Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate thumbprint cookies are rich and chewy dark chocolate cookies with velvety smooth chocolate ganache centers.
If you’re looking for other Christmas cookie recipes check out my spritz cookies, double chocolate peppermint cookies, Christmas kitchen sink cookies, or chocolate dipped peppermint sugar cookies!
Why You’ll Love these Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
They’re SO chocolatey. The cookies are made with Dutch process cocoa powder for the best dark chocolate flavor. Then they’re filled with a thick chocolate ganache. *Chef’s kiss*
They’ve got the best texture. These are chewy cookies! Each bit truly melts in your mouth.
They’re pretty easy to make! They only require a few ingredients, and the dough only takes a few minutes to make. After it’s chilled, the cookies bake for 10 minutes and then are filled with an easy chocolate ganache.
Ingredients for Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Flour- all-purpose flour is used for the best “chew”
- Cocoa Powder- I recommend using Dutch process for a richer chocolate flavor
- Salt- helps bring out all the flavors in these cookies
- Baking Powder- helps the cookies to rise slightly
- Butter- make sure it’s softened
- Brown Sugar- mostly brown sugar is used for chewier cookies
- Granulated White Sugar- used along side the brown sugar
- Egg Yolks- make sure they’re room temperature
- Vanilla- as always I recommend vanilla bean paste for the best flavor, but extract will work as well
- Chocolate Chips- semi-sweet works best, you can also use a chopped semi-sweet chocolate bar
- Heavy Cream- used in the ganache
- Sprinkles- optional, but Christmas nonpareils look cute on top of the cookies!
Step by Step Instructions
Please see recipe below for complete measurements and baking time!
STEP ONE: Whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder together.
STEP TWO: Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated white sugar together.
STEP THREE: Add in egg yolks and vanilla and mix until fluffy.
STEP FOUR: Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
STEP FIVE: Scoop the dough and roll into balls. Press with a 1/4 tsp to make an indent. Chill the dough. Then bake the cookies.
STEP SIX: While the cookies cool make the ganache.
STEP SEVEN: Fill each cookie with ganache, then add some sprinkles on top.
Please see recipe below for complete measurements and baking time!
FAQs
How do I store the cookies? Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze for up to two weeks.
Do I really need to chill the dough? Yes, the dough absolutely needs to be chilled to help the cookies better keep their shape.
Pro Tips
Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. (Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way that I need to measure properly!) Instead, scoop spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 120-125 grams.
When the cookies are straight out of the oven, go around them in a circular motion with a circular cookie cutter. This will help the cookies to go back to their previous smaller size before baking, and it’ll give them a perfect circular shape!
Use a 1/4 tsp to make the indents in the cookie dough. I know these are called “thumbprint” cookies, but a 1/4 tsp will give you much prettier indents!
If you make these cookies please leave a review, it’s so helpful for me! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see as well! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Recipes to Try
Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups (188 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, see notes
- 1/2 cup (40 g) cocoa powder, Dutch process
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup (200 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
- nonpareils for sprinkling on top, optional
Instructions
For the Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder to a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
- Add butter, brown sugar and granulated white sugar to a large bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer for two minutes.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until pale in color and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Scoop the dough into 34 portions, then roll into balls. (About 1 tablespoon of dough.)
- Transfer the dough to the baking sheets.
- Using a 1/4 tsp, press down on the dough balls to create an indent.
- Chill the prepared indented dough balls for at least one hour. (You can chill all the dough together on one baking sheet and then separate it out on multiple baking sheets when ready to bake.)
Baking the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Arrange the prepared dough about 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes. (I think 10 minutes is perfect.)
- When the cookies are done baking, lightly press down on the centers again with a 1/4 tsp. (They may have lost their indent a little as they baked.) Go around them in a circular motion with a circular cookie cutter/biscuit cutter while they are still hot to give them a perfect circular shape, and to get them back to their original smaller size.
- Then let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool.
For the Chocolate Ganache
- Add the chocolate chips to a small bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream in the microwave, or on the stove, until just about boiling.
- Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute.
- Stir to combine the cream and chocolate together.
Assembling the Cookies
- Fill each well of the cookies with about 1 tsp of ganache, more if it'll fit.
- Sprinkle sprinkles over the cookies if you wish.
- Chill the cookies in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to allow the ganache to set.
- Store left overs in an air tight container for up to three days.
I want to make for Christmas. Would you recommend freezing the baked cookies without the ganache? and adding that once they thaw?
what size scooper should we use
Can you stack these cookies or put them in a cookie box? Without the ganache going everywhere?
Thanks!
The ganache sets pretty well so it won’t spill out but if you put them directly on top each other they will stick.
These are very rich and chocolatey. The ganache is an amazing touch. 🙂 They are a bit labor intensive. Many of mine cracked when I indented. I rerolled them and made the indent immediately after rolling 2 or 3 cookies. This made the dough just warm to “stretch” better with the indent. So…in the future I won’t roll all the balls at once before creating the indentation. 🙂
You mentioned egg yolks in your instructions but eggs are not listed in the ingredients. How many egg yolks do you need?
Hi Josie, it has 2 egg yolks. It is listed in the recipe. It’s right before the vanilla. I missed it too, at first glance 🙂 Hope this helps!
i want to add peppermint extract along with the vanilla – is 3/4 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract a good balance? or should i omit the vanilla entirely?
Very yummy! Love the soft chocolate cookie and the combo of the ganache.
I will say, the recipe made about double the ganache I needed, so I recommend only making half at a time! I feel I wasted so many good chocolate chips ?
I also found that the dough spread a lot more than expected in the oven, despite being chilled. And I recommend sizing up on the indent – I used the back of a teaspoon, (not 1/4), and honestly feel like I could have used a full tablespoon!
But flavors wise, spot on cookie and I loved adding the nonpareils for the Christmas touch.
I saw these cookies on TikTok and thought they looked amazing so I figured I’d give them a try for my annual cookie exchange. I doubled the recipe twice and should’ve had enough for 12 dozen, but only ended up with half of that. I haven’t baked them yet, but this probably won’t be a recipe I keep in my rotation considering the yield information isn’t accurate for a very labor intensive recipe. I’m sure they’ll taste great, but not my preferred type of recipe.
I chilled the dough overnight and yet the cookies did not retain their shape at all, meaning it was not possible to fill them with the ganache. They come out more like a regular cookie. I had to come up with a plan B on the spot.. They still taste delicious but disappointed by the recipe as it does not work!
I accidentally used baking soda instead of powder….should I start over? I just mixed my dry ingredients so far….
I used 1/4 tsp of baking soda and it worked perfectly
Thanks for sharing Lillian!
Super easy made with my 2 year old and we had so much fun! Definitely recommend making and better yet so good!
Recipe was good, but website was difficult to use. Way to many pop up ads ads.
This is such a great recipe! Weight measurements were bang on.
This yeilded exactly 34 (19g) portions.
So good!
These are sooooooo good!!! The cookie itself just melts. Divine!
These taste and look fantastic! Yes, the recipe is a bit longer to make than others but the taste is worth the effort. I put them in the fridge for about two hours and they came out perfectly. I did not refrigerate them after I put on the ganache and that worked out, though it took a bit longer for the ganache to firm up. I make my cookies a bit bigger than most so I only got 26 cookies but that’s on me. I would put these in my top 5 best tasting cookies of all time.
I learned to not double a recipe if the original recipe is 2 cups flour. I make the recipe over again to double it. Too much flour makes cookies tough.
I made these using dark chocolate cocoa and this is now my new favorite chocolate cookie recipe! Before I had even added the ganache a friend of my daughter’s ate one and later told her she had been thinking of those cookies the rest of the night. ? I added Highlander Grog flavoring to the ganache and they were a big hit. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! P.S. I waited until the cookies were baked to add the”thumbprints” immediately after taking them out of the oven, and it worked fine.
These were horrible. I read the recipe and blog several times, took notes on the blog and had my husband read the blog.I will never make a Pinterest recipe with so many conflicting reviews. It was difficult for me to read the blog also because of the ads and the blog would go back up to the top of the page as I and my husband tried to read it.I refrigerated the dough overnite. I made the balls and put them in the refrigerator for 2 hours. I baked them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. They came out flat all over the cookie sheet. I used a knife and drew a circle around them to reshape them. I put the indentation in after a few minutes. After I put the ganache in, I cooled them and them off pan. I can not give them away looking like that.
If you care, here is why they didn’t turn out well. Or.. if anyone else wants to avoid the problems created from method listed above. No need to refrigerate dough over night. Make the balls while the dough is soft. (I made it into a large cube and then cut it into 32 small squares.) At this point you make each small cube into a ball. Put the indent / thumbprint in at this stage and then refrigerate the already molded cookies for 1 or 2 hours. Then you bake for 9-11 minutes. (Take out and check bottom after 8 minutes to make sure you don’t over cook.) When you take them out put them on a cooling rack right away so they stop cooking. Be careful or they might fall apart as they haven’t quite set. Don’t bother them. Leave them to totally cooled .. then put the in the ganache and leave them alone again until the ganache is cooled or at least hardened a bit. And done. This is what I did and they were really rich and chocolately. To make them look the best make sure the ganache is not already getting hard. (So good to make the ganache while cookies are cooling.
These are very much a chocolate lovers cookie. Not hard to make – followed the recipe but I did half the ganache recipe and had more than enough to fill cookies. I ended up with 22 cookies (mine are a bit larger than the recipes calls for).
This website is very annoying with all the pop ups. That alone will probably stop me for using this blog again.
I followed directions except with the flour. I don’t read until after I made them. Still turned out good. My husband loved them. I smashed candy canes and sprinkled on top.
The cookies was very good and the perfect fix for a double chocolate treat (a slice of chocolate on chocolate cake is way too much). However, 36 was not enough so I 1.5x the recipe. I used a one ounce scooper which equates to about 1 TB. If you made 36 cookies with one full recipe they had to be the smallest cookies since 1.5x only made 32 cookies. And, then the ganache…I could have halved the recipe and still had enough. In the end I threw a lot away.
They taste very good, very chocolatey! They just don’t yield the amount that they say they do, it’s more like 19-20. But I’ll definitely be making them again!
WOW! This is a keeper recipe! So rich! Not sweet just chocolaty and decadent! These are a hit!
I made many different types of cookies this christmas, and these were my personal favorite! They were pretty easy as well, the ganache was a hit especially among mu family and that had to be the easiest part to make. Next time, I’ll make half the amount of ganache this recipe entails.
Absolutely delicious!
I made these cookies. Did not change the recipe. Did not over bake (my usual lame move) and chilled for 2 hours. I made the ganache with dark chocolate chips. They turned out really, really well. They remind me of brownies but with a blob of dark chocolate ganache. Very rich and very, very delicious.
These are delicious and a hit with everyone I gave them to over the holidays. I found some Valentine sprinkles at Trader Joe’s and am going to make some to give the neighbors for Valentine’s Day.
The cookies are the perfect richness. Soft and chewy they are the perfect bite or two. I didn’t get 34 cookies, but 21. I made them small, about quarter size. I used non-stick spray on my hands to keep them from getting covered by the chocolate in the dough. I will definitely be making these as often as possible.
Amazing recipe! Instead of the sprinkles, we put some flaked sea salt on top. Amazing!
Made these today & they were yum! However I do think 1 tbs of cookie dough is way too big as they turned out massive and they needed 15 mins baking time. Next time I would do 1 tsp of dough for a smaller biscuit.
This recipe is crap. The cookies look like poo from a cow. I‘m not sure, if they‘re even solid enough to take them from the baking sheet.
I’m sorry these didn’t turn out as expected. Baking can be tricky and small adjustments can make a big difference. I’m curious, were you able to get them off the baking sheet, and how did they taste in the end?
The dough was way too sticky to roll. Even chilling before rolling. I followed the recipe to the T.
Made these but gluten free using bobs red mill pancake mix and almond flour. Batter tastes like you’re average batter with gluten. Hope it turns out good I really want my mom to be able to have dessert’s she likes without feeling sick!!
Did they turn out great in the end? Thanks for trying this recipe!
These cookies are so rich and chocolatey; I love them. I halved the ganache, and there was just enough sauce.
Yay! I see you’re getting in the Christmas spirit! Thanks for sharing your feedback. <3
Hi! These taste great, but for some reason when I pressed the dough down the cookies started cracking. I thought maybe it wouldn’t be as bad after baking but is. Any tips to help?
I am not sure I properly understand as the recipe looks easy but is a bit hard to follow.
Once making the thumbprint on the soft cookies, should we then leave them to freeze for an hour?
After that, we bake them and do we then add the chocolate ganache?…
If freezing would you recommend the raw dough? Or after baked? With or without ganache?
Made this once just like the recipe said and they were perfect! Second time around I didn’t refrigerate the dough. I didn’t make the eggs room temp or the butter (just microwaved the butter until it was soft) and they still turned out amazing!
Definitely HALF the ganache recipe it makes way too much and first time around I threw a lot way. I also added peppermint extract to the ganache and it was delightful. Thanks!
Hello , I have to make the cookie right now and freeze for Christmas , it is better to freeze baked cookies without ganache or freeze cookie dough before baking ?
Thank you for advice
Gosia
Hi!
If making without cocoa, would you replace 1/2 cup cocoa with flour?
Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend baking these without cocoa! If you do end up trying something else, make sure to come back and let us know what you came up with. Thanks for commenting!
The dough was so nice but the cookies are ROCK HARD. What did I do wrong?
Dough very dry. Hardly spread and crack at the edges. I made 2 tablespoon cookie balls and it was the perfect amount (just used a 1/2 teaspoon for the dent 😊 baked at 300 degrees for 15 ish minutes. Would do 12-13 next time.
Thanks for your feedback! Sounds like your adjustments helped with size and baking time—every oven and dough can act a little differently. Appreciate you giving it a try!
If I made the dough tonight and then chilled them until I was able to bake tomorrow, would that be okay? Or would I need to do anything different?
Cookies turned out just as pictured. Wonderful and satisfying chew. A brownie in cookie form – but better! Definitely don’t skip chilling the dough. The cookies spread more than you think but trust the process – once decorated, they’re perfection. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much Ashley! I am so happy you loved these!
Terrible recipe. Should’ve read the reviews because clearly this woman cannot bake. I am a very seasoned baker and I have a feeling these would come out flat. Even when trying to bake a few at a time and reshaping they crumble. If I could give 0 stars I would. I wouldn’t use her recipe again if my family was starving.
I suggest sticking to a traditional shortbread recipe but adding a bit of cocoa
I’m really sorry these didn’t turn out for you, Rayne! Thanks for trying it.
Your gracious reply to this outrageous comment is commendable. I made these cookies today, following the recipe exactly, and they came out absolutely perfect. Tasted amazing and looked exactly like yours. Where these keyboard warriors get their audacity is beyond me. Your recipes are consistently fantastic.
Andie, I am so happy you loved these cookies and they came out perfect for you! Yay! Enjoy your holiday baking. 🙂
You have no eggs in your Ingredients list, but you egg yolks mentioned in the preparation process. Can I make it without eggs? Can I use almond flour?
Hi! The “2 egg yolks at room temperature” are featured under the ingredient list for the cookie dough! I would not recommend making without eggs. So sorry about that!
I’d like to make these ahead for cookie boxes?
Can I prepare the dough, roll into balls and freeze? And if so how do you recommend baking from frozen?
Please explain what Dutch Cocoa Process Powder is – suggested stores to purchase the powder?
Please another cocoa question – do you use unsweetened cocoa powder?
I must have done something wrong. The dough was very crumbly and hard to form into balls. After coming out of the oven, they look very lumpy – not smooth like the cookies pictured. Also, the edges of the baked cookies are falling off. I’m sure they are delicious, but I messed up somewhere.
Pretty yummy cookies! I followed the recipe exactly except that I doubled it for a cookie exchange. I didn’t find the process complicated at all and, even though they didn’t turn out “quite” as beautiful as the blog pictures, they were pretty darn close! I took screen shots of the recipe and instructions due to the overwhelming ads on the blog and that worked well.
You must beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy and you must chill the dough.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am happy you enjoyed these.
Awesome cookies! Doubled the recipe for a cookie exchange. These are delicious.
Thanks for sharing these with others!