Cranberry Chai Thumbprint Cookies
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These Cranberry Chai Thumbprint Cookies will be a staple for your holiday cookie table. They’re made with cranberries and cinnamon and are a fun spin on traditional thumbprints.
Can you ever have too many cookie recipes? I think not! These cranberry chai thumbprint cookies are a fun spin on my thumbprint cookies with icing.
They’re sweet and filled with cinnamon, but a little tart thanks to the cranberry filling. Oh, and did I mention they’re ridiculously easy to make? Yep!
If you’re looking for more holiday cookie recipes, be sure to check out my molasses chocolate chip cookies and my chewy coconut cookies.
Ingredient notes:
All purpose flour – Haven’t tested with any other flours, though gluten free 1:1 baking flour would probably work.
Brown sugar – Must use LIGHT brown sugar!
Egg – Can sub 1 flax egg to keep these egg-free (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 2.5 tbsp water)
Spices – cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg (these are chai spice cookies after all)
Cranberries – these are called cranberry thumbprints, but you can certainly sub your favorite frozen fruit (think: strawberries or pomegranate)
Method
First: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt then set it aside.
Second: Cream the butter and sugar, then combine. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 30-60 seconds. Then, add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine, then pour the dry ingredients in that bowl and stir until the batter comes together.
*NOTE: The batter might seem dry at first — you’ll have to mix the wet and dry ingredients for at least 1 minute before it comes together.
Third: Form into balls. Use your hands to form the cookie dough into balls, then roll the balls into sugar and place them on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Fourth: Make a thumbprint. Use your thumb to make a thumbprint indent in the center of each cookie, then bake the cookies for 10 minutes.
Fifth: Make the filling. While the cookies are baking, prep the cranberry chai filling by simmering all of the ingredients in a saucepan. Once the cookies are done, use your thumb to press back into the thumbprint hole. Then, scoop the filling into the center of each cookie and bake for 2-3 more minutes.
FAQs
- Wait 1-2 minutes after cookies come out of the oven before transferring them onto a cooling rack.
- Make sure not to add too much filling into the center; otherwise, it could spill over.
Help! My cookies spread too thin.
You might have made the balls of dough a little too big. The cookies will spread a little after baking for the first time, but they certainly shouldn’t be thin. The balls of dough should be slightly smaller than golf ball size.
How should I store these?
Store cookies in an air-tight container either at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, though cookies are best when consumed within 48 hours.
Can these be frozen?
Yep! Wait for the cookies to completely cool, then place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
More holiday desserts
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Cranberry Chai Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp all spice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1 tbsp milk, optional, if needed
for the filling:
- 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 orange, peeled and sliced
- 1/3 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger, or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, spices, and salt and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together for 30-60 seconds. Next, add the egg and vanilla to that bowl and stir to combine.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients into the same bowl and stir.
- Next, pour cane sugar out onto a plate and set aside.
- Using your hands, form cookie dough into balls (slightly smaller than golf-ball size) then roll the balls into the cane sugar, then place them on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using your thumb, gently press down into the center of each cookie, forming the thumbprint cookie.
- Place baking sheet in the oven and bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are slightly golden on the bottom, but be careful not to over-bake.
- As soon as you put the cookies in the oven, start to make the filling.
- Add all filling ingredients to a saucepan over the stovetop on medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon to break down the orange and cranberries. Once mixture comes to a low boil, reduce heat to a simmer until the mixture thickens and a compote or jam forms.
- Once cookies are done, remove them from the oven and wait a couple minutes before using your thumb to press down on them again, making sure there's enough room in each cookie to fill them with the jam.
- Next, spoon a small amount--approx. 1 tbsp--of jam into each cookie, and then place the cookies back into the oven and bake them for an additional 3 minutes.
- Remove cookies from the oven and onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in November 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in December 2020.
I too love thumbprints and actually made these this weekend! They are DEliscious!! They didn’t however turnout to be anywhere near a thumbprint. They flattened out. I still made it work and damn they are tasty, but, what did I miss?
Hi! Once you create the initial thumbprint and bake them, you need to remove them from the oven and press down again, forming an even larger thumbprint hole for the filling (if that makes sense?). I’m glad you liked them though!
I absolutely love thumbprint cookies! My best friend and I used to help her mom make them for their annual Christmas party, but we used smuckers grape jelly for filling and always referred to them as “jelly tots.” Hah. These look like a much more grown up + delicious version!
Something about thumbprint cookies is just SO special. And this flavor combination sounds out of this world. I’m excited to make these!