Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies

These healthy gluten-free thumbprint cookies are made with almond flour for a delightfully nutty, sweet, and wholesome treat. Only 6 ingredients, no eggs, dairy, or oil, and they're so much fun to make! They're a delicious after school snack, everyday dessert, or festive cookie for the holiday season! Plus, we've included tips for making your own jam!

I have very clear memories of eating Pepperidge Farm thumbprint cookies as a kid. Apricot was my favorite.

The buttery, slightly salty shortbread cookie combined with the slightly tart fruit jelly in the center...so good! Everyone loved those, right? I mean, I'm someone who chooses chocolate and vanilla desserts over fruity desserts 9 times out of 10, and even I loved them.

Now for the bad news. I just pulled up the Pepperidge Farm website to check the ingredients in their "Distinctive" Verona thumbprint cookies. Ugh, not good. Their ingredients include corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, milk, egg, vegetable oils, etc.

That's why homemade (gluten-free and vegan) thumbprint cookies are the way to go!

Why You'll Love Them

Since almond flour has a rich, naturally buttery flavor, I thought it would be perfect for creating a more wholesome, oil-free and gluten-free thumbprint cookie.

Obviously the texture of these isn't exactly like a butter-filled, classic thumbprint cookie, but I'm okay with that because these have other perks! And I have a feeling you're going to love them, too.

It's so easy to switch up the flavors (and colors - the colors are half the fun!) with a variety of jams, jellies, or preserves.

For a refined sugar-free option, choose a store-bought, all-fruit jam, or make your own simple, naturally sweetened jam at home.

See the blueberry jam below? All you need are two ingredients and about 15 minutes to make it! It's seriously that easy. And the fruit flavor becomes SO concentrated and delicious.

Ingredients

• almond flour - Currently I'm using this fine blanched almond flour by Nature's Eats, but any brand is fine. Almond flour is a key ingredients in the recipe and can't be substituted (at least not without more testing).
• tapioca starch - This helps bind the cookies. Feel free to substitute a gluten-free flour blend.
• sugar - I've tested these with regular sugar and coconut sugar. Other similar sweeteners should be fine, too.
• maple syrup - Adds more sweetness, a bit of moisture, and nice flavor.
• jam - Use your favorite jam, jelly or preserves - try strawberry, apricot, orange, raspberry, and blueberry! For refined sugar-free, choose a store-bought, all-fruit jam or make your own simple, naturally sweetened jam at home. More on this below!

See the recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.

How to Make Jam for Thumbprint Cookies

In a small sauce pan combine 1 cup of frozen fruit such as blueberries, cherries, blackberries, or raspberries (chop larger pieces of fruit) with 1 tablespoon of sweetener (I used maple syrup). Bring just to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Voila! You now have refined sugar-free jam! One cup of fruit will make a tad more than you need for these thumbprint cookies. Just store the leftover jam in the refrigerator, and enjoy it over the next few days.

How to Make Thumbprint Cookies

The photo above shows what the cookie dough should look like after you've mixed the wet and dry ingredients together.

The dough should be very moist, slightly sticky, but not wet. If you accidentally add too much water, just mix in a bit more almond flour.

I used a small cookie scoop to measure out the dough, which makes it really easy to get uniformly sized cookies, but you can also use a tablespoon. Scoop up about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie.

Next, use your thumb to create an indentation in the center of each cookie. After the first impression with my thumb, I like to use my index finger to even it out. Fill it up with jam and bake. It's as simple as that!

Tip! These gluten-free thumbprint cookies don't spread during baking, so you'll probably be able to fit all of them on one small baking sheet.

The photo above is what the thumbprint cookies look like before going into the oven. And the photo below shows how they look when done.

Thumbprint cookies are classic treat to share during the holidays, but I think they should be enjoyed year-round (especially when they're this healthy)!

I hope you enjoy these Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies. If you try the recipe be sure to rate it and comment below to let us know.

Oh, and if you're looking for more tasty dessert recipes with almond flour, be sure to try my Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies and Almond Flour Brownies next!

On facebook or instagram? Share a photo of your healthy thumbprint cookies and tag @myquietkitchen so I can see!

More Vegan Gluten-Free Cookies

• 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Cookies
• Healthy Vegan Pecan Sandies
• Oat Flour Peanut Butter Cookies 
• Spiced Tahini Cookies
• Oat Flour Double Chocolate Cookies
• Cashew Butter Cookies