Jam Drops | Classic Old Fashioned Recipe (2024)

Published: by Lucy · This post may contain affiliate links · 89 Comments

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Our old fashioned jam drops are the most delicious melt-in-your mouth thumbprint cookies filled with sweet jam! Made from just 6 ingredients with less than 10 minutes preparation time!

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There's a very good reason that these classic jam drops have stood the test of time... they really are absolutely delicious (and SO simple to make!). Just like our old fashioned choc chip cookies, ANZACS and shortbread recipes, these jam drops are sure to become a family favourite!

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Ingredients For Jam Drops

Our simple jam drops are made from just 6 basic ingredients:

Please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for ingredient quantities and the full detailed method.

  • butter -you can use either salted or unsalted butter for this recipe. Soften the butter to room temperature before using.
  • caster sugar - this isalso known as superfine sugar and is a fine white sugar
  • egg -I recommend using a large egg (approximately 60g)
  • plain flour - this is also known as all-purpose flour
  • baking powder -this acts as the rising agent in this recipe
  • jam -you can use absolutely any kind of jam you like! Strawberry, raspberry, apricot or blueberry are all popular options.

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How To Make Jam Drops

It's so easy to make our jam drops using either hand-held beaters, a stand-mixer or a Thermomix.

Please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for ingredient quantities and the full detailed method.

Step 1 - Cream the butter and sugar

Beat until pale, creamy and smooth.

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Jam Drops | Classic Old Fashioned Recipe (5)

Step 2 - Mix through the egg

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Step 3 - Sift over the plain flour and baking powder

Mix together with a spoon until combined.

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Jam Drops | Classic Old Fashioned Recipe (9)

Step 4 - Roll the dough

Roll the dough into balls (using approximately 2 teaspoons of mixture per ball). Place onto flat baking trays and use your finger to create an indent. Add a tiny amount of jam to each indent (see my tips below!)

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Jam Drops | Classic Old Fashioned Recipe (12)

Step 5 - Chill the biscuits

Chill the biscuits in the fridge for 30 minutes (see my tips below).

Step 6 - Bake the biscuits

Bake the jam drops until very lightly golden.

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Tips For Making Jam Drops (And Avoiding Common Problems)

How To Stop Jam Drops From Spreading

One of the most common issues when making jam drops is that they spread too much. Here's 3 simple ways to avoid over-spreading from happening:

  • carefully measure your baking powder - only ½ teaspoon is required. The baking powder is the rising agent in this recipe so it's important not to use too much!
  • use just 2 teaspoons of mixture per jam drop. It might look like your jam drop mixture balls are tiny, but they will flatten and spread once baked.
  • the most important tip to avoid spreading is to chill the biscuits before baking! This allows the fat in the butter to solidify, which means that it will slowly melt when baked. If you don't chill the biscuits, they will almost certainly over-spread.

Rolling The Biscuits

This is a 3 step process:

  • Roll balls using 2 teaspoons of mixture and place onto flat baking trays. Place the balls at least 5cm-6cm apart to allow for spreading.
  • Use the tip of your little finger to create an indent in the middle of each ball. The indent should go approximately one-third to one-half of the way through the ball. Don't flatten the ball (it will flatten and spread when baking).
  • Use just a tiny amount of jam (and I can't stress TINY anymore!) in each indent. The jam should almost come to the top of the indent but should not be completely to the top or the jam will run when baked.

Baking The Biscuits

Jam drops take just 10 minutes to bake:

  • Rotate the trays partway through cooking.
  • The cookies are cooked when they are just lightly golden.
  • Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storing The Biscuits

Jam drops can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Alternatively they can be frozen for up to 3 months.

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More Classic Cookie & Biscuit Recipes

If you love our old fashioned jam drops, then please browse our other classic biscuit and cookie recipes:

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • ANZAC Biscuits
  • Condensed Milk Cookies (100 Cookie Recipe)
  • Cornflake Cookies
  • 3 Ingredient Shortbread
  • Monte Carlo Biscuits

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Jam Drops | Classic Old Fashioned Recipe (16)

Jam Drops

Our old fashioned jam drops are the most delicious melt-in-your mouth thumbprint cookies filled with sweet jam! Made from just 6 ingredients with less than 10 minutes preparation time!

