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Buttery, soft, melt-in-your-mouth, tender cookies filled with a dollop of tangy and refreshing mango jam, these Mango Thumbprint Cookies are ridiculously delicious and irresistible.

These Mango Thumbprint Cookies are not only tempting and delicious, but also very easy to make. When you have a simple and quick cookie recipe that is equally tasty, then you definitely need to treasure it.

Infused with the tropical flavors of mango, these cookies are sweet and tangy in one bite.

These Mango Thumbprint Cookies have a lightly crisp and crumbly exterior and a soft, buttery, sweet, delicious center filled with fruity and tangy homemade mango jam.

I love the Alphonso mango flavor. However, most mango jams available in the market are made from other regular mangoes and hence miss that exclusive, rich flavor. So I prefer to make mango jam at home for these Mango Thumbprint Cookies. The homemade Alphonso Mango Jam brings out the best flavors in these cookies recipes. I would highly recommend making the jam at home for the WOW results.

Thumbprint cookies are one of the most stress-free cookies I know of, and I love keeping such recipes up my sleeves when I want to keep the cooking process simple.

Also, these recipes work best for me when I want to spend some quality time with my kid in the kitchen. Baking cookies and cakes together is one of our holiday traditions.

Do you love baking with your kids? If yes, then you would understand when I say that this Mango Thumbprint Cookie is especially perfect as there is no resting or chilling time required for the dough. Kids have the least patience and love when they can bake right away after making the dough. So I keep a bundle of such recipes handy for those special baking times.

A few such easy, kid-friendly recipes are Nankhatai, Mango Mousse, Tutti Fruiti Cookies, and a few more.

Ingredients For the Mango Jam

Mango pulp - You can either use the mango pulp available in the tin for these Mango Thumbprint Cookies or if it's the mango season and you have access to fresh Alphonso mangoes, you can make fresh pulp from them.

Sugar - Any granulated sugar is good for the mango jam.

Salt - regular salt.

Lemon Juice - Lemon juice adds a slight tartness to the mango jam and adds one more layer of flavor to the jam. It also reduces the PH level in the fruit jam mixture while cooking.

Cornstarch - Cornstarch acts as a creamy thickening agent in a jam. It gives a texture along with thickening.

Fruit pectin/gelatin/agar agar - What you actually need in this recipe is the fruit pectin. Fruit pectin is widely used in jams because when they are cooked at high temperatures with acid and sugar, it creates a beautiful gelatinous texture. In case you do not have fruit pectin only, then you can use either gelatin or agar agar.

Ingredients for Mango Thumbprint Cookies

All-purpose flour - Use sifter all-purpose flour. measure the flour properly, and do not press pack the flour in the cup. Fill it lightly and flat scrape the top excess. Always use good quality all-purpose flour for the best results.

Sugar - You need white granular sugar for the thumbprint cookies. White granular sugar absorbs moisture in the dough and makes crisper cookies.

Mango jam - You can either use the homemade jam following the recipe in this post or use a readily available mango jam. I would however recommend making homemade jam for the best flavors in the Mango Thumbprint Cookies.

Butter - Always use good quality unsalted butter at room temperature for these cookies. To check if the butter is at the right temperature, press a finger in the butter. If the finger leaves an impression with not a lot of residue on your finger, then it is perfect. Also, every brand of regular salted butter has a different amount of salt in it and thus can affect the taste of the cookies. Be smart and have control over the amount of salt that goes into the recipe.

Salt - You can use either kosher or regular table salt for the cookies.

Mango Extract - If you are unable to find mango extract, then you can use vanilla extract instead. However, you can find a mango extract if you click on this link.

Egg Yolks - You need only room-temperature egg yolks in this recipe.

How to make Mango Jam for the Mango Thumbprint Cookies

If you are using fresh mangoes, then remove the skin of the mangoes then cut the mango flesh around the pit. Place the chopped mango chunks in a blender and blend it until pureed. Strain the pureed mango through a sieve to remove any lumps and threads.

Take 1 cup of puree and pour it into a pan set on low heat.

To the puree, also add lemon juice and salt and let it cook till it comes to a boil string with a spatula at regular intervals.

In the meantime in a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and fruit pectin.

Once the puree comes to a boil add the sugar mixture and whisk it thoroughly till everything is mixed and lump-free. Keep cooking the mixture and stir it continuously using a spatula.

Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or till the cornstarch is completely cooked and the puree becomes thick like a jam.

Switch off the heat and transfer the mango jam that we need for the mango thumbprint cookies into a bowl to cool down further to room temperature.

How to make Mango thumbprint cookies

Preheat the oven to 350F, line a couple of large baking trays with parchment paper, and set them aside for later.

Sift the all-purpose flour and set it aside for later.

Next, take a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a big bowl for the hand mixer and add room-temperature unsalted butter and sugar.

On a medium speed, cream/beat the butter and sugar together till it is well combined approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Do not over-mix it. Scrape down the sides in between so nothing is left out.

Add egg yolks, salt, and mango extract to the mixture and beat it again till well combined.

Finally, add the sifted flour and mix it all together to form a well-combined dough. When you start mixing the dough, it will look crumbly but do not worry; keep mixing till it forms a sticky well-structured dough.

Take granular sugar on a plate or a bowl. We will need it to coat the mango thumbprint cookies dough balls

Take a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop and, using it, make small dough balls. Take the dough balls in your hand and roll them into nice round spheres.

Roll these rolled dough balls in the granular sugar and coat them evenly.

Place them on the previously parchment-lined baking trays. Keep a couple of inches of space between each ball. Though the cookie does not completely flatten while baking, it still does need some room to spread and not touch each other while baking.

Once you place 2 to 3 rolled dough balls on the baking pan, using a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon/your thumb/spatula handle top make a hole/indention at the center of each dough ball.

Similarly, continue the same process and fill the baking tray with mango thumbprint cookies dough balls.

Fill the indention/hole with ½ teaspoon of jam/jelly of your choice.

Bake the mango thumbprint cookies at 350F for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are properly baked and lightly brown bottoms. I always bake them for 14 minutes. But as I always say each oven heats up differently, so be careful to bake the mango thumbprint cookies for the right amount of time.

Once you get the baking tray out of the oven, let it cool down for 15 to 20 minutes on the baking tray. Remember, the cookies are very brittle when they come out of the oven, so if you try to lift them, they will break.

After they have cooled a little, the cookies will firm up, and you will be able to lift them. Transfer the warm cookies to the wire rack to cool further to room temperature.

Once the mango thumbprint cookies have cooled down completely, you can store them in an air-tight container.

These freshly baked mango thumbprint cookies have a crisp outer edge and a soft and crumbly center because of the jam/jelly. I love having at least one freshly baked cookie, they are too tempting with a beautiful aroma and that divine taste. It is rich, buttery, tangy, and crispy all in one bite.

PRO Tips for Mango Thumbprint Cookies

• Always measure your flour correctly, do not tightly pack the flour in the cup. Instead, either spoon the flour into the measuring cup or scoop it up from the flour can and level the excess off on the top with a knife or spatula.

• Do not wait to roll all the dough balls to be placed on the baking tray. Because if you wait for all the dough balls to be rolled and then make an indention in the center, then you will have cracked edges on the cookies. So as soon as you roll 2 to 3 cookie dough balls, use your thumb or something similar to make the indention. I like using a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to do that.

• You can skip rolling the dough in granular sugar, which only adds a layer of texture to the cookies.

• If the dough cracks a bit when making the center indentation, roll the ball in your palms a bit longer to warm the dough up more.

• If you’re having difficulty filling the indent with jam, you can transfer the jam to a piping bag to pipe the jam into the mango thumbprint cookies.

FAQ's for Mango Thumbprint Cookies

How long do the cookies last?

Store the mango thumbprint cookies in an air-tight container, and they will stay good for 2 to 3 weeks at room temperature. Always store them at a cool place for them to stay good for a long time.

Do you need to refrigerate the dough before baking?

No, you do not need to refrigerate the mango thumbprint cookie dough. As soon as the dough is ready, you can roll the mango thumbprint cookies dough balls and bake.

Why do we use only egg yolks in the mango thumbprint cookies recipe?

Using the egg yolks gives the mango thumbprint cookies a soft texture from the inside, keeping the outside slightly crisp and not too crunchy. Also, they are used for the yolk's fat content and emulsifying abilities. The fat gives baked goods extra-rich flavor and a velvety texture. The yolk also has the unique ability to bind liquids and fats together, creating an emulsion that prevents them from separating.

Can you freeze the mango thumbprint cookies?

Though it is possible to freeze the mango thumbprint cookies, it is not really advisable. Due to jam filling and moisture, it creates a problem freezing and defrosting it. You can always freeze the cookie dough and thaw it whenever you want to make a fresh batch of cookies.

How do I stop the cookie dough balls from cracking?

For the best-looking mango thumbprint cookies, it is important that the cookie dough ball be rolled into smooth round balls. Once you roll the dough ball and place it in the baking tray, you have to make an indent in it. So an overly cracked dough will lead to a leak of the jam.

When the dough is cracked, it cracks more when you make an indent. The trick to not having cracked dough is that you should not let the dough sit for long after it's ready. When the dough sits idle for too long, the exterior becomes dry and hence begins to crack.

Other than rolling the dough immediately, you should also make the indent after every 2 to 3 rolled balls and not wait to make all the dough balls; otherwise, the ball will start cracking.

Thirdly, roll the mango thumbprint cookies ball in your palms a bit longer to warm the dough up more.

You can also try these cookies recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream Cheese Cookies

Meringue Cookies

HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?

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