4 Ingredient Thumbprint Cookies

Okay, let me just tell you about the most delicious and simple 4 ingredient thumbprint cookies. You can make these delicious bites of heaven in the air fryer and they will turn out perfectly tender buttery cookies.

Since these cookies are ridiculously simple to make, they would make a great dessert to serve for friends or even wrap them up in a cute tin and use them as a Christmas present for friends or family.

For more desserts you can make in the air fryer you have to check out my video of my top 10 air fryer desserts. 

Ingredients and Supplies Needed for 4 Ingredient Thumbprint Cookies:

Ingredients:

• Butter, room temperature
• Powdered sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Jam, any flavor you like!

Supplies:

• Medium mixing bowl
• Hand mixer (I have had THIS one for 10 years and it is still just as great!)
• Spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Plastic wrap
• Air fryer (the Cosori Pro II is great for making frozen meals!)
• Cookie Spatula

Types of Jam to Use

When you are ready to fill the thumbprint cookies, you are more than welcome to use your favorite jam or any that you happen to have on hand. 

Here is a list of some tasty choices:

1. Grape
2. Strawberry
3. Blackberry
4. Blueberry
5. Rhubarb 
6. Raspberry
7. Mandarin

You can also use more than one flavor of jam to have some variety to choose from!

Tips for Making the Best Thumbprint Cookies 

If you want to make the best thumbprint cookies, make sure that you give these tips a read before you get started!

• Since these cookies have a very high butter content it is super important to let the cookies rest before you continue to work the dough.You might even have to let it chill for 5-10 minutes to let the butter set up a bit in the cookies.
• Try to get a nice smooth outside to the cookies. By doing this you will prevent the cookies from cracking and allow all the delicious butter flavor to stay in the cookie and stay nice and tender.
• Allow the cookies to rest in the air fryer for about 5 minutes after baking the cookies so that they do not break.

How to Make 4 Ingredient Thumbprint Cookies:

Step 1: Creaming the Mixture

When you are ready to get started, add the room temperature butter and powdered sugar to the medium mixing bowl and cream it together with the hand mixer. 

Then add in the flour to the sugar mixture and continue to mix it all together until it forms a dough-like consistency.  

Now transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and cover the dough and let it rest for about 5 minutes without touching it. 

Step 2: Roll the Dough

After the dough has been made and has rested, roll the dough into about a 1 ½ to 2-inch ball and you should get about 16 pieces of dough. 

Make sure that you roll the dough between your hands to form a nice smooth ball. 

Then use your thumb to press into the top of the ball to create an indent for the jelly to sit in. 

Now fill the dent in the cookie with your favorite jam and then set it aside until you have them all set.  

Step 3: Prepare the Air Fryer

Once the cookies have been prepared, preheat the air fryer basket for about 5 minutes at 320F or 160C.

After the basket has been preheated, place 5-8 cookies in the air fryer basket, making sure to leave about 1 inch between each cookie, and then place the air fryer basket back. 

Turn the air fryer on and bake the cookies at 320F or 160C for 8 minutes or until the outsides of the cookies just slightly start to turn a little golden brown (but not much). 

Then let the cookies sit in the air fryer for about 5 minutes (not baking) to let them begin to cool down and set up before transferring them to a cooling rack to allow the cookies to cool down completely. 

For an extra touch, sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top, and then serve and enjoy!

Simple Air Fryer Recipes 

For a recipe to be good, it doesn’t mean that it has to be super complicated. Sometimes the easiest recipes are the most delicious!

Make These Air Fryer Recipes:

• Breakfast Cookies
• Ham and Cheese Slam Sandwich
• Air Fryer Apple Cinnamon Buns
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Final Thoughts

I am a sucker for a good and easy cookie recipe, and these 4 ingredient thumbprint cookies are that and more.

They are perfectly buttery and the spoonful of jam makes for a nice pop of flavor that set these cookies apart from others. 

I also love that you can whip the dough for these cookies up in no time and have them made from start to finish in about 25 minutes. 

Air Fryer Desserts You NEED to Make

• Air Fryer Hocus Pocus Buns – Easy Halloween Breakfast or Dessert Recipe

• Cinnamon Buns TikTok Recipe in the Air Fryer

• Tasty 3-Ingredient Air Fryer Apple Fritters

• Air Fryer Custard Toast

• The EASIEST 2 Ingredient Donuts in the Air Fryer!

• Quick and Easy Air Fryer Cake Donuts

• Gooey Mini S’mores Pies in the Air Fryer 

Air fryer tips and tricks

• Air Fryer 101
• Learn these common Air Fryer Mistakes!
• All about the Best and Worst Air Fryer Accessories
• How to Clean Your Air Fryer
• How to Cook Any Recipe in the Air Fryer
• FREE Download → Air Fryer Tips & Temps
• Air Fryer Buying Guide
• Watch Fabulessly Frugal YouTube Channel for Air Fryer Recipes

4 Ingredient Thumbprint Cookies

Super simple and dangerously delicious 4 ingredient thumbprint cookies that you can make right in the air fryer.

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Print Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes minutes

Serves: 8

Adjust Servings: 8

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Medium mixing bowl
• Hand Mixer
• Spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Plastic wrap
• Air Fryer
• Cookie spatula

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp Butter Room temperature
• ¼ cup Powdered sugar
• ¾ cup + 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
• ¼ cup Jam any flavor of your choice

Instructions

• Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy
• Add flour and mix to combine. The dough would be crumbly, do not over mix. Use your hands to bring the dough together to form a ball.
• Transfer dough to a cling film wrap. Wrap tightly and let dough rest on the counter for 5 mins. if its a really hot day, chill in the fridge for 10 mins.
• When ready to bake, get the dough from the fridge, unwrap the dough divide it into 16 equal parts.
• Roll each dough into a ball between your palms, make an indentation with your thumb and put some jam in the indentation. Repeat till each dough is filled with jam.
• Preheat the air fryer basket for 5 minutes 320 °F
• Transfer cookies to the air fryer basket and bake at 320 °F for 8 mins. Let cookies cool slightly in the air fryer for about 5 mins before transferring to a cooling rack with a cookie lifter to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

Note: When rolling the dough between your palms to make the dough balls, try as much as you can to make it smooth. This will go a long way to reduce the chances of cracking.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Sodium: 73mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g

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