5 from 125 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Australian

Cuisine: Biscuits/Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chilling time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 40 serves

Calories: 76kcal

Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

Ingredients

  • 180 g butter softened to room temperature
  • 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 300 g (2 cups) plain flour sifted
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • jam any flavour

Instructions

Conventional Method

  • 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.

  • Add the egg and continue to mix until combined.

  • Sift in the plain flour and baking powder. Stir gently to combine.

  • 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 apprximately 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.

  • Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

  • Leave the cookies on the baking trays for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Thermomix Method

  • Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line two baking trays with baking paper.

  • 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 egg and mix for 10 seconds, Speed 4.

  • 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 apprximately 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.

  • Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

  • Leave the cookies on the baking trays for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

Ingredient Notes:

  • butter –you can use either salted or unsalted butter for this recipe. Soften the butter to room temperature before using.
  • caster sugar – this isalso known as superfine sugar and is a fine white sugar
  • egg –I recommend using a large egg (approximately 60g)
  • plain flour – this is also known as all-purpose flour
  • baking powder –this acts as the rising agent in this recipe
  • jam –you can use absolutely any kind of jam you like! Strawberry, raspberry, apricot or blueberry are all popular options.

Recipe Tips:

How To Stop Jam Drops From Spreading

  • carefully measure your baking powder – only ½ teaspoon is required. The baking powder is the rising agent in this recipe so it’s important not to use too much!
  • use just 2 teaspoons of mixture per jam drop. It might look like your jam drop mixture balls are tiny, but they will flatten and spread once baked.
  • the most important tip to avoid spreading is to chill the biscuits before baking! This allows the fat in the butter to solidify, which means that it will slowly melt when baked. If you don’t chill the biscuits, they will almost certainly over-spread.

Rolling The Biscuits

  • Roll balls using 2 teaspoons of mixture and place onto flat baking trays. Place the balls at least 5cm-6cm apart to allow for spreading.
  • Use the tip of your little finger to create an indent in the middle of each ball. The indent should go approximately one-third to one-half of the way through the ball.Don’t flatten the ball (it will flatten and spread when baking).
  • Use just a tiny amount of jam (and I can’t stress TINY anymore!) in each indent. The jam should almost come to the top of the indent but should not be completely to the top or the jam will run when baked.

Baking The Biscuits

  • Rotate the trays partway through cooking.
  • The cookies are cooked when they are just lightly golden.
  • Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storing The Biscuits

Jam drops can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Alternatively they can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Did you try this recipe?Mention @BakePlaySmileBlog or tag #BakePlaySmile!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth Lee

    Jam Drops | Classic Old Fashioned Recipe (17)
    These are amazing! So easy, soft, and delicious! Although I took the shortcut and didn’t put them in the fridge, (as I didn’t have the fridge room)! Due to that, they spread out more, like mini pancakes! Still tasted great, and the more mistakes the better cook they say!

    Reply

  2. cheryl Armstrong

    Jam Drops | Classic Old Fashioned Recipe (18)
    Thank you for fridge tip, I’ve been cooking for over 60 yrs and didn’t know. My biscuits cracked around the edges when I flatten them.
    I followed the ingredients
    Regard Cheryl

    Reply

    • Lucy

      My pleasure!

      Reply

  3. Isabell

    Hi Lucy can you use self raising flour for this recipe and can you double the recipe

    Reply

    • Lucy

      Hi there, no I wouldn't as we don't want them to rise very much at all. But yes - you can double the recipe!

      Reply

  4. Jan

    Hi Lucy
    Just cooking your biscuits now they look good, I just wanted to know if you wanted to freeze these jam drops do you freeze with the jam or just the dough

    Reply

    • Lucy

      You can freeze them with the jam!

