How to Make Easy Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes because they not only taste sweet and buttery, but also have a fruity and tart jam center. In Germany, the cookies are also known as Husarenkrapfen, Husarenknöpfchen or Engelsaugen. The name Thumbprint Cookie actually already tells you how the cookies are made. A hollow is pressed into small balls of dough – with your thumb. However, I realized that my thumb is too big for the size of cookie I would like. But no problem! You can use the handle of a wooden spoon, for example, to form the hollow. This recipe is vegan. Sourdough discrad replaces the egg in the dough. A real leftover recipe, because you can finally recycle the half-empty jam jars in your fridge.

The links with an star* are affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and buy something, I get a small commission and you support my work (thanks for that 🧡). This does not change the price for you. You can find more information on privacy policy here.

Christmas cookies or summery cookies?

You may have noticed that the recipe appears on the blog as a Christmas AND a summer recipe. When you read Thumbprint Cookies, you probably don’t think of summer cookies first. In Germany, these cookies tend to be eaten at Christmas. But I think the fruity jam also makes it a summer recipe. For example, I filled the cookies you can see in the photos with lemon curd and blackberry jam – sounds much more summery, doesn’t it?

Video: How the thumbprint cookies are formed

You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.

More Information

What you need for the sourdough thumbprint cookies

  • Sourdough discard: You can bake the recipe with sourdough that has been in the fridge for a few days or with freshly fed sourdough.
  • Wheat flour: I used all-purpose flour or wheat flour 405. You can also (partially) replace the flour with wholegrain flour or spelt flour. If this makes the dough too dry, you can help with a few teaspoons of cold water or a milk alternative.
  • Vegan butter: It is important that the margarine you use has a similar consistency to butter. I prefer to use a solid block of vegan butter instead of classic soft margarine. Of course, you can also bake the cookies with real butter.
  • Vanilla extract I prefer to use homemade vanilla extract. Purchased vanilla extract often contains artificially produced vanilla flavor.
  • Baking powder: If you prefer to use baking soda, you can replace the baking powder with half the amount of baking soda. The acid from the sourdough reacts with the baking soda and has the same effect.
  • Jam: You can fill the cookies with all kinds of flavors. Dark and red jams, such as cherry, blackberry, raspberry or elderberry, provide the most beautiful color contrast. If you bake the cookies in summer, they also taste very good with lemon curd.

Helpful tools – My recommendations

The links with an star* are affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and buy something, I get a small commission and you support my work (thanks for that 🧡). This does not change the price for you. You can find more information on privacy policy here.

You can find more product recommendations here.

More cookies and biscuits with sourdough

Easy Soft and Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy Soft and Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

When you have a craving for cookies, you need a quick and easy recipe with just a few ingredients that you always have at home. This recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies meets all these criteria and is also a great way to use up leftover sourdough discard from your…

read more
Healthy Sourdough Breakfast Cookies

Healthy Sourdough Breakfast Cookies

Cookies don’t have to be healthy – it’s much more important that they taste delicious and satisfy a small sweet tooth. BUT: If they also contain healthy ingredients such as oatmeal, seeds and wholegrain flour and keep you feeling full a little longer, I don’t mind….

read more

Recipe: How to Make Easy Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies

In Germany, the cookies are also known as Husarenkrapfen, Husarenknöpfchen or Engelsaugen. The name Thumbprint Cookie actually already tells you how the cookies are made. A hollow is pressed into small balls of dough – with your thumb.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Resting Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 22 minutes
Course biscuits with Sourdough, cookies with sourdough
Cuisine american, German
Servings 24 Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 180 g cake flour
  • 50 g ground almonds
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • 120 g sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 130 g vegan butter
  • 70 g sourdough discard
  • jam

Instructions
 

Day 1

  • Place all the ingredients in a bowl and combine to form a dough. First mix the ingredients with a spoon and then knead by hand to form a homogeneous dough.
  • The dough is dry and crumbly at first, but should turn into a smooth dough when kneaded. Only knead the dough until all the ingredients have combined.
  • Cover the dough and place in the fridge, preferably overnight, but for at least two hours.

Day 2

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
  • Take the dough out of the fridge and form about 24 balls with a teaspoon.
  • Place the balls on a baking tray with enough space between them and press a small hollow into the dough balls either with your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon.
  • Fill each cavity with half a teaspoon of jam.
  • Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
  • Leave the finished cookies to cool on the baking tray.
  • Happy baking!

Notes

Jam: You can fill the cookies with all kinds of flavors. Dark and red jams, such as cherry, blackberry, raspberry or elderberry, provide the most beautiful color contrast. If you bake the cookies in summer, they also taste very good with lemon curd.
Sourdough discard: You can bake the recipe with sourdough that has been in the fridge for a few days or with freshly fed sourdough.
Keyword easy, leftovers, vegan

Have you tried one of my recipes?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You would help me a lot if you would rate this recipe and write your feedback in a comment. Thank you! 🧡

Feel free to show me how it turned out! Link @kruemelig on your Instagram or Facebook post or use #kruemelig. If you want to remember the recipe for later, feel free to save it on Pinterest!

Easy Thumbprint Cookies

Hey, so happy you’re here! 🧡

 

I’m Theresa and I bake – preferably with sourdough. I share my favorite recipes with you on my blog Krümelig.

Recommended Recipes

Sourdough Cottage Loaf (Rustic Recipe)

Sourdough Cottage Loaf (Rustic Recipe)

I have a new favorite bread! This country bread could also be called all-in-one bread. It is fluffy and soft, like a wheat bread, aromatic, like a spelt crust and moist like a farmhouse bread. It is a pure sourdough bread that does not require any yeast. You can bake...

read more
Sourdough Discard Apple Cinnamon Pancakes (Fall Breakfast)

Sourdough Discard Apple Cinnamon Pancakes (Fall Breakfast)

Fall is the perfect time for comfort food. Apple pancakes bring back childhood memories of rainy afternoons with my grandparents. They taste like sweet baked apples wrapped in a soft, fluffy coating. They are even more delicious if you add a large pinch of cinnamon to...

read more
Spiced Sourdough Pumpkin Bread (Fall Favorite)

Spiced Sourdough Pumpkin Bread (Fall Favorite)

Have you had enough of pumpkin recipes? I'm far from it! After pumpkin cinnamon buns and pumpkin cake, here's a savory recipe today: autumnal pumpkin bread with sourdough. Instead of pumpkin spice, I have seasoned this bread with classic bread spice. That's why you'll...

read more

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating