks for every holiday season! After years of working with sourdough discard, this is the buttery, perfectly tender cookie I trust every time! If you want a tested, foolproof must-have holiday cookie, this is it!
Check out my sourdough sugar cookies and sourdough gingerbread cookies for more holiday treats!
This is a fun and easy way to use your sourdough discard in your holiday baking! These sourdough thumbprint cookies are about to become your new favorite holiday tradition!
They’re soft, buttery, slightly tangy (in the best way), and filled with your favorite jam, everything you want in a classic cookie recipe with a sourdough twist. Think buttery sugar cookie meets cozy Christmas baking and yes, the kids absolutely love pressing their thumb right into the dough.
If you bake sourdough often, this recipe is needs to be in your collection! It uses simple dry ingredients, basic wet ingredients, and your active sourdough starter or discard to add flavor without complicating things. I love all thumbprint cookies though, so be sure to give my Nutella thumbprints, raspberry cheesecake thumbprints, and peanut butter and jam thumbprints a try!
Plus, you need just one baking sheet, a cookie scoop, and your favorite jar of strawberry jam, raspberry jam, apricot, or even blueberry jam. Whatever you choose, these delicious little thumbprints will disappear fast!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
There are a lot of thumbprint cookie recipes out there, but these sourdough thumbprint cookies are something special!
- Thanks to unsalted butter, a touch of white sugar, and the magic of the sourdough discard, the dough turns into the perfect buttery sugar cookie base making them soft, tender, and super buttery!
- They are incredibly easy to make! No chilling the dough. No complicated steps. Just mix, roll, press, fill, and bake.
- No need to feed your starter, cold discard from the fridge works wonderfully. If you are like me and you've got a jar of sourdough discard in your fridge, use it in this recipe!
- This is a great recipe to get the kids to help with! They love sticking their thumbs into the dough or using a little teaspoon for little hands!
Ingredients in Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies
Before you preheat your oven, grab all your ingredients so everything comes together smoothly. Here’s what you’ll need to make this cozy recipe:
- Unsalted butter, room temperature. Room temperature butter is key to getting a fluffy, creamy base.
- White sugar (granulated sugar). Sweetens the dough and keeps the cookies soft.
- 1 egg yolk. Adds richness and binds the dough.
- Vanilla extract. The vanilla is key to making these so delicious! It enhances the flavor and makes the whole kitchen smell amazing.
- Sourdough discard. You can use discard or active sourdough starter.
- All-purpose flour. I like to use unbleached flour and have it on hand all the time to make my sourdough French bread, sourdough discard bread, or sourdough dinner rolls.
- Salt. Might sound strange to have salt in a cookie, but it actually helps balance the sweetness of the cookies.
- Jam. Use your favorite jam.
Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use apricot, blueberry, raspberry jam, strawberry jam, or even lemon curd. You can’t go wrong!
- If you only have active sourdough starter available, use that! Since we are not letting the dough ferment overnight, you won't get much of the sour taste.
- Long ferment the dough! Mix the dough completely and then place it in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours and then roll the dough into balls and add your thumb indentation.
- If you don't have a stand mixer, no worries! Mix everything together in a large bowl and use and electric mixer. You can also mix the ingredients by hand, it might just take a little longer, but it's do-able!
How To Make Discard Thumbprint Cookies
Before we start, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking and help the bottoms bake evenly.
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat your unsalted butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. A hand mixer works great too. This step is key for creating that classic soft, buttery sugar cookie texture.
- Step 2: Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard. Mix until smooth and well combined. Your wet ingredients should come together into a creamy base.
- Step 3: Add the all purpose flour and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms. It should be smooth, soft, and easy to roll.
- Step 4: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop dough into even balls of dough. Roll with your hands and place onto your prepared parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space for the cookies to spread.
Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to press a small indentation into the center of each dough ball. This is the iconic thumbprint shape.
Fill each cookie with about ½ to 1 teaspoon of your favorite jam.
Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack.
Lynn's Tip!
If you would like to make sure the jam is perfectly added to the round indentation of the cookie dough balls, simply add the jam to a piping bag and pipe the jam into the hole.
Tips and Tricks
- Use room temperature butter. It creams faster and gives better texture. You won't get chunks of butter if the butter is softened to room temperature.
- Don't overfill with jam. A little goes a long way.
- Use parchment paper for perfect bottoms and no sticking. You can also use a silicone mat if you have one handy.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies should be soft and pale with lightly golden edges.
- Chill the jam before filling if it’s runny. This will make sure you don't have a huge mess and the jam doesn't run all over the baking sheet.
- Use a small bowl to stir your jam first so it’s smooth and easy to spoon.
- For crispier cookies, bake 1–2 minutes longer. For softer cookies, bake 1 minute shorter.
How To Store Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies with Discard
These cookies store wonderfully, making them perfect for gifting or prepping ahead for the holidays.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can refrigerate them, but the fridge may firm them up, let them come back to room temperature before serving.
They freeze beautifully! Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. To freeze the dough, shape the balls, freeze, then thaw slightly before making the indentation and adding the jam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Both active sourdough starter and discard work perfectly in this recipe.
A few cracks are normal, but if they’re cracking a lot, your dough may be too cold or too dry.
Nope! One of the best things about these cookies is that you can make and bake them immediately.
More Sourdough Cookies Recipes
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies (with Discard!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Room Temperature
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Sourdough Discard
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Jam Your Favorite Variety
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You can also use a stand mixer to cream the butter and sugar.
- Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard until smooth and well combined.
- Stir in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to create a small indent in the center of each ball.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For extra flavor, let the dough ferment in the fridge overnight before baking.
- Any jam works, try raspberry, apricot, or strawberry. Use your favorite jam and favorite jam brand.
- These are great cookies to make ahead as well! Bake the cookies and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze the unbaked dough for up to 1 month.
Linda says
When do you add the jam - before or after baking the cookies? Thank you