Golden jam drops, the beloved thumbprint biscuits of Australia. An Aussie recipe with jam that’s quick, buttery, and perfect for arvo tea.
Hi, Ella here. If there is one bickie that guarantees smiles at school fetes, weekend barbecues, office morning teas and Nan’s kitchen table, it is the humble jam drop. This jam drops recipe is buttery, gently vanilla scented and finished with a jewel of tart-sweet jam that sets into a soft, sticky centre.
It is a biscuit you can whip up with pantry staples, shape in minutes and bake while the kettle boils. In short, the perfect easy Australian bake for real life.
In the next few minutes I will show you exactly how to make jam drops that hold their shape, stay tender for days and look neat enough for a gift box. I will also share small upgrades that turn this family favourite into a showstopper, plus storage, freezing, gluten free and dairy free options. You will see why so many readers call this the top jam drops recipe Australia wide in their households.
Along the way I will naturally use the primary phrase jam drops recipe because that is what you came for. I will also point out why these are aussie jam drops through and through and how to tweak them for easy aussie jam drops when time is short. Let’s get you baking.
Ask ten Australians about their childhood biscuits and at least nine will say jam drops. Every bakery has a version. Every school cookbook features them. They are sometimes called thumbprints in other countries, but the Australian style is a little different. The biscuit is slightly thicker, the crumb is more shortbread like, and we favour bright raspberry or strawberry jam that blooms in the centre like a sunny afternoon.
There is another reason these are beloved in Australia. Our food culture leans hard into recipes you can make from everyday ingredients without fancy gear. This jam drops recipe fits that spirit perfectly. Butter, sugar, egg, flour and jam. That is it, plus vanilla and a pinch of salt for balance. It is an aussie recipe with jam you will lean on again and again.
The base is a soft shortbread-style dough. It bakes up lightly golden at the edges with a tender, melt in the mouth crumb. The centre stays pale and delicate. The pool of jam becomes glossy and set but still soft to the bite.
Each biscuit tastes like a little butter cookie with a spoonful of homemade jam. That contrast is the whole point and why this jam drops recipe never goes out of fashion.
The ingredient list is short, but every item earns its place. Here is what you need and why it matters.
Use real unsalted butter, not spread. Butter is flavour and structure. Room temperature is important so it creams properly and traps little air pockets for lift. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt slightly.
Caster sugar blends more easily than granulated and gives a delicate crumb. If you prefer a slightly more sandy, shortbread finish you can swap half the caster sugar for icing sugar. Either way, do not overdo the sugar. The jam brings sweetness too.
One large egg binds the dough and helps browning. If your eggs are on the small side, add a teaspoon of milk to keep the dough supple.
Vanilla deepens the bakery aroma. Salt matters. It rounds the sweetness and lifts the butter flavour. Just a pinch.
Plain flour plus a little baking powder is my standard because it gives consistent results. If you only have self raising flour, use it and skip the baking powder. For a wholegrain nudge, replace up to one quarter of the flour with fine almond meal for a slightly more tender crumb.
This is where you can make the jam drops recipe your own. I love raspberry for colour and tartness, but strawberry, plum, apricot or boysenberry work wonderfully. Choose a jam that is thick. Thin, runny jam can bubble over or burn.
If your jam seems loose, warm it gently in a small saucepan and stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of chia seeds, then cool. It will thicken naturally.
A mixing bowl, hand mixer or stand mixer, a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, baking trays lined with paper and a teaspoon or your thumb for the indentation. No special cutters needed. This is an easy aussie jam drops approach that keeps things simple.
Beat room temperature butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. You should see the colour lighten and the mixture feel creamy. This step traps tiny pockets of air that help the biscuits bake up tender rather than dense.
Beat in the egg until fully combined, then mix in vanilla and salt. Scrape the bowl. Little pockets of butter like to hide along the sides and bottom.
Sift flour and baking powder together, then fold into the butter mixture on low speed until just combined. Stop when the dough looks smooth with no floury streaks. Overmixing can make tough biscuits.
Cover and chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. Chilling firms the butter so the biscuits hold their shape in the oven. It also makes scooping easier. If your kitchen is cool you can sometimes skip this step, but I find a short chill makes this jam drops recipe foolproof.
Scoop tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Place on lined trays with space to spread. Gently flatten the tops with your fingers.
Use the back of a rounded teaspoon, a clean thumb or the end of a wooden spoon dusted in flour to press a neat well in the centre of each ball. Do not press all the way through. If the edges crack, just smooth them with your fingers.
Stir jam until smooth. Spoon half a teaspoon into each indentation. It is tempting to overfill, but a level spoon usually gives the best look after baking. The jam will settle and widen a little as the biscuits bake.
Bake in a moderate oven until the edges are lightly golden and the jam is glossy and set. The centres will still look pale. That is what you want. Overbaking dries the biscuits.
Let the biscuits rest for a few minutes on the trays before moving to a rack. They are delicate while hot. The jam sets as they cool and becomes pleasantly sticky without being runny.
For a fete look, dust cooled biscuits with a whisper of icing sugar. For a celebration tray, drizzle with a little melted white chocolate and sprinkle with freeze dried raspberries. Either way you have an aussie jam drops platter ready for compliments.
My first proper baking memory is of making jam drops with my Grandma on a rainy Sunday in Newcastle. We were supposed to be cleaning the linen cupboard. She found half a jar of homemade strawberry jam and said the only respectable thing to do with it was bake. We used a wooden spoon for the indent and filled the kitchen with that buttery vanilla smell you only get from biscuits in the oven.
When the tray came out we sat on the back steps, burnt our tongues because we could not wait for them to cool and decided it was more than fine to leave the linen cupboard for another day. Every time I share this jam drops recipe I try to pass on that feeling of simple joy.
You can stay faithful to the classic or take a playful detour. Here are my favourite riffs.
Swap jam for a thick lemon curd and add a teaspoon of grated lemon zest to the dough. The citrus lifts everything and makes a fancy tea party version.
Warm a quarter cup of passionfruit pulp with a tablespoon of apricot jam until thick, then cool and use as the filling. This gives an unmistakable Australian fruit vibe.
Replace one quarter of the flour with almond meal, then roll the dough balls in finely chopped almonds before making the indent. The edges toast beautifully.
Use a teaspoon of thick chocolate hazelnut spread in the well. These are extra popular at kids parties.
Mix red and green jams like raspberry and kiwi or lime. Alternate colours across your tray and dust with icing sugar after baking. It looks like a string of Christmas lights.
Use a good quality gluten free plain flour blend and a dairy free block butter substitute. If your blend contains xanthan gum the biscuits will hold shape well. Chill the dough to be safe. This keeps the jam drops recipe friendly for more guests.
Even the simplest biscuits can throw the occasional curveball. If something looks off, here is how to fix it next time.
The dough was probably too warm or your butter was very soft. Chill the dough for 30 minutes and keep trays cool between batches. A touch more flour can help if your climate is hot.
Press deeper indents and fill with a little less jam. Cooling the formed biscuits for ten minutes in the fridge before baking also helps.
Use a thicker jam and avoid overfilling. If you only have a runny jam, stir it in a saucepan with a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a teaspoon of water and simmer briefly. Cool before using.
This usually means they were baked a little long. Pull them when the edges are just golden and the centres still look pale. Store with a slice of bread overnight to soften slightly.
Your oven may run hot or the tray was very dark. Use a light coloured tray, double up the trays or lower the oven rack.
Baked jam drops keep well in an airtight tin for four to five days at room temperature. The flavour improves by day two as the jam mingles with the crumb. For longer storage, freeze the unbaked dough balls with the indents made. Freeze on a tray, then tip into a bag.
Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two, and fill with jam once partially baked if you prefer. You can also freeze baked biscuits for up to two months. Thaw in the tin and refresh in a low oven for five minutes.
For lunch boxes, wrap two biscuits together so the jammed faces do not stick to anything else. These are also sturdy travellers for care packages. Pack them snugly in paper cups.
Jam drops are wonderful with tea, coffee or cold milk. At Christmas I alternate raspberry and apricot for red and gold. For birthdays I drizzle a little white chocolate and add sprinkles. If you want an easy Australian dessert platter, pair jam drops with Anzac biscuits, lamington fingers and chocolates. That is the aussie jam drops lifestyle.
These are treats rather than health food, which is part of their charm. One biscuit sits around 150 to 170 calories depending on jam and size. They are rich, so two make a perfect afternoon pick me up. If you prefer a lighter option, make mini jam drops by using a teaspoon of dough per biscuit and reducing baking time by two to three minutes.
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kcalButtery vanilla biscuits pressed with a neat well and filled with a glossy pool of jam. This jam drops recipe is a faithful take on the aussie favourite and makes tidy, tender biscuits that keep well.
180 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150 g caster sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
300 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch fine salt
180 g thick raspberry or strawberry jam, stirred smooth
Optional: 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest, icing sugar to dust
Yes. Raspberry with seeds gives a lovely texture. If seeds bother you, choose a seedless jam or warm and strain through a sieve.
Your jam was likely thin or you overfilled the wells. Use thick jam and stick to half a teaspoon per biscuit. Chilling the formed biscuits helps too.
Absolutely. Keep the dough in the fridge for up to two days or freeze for two months. Thaw in the fridge, then scoop and bake.
Store in an airtight tin at room temperature. If they feel a little firm after a day or two, place a slice of fresh bread in the tin overnight. The biscuits will gently soften.
Simple pantry staples, no special equipment and a forgiving method. That is the heart of easy Australian baking. This jam drops recipe is the definition of easy aussie jam drops.
You now have a reliable jam drops recipe that tastes like weekends at Nan’s, looks neat and bakes without fuss. The dough is simple, the jam is the star and the technique is easy to remember.
Whether you make a bright raspberry tray for a fete, an apricot version for afternoon tea or festive two colour drops for the holidays, you are baking a biscuit that generations of Australians love. Keep this aussie recipe with jam in your back pocket and you will never be short of a crowd pleaser.
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