These Lemon Thumbprint Cookies are the perfect holiday cookies. Cookie dough balls are coated in walnuts then filled with lemon curd. This citrusy twist on an old fashioned cookie is incredibly delicious!
Thumbprint cookies are one of my favorite cookies to make and to eat. They’re so much fun to make and so pretty. I love the fact that you can fill them with your favorite jelly, but this time I went with a lemon curd filling.
I actually made my own lemon curd, but the store bought kind works just as well.
These lemon thumbprint cookies truly are for the lemon lovers out there, there’s lemon in the cookie and lots of lemon in the lemon curd, so definitely lemony! They’re also not a very sweet cookie so you can snack away on these by the handful without getting that all too familiar sugar crash.
What Are Thumbprint Cookies
Thumbprint cookies are known as Hallongrotta which is a Swedish pastry. Translated it means “Raspberry Cave“. Thumbprint cookies are really old fashioned but a classic in my book. I decided that these should be lemon caves today, it’s a bright and delicious twist on a classic.
Ingredients
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Wet ingredients – Unsalted butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and eggs.
- Pecans – Ground pecans to form a perfectly nutty flavor and binder in our crust.
- Flour – All purpose flour.
- Salt – All of our baked goods need seasoning! No ifs ands or butts about it.
- Lemon curd – I used my own homemade lemon curd but you can use store bought as well.
Do I Have To Use Pecans?
Well you certainly don’t if you don’t want to! You can use any type of nuts that you like best in this recipe. The nuts can be left out entirely. Just skip the egg white and pecan part in step 5 detailed below.
How To Make Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place the ground pecans in a shallow plate.
- Combine the wet ingredients: Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract to the bowl of your mixer, and beat on medium using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, salt and continue beating until fully incorporated.
- Incorporate the flour: Add the flour and continue mixing on low until fully incorporated.
- Assemble the dough: Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, then roll them through the egg white, then through the ground pecans. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an 2 inches in between them. Using your thumb press little wells into the centre of each cookie, sometimes I also use the bottom of a cork screw.
- Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the sheets for about 5 minutes after which you can transfer them to a wire rack to allow them to cool completely.
- Finish the cookies: Place a small dollop of the lemon curd into the centre of each cookie.
How To Make Your Own Lemon Curd
I mean I always say home made is best don’t I? So why not test that theory out with this recipe.
How To Best Zest A Lemon
If you’ve never really zested a lemon before, don’t fret it’s super easy! But there is a certain trick to it so let’s get into it.
- Prepare the lemon: If you’re not using organic lemons, I recommend washing them in warm water using a clean sponge. Warm water melts the wax layer that protects the fruit and dissolves any chemicals with which it has been sprinkled.
- Grate the lemon: Wipe the lemons well after they have been washed and grate them on the smallest holes of your grater. You must be careful that the white and bitter part of the shell is not grated so change where you are zesting often. If you look at the lemon and see you have hit any white parts you’ve zested too far.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers cookies in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezer
To freeze them, store them in an airtight container for up to a month.
Craving More Lemon? Try These Delicious Recipes
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
- Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread With Lemon Icing
- Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
- The Best Lemon Bars
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Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp butter (1 stick) unsalted, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- zest of one lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg white beaten
- 4 oz pecans ground
- 1/4 cup lemon curd
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place the ground pecans in a shallow plate.
- Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract to the bowl of your mixer, and beat on medium using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, salt and continue beating until fully incorporated.
- Add the flour and continue mixing on low until fully incorporated.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, then roll them through the egg white, then through the ground pecans. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an 2 inches in between them. Using your thumb press little wells into the center of each cookie, sometimes I also use the bottom of a cork screw.
- Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the sheets for about 5 minutes after which you can transfer them to a wire rack to allow them to cool completely.
- Place a small dollop of the lemon curd into the center of each cookie.
Recipe Notes
- You can use any type of buts that you like best in this recipe.
- The nuts can be left out entirely. Just skip the egg white and pecan part in step 5.
- Store leftovers cookies in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to a week.
- To freeze them, store them in an airtight container for up to a month.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Can you add the lemon curd before you bake the cookies? Or, just after you take the cookies out of the oven? Thank you.
If you add the lemon curd before, the sugar will bubble up and get tough, or even burn.
These can pur a little dry for me. Good flavor and look great, but too dry. If i make them again should i add mor butter or a drop of oil?
I would maybe add another egg.
Can I use lemon pie filling in place of the lemon curd?
I think that’d be fine, they’re pretty similar.
Hi there, my daughter is allergic to all nuts. Can I make these without the nuts and would they basically taste the same. Is there something I may substitute for the pecans?
I didn’t mean to rate a 3, sorry. I love lemon, so I would most likely rate a 5 star!!
You can, but they really wouldn’t be the same without the nuts. I suggest checking out the many other cookie recipes I have here without nuts in them.
Best lemon curd cookie recipe I have come across.
They were easy to make and delicious.
Thank you, Linda!
Hi Jo! These just grabbed my attention and I had to come comment. The ground pecans you rolled the dough in and that lemon curd… superb! Hoping you and the family have a wonderful, safe and fun Christmas! Cheers… Pinned to make these later. 🙂
Thanks Kevin! Happy Holidays to you and your family as well!
Thanks su much for the recipe! I’ve been looking for different ways to use my delicious homemade lemon curd and these cookies look delicious. Going to make a test batch for us today and bring a a bunch to a Christmas Eve party!!
yum! These are so pretty!