Golden-Brown Pineapple Thumbprint Cookies
With sweet tropical flair, buttery tenderness, and a touch of nostalgia
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🥥 INTRODUCTION
Golden-brown thumbprint cookies are a classic delight found on cookie platters around the world. This tropical twist on the traditional recipe brings a splash of sunshine into your kitchen with a luscious pineapple filling nestled in a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookie.
Thumbprint cookies have long been associated with festive gatherings, grandma’s cookie tins, and homemade joy. By adding a vibrant yellow pineapple jam center, we take a beloved favorite and transport it to an island paradise.
This recipe is perfect for holiday tables, summer barbecues, baby showers, or just because you need a little edible sunshine. 💛
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🍍 HISTORY & FORMATION
Thumbprint cookies, believed to have originated in Sweden (“Hallar”), were traditionally filled with raspberry or strawberry jam. Their playful name comes from how each cookie is formed—with the gentle press of a thumb. Over time, bakers all over the world have adapted the concept to suit their flavors—today, we fuse this Nordic classic with tropical pineapple to create a sunny twist that’s both nostalgic and refreshingly new.
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✨ INGREDIENTS
For the Cookie Dough:
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
For the Pineapple Filling:
1 can (8 oz / 225 g) crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp reserved pineapple juice
1/4 tsp lemon juice (optional, for brightness)
Optional Garnish:
Powdered sugar for dusting
Toasted coconut flakes
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🧁 INSTRUCTIONS & METHODS
🧑🍳 Step 1: Make the Pineapple Filling
1. In a small saucepan, combine drained crushed pineapple, sugar, cornstarch, pineapple juice, and lemon juice.
2. Stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens and turns jam-like (about 5–7 minutes).
3. Let it cool completely. The filling can be made a day in advance and refrigerated.
🧑🍳 Step 2: Prepare the Cookie Dough
1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
2. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract; mix until smooth.
3. Add flour and salt gradually, mixing until a soft dough forms.
4. Cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to firm up.
🧑🍳 Step 3: Shape the Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
3. Press your thumb (or the back of a 1/2 tsp spoon) into the center of each ball to form a well.
4. Fill each indentation with a small spoonful of the cooled pineapple filling.
🧑🍳 Step 4: Bake
1. Bake for 12–14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
2. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Optional:
Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar or sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes.
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💛 CONCLUSION
These golden pineapple thumbprint cookies are the perfect marriage of buttery richness and bright tropical flavor. The shortbread crumbles delicately in your mouth, and the pineapple jam center bursts with juicy sweetness. It’s the kind of cookie that makes people pause, smile, and say: “What’s in this?!”
Whether you serve them on a summer’s day or in the dead of winter for a taste of sunshine, these cookies are bound to become a treasured favorite.
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💕 LOVERS OF THIS RECIPE SAY…
“My husband couldn’t stop popping them in his mouth—he called them sunshine buttons!” – Emily R.
“Made them for my daughter’s luau-themed birthday. Not a crumb left!” – Sofia D.
“We made these together on our first baking date. Now it’s a yearly tradition.” – Chloe & Jasmine
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👩❤️👨 METHODS WITH LOVERS
Date Night Tip:
Make the cookie dough together and let one person roll the balls while the other presses the thumbprints and fills them. Share a spoonful of extra pineapple jam over vanilla ice cream while you wait for the cookies to bake.
Kids in the Kitchen:
Let little hands help press the thumbprints. Kids love filling the cookies with the golden jam—it’s like edible playtime!
Bake & Gift:
Place 6 cookies in a clear cellophane bag, tie with a yellow ribbon, and add a little
pineapple charm or handwritten note for a sweet homemade gift.
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Would you like a version using fresh pineapple or a variation with coconut dough? 🍍