Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies

These soft and buttery Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies make a delicious fall treat and so easy to bake!

Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies | www.motherthyme.com

Meet Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies.  These cookies are the relatives to the ever so popular Pistachio Wedding Cookies and Lemon Wedding Cookies that everyone has been raving about.

I wanted to make these slightly different than the first two which are just baked then dusted with confectioners sugar.  For these Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies I use Pumpkin Spice pudding mix which I finally stumbled upon at the grocery store.  The pudding mix adds a hint of pumpkin spice, so it great combined with the sweet apple butter.  If you can’t find Pumpkin Spice pudding mix, just use vanilla instant pudding.  It will alter the taste a little, but it is a good substitute.  

These cookies are soft and buttery, a great treat to enjoy throughout the fall.  I like to serve a variety of desserts for Thanksgiving, these cookies are going to be one of them.  They are easy and delicious, a great addition to your holiday dessert table.

Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies | www.motherthyme.com

What you need
Butter
Confectioners sugar
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Pumpkin Spice pudding mix
Cinnamon
Ground ginger
Salt
Milk

Baking notes

  • You will want to chill the dough for at least one hour before making these cookies.
  • If you find the dough is cracking when you press down on the dough, just let the dough sit at room temperature until softer.  When you press down they won’t crack as much.  I like a little cracking as it gives these cookies a rustic and fall homemade feel. 
  • Glaze is optional but makes them look really pretty.
  • If you can’t find pumpkin spice pudding mix, use vanilla pudding mix and add the cinnamon and ginger.  It will alter the flavor slightly from this recipe but they are still really good.
  • Use pumpkin butter instead of apple butter is really good too!

Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies | www.motherthyme.com

Print

Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
  • Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3.4 ounce box pumpkin spice instant pudding mix
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup apple butter

Glaze (optional)

  • 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • Pinch of cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl cream butter. Beat in sugar until fluffly. Add in vanilla extract.
  2. In a medium bowl combine flour, pudding mix, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Gradually mix flour mixture into wet ingredients until combined.
  3. Divide dough in half and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Remove dough from plastic wrap and make tablespoon size balls. Place on baking sheet and gently press down to form a disc. Indent the center of the cookie slightly with your thumb. Add a small amount of apple butter into the center. Space each cookie about 1 inch about.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes. Don’t overbake. Cookies will still feel soft when removing them from the oven. Let them sit on baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze

  1. In a small bowl whisk confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, milk and a pinch of cinnamon. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Let set until glaze hardens.
  2. Store cookies in an airtight container.

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