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Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

Peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies in rows.

Peanut butter and jelly are a long-standing comfort duo for me. I wouldn’t even try to think how many pb&j sandwiches I’ve eaten in my lifetime.  Not exactly a gourmet meal, but I’ll take it just the same.

Nutty peanut butter cookies and your favorite fruit preserves combine to make delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies.

These cookies take that old favorite combination and move it into dessert territory. I started with what is my most often made version of peanut butter cookies. When they’re hot from the oven, a little indention is made and then later filled with your favorite jelly or preserves.

While my sandwich preferences tend toward grape, I made these with strawberry preserves.  Of course, use your favorite, or open up several jars and make a variety of combinations.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

Yield about 36 cookies
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes

Nutty peanut butter cookies and your favorite fruit preserves combine to make these Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies. Yum!

Peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies in rows.

Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • your favorite jelly or preserves (about 4 ounces)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and mix just until blended. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
  4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until blended. Be sure not to overmix.
  5. Using a cookie scoop or your hands, place tablespoonful-sized balls of dough onto prepared pans. Bake cookies, one pan at a time, 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned. (You may need to refrigerate the remainder of  the dough until ready to bake.)
  6. While the cookies are still hot, use the back of a spoon or a tart tamper to press an indentation into the center of each cookie.
  7. Cool the cookies on the pans on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely. Fill the indentations with jelly or preserves.

Notes

Cookies can be stored in layers with parchment paper or wax paper in between the layers.

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    17 Comments on “Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies”

  1. I had peanut butter and jelly on a waffle for a snack last night. The ultimate comfort food for me. Now I wish I had these cookies instead…

  2. and a giant glass of ice cold milk!
    I’m all set!
    LOL

  3. These look awesome! Oh, and I love the new layout…including the recipe in the main post.

  4. I made these today. They are delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

  5. I love thumbprints! These sound awesome!

  6. I also made these today. Fan-tastic.

    My favourite thing about this site is that the recipes always “just work”.

  7. I made some that didn’t require any cooking (the cookie part) soooo good! And very similar to this (even in the looks)

  8. These sounds incredible! and your pictures make them look so appetising!

  9. very nice cookies ! i saw your dishes and pictures and i’m impressed 🙂 they are amazing!

  10. I really love to munch peanut butter because of its sweet and nutty taste. Peanut butter with large peanute chunks are the best. `*.”`

    Yours trully
    http://www.foodsupplementdigest.com“>

  11. can these be frozen after being layered? i am thinking of making these as gifts for my co-workers…

  12. Cindy, peanut butter cookies are one of the best kinds to freeze. Jelly freezes pretty well, too, so you should be able to freeze these. Just be sure to put something between the layers so the jelly won’t stick to the other cookies.

  13. These cookies were so soft, light, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The chunky peanut butter was the perfect crunchy contrast to such a light cookie. I made heart indentations for the thumbprints, perfect for Valentine’s Day.

  14. Thanks for this recipe! I live in Doha, Qatar and am always on the lookout for cookie recipes I can make with the limited tools/ingredients I have here. Turns out these are delicious if made by hand (no mixer), and you can omit the vanilla. Also, I used the cap to a water bottle instead of a tart tamper to get a nice circle indentation. Next time, I plan to sub Nutella for the preserves:)

  15. Just made these came out awesome. Thank you for this recipe will make again. I also put some reese peanut cups in a few they look great.

  16. My 4 1/2 year old son and I just made these and they were delicious!  I was out of butter and used crisco in it’s place.  Also, I used egg whites since I was out of eggs.  

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