Tahini Thumbprint Cookies

Toasty tahini meets tart raspberry jam in a thumbprint that's simple, striking, and flavorful.

By Laila Ibrahim
Published December 02, 2025
Thumbprint cookies with seeds and jam filling on red wrapping paper

Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

Why It Works

  • Coating each portion of dough in sesame seeds before baking gives the cookies a gentle crunch, lets the seeds toast in the oven, and reinforces the warm, nutty flavor of the tahini.
  • Freezing the raw dough briefly firms the butter, helping the cookies hold their shape after baking.
  • Pressing the indentation partway through baking locks in a defined shape, since the edges of the cookies are set but the centers are still soft. Adding the jam at this point gives it time to thicken and set without leaking, while keeping it from overcooking.

Holiday cookie season calls for recipes that are easy, reliable, and a little more special than the usual lineup. If you like thumbprint cookies for their ease and their jammy centers, you'll appreciate this tahini version, which keeps the classic structure but adds deeper flavor and a more grown-up edge. Tahini adds a bold, roasted sesame note, shifting the cookie from straightforward buttery sweetness to something more earthy and aromatic. These sesame-studded cookies have a crisp edge that contrasts nicely with the soft, jam-filled center. 

These cookies are everything you want during the rush of holiday baking. The red jam centers look striking against the pale white sesame coating, and they stay fresh for several days, which makes them easy to bake ahead. Plus, they hold up well for packing into tins for gifting or setting out alongside more traditional holiday cookies. The recipe below was developed by our colleague Renu Dhar in our Birmingham, Alabama test kitchen. The dough begins with creaming the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until light and airy, with the brown sugar adding a subtle molasses depth. The eggs and vanilla are mixed in next, and then the tahini, blending smoothly and adding warm, roasted sesame richness. The dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt—go in last and are mixed just until the dough comes together into a soft, cohesive mass that's easy to shape. Be careful not to overmix once the flour is added—overworking the dough can cause too much gluten to develop and result in a dense cookie.

Thumbprint cookies topped with sesame seeds and jam arranged in festive packaging

Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

The dough is scooped and rolled into smooth balls, then coated in white sesame seeds, which toast in the oven, giving the cookies a crunchy texture and enhancing their nutty flavor. Because unchilled thumbprint dough can significantly spread as it bakes, the shaped cookies get a short freeze to help them hold their structure. Renu makes their namesake thumbprint indentation partway through baking, when the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Pressing the well at this stage keeps it sharply defined, while adding the raspberry jam partway through baking gives it time to thicken and set without leaking, yet prevents it from overcooking or scorching. The finished cookies have crisp, sesame-coated edges, tender middles, and bright, jammy centers.

The tahini brings a warm, toasty note that runs through the cookie, while the raspberry jam adds a bright pop that cuts through the richness, creating a combination that's simple but special. They're as good with tea or coffee as they are on a crowded dessert table, offering something familiar but still a little unexpected.

Thumbprint cookies with jam displayed on a decorative tin and on a baking tray

Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

This recipe was developed by Renu Dhar; the headnote was written by Laila Ibrahim.

Recipe Details

Tahini Thumbprint Cookies

Prep 25 mins
Cook 15 mins
Chilling and Cooling Time 40 mins
Total 80 mins
Makes 24 cookies
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Ingredients

  • 255 g all-purpose flour (9 ounces; 2 cups)

  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

  • 1 teaspoons (4 g) baking powder

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces; 113 g), at room temperature

  • 106 g light brown sugar (3 3/4 ounces; 1/2 cup)

  • 66 g granulated sugar (2 1/3 ounces; 1/3 cup)

  • 2 large egg whites, at room temperature, divided

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

  • 120 g tahini (4 1/4 ounces; 1/2 cup), at room temperature and stirred well (see notes)

  • 6 tablespoons lightly toasted white sesame seeds (1 3/4 ounces; 50 g)

  • 120 g seedless raspberry jam (4 1/4 ounces; 6 tablespoons)

Directions

  1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder until combined.

    Mixing dry ingredients with a whisk in a clear bowl

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  2. In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

    Mixing tahini cookie dough in a stand mixer bowl

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  3. Add 1 egg white, whole egg, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add tahini and beat until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.

    Mixing tahini into cookie dough in a stand mixer

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  4. Add flour mixture in 2 additions, beating on low speed just until no dry streaks remain.

    Mixing cookie dough in a stand mixer with flour being added from a bowl

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  5. Place sesame seeds in a small bowl. Using a small ice cream scoop or a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon, portion cookie dough into 24 equal portions (about 31 g; 2 tablespoons each). Roll each portion between hands into a small ball. On a clean work surface, lightly press each ball with the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup or coffee mug to flatten it to about 1/2 inch thick and roughly 2 inches in diameter. Working with one or two cookies at a time, lightly brush tops and sides of cookies with remaining egg white and place, brushed-side-down, in bowl with sesame seeds, pressing into seeds lightly to coat. Arrange 12 cookies on each prepared baking sheet, sesame-side up, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining cookies. Freeze cookies on sheet trays until firm, about 20 minutes.

    Cookies being prepared rolled in sesame seeds and placed on a baking sheet

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  6. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Remove 1 baking sheet from freezer and bake until edges are slightly set, about 6 minutes. (Leave the other cookie sheet in the freezer while the first one bakes.) Remove from oven and carefully press a shallow indentation in the middle of each cookie using the back of a 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon or the rounded end of a wooden spoon handle. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam.

    Person shaping thumbprint cookies on a tray filled with a raspberry filling

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

  7. Return to oven, and bake until edges are lightly golden and centers are set, 9 to 10 minutes.

  8. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining sheet of cookies. Serve.

    Thumbprint cookies with filling on a cooling rack

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

Special Equipment

2 rimmed baking sheets, stand mixer or hand mixer, pastry brush, 2 wire racks 

Notes

Tahini separates naturally as it sits, with the oil rising to the top. Be sure to stir it very well before measuring so the fat is evenly incorporated; using separated tahini can make the dough oily and cause the cookies to overspread. Tahini also varies from brand to brand—some are thinner and more pourable, while others are thicker and more paste-like. Stirring thoroughly ensures you get consistent results no matter which brand you use.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
3814 Calories
186g Fat
484g Carbs
70g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 3814
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 186g 238%
Saturated Fat 71g 356%
Cholesterol 429mg 143%
Sodium 1368mg 59%
Total Carbohydrate 484g 176%
Dietary Fiber 20g 73%
Total Sugars 229g
Protein 70g
Vitamin C 16mg 78%
Calcium 1090mg 84%
Iron 27mg 149%
Potassium 1492mg 32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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