Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
Day #3 of cookie week! Can you believe we’ve made it this far?
I’m really excited about these cookies. It was one of those situations where the first time I tested the recipe, I knew it was a winner.
You see, many thumbprint cookies are soft and light and made using tons of butter. I’m certainly not opposed to using gobs of butter when necessary (see: yesterday’s cookie recipe). However, I tend to bake treats that are on the healthier side, and wanted to share a thumbprint recipe that was both gluten- and dairy-free, yet still delicious. These cookies end up with a little spice and a little crunch, which is a nice combination if you ask me.
I’ve made these thumbprint cookies using both almond and oat flours, so they are naturally gluten-free. If you wanted to make them grain-free as well, I’m sure you could omit the oat flour and use all almond flour (though to be fair, I haven’t tested it that way). You also have the option to use coconut oil instead of butter if you wanted to take the dairy-free route.
What I like about thumbprint cookies is that you can use whatever filling tickles your fancy at the time of baking. Nut butters, jams (perhaps my raspberry chia jam?), nutella, caramel — you could even press a Hershey Kiss into the dough.
The options are limited only by your imagination!
While researching different thumbprint cookie recipes, I noticed that those made using jam called for the cookies to be filled prior to baking. I tested these a couple of times, and found that the specific jam I used made all the difference. For example, we have a fig jam that is thick and rather sticky (that’s what… she said?), and those cookies made it through the 12 minute bake just fine. However, the Bonne Maman cherry preserves I used appeared to boil and then thin out while in the oven. Peter suggested that it may have to do with the water content of the jam, and I must say — that boy is pretty dang smart.
That said, I’ve written the directions to bake your thumbprint cookies prior to filling. If you decide to fill with jam and are feeling adventurous, you could certainly try out different kinds and test filling them before and after baking.
My issue is that I obviously can’t choose just ONE filing (shocking, I know). For that reason, I tend to bake my cookies and then fill them until my heart’s content!
- 1¾ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened OR ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- filling of choice (jam, nut butter, nutella, etc.)
- Preheat the oven to 350° F; line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk flours, baking soda, spices and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry, and combine until a dough is formed.
- Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls, and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Using your thumb or small spoon, gently press a indentation into the middle of each dough ball.
- Bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then fill each cookie with ¼ - ½ teaspoon of your filling of choice. See Notes for alternate baking instructions.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
I know they are called thumbprint cookies, but I find that using a ¼ teaspoon makes the perfect sized/shaped indentation (#manhands).
When made using a jam filling, many thumbprint cookie recipes call for the cookies to be formed and filled prior to baking. I've gotten various results depending on the jam used. Thicker, stickier jam tends to hold its shape during baking, while other jams boil and thin out. You may need to test different options to determine whether it's best to fill the cookies prior to baking or after they come out of the oven.
Enjoy these gluten-free thumbprint cookies, and stay tuned for a (much less healthy) holiday favorite coming up tomorrow!
