These Valentine’s Day Thumbprint Cookies are so cute and delicious! With a brown sugar shortbread base and red jelly hearts, these are perfect for love day! You might want to double the batch! ❤️

If you’re looking for a delicious, easy and so pretty cookie to make for Valentine’s Day, these Thumbprint Cookies are it! How can anyone resist a jelly filled heart in the middle of a buttery shortbread cookie?!

a top down view of a parchment paper lined cookie sheet filled with thumbprint cookies with heart shaped jelly filled centres. the cookie sheet is sitting on a wooden table with pink napkins

All the hearts.

Heart shaped food for Valentine’s Day is the best. And really, this extra special touch is so easy to add to many foods for love day. Heart shaped Caprese Skewers, hearts on cheese, heart shaped pizzas, heart pavlovas, pies with hearts, so many easy ideas, including these Valentine’s Day Thumbprint Cookies with jelly hearts.

a top down view of a parchment paper lined cookie sheet filled with thumbprint cookies with heart shaped jelly filled centres.

A new spin on an old classic!

These thumbprint cookies are the same recipe that I shared years ago for Christmas, but I decided to shape the indent in the middle of the cookies into a heart for Valentine’s Day! I think they’re so pretty and fun! These cookies are so delicious that they really should be enjoyed all year round.

a side view of a parchment paper lined cookie sheet filled with thumbprint cookies with heart shaped jelly filled centres.

You might want to double the batch.

This recipe makes a small batch of cookies (about 15), but you might want to double it because they’re SO GOOD. They’ll disappear fast, I promise. Plus, if you make a bigger batch, you can share them with your friends and family.

Jam or Jelly?

It’s up to you. I prefer raspberry jelly for these Valentine’s thumbprints because I like red for love day, and I also really like the smooth and clear centres (without seeds)…I think they look really pretty. And as a bonus, you can use any leftover jelly for other fun Valentine’s day foods like this Brie cheese appetizer. But you can also use raspberry jam, strawberry jam, strawberry jelly or cherry jelly.

How to Make a Heart Shaped Indent

Using your thumb (or finger), make 2 indents in the centre in the shape of a heart: one thumbprint at a 45 degree angle to the left, and one thumbprint at a 45 degree angle to the right, making sure that the thumbprints are joined at the bottom so you get a heart shape. TIP: if you find that your thumb is too big to do this, using your pointy finger helps…gently poke a small indent on the left, then one on the right, then one on the bottom of the heart, and gently smooth the middle part between them to form a heart indent. It doesn’t have to be perfect…you can fix the heart shape with jelly.

a top down view of a parchment paper lined cookie sheet filled with unbaked shortbread cookies with heart shaped indents in the centres

Filling the heart indent with jelly.

This part is where all the heart magic happens. I like to use a small teaspoon to add the jelly to the centres of the cookies. Add half a teaspoon of jam or jelly to one side of the heart, and the other half teaspoon to the other side. Then use the spoon, your finger or a toothpick to smooth the jelly into a heart shape. Again, remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect.

a top down view of half of a parchment paper lined cookie sheet filled with thumbprint cookies with heart shaped jelly filled centres. the cookie sheet is sitting on a pink napkin

Recipe Tips:

Jelly or Jam: You can use any pink or red jelly or jam: raspberry, strawberry, cherry. Just make sure that you don’t use a runny jam or jelly, or it will run out of the heart indent.
Storage: Store these cookies in an airtight container. They can sit out on the counter.
Freezing: These cookies freeze well, just make sure that the jam doesn’t get crushed in packaging. Another option is that you can freeze the dough in 1 inch balls for up to 3 months, then let them thaw slightly before baking.
Why do the cookies crack when adding the indent? Sometimes thumbprint cookies just do this and there’s not much you can do to prevent it, other than making sure you roll the cookie dough into smooth balls before baking. Also, one of the reasons I like to bake the cookies for 5 minutes first without the jelly, is that this time warms up the dough, which prevents a lot of the cracking when adding the indent. Again don’t fret, these are so delicious no one will notice a few cracks.

Enjoy! I hope you love this thumbprint cookie recipe!