Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies (Salted Caramel or White Chocolate Peppermint)

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies make a great holiday cookie and they’re so easy to make! With this recipe, you get to choose from two flavors: Salted Caramel or White Chocolate Peppermint. Make both so everyone can choose their favorite!

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Make these chocolate thumbprint cookies with peppermint or caramel for the perfect holiday cookie!

I’m always looking for easy cookie recipes to make during the holiday season, because you can just never have enough! I make them for holiday parties, for dessert after the feast, as simple homemade gifts, and just for fun.

There’s just nothing like gathering your family to bake cookies together this time of year! It’s so much fun and it results in something delicious to eat. Yum!

I love these easy chocolate thumbprint cookies, especially since I’ve got two flavors to choose from. The salted caramel filling is delectably sweet and smooth, while the white chocolate peppermint just TASTES like Christmas. (If you want a third flavor, try our chocolate mint thumbprint cookies!)

Of course you don’t actually have to choose between the two. Make both flavors and eat one (or two) of each!

Choose Your Favorite Flavor

When I come up with a recipe, I like to get as much use out of it as possible. So I came up with two amazing filling flavors for these chocolate thumbprint cookies instead of just one. The more the merrier!

Cookies are such an easy thing to change up by adding different toppings, fillings, and flavors. These are especially easy to change, since you’re really just changing the little bit on top. Just bake a big batch of cookies, then fill each one with your preferred flavor.

Salted Caramel Cookies

Chocolate thumbprint cookies with caramel filling is like heaven in your mouth. The mix of the salted caramel with the chocolate is DELICIOUS.

Ingredients:

• Caramel
• Heavy Cream
• Flake Sea Salt

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

White chocolate always makes me think of winter, and peppermint definitely makes me think of Christmas. It’s the perfect flavor for a festive Christmas cookie!

Ingredients:

• White Chocolate Chips
• Crushed Peppermint

How to Make Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

These chocolate cookies are so easy to make, and I just living filling them with the different flavors at the end. Pouring the caramel on top or pressing in the crushed peppermint is so satisfying, and of course they taste amazing!

The full recipe card is below, but here are a few quick tips:

• Start by making the cookie dough and getting them in the oven to bake. Then you can quickly prepare the filling to add after cookies are done.
• Adding that little bit of espresso powder into the dough gives these cookies a deeper, richer flavor. So good!
• Use a greased 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to make the “thumbprint” indentation in each cookie. Gently press it into the center of each ball of dough before baking.
• If you bake both sheets of cookies at the same time, be sure to switch them about halfway through baking so they cook evenly.
• Let the cookies cool completely before adding the fillings.
• To Store: Keep these cookies in an airtight container and save up to 3 days.

Christmas Cookies

It doesn’t matter how many Christmas cookie recipes I have, I always want more! Sometimes you want the classics, sometimes you want to try something totally new. These thumbprint cookies with peppermint or caramel fit right in with the holiday spirit, so I highly recommend giving them a try.

Here are some of my other favorites to bake this time of year:

• Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
• Christmas Butter Cookies with Powdered Sugar Icing
• Splatter Paint Christmas Cookies
• Chocolate Spritz Cookies
• Chocolate Butter Cookies
• Soft Gingerbread Cookies
• Christmas Sugar Cookies
• Copycat Milano Slice Cookies
• Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Get to baking with these tasty cookies! Everyone will love these. I’d love to hear which flavor is your favorite. Happy Holidays!

Check the recipe card below for full details on how to make chocolate thumbprint cookies. Enjoy!

Still need more cookie recipes? I’ve got you covered!

• Mom’s Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic.
• These Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies are…well, LOADED with chocolate chips.
• These Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies are always a hit.
• I just LOVE these Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies!

Recipe Card

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies 2 Ways (Salted Caramel and White Chocolate Peppermint)

4.73 from 11 votes

Prep: 30 minutes mins

12 minutes mins

Total: 42 minutes mins

Servings: 36 cookies

Author: Becky Hardin

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Make these chocolate thumbprint cookies for the holidays, with Salted Caramel or White Chocolate Peppermint filling.

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Equipment

• Kitchen Scale (optional)
• 2 Baking Sheet
• Stand Mixer
• Rolling Pin

Ingredients 

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For the Chocolate Thumbprint Cookie Base

• ▢ 1½ cups all-purpose flour 180 grams
• ▢ ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 42 grams
• ▢ ½ teaspoon espresso powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking powder 1 gram
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 113 grams, room temperature (1 stick)
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
• ▢ 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 6 grams
• ▢ Turbinado or Demerara sugar for rolling

For the Salted Caramel Thumbprints

• ▢ 15 caramels 124 grams, such as Kraft Baking Caramels
• ▢ 1 tablespoon heavy cream 14 grams
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Flake Sea Salt such as Maldon

For the White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

• ▢ ½ cup white chocolate chips 85 grams, melted
• ▢ 10 peppermint candies 50 grams, crushed, such as Brach's Star Brites

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

For the Cookie Base

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment, and heat oven to 350°F. Set oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together; set aside.
  1½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon espresso powder, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix just until incorporated. Add all flour mixture and mix on lowest speed just until no flour shows.
  8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll the balls into the Turbinado sugar. Set balls 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  Turbinado or Demerara sugar
• Using a greased, rounded ½-teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each ball of dough.
• Bake at 350°F until set about 10-12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.

For the Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

• Melt the caramels and cream in the microwave set on high. Stir every 15 seconds until caramels have melted.
  15 caramels, 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• When cookies are baked, transfer the baking sheets to a cooling rack. Use the same ½-teaspoon measuring spoon to remake the indentations.
• Let the cookies set for 1 minute. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to completely cool.
• Fill each indentation with the melted caramel mixture and sprinkle with flake sea salt. Cookies are ready to eat when the caramel is set.
  1 teaspoon Flake Sea Salt

For the White Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

• Melt the white chocolate in the microwave set at 50%. Stir every 15 seconds. White chocolate seizes easily, so melt the chocolate slowly and without it getting too hot.
  ½ cup white chocolate chips
• Place the peppermints in a quart-size, zipper-style plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush to desired size.
  10 peppermint candies
• When cookies are baked, transfer the baking sheets to a cooling rack. Use the same ½-teaspoon measuring spoon to remake the indentations and let the cookies set for 1 minute. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to completely cool.
• Fill each indentation with the melted white chocolate and sprinkle with crushed peppermints. Lightly press the peppermint into the white chocolate. Let the cookies set until the white chocolate is firm.

Becky's Tips

• Start by making the cookie dough and getting them in the oven to bake. Then you can quickly prepare the filling to add after cookies are done.
• Adding that little bit of espresso powder into the dough gives these cookies a deeper, richer flavor. So good!
• Use a greased ½-teaspoon measuring spoon to make the "thumbprint" indentation in each cookie. Gently press it into the center of each ball of dough before baking.
• If you bake both sheets of cookies at the same time, be sure to switch them about halfway through baking so they cook evenly.
• Let the cookies cool completely before adding the fillings.

Storage: Store chocolate thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 123mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 94IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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