Chocolate thumbprint cookies are rich, fudgy, made with two kinds of chocolate, and filled with a creamy ganache. Add some festive sprinkles on top, and you’ve got an easy cookie recipe for holiday trays, gifting, and snacking!
Chocolate thumbprint cookies are the embodiment of the perfect Christmas cookie! A thick and chewy, rich, and fudgy cookie with a silky ganache center, topped with festive sprinkles, is always a favorite around the holidays.
I love any cookie with a fun little filling on top. Things like hot chocolate cookies, chocolate peanut butter buckeye cookies, peanut butter blossoms, and fiesta fudge cookies always feel like a treat within a treat. And these double chocolate thumbprint cookies are no different!
They’re surprisingly simple to make with just a handful of pantry staples, and because they stay fresh for a few days afterwards, you can easily make them ahead of time.
Add these chocolate thumbprint cookies to your dessert tray, bring them to your cookie exchanges, or leave them out for Santa because anyone and everyone loves them!
Thumbprint Cookies with Ganache
Why you’ll love this recipe
- A one-bowl recipe. For minimal cleanup.
- Chewy fudgy texture. Similar to my chocolate gooey butter cookies!
- Customizable. Add your favorite sprinkles or use a different kind of filling.
- Freezer-friendly. You can make them ahead, freeze them, and have cookies on demand later on.
- So pretty! The chocolate cookie with a sultry ganache contrasts nicely with the sprinkles!
Helpful Tools
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Unsalted butter: Bring it out to room temperature to soften. You’ll need it for both the cookie dough and the ganache. I prefer to use unsalted so I can control the amount of salt I add separately.
- Light brown sugar and white sugar: Both add sweetness but the brown sugar adds just a bit of extra flavor and moisture.
- Egg yolks: These will give the cookies their fudgy texture.
- Vanilla extract: To enhance the flavor of the chocolate with the warm, aromatic taste of vanilla. Used in the cookies and the filling.
- Cocoa powder: Use good-quality cocoa powder. I like to use Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Baking staples: Baking powder, salt, all-purpose flour.
- Heavy cream and semi-sweet chocolate chips: Together make the base of the ganache. Use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or dark chocolate chips.
- Sprinkles: These are optional (but encouraged!). Use whichever kind you like.
How to make Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then, mix in the egg yolks and vanilla until fully combined.
- Step Two: Next, you’ll mix in the dry ingredients to combine the mixture into a dough. It’ll be crumbly at first, but will come together eventually.
- Step Three: Scoop the dough into small balls, roll them smooth, gently flatten, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press an indentation into each using the back of a teaspoon. Chill for at least an hour.
- Step Four: Bake when ready in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Just out of the oven, use a teaspoon to indent each cookie again and then let them cool on the pan.
- Step Five: Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan until hot (not boiling). Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and chocolate chips until smooth, then transfer the ganache to a piping bag. Pipe into the cooled cookie indentations and then add sprinkles!
- Batch size. Using a small cookie scoop, you’ll get about 30 cookies in a batch.
- Piping is optional. You can also use an offset spatula to add the filling.
- Chill the dough. Don’t skip this step, it helps the cookies stay nice and thick.
- Use your favorite sprinkles. I like nonpareils, but you can use jimmies, rainbow sprinkles, festive sprinkles, gold or silver balls, crushed candy canes, etc.
- Swap the ganache. Use dulce de leche, homemade hot fudge, or Nutella instead!
Storage
How to store leftovers
Keep cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also keep them in the fridge for a little while longer.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze them, transfer them to a freezer bag to keep frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving again.
Need more holiday cookie recipes? Try these:
Click here to view my entire collection of cookie recipes.
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the cookies
- ¾ cup (179 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup (160 g) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
- ½ cup (44 g) cocoa powder I use Ghirardelli
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) all purpose flour
For the ganache
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (260 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
To make the cookies
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter and sugars. Cream together with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- Add in the egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until fully combined.2 large egg yolks, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be very crumbly but will come together.½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- Use a small (2 teaspoon) cookie scoop to scoop the dough, roll into balls, slightly flatten between the palms of your hands, then add to the prepared baking sheet, approximately 1" apart.
- Use the back of a teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation into each ball.
- Cover the pan and move to the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Once you remove the cookies from the oven, use the same teaspoon to press the indent into each cookie again as they will have puffed up a bit. Let cool on the pan.
To make the ganache
- While the cookies are cooling, make the ganahce by adding the heavy cream and butter to a heavy bottomed saucepan and heating over low heat until hot, but not boiling.⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the vanilla and chocolate chips, stirring until creamy and smooth.
- Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and pipe ganache into each cookie indentation. Top with sprinkles.sprinkles
Notes
- Using a small cookie scoop (2 tsp), this recipe should yield 30 cookies.
- I use Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips can be used for the ganache.
- If you don’t want to pipe the ganache, you can use an offset spatula to add it to each cookie.
- Use your favorite sprinkles. We like non-pareils.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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