Thumbprint cookies are considered a holiday recipe in some families, but in mine they’re considered a recipe for making any day a holiday. Like Tuesday, or Nap Day, or even My Child Folded Laundry Without Me Asking Day.
Soft and buttery, each cookie can be filled with your favorite jam. Or if you’re like me, favorites – raspberry, peach, blackberry, apricot, and strawberry jam all make my tastebuds sing. (Quietly to themselves of course, because no one wants to hear me actually sing. )
Like my blackberry jam recipe and this strawberry chia seed jam that only takes ten minutes of hands-on time to make, these scrumptious little morsels are super easy to whip up. No stand mixer or fancy cookie scoops required – all you need is a mixing bowl, some stuff to measure and mix with, a cookie sheet and your thumb.
One quick note: If you find that the room temperature dough is sticky to work with, you have two options:
- Place it in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes
- Oil your hands to keep them from sticking to the dough
I typically just oil my hands and keep going because waiting for cookies is not considered holiday-ish in my house, even when the holiday is made up.
Now, maybe you have some questions, like . . .
Can I make this recipe dairy-free?
Yep, I’ve tested this recipe with palm shortening and coconut oil and both work well.
Can I use another flour, like coconut flour or all-purpose flour?
Coconut flour and most all-purpose flour blends (even gluten-free ones) require a lot more liquid than almond flour, so substituting them in this recipe will not work. However, if you’re nut-free, sunflour (aka sunflower seed-based flour) might be an option. I haven’t tested it but sunflour typically works well as an almond flour substitute.
Easy Jam Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp butter (melted, or coconut oil, or sustainably harvested palm shortening)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp jam (any flavor)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot flour, and salt.
- Add the egg, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.
- Rub a little oil on your hands to prevent the cookie dough from sticking, then scoop out one tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball.
- Place the ball on the baking sheet and use the palm of your hand to flatten it a little. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
- Press your thumb in the center of each cookie dough ball to make an indention. I usually press my thumb twice to make the shape of an “x.” It doesn’t actually form an x but it creates a deeper, wider well to hold the jam.
- Scoop ½ level teaspoon of jam out of the container and place it in the indention. You should have a little jam left over when you’re done. Sometimes the jam can settle a little as the cookies bake, so I keep a little extra on hand to top them off if needed.
- Slide cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 14 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add additional jam to any cookies that need more if desired. Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
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Nutrition
More Easy Cookie Recipes
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies – Decorated with naturally colored sprinkles and plant-based, natural food dye, these sugar cookies are super easy to make and fun to decorate! One of our favorite holiday cookies for sure.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies – These ooey-gooey paleo cookies are one of my family’s tried-and-true favorite recipes. Ready in about 20 minutes.
Chewy Cinnamon Raisin Cookies – For most of my life I’ve thought of cinnamon raisin cookies as insulting imposters to chocolate chip cookies, but these bites of chewy deliciousness changed my mind. Like the recipes above, they’re gluten and grain-free.
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