These Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are made with a simple sugar cookie dough, indented to resemble skulls and filled with red strawberry jam! It is a unique, fun, creative, spooky cookie idea for Halloween!
If you are looking for more Halloween cookie recipes, try our owl cookies or the skull cookies next!
Why You'll Love These Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
These are a fun, spooky twist on classic thumbprint cookies! Instead of one large center indent like traditional raspberry thumbprint cookies, each cookie has two little indents that look like eerie eyes on a skull face. Filled with glistening red raspberry jam, they make such a fun Halloween treat.
They’re also nut-free, making them a festive option for kids’ school Halloween parties. And the cookies themselves are rich and chocolatey, with crisp edges and a perfectly tender center.
Looking for more fun Halloween food ideas? Be sure to check out my other Halloween recipes!
-maria doss
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How To Make Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Success Tips
- Roll dough balls smoothly between your palms until perfectly round with no cracks or seams. This helps prevent thumbprints from splitting. If the dough cracks while rolling, apply a little pressure — the warmth of your hands will soften and smooth it out.
- Fix cracks after indenting: If the dough cracks around the edges after making the "eye" indentations, simply pinch and smooth it back together. But don’t stress — a few imperfections actually add to the spooky look!
- Use a red, seedless jam (like raspberry or strawberry) for the best “bloody eye” effect.
- Loosen the jam by microwaving it for a few seconds. This makes it easier to spoon into the indentations without mess.
- Optional spooky touch: For extra shine and a creepy glisten, add a bit more jam into the eyes after baking and just before serving at your Halloween party.
- Baking tip: Since the dough is chocolate-colored, it can be tricky to tell when they’re done. Gently press a cookie — it should feel firm to the touch when fully baked.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For the best texture, fill the jam just a few hours before serving.
More Halloween Cookie Ideas
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies for Halloween
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ⅓ cup strawberry jam or any red seedless jam
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients. Add 1 cup flour, ½ cup cocoa powder and ⅛ teaspoon salt into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Cream butter and sugar. Place ½ cup butter, ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla into a large bowl and beat using an electric beater until smooth and creamy, for about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon milk; beat well.
- Finish dough. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.👉 To test the consistency, roll a slightly heaped tablespoon of dough into a ball and press your pinky finger into it twice to make the eyes. If the dough develops large cracks, mix in ½ tablespoon of milk and test again. Repeat with another ½ tablespoon of milk if needed. The dough should be soft enough to shape without cracking too much, but still firm enough to hold its shape. Adding too much milk can cause the cookies to spread during baking.Once the dough reaches the right consistency, roll it into a smooth ball by hand.
- Make balls. Scoop the dough into slightly heaping tablespoon-sized portions and roll each one between your palms until smooth and round and then flatten them a uniform thick disc. Place the disks on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 to 2 inches apart.
- Make eyes. Using your pinky or index finger, make two deep indents in the dough to resemble eyes, pressing about ¾ of the way down. You can also use a ¼-teaspoon measuring spoon, but I find your finger creates a deeper indent that holds more jam.👉 If the dough cracks around the edges after making the "eye" indentations, simply pinch and smooth it back together. But don’t stress — a few imperfections actually add to the spooky look!
- Chill. Place the baking sheet in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) before baking.
- Fill cookies. Place the ⅓ cup jam in a microwave-safe bowl and warm it for about 20 seconds, stirring every few seconds, until loosened. Transfer the jam to a small piping bag or zip-top bag, snip off the corner, and squeeze a little into each cavity, filling to the brim.
- Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cookies feel firm to the touch. Since the dough is chocolate-colored, it can be hard to tell when they’re done by appearance alone, so gently press the center of a cookie—it should feel firm when fully baked. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely before storing.
- Optional step. For an extra-spooky touch, squeeze a little more jam to the “eyes” on the day you serve the cookies. The fresh jam gives them a glossy, eerie finish that’s perfect for Halloween. Let the cookies sit for a few hours afterward so the jam can set slightly.👉 If you’re storing or transporting them, keep the cookies in a single layer to prevent the jam from smudging.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
More Cookie Recipes for Halloween
- Spooky Halloween tree cookies are an easy Halloween baked good to impress your kids. They are buttery, crisp, and amazingly tender!
- These Halloween skull cookies are cute, easy, and a unique Halloween cookie recipe. They’re skull-shaped Linzer cookies, filled with jam and topped off with an adorable M&M flower.
- These Halloween finger cookies with almond nails are easy to make and an eggless shortbread cookie!
- These candle cookies are made using buttery, crisp chocolate shortbreads and are shockingly easy to make. They are fun, creative and impressive, and no special tools are needed.
- These Halloween bone cookies are made without cookie cutters! It is an easy, unique cookie to make from scratch and is a fun baking project for kids to make and safe for humans.
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
