These eggless jam drop biscuits use a simple butter-style dough with a small spoonful of strawberry or cherry jam in the centre. You can use store-bought jam or make your own homemade strawberry jam. They can also be made fully vegan with Nuttlex and chia gel instead of butter and milk. Chill the dough before shaping so the cookies hold their form during air frying.
Strawberry, cherry, raspberry and mixed-berry jams all work well here. If you enjoy simple eggless bakes, you may also like these eggless butter cookies.
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Ingredients
- For homemade strawberry/cherry jam (or use store-bought jam)
- strawberries, de-seeded cherries, or a combination of both
- sugar
- For the cookies:
- plain flour
- soft butter for the eggless version, or Nuttlex / vegan butter for the vegan version
- milk for the eggless version; for the vegan version use chia gel made with chia seed meal and water
- powdered sugar
- baking powder
- salt
Optional homemade jam filling
Skip this section if you are using store-bought jam.
1. Mix the pitted cherries, strawberries, or a combination of both with the sugar. Cover and let the fruit rest for 4-6 hours.
2. Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the fruit softens and the mixture thickens.
3. Puree the cooked fruit mixture, then pass it through a sieve for a smooth jam. Let it cool before using.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Sieve
- Stand mixer
- Cling film
- Baking paper / parchment paper
- Oven or air fryer
Make the cookie dough
1. Sieve the plain flour, baking powder, powdered sugar and salt into a bowl.
2. Add the soft butter or Nuttlex and mix until combined with the dry ingredients.
3. Add the cold milk gradually until the dough comes together. For the vegan version, use chia gel made with 1 teaspoon chia seed meal and ¼ cup water instead of the milk.
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
Oven method
5. Roll the chilled dough to about 1 cm thick. Cut into rounds with a cookie cutter and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
6. Use your thumb or the back of a small spoon to make an indentation in the centre of each cookie.
7. Spoon a small amount of jam into each indentation. Bake in a fan-forced oven at 160°C for 20-25 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden.
8. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.
Air fryer method
I retested these jam drops in the air fryer using the Nuttlex and chia version. Air fry at 160°C / 320°F for 14-15 minutes.
- Roll the dough into small balls, flatten them slightly and place them on parchment paper.
- Press the centre of each dough ball with your thumb or the back of a small spoon.
- Spoon a little strawberry or cherry jam into each indentation.
- Preheat the air fryer to 160C | 320F for 5 minutes.
- Place the cookies on parchment inside the air fryer basket and air fry at 160C | 320F for 14-15 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Related recipes
No Egg Jam drop cookies recipe
Equipment
- Sieve
- Cling film
- parchment paper
- stand mixer
- Oven or air fryer
Ingredients
Homemade Strawberry/cherry jam (or use store-bought preserve)
- 250 gram strawberry or de-seeded cherries
- ¼ cup sugar
For the cookies:
- 1 ½ cup plain flour
- ½ cup Nuttlex or soft butter Use Nuttlex or another vegan butter for the vegan version; use soft butter for the eggless version.
- ¼ cup milk For the vegan version, replace with ¼ cup water mixed with 1 teaspoon chia seed meal to make chia gel.
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar ¼ cup sugar, when powdered, gives about ⅓ cup powdered sugar.
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the strawberry/cherry jam:
- Slice the cherries, strawberries, or a combination of both and mix with the sugar.
- Cover the bowl and let the fruit and sugar rest for 4-6 hours.
- Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the fruit softens and the mixture thickens into a jam.
- Puree the cooked fruit mixture, then pass it through a sieve for a smooth jam. Let it cool before using.
Make the cookie dough:
- Sieve the plain flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the soft butter or Nuttlex. Add cold milk gradually until the dough comes together; for the vegan version, use chia gel made with 1 teaspoon chia seed meal and ¼ cup water instead of the milk.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
Oven method:
- Roll the chilled dough to about 1 cm thick on a lightly floured surface.
- Cut into rounds with a cookie cutter and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Use your thumb or the back of a small spoon to make an indentation in the centre of each cookie.
- Add a small amount of strawberry or cherry jam to each indentation.
- Bake in a fan-forced oven at 160°C for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool completely before storing.
Air fryer method:
- Roll the chilled dough into small balls, flatten them slightly and place them on parchment paper.
- Press the centre of each dough ball with your thumb or the back of a small spoon.
- Spoon a little strawberry or cherry jam into each indentation.
- Preheat the air fryer to 160°C / 320°F for 5 minutes.
- Place the cookies on parchment paper inside the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 160°C / 320°F for 14-15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool completely before storing.
Video
Notes
Substitutions
If you do not have time to make a jam, use a store bought preserve. Using preserve is better than using a store bought jam as jam is more stiff and gets a burnt flavor post baking. Some people also add ground almonds to the above recipe to make Austrian Linzer cookies or linzer kekse.
Storage
Store in an air tight container for 5-7 days at room temperature. However, eat as fresh as possible. They have a
FAQs
Yes. You can use a store-bought strawberry, cherry or other fruit jam instead of making the filling from scratch.
The tested recipe uses plain flour with baking powder.
Thumbprint cookies do not involve rolling the dough instead it is just taking a portion of dough and pressing with your thumb, hence the name. However you can do the same with the below ingredients in this recipe.
NV says
Really good recipe. Was finding one without using corn flour or oil and came across your recipe. Yours also requires no creaming of the butter or leaving aside the dough for a few hours.
Thanks for this one.
bhavana bhatia says
thank you so much!
Caroline says
Explained in detail... Love the tips and exact measurements given.. Thank you
bhavana bhatia says
Thank you so much for your kind words.