      Reply

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Jam Drops | Classic Old Fashioned Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my jam drops flat? ›

It might look like your jam drop mixture balls are tiny, but they will flatten and spread once baked. the most important tip to avoid spreading is to chill the biscuits before baking! This allows the fat in the butter to solidify, which means that it will slowly melt when baked.

How many calories in a jam drop biscuit? ›

There are 91 calories in 1 biscuit of Woolworths Jam Drop Biscuit.

What to do with old jam? ›

20 ways to use up jam
  1. Peanut butter & jam pudding. The popular combo of peanut butter and jam works beautifully in this peanut butter & jam pudding. ...
  2. Easy jam tarts. ...
  3. Chilli jam ploughman's. ...
  4. Blackberry doughnuts. ...
  5. Classic Victoria sandwich. ...
  6. Iced buns with jam & cream. ...
  7. Jam turnovers. ...
  8. Strawberry jam ripple ice cream.
Aug 29, 2023

What can I do if my jam didn't set up? ›

5 Ways to Thicken Homemade Jam
  1. Just wait. You've followed the recipe and even tested the jam for thickness by smearing a bit of the cooked jam on a cold spoon straight from the freezer, but it still looks runny in the canning jars after processing. ...
  2. Add chia seeds. ...
  3. Cook it again. ...
  4. Add pectin. ...
  5. Cook it in a low oven.
Sep 5, 2023

How do you firm up jam? ›

Whether you want to ensure a thick jam from the beginning or fix a runny jam, these techniques can help:
  1. Add chia seeds to the recipe. Chia seed jam is a method of making jam that requires no cooking. ...
  2. Use cornstarch. ...
  3. Try commercial pectin. ...
  4. Use gelatin sheets or powder. ...
  5. Reduce it on the stovetop.
Jun 13, 2022

What is the lowest calorie biscuit to eat? ›

The 9 healthiest low-calorie biscuits you can buy
  • McVitie's Rich Tea.
  • Lotus Biscoff.
  • Rhythm 108's Double Chocolate Hazelnut Biscuit.
  • Nice Biscuits.
  • Malted Milk.
  • Nairn's Dark Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuit.
  • Belvita Breakfast Biscuits, Milk & Cereals.
  • Make your own low-calorie biscuit.
Oct 31, 2022

Is Jim Jam biscuits healthy? ›

People with a sweet tooth can find it irresistible to grab a Jim Jam, once in a while. However, this high-calorie combo of simple sugar and processed carbs is not ideal for glucose optimization. It also contains polyunsaturated fats and inverted sugar syrup which can initiate a sugar spike.

How many calories are in 2 Jam donuts? ›

Table of Nutritional Information
Typical Valuesper 100gper doughnut
Energy340kcal224kcal
Fat12.9g8.5g
Saturates2.6g1.7g
Mono-unsaturates7.5g5.0g
8 more rows

How many years can jam last? ›

A: For best quality, it is recommended that all home-canned foods be used within a year. Most homemade jams and jellies that use a tested recipe, and have been processed in a canner for the recommended time, should retain best quality and flavor for up to that one year recommended time.

Is eating jam healthy? ›

Jam fruits contain great amounts of dietary fiber, folate (folic acid) and potassium to keep our digestion moving along and lubricated, making you less likely to get constipated.

What happens when you overcook jam? ›

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

Why didn't my jam get thick? ›

In order for a jam to set, you need enough pectin and acid. If either are missing, the jam or jelly won't set. You can test for both pectin and acid levels. Then, if there is enough pectin, the jam needs to be boiled for long enough to allow the pectin molecules to bind together.

How do I know if my jam is thick enough? ›

Pop a plate in the freezer at the beginning of your cooking time. Once you think that your jam has reached its setting point or has thickened, spoon a bit of the jam on the cold plate and tilt it vertically so the jam runs. You are aiming for a slow descent, not a runny mess. If it runs slow, it's set!

How do you get jam to set? ›

Pectin, naturally found in fruit is vital to make your jam set. With low-pectin fruits like strawberries, help them along by either mixing with pectin-rich fruit like gooseberries or by using jam sugar (with added pectin and citric acid).

How do you make jam thinner in consistency? ›

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

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