Hallongrottor (Swedish Thumbprint Cookies)

Hallongrottor (Swedish thumbprint cookies) are buttery, soft, melt-in-your mouth cookies. The tartness of the jam balances the sweetness of the cookie. These beautiful, jewel-toned cookies add a pop of color to your cookie tray. They’re a classic Christmas cookie which can be enjoyed any time of year!

Hallongrottor, also known as raspberry caves, are a traditional Swedish dessert that are widely popular in Swedish culture. These buttery shortbread cookies are shaped into small caves and filled with raspberry jam, which gives them their unique and delightful taste.

In America, these cookies are called thumbprint cookies, as they’re generally made by pressing your thumb into the center of the cookie and filling that indentation with jam.

History of Hallongrottor

Hallongrottor has been a beloved pastry in Sweden for over a century. It’s believed to have originated in the 1800s when sugar became more accessible to the masses. However, it wasn’t until the 1900s that the pastry became more popular, with many bakeries and households starting to make it.

The cultural significance of hallongrottor is rooted in the traditional Swedish concept of fika. Fika is a social tradition in Swedish culture where people come together to take a break from work, socialize, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with a small snack. Hallongrottor are a common treat that are served during fika and are considered an essential part of this social ritual.

The popularity of hallongrottor also extends beyond fika and into Swedish homes during special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations. They are often served alongside other traditional Swedish desserts like cinnamon buns, princess cake, and semla buns.

Looking for more cookie recipes? Try my Swedish cinnamon cookies (kanelkakor), maple glazed cardamom sugar cookies, or hindbærsnitter (Danish raspberry bars).

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Butter: Use unsalted butter so the cookies don’t taste salty. The butter should be at room temperature and soft enough that it will indent slightly when you gently press it with your finger. 
• All-purpose flour: Make sure to measure your flour correctly. The best way to measure flour is to weigh it. If you don’t have a scale, lightly spoon the flour into a measuring cup, then slide a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level it off and remove any excess flour.
• Cornstarch: Makes a slightly softer cookie with less spreading.
• Baking powder: Gives a little rise to the cookies.
• Vanilla: Enhances other flavors and adds a warm background note.
• Raspberry jam: I like the texture of jam with seeds, but if you don’t like the seeds, read on to see how to remove them.

How to Make Hallongrottor

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Add the flour, baking powder and cornstarch to a medium bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until it’s a light, pale yellow color and fluffy in texture, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.

• Add the flour mixture and mix on low until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
• This dough doesn’t need to be chilled, but if it’s really warm or the dough has been sitting out, you can chill them in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes before rolling the dough balls.

• Scoop the mixture from the bowl using a 1-tablespoon sized cookie scoop or a large spoon. Gently roll the dough in between the palms of your hands to shape the dough into balls. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Press the rounded back of a teaspoon or your thumb into the center of each cookie dough ball. If the cookie starts to crack, you can easily press it back together.
• Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of jam to each indentation. (The jam is added to the cookie before baking so it can set and firm up during baking).
• Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges.
• Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Expert Tips

• Use the rounded back of a teaspoon – If you’re like me and have a long-ish thumbnail, pressing your thumb in the center of the cookie creates an oddly shaped indentation and you get dough under your thumbnail. What I do instead is use the back of a teaspoon (from a measuring spoon set) to make the perfect indentation.
• Use a cookie scoop – A cookie scoop makes it so much easier to make the same size cookies which will also help them bake more evenly.
• Cool your baking sheet – If you’re using the same baking sheet, make sure it has cooled. If you add cookie dough to a warm baking sheet, the cookies will spread.

Variations

• Try different varieties of jam like strawberry, lingonberry or apricot. I prefer something that has some tartness to it to offset the sweetness of the cookie, but really any flavor of jam would probably work.
• Instead of jam, put a chocolate kiss in the center of the cookie.
• Fill the cookies with Nutella, salted caramel or applesauce and cinnamon.
• Top the cookies with powdered sugar or chopped nuts.

What Kind of Jam Should I Use

Use a real fruit preserves in these cookies. Preserves are nice and thick and will hold their shape better than a jelly or a fruit spread, both of which may become runny and soupy during baking.

How to Remove Seeds from Raspberry Jam

If you don’t like the seeds in raspberry jam and want to remove them before making the cookies, it’s a quick and simple process.

• Warm the jam on the stovetop over low heat or heat it in the microwave until just warm. Don’t get it too hot or boil it! You want it to be just warm enough to be able to go through a strainer.
• Strain the jam through a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, pressing the jam through the strainer with a spoon or rubber spatula.
• Discard the seeds. Let the jam cool before adding it to the cookies. That’s it!

How to Store Hallongrottor

Cool the thumbprint cookies and store them in an airtight container at room temperature on the counter or in the refrigerator. It’s best to store them in a single layer so they don’t stick together. If you’re going to stack them, place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer. These cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Can You Freeze Hallongrottor?

Yes, freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

Freeze the dough by wrapping it in plastic wrap then store it in a freezer safe zip top bag. Don’t forget to label the bag with the contents and freeze date! It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to make some cookies, let the dough thaw until it’s easy to work with but still cool to the touch.

You can also freeze cookies that are almost ready to bake. Roll the dough balls and make the thumbprint. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until they’re firm, about 30 minutes to an hour. Once they’re frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake them, let them thaw a bit but they should still be cool. Add the jam and bake as instructed. You may need to add a minute or two to the baking time.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies
• Swedish Strawberry Cake (Jordgubbstårta)
• Lemon Blueberry Cookies
• Lingonberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars