These old fashioned jam drops are soft, buttery biscuits with a little pool of jam in the middle, and you only need 6 ingredients to make them. If your kids love my Nutella Thumbprint Cookies or Melting Moments, these are about to become a lunch box favourite.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Jam Drops
🕒 Ready In: 50 minutes (including 30 minutes chilling)
👪 Makes: 40 jam drops
🍚 Calories: 76kcal per biscuit
🥣 Main Ingredients: butter, caster sugar, egg, plain flour, baking powder, jam
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, nut-free, freezer-friendly, Thermomix method included
⭐ Why You'll Love It: 10 minutes of prep, simple pantry ingredients and a big batch of buttery biscuits for the lunch boxes!
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Simple ingredients. Beautifully written recipe. Incredible results. Extremely difficult stopping at two lol. YUMMMMMM! Thank you for your delicious recipe ❤️
- Irene
Jam drops have been a staple in Aussie kitchens for generations, and with good reason! Whether you're whipping them up for school lunch boxes, baking a weekend treat with the kids or filling the biscuit jar for visitors, they're always a hit.
Looking for more easy lunch box ideas? Try my Easy Banana Muffins, Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies or my go-to ANZAC Biscuits.
Jam Drops Or Thumbprint Cookies?
They're the same thing! Here in Australia we call them jam drops, while in the US and UK they're usually called thumbprint cookies (because you press a thumbprint into the dough to hold the jam).
I actually use my little finger to make the indent, as it gives you the perfect sized hole for a tiny bit of jam. Once you've nailed the classic, have a go at my Biscoff Thumbprint Cookies too.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Super quick to make: just 10 minutes of prep, then into the fridge to chill.
- Makes a big batch: you'll get around 40 biscuits, so there's plenty for the week.
- Freezer friendly: stash a batch away for lunch boxes or unexpected visitors.
- Kids can help: little hands love rolling the balls and filling them with jam.
- Thermomix or conventional: you'll find both methods in the recipe card below.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Jam Drops Or Thumbprint Cookies?
- Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Jam Drop Ingredients
- Jam Drop Variations
- How To Make Jam Drops
- Making Jam Drops In The Thermomix
- Top Tip
- Why Did My Jam Drops Spread?
- How To Store Jam Drops
- Recipe Tips
- Jam Drops FAQs
- More Classic Biscuit Recipes
- Jam Drops
Jam Drop Ingredients
These simple jam drops are made from just 6 basic ingredients. Here are a few tips on the ones that matter most:
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Jam: any flavour works! Raspberry, strawberry, plum and apricot are all lovely. Choose a thick jam, as runny jam tends to bubble over in the oven.
- Caster sugar: also called superfine sugar. It dissolves quickly into the butter and gives the biscuits a lovely soft texture.
- Baking powder: you only need ½ teaspoon. Too much and the biscuits will puff up and spread.
Jam Drop Variations
- Custard jam drops: one of our readers swaps ½ cup of the flour for custard powder for a softer, custardy biscuit. Run out? Here's how to make custard powder.
- Gluten free jam drops: swap the plain flour for a good quality gluten free flour blend.
- Egg free jam drops: replace the egg with 1 tablespoon of milk, or use a store bought egg replacer.
- Lemon curd drops: fill with lemon curd instead of jam for a tangy twist.
- Choc hazelnut drops: Nutella works beautifully here, or make your own Thermomix Nutella.
- Jam and coconut: sprinkle a little desiccated coconut over the jam before baking for an old school Aussie twist.
How To Make Jam Drops
This is such an easy biscuit recipe. Here's how they come together (the full recipe card is below, with both conventional and Thermomix methods).
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan forced) and line two trays with baking paper. Beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Step 2: Add the egg. Mix until it's well combined.
- Step 3: Add the flour. Sift in the flour and baking powder and stir gently until a soft dough forms.
- Step 4: Roll and press. Roll 2 teaspoons of dough into balls and place them on the trays, spaced well apart. Use the tip of your little finger to press an indent about a third to halfway down each ball.
- Step 5: Fill and chill. Add a TINY amount of jam to each indent, then chill the trays in the fridge for 30 minutes. Don't skip this bit!
- Step 6: Bake. Bake for about 10 minutes or until just lightly golden. Leave them on the trays for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Making Jam Drops In The Thermomix
Team Thermomix? The dough is made in one bowl in under 2 minutes. Here's how it works:
- Cream the butter and sugar: 20 seconds on Speed 4. Scrape down the sides and mix for another 20 seconds on Speed 4.
- Add the egg: mix for 10 seconds on Speed 4.
- Add the flour and baking powder: mix for 20 seconds on Speed 5.
- Roll, fill and bake: then roll, indent, fill, chill and bake exactly like the conventional method.
Top Tip
Don't skip the chilling step! Popping the trays in the fridge for 30 minutes firms up the butter, which stops the jam drops from spreading and keeps that perfect little jam-filled dip.
Why Did My Jam Drops Spread?
This is the question I get asked the most! Nine times out of ten, the dough wasn't chilled before baking. Here are the usual culprits:
- Skipping the fridge: warm dough melts and spreads in the oven before it has a chance to set.
- Too much baking powder: measure carefully, as ½ teaspoon is plenty.
- Balls too big: stick to 2 teaspoons of dough per biscuit and leave room between them on the tray.
- Cracked edges: if the edges crack when you make the indent, roll each ball until it's nice and smooth first, then press gently. A few little cracks are normal and they'll still taste delicious!
How To Store Jam Drops
Store jam drops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
To freeze, layer the cooled biscuits between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature. Pop one straight from the freezer into the lunch box and it'll be ready by morning tea.
You can also freeze the raw dough balls (without the jam). When you're ready to bake, make the indent, fill with jam and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time. For more make ahead ideas, check out my Freezer Friendly Lunch Box Recipes.
Recipe Tips
- Soften the butter: room temperature butter creams much more easily. Salted or unsalted both work.
- Use 2 teaspoons of dough per biscuit: they'll bake to the perfect bite size.
- Don't overfill with jam: a tiny amount is all you need, otherwise it bubbles over.
- Rotate your trays halfway through baking for an even colour.
- Cool on the tray for 10 minutes before moving them, as they're quite soft straight from the oven.
Jam Drops FAQs
Absolutely! Raspberry, strawberry, plum and apricot all work well, so use whatever you love (or have open in the fridge!).
Use a thick jam, as thinner jams tend to run. A spoonful of homemade or supermarket "fruit spread" style jam is perfect.
Yes! I've included both the conventional method and the Thermomix method in the recipe card below.
Make sure you chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking, and measure your baking powder carefully. Just ½ teaspoon is perfect.
Small cracks around the edge usually happen when the indent is pressed in too firmly. Roll each ball until smooth, then press gently with your little finger.
Yes! Jam drops is the Aussie name for thumbprint cookies. They're buttery biscuits with an indent filled with jam.
Jam drops will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Yes! Freeze baked jam drops layered with baking paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature.
Yes! Roll the balls and freeze them raw (without jam). When you're ready to bake, indent and fill with jam, then bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
Yes! Replace the egg with 1 tablespoon of milk, or use a store bought egg replacer.
More Classic Biscuit Recipes
If you love old fashioned jam drops, I think you'll enjoy these recipes too!
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Jam Drops
Ingredients
- 180 g butter softened to room temperature
- 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 300 g (2 cups) plain flour all-purpose flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- jam any flavour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- Beat the sugar and softened butter with electric beaters or a stand mixer until light and fluffy.If using a Thermomix: Cream the butter and sugar for 20 seconds, Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 20 seconds, Speed 4.
- Add the egg and continue to mix until combined.If using a Thermomix: Add egg and mix for 10 seconds, Speed 4.
- Sift in the plain flour and baking powder. Stir gently to combine.If using a Thermomix: Add flour and baking powder and mix for 20 seconds, Speed 5.
- Roll the mixture into small balls (2 teaspoons of mixture per ball).
- Place the cookie balls onto the baking trays and use the tip of your little finger to create an indent in the middle that goes approximately one-third to one-half of the way down).
- Place a very small (TINY!) amount of jam into each indent.
- Place the trays into the fridge and chill for 30 minutes (ESSENTIAL!).
- Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes or until just lightly golden.
- Leave the cookies on the baking trays for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Jam Drops - Swap plain flour for a high-quality gluten-free flour blend.
- Egg-Free Jam Drops - Replace the egg with 1 tablespoon of milk or use a store-bought egg replacer for a similar result.
- Lemon Curd Drops - Replace jam with lemon curd for a tangy twist.
- Choc-Hazelnut Drops - Nutella or hazelnut spread works beautifully here too!
- Jam + Coconut - Add a sprinkle of shredded coconut over the jam before baking for an old-school Aussie twist.
- Chilling the dough balls before baking is ESSENTIAL - this stops the cookies from spreading.
- Use just 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie - they'll spread to the perfect size.
- Don't overfill with jam - a small amount is best to stop it from oozing out.
- Rotate your trays halfway through baking for even colour.
- Leave space between cookies - they need room to spread slightly.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 10 minutes before moving them.
- Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 1 week.
- Freeze baked jam drops for up to 3 months. Layer with baking paper in a container and defrost at room temp.
Lunar says
The worst recipe I have ever tried! I’m sorry I really wanted to love this. But my biscuits came out like pancakes!!! I measured exactly to your ingredients and had them in the fridge for the half hour before baking and nope! I was so disappointed!
Lucy says
Hi Lunar, the only way they could come out flat is if the rising agent (in this case, the baking powder) was not active. This can happen if the container or box has been open for a while in the cupboard or is nearing it's expiry date. I would definitely suggest buying a brand new container of baking soda and testing that it's active. You can do this by adding a few teaspoons of the baking soda into a bowl and adding some lemon juice or vinegar - if it's active, it will fizz a LOT straight away. If it only fizzes a small amount or takes a while to do so, it's no longer active. xx
Jade says
There is no baking powder in the recipe, so therefore they didn’t work. It wasn’t until I looked at the notes below that I saw it required it.
Lucy says
Hi Jade, I'm not sure what you mean as the baking powder is listed in both the ingredients and the method sections of the recipe card?
Hayley says
These are so tasty! And pretty easy to make too. I made them with my 5yo and 3yo. We will make them again for sure.
Lucy says
Fantastic!
Laurel Nooyen says
i just wanted recipie, not to print out 50 pages....
Lucy says
Hi Laurel, thank you for your lovely feedback. There is a print recipe button on the recipe card that will print just the recipe for you. Hope that helps!!
Elana says
This recipe is really divine and easy. Thanks! Been looking for one as I kept flopping my jam drops hehe! Thank youuu
Lucy says
I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you!
Ursula says
Wowza! Come out of the oven soft but cool and go nice and crunchy
Loved them so much, especially great with home made strawberry jam
Lucy says
Yay! Thank you so much!
Laura says
I don't know what I did wrong but, disappointed. Seemed dry and cracked when I put my finger in them. Refrigerated them but they didn't even spread a little bit. Next batch I put straight in hoping for a little spread but got the same result.
Lucy says
Hi Laura, if they're not spreading at all (even when the dough hasnt been chilled), I would suggest buying a new container of baking powder as it may not still be active.