Chewy, chocolaty, and filled with crunchy caramel toffee, these chocolate thumbprint cookies are a yummy treat.
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This recipe for chocolate thumbprint cookies is the perfect Christmas cookie. It packs a chocolate flavor with a nice crunch on top.
Whether you’re celebrating the holiday season or just want a light and fluffy cookie with flavor, you’ve chosen the right cookie.
How to Make Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside. In a separate bowl, whip the cream cheese and butter together.
Add the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla, and mix until well combined and smooth.
STEP TWO: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and slowly mix until just combined. Don’t forget to scrape the sides! Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP THREE: Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, place tablespoon-sized dollops of dough 1 inch apart from each other.
Place the cookie sheet in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours — you can also allow to chill overnight if you cover it with plastic wrap.
STEP FOUR: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they are no longer glossy and the bottom edges have started to brown.
STEP FIVE: Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon, or another kitchen utensil, and carefully press down on each cookie in order to create a well for the chocolate and toffee bits.
Place 4-6 chocolate chips in each cookie and allow them to melt.
STEP SIX: Use a butter knife to gently spread the chocolate so that it fills the well and is completely melted. Top with the toffee bits, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy!
Tips to Make the Best Ever Chocolate Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
- Use a stand mixer to mix the cookies faster and more easily
- Use the end of a wooden spoon to gently press down into the baked cookie to create an indent
- Add the chocolate chips to the center of the cookie right after baking and placing the indent to ensure they melt
- If using chocolate ganache or another chocolate filling for cookies, wait until the cookies are cooled, and then add the chocolate
- Use your favorite kind of chocolate chips — semi-sweet, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate chips all work great
Can I Make Other Variations Of These Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
- Add caramel to the center of the cookies
- Add crushed peppermint candies on top of the melted chocolate
- Microwave the chocolate chips then add a little creamy peanut butter in to make these chocolate peanut butter flavored
- Use Nutella for the chocolate center to create Nutella thumbprint cookies
- Switch the toffee bits for chopped nuts, such as chopped peanuts or almonds
- Turn these into thumbprint cookies with kisses by adding a Hershey’s kiss on top instead
Why Are My Thumbprint Cookies Not Holding Shape?
If you find that your cookies spread or go flat, it means that you didn’t chill the dough for long enough.
The fat from the butter can either hold them together or make them fall flat — chilling the dough (and therefore the butter inside it) can help a lot.
Why Are My Thumbprint Cookies Cracking When Putting Thumbprint?
Here are some tips to ensure this chocolate thumbprint cookie recipe doesn’t crack when placing your thumbprint in them.
- Press gently into the baked cookie — pressing too hard or fast can result in cracks
- Roll the dough until smooth — cracks in the dough prior to baking can make the cookies more prone to cracking
- Measure your flour by scooping out the flour and placing it into a measuring cup — using too much flour can cause the cookies to dry and crack
- Roll the cookie dough balls when the dough is at room temperature
If you still find your thumbprint cookies have slight cracks in them because you’re reading this after they baked, don’t fret. They still look beautiful and taste delicious!
How to Store This Recipe for Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Store leftover chocolate thumbprint cookies in an airtight container once cookies are cooled completely.
- On the counter — use within 3 to 5 days
- In the fridge — use within 2 weeks
- In the freezer — use within 3 months
If frozen, let the cookies thaw and come to room temperature when you’re ready to eat as the toffee bits can get really hard in the freezer.
More Thumbprint Cookies
- Iced Thumbprint Cookies
- Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Hershey Kiss Cookies
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Kiss Cookies
- Peppermint Kiss Cookies
More Cookie Recipes
- Butterscotch Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
- Chocolate Chips Cookies with no Brown Sugar
- Chocolate Smores Cookies
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 to 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup toffee bits
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla, and mix until smooth again.
- Slowly add the flour mixture into the cream cheese mixture and slowly mix until just combined. Scrape down sides if needed.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place a tablespoon-sized dollop of dough 1 inch apart from each other. Place in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. If chilling overnight, it is important to cover the dough with plastic wrap.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Move the cookies 2 inches apart from
each other on the parchment-lined cookie sheet if needed and bake for 12
to 14 minutes until they no longer look glossy on top and the bottom
edges start to brown slightly. - Let cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet. Use the other end of a
wooden spoon or other utensil and press down slightly into the cookie making a little dent in the center. Quickly place 4-6 chocolate chips in the center of each cookie and let it melt. - Using a butter knife, gently spread the chocolate to make a chocolate center and tops with toffee bits. Place on a wire rack to cool completely and enjoy!
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Is it important to use light brown sugar, or would dark brown sugar be okay? Thanks!
Hi Chad, you can use dark brown sugar, but the cookies will give more of caramel-ly taste to them than just straight chocolate.