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Strawberry Matcha Thumbprint Cookies are made with bitter and earthy matcha cookie dough, rolled in almonds and sugar, then filled with sweet and tangy strawberry jam. These are perfect cookies for matcha lovers!

Since it is holiday baking season, I can’t think of a better way to kick it off than with these jam thumbprint cookies. These Strawberry Matcha Thumbprint Cookies take inspiration from the well-loved Strawberry Matcha Latte drink. I love matcha but when it is paired with strawberries, they are a really lovely combo!

The cookies have a delicious melt-in-your-mouth texture with a slightly bitter and earthy matcha flavor. They are rich and delicate, with a pop of brightness from the melty strawberry jam. I roll the cookies half in granulated sugar and the other half with chopped almonds for extra crunch, but the plain ones also taste great as they are.

These thumbprint cookies are so easy to make and the taste is incredible. Let’s get started on how to make these Strawberry Matcha Thumbprint Cookies!

How to Make Strawberry Matcha Thumbprint Cookies

Make the matcha cookie dough. In a big bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Then, add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. With a spatula, mix in the flour, matcha, and salt until the dough forms.
Shape the dough. Roll 1 tablespoon of cookie dough into balls. Make sure to use a measuring spoon and level it off.
Coat the balls. I coat the cookies in half chopped almonds and the other half in granulated sugar. Coating the balls is an optional part for this part, but I love the extra crunch and sweetness they add to the cookies. To coat them with almonds, dip the balls in egg white first so that the almonds will stick to the balls. For the sugar coating, you can roll the balls immediately in granulated sugar without dipping them into the egg white.
Make indentation. I don’t recommend using the real thumbprint to indent the cookies. Whenever I press these cookies down with my thumb, the indents usually end up uneven or too big to my liking. Use a tool with a small cylindrical shape instead.
Fill the cookies. Finally, fill the cookies with jam. I pipe the jam instead of spooning it to prevent it from getting messy. Make sure not to fill each cookie too little because it is the best part!
Bake the cookies. Finally, bake the cookies for 14-15 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges or until the almonds are light golden brown. The cookies will puff up and spread slightly.

Best Thumbprint Cookies Tips

Measure the flour correctly. It is so easy to over-measure flour when using cups, causing the cookies to be too hard and cracking when shaped. When measuring the flour for these cookies, make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
The dough is too crumbly. After you add the flour to the cookie dough, it will look a little crumbly at first. This is normal. The dough will eventually come together as you continue mixing.
Don’t use your thumb. I know that these cookies are called thumbprint cookies for a reason. However, I don’t really recommend pressing the cookies down with your thumb. Whenever I press these cookies down with my thumb, the indents usually end up uneven or too big to my liking. Use a tool with a small cylindrical shape instead.
Think about the jam ratio. There is nothing sadder than thumbprint cookies with too little jam inside. Make sure to make a wide-enough cavity for the jam. Each cookie should have about 1/2 teaspoon jam. That way, there is plenty of jam for the amount of dough.

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4.5 from 2 votes

Strawberry Matcha Thumbprint Cookies

Strawberry Matcha Thumbprint Cookies are made with bitter and earthy matcha cookie dough, rolled in almonds and sugar, then filled with sweet and tangy strawberry jam.

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Author: Jaja Bakes

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Japanese

Servings: cookies

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Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Ingredients

2/3 cup (150 gr) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (70 gr) confectioners' sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (190 gr) cake flour/all-purpose flour
2 tbsp matcha powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup (75 gr) strawberry jam

If using almond coating

1 egg white
2/3 cup (75 gr) slivered/whole almonds, roughly chopped

If using sugar coating

1/3 cup (65 gr) granulated sugar

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine flour, matcha, and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and confectioners sugar. Whisk in egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until well incorporated.
Scoop a tablespoon of dough and roll them into balls.
If you plan not to coat the balls, skip this step.
If using the almond coating. Dip each ball in egg white. Then, roll it in the chopped almonds.
If using the sugar coating. Roll each ball in granulated sugar.
Arrange the balls on the baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Then, make an indentation on the middle of each ball with a small cylindrical tool the size of your thumbprint instead.
Refrigerate the cookies for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F/180°C. Fill the chilled cookies with 1/2 tsp of jam each. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are set and the almonds are light golden brown.
Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Make sure to measure the flour and sugar correctly if using volume measurement. The cookies will end up too crumbly or hard if you add too much flour. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Then, level the top with a knife or other straight-edged utensil.

Although the cookies are called thumbprint cookies, I don’t recommend indenting the cookies with a thumbprint. Whenever I press the cookies with a thumbprint, they tend to be uneven or the indents are too big for my liking.