Heart cookies are a simple and heartfelt way to share something sweet—perfect for Valentine’s Day, holidays, or just a cozy baking day at home. These buttery shortbread-style treats have a soft center and golden edges, each filled with your favorite fruity preserve for a colorful touch. Unlike traditional drop cookies, these jam cookies are shaped with love—literally—using a clever thumbprint trick that creates a heart indentation in every bite.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful and tasty way to celebrate, these jam cookies are a great option. They’re especially perfect for Valentine’s Day, bridal showers, or baby announcements—any time you want to bake something that feels personal and handmade. The heart shape gives them a charming, whimsical look that feels special without being complicated.
One of the best parts about heart jam cookies is their flexibility. You can use any red or berry preserve you like—strawberry, cherry, or raspberry jam all work beautifully. The thumbprint center holds the jam in place, creating a soft, gooey middle surrounded by a buttery, crumbly edge. They’re simple to make but leave a lasting impression—especially when packaged as a homemade gift.
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Why We Love These Jam Cookies
The thumbprint cookies are special because they are in the shape of a heart and have strawberry jam filling. They look great and taste even better! Here are a few reasons why we love this Valentine’s day cookie recipe:
- Adorable
You can’t help but smile when you see these treats. The kids will love and surely have fun decorating them with colorful sprinkles and candies. - Kid-friendly recipe
This recipe is easy enough for kids to make, so let them have a blast getting creative! - A great food gift idea!
Whether you give them to family, friends, or your sweetheart, they will surely be a hit.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Jam: We like strawberry jam for this thumbprint cookie recipe, but any red preserves will be perfect. You can even use sugar-free jam. Cherry thumbprint cookies would make fantastic Valentine’s Day treats, too.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is used in the dough, but feel free to use your favorite cup-for-cup granulated alternative sweeteners like coconut sugar or monk fruit.
- Butter: We use unsalted butter for this recipe as it gives the cookies a better flavor. If you are using salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe by half.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is used in the recipe, but feel free to substitute it with your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free blend.
- Vanilla and almond extract: These extracts enhance the flavor of your Valentine’s treats. Either or both can be omitted, but there will be a significant difference in the overall taste.
🎯 Important Note
Because this recipe doesn’t include an acidic ingredient like lemon juice or vinegar, do not substitute baking soda for baking powder. If you do, your jam thumbprints will not rise.
Recipe Variations
- Use different flavors and/or colors for other holidays. Instead of strawberry, make cherry thumbprint cookies, or use blueberry jam for Memorial Day or 4th of July.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Dust your cookies with powdered sugar for a beautiful finish perfect for any special occasion.
- Add decorations. Decorate the tops with sprinkles, colored sugar, chocolate chips, or candy for a festive touch.
- Add a bit of spice. Add a pinch of cinnamon to the dough or sprinkle a bit of ground ginger on top for a hint of warm spice.
- Add nuts for extra crunch. Stir chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough for a crunchy bite and nutty flavor.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Large mixing bowl
- Stand mixer
- Small cookie scoop – optional
- Baking Sheet
- Cooling rack
Looking for other recipes with jam?
Check out our French toast recipe sourdough bread and serve it topped with your favorite flavor of preserves. Our hand pies recipes are a hit at Halloween parties! If you’d like another option, make a batch of raspberry thumbprint cookies with icing.
How to Make Heart Jam Cookies
- Preheat and prepare the baking sheets
Preheat your oven, then grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking. - Cream the butter and sugar
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and smooth. - Add wet ingredients
Add large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Mix on medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and well combined. - Mix in dry ingredients
Reduce the speed to low and gradually add all-purpose flour and salt. Mix until the dough is fully blended and forms a soft, pliable texture. - Shape the dough
Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion out the dough and roll it into balls with your hands. Place each dough ball onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between them. - How to make thumbprint hearts in the dough.
This step is easy and fun, too!
Using your thumb, gently press into the dough at a slight right angle to form one-half of the heart. Then, overlap the first thumbprint with a second thumbprint at an opposite angle to form the other half of the heart shape.
- Ensure your cookies are the same size and shape so they bake evenly.
You can use an ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure to help you portion the dough on the baking sheet.
- Bake the heart cookies until they are lightly golden and starting to crack on the edges.
You want the dough to be firm but still soft to the touch. This will ensure that the heart cookies are baked all the way through, but not overbaked on the outside. - Cool completely
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before adding jam. - Fill with jam
Once cooled, spoon your favorite red jam (strawberry, cherry, or raspberry) into the heart-shaped centers of each cookie.
Serving Suggestions
These heart jam cookies are as fun to serve as they are to eat. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk or pair with a hot cup of coffee for a cozy afternoon treat. They make a sweet addition to any dessert tray and look especially cute alongside homemade Valentine’s day pop tarts. Arrange them on a decorative platter or in a festive box to share with friends, coworkers, or loved ones—they’re guaranteed to bring a smile!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
To pack these as a gift, line a sturdy, decorative box with parchment paper to prevent sticking, and add a layer of tissue paper for a festive touch. Arrange the heart cookies in a single layer, separating each with parchment dividers, then secure the box with a ribbon to keep them safe and presentable.
Craving more cookies?
We have plenty of dessert recipes to cure your craving! Make a batch of white chocolate raspberry cookies, or let the kids help you make chewy chocolate chip cookies.
Recipe FAQs
It is probably too dry. Make sure to add enough butter, or try adding a tablespoon of milk or cream to help keep the dough moist.
No, they don’t need to be refrigerated. However, if you are using a different type of jam that requires refrigeration, then it is best to refrigerate the cookies for storage.
If stored in an airtight container, these cookies with jam will last for about a week at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months.
To freeze, first put them on a baking sheet that has parchment paper. Then put the baking sheet of heart cookies in the freezer for about an hour until they are frozen.
Once they are frozen, package them in a resealable bag or airtight container. You can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes.
More Valentine’s Treats To Love…
- How To Make Shaped Pancakes
- Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes Recipe
If you tried this heart jam cookie recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Heart Cookies with Jam
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- stand mixer
- small cookie scoop - optional
- rimmed baking sheet
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (12 ounces) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional, but recommended
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cups red jam use strawberry, cherry, or red raspberry jam or preserves, or a sugar-free jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment or silicone (Silpat) mats.
- In a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl), add butter and sugar; combine at medium speed for 3 minutes. The mixture should be light yellow and smooth.
- Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract; combine at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Set mixer to low speed and add flour, one cup at a time, and salt until completely blended.
- Use a small scoop or large tablespoon to portion dough and roll them into balls. Arrange cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between cookies. Place your thumb at a slight left angle and press deeply into the middle of the dough. Repeat, but at a slight right angle, to create a heart-shaped indentation.
- Bake at 350ºF for 12-14 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden and beginning to crack on the edges. Remove them from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.
- Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Then, use 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of jam or preserves to fill each heart shaped indentation.
Notes
- Use different flavors and/or colors for other holidays. Instead of strawberry, make cherry thumbprint cookies, or use blueberry jam for Memorial Day or 4th of July.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Dust your cookies with powdered sugar for a beautiful finish perfect for any special occasion.
- Add decorations. Decorate the tops with sprinkles, colored sugar, chocolate chips, or candy for a festive touch.
- Add a bit of spice. Add a pinch of cinnamon to the dough or sprinkle a bit of ground ginger on top for a hint of warm spice.
- Add nuts for extra crunch. Stir chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough for a crunchy bite and nutty flavor.
- To pack these as a gift, line a sturdy, decorative box with parchment paper to prevent sticking, and add a layer of tissue paper for a festive touch. Arrange the heart cookies in a single layer, separating each with parchment dividers, then secure the box with a ribbon to keep them safe and presentable.
- To store the cookies, first cool completely, until the jam is set. Layer the cookies between sheets of waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.
- To freeze the cookies, first put them on a baking sheet that has parchment paper. Then put the baking sheet of cookies in the freezer for about an hour until they are frozen.
Once they are frozen, package them in a resealable bag or airtight container. You can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. To thaw the cookies, remove them from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes.
Nutrition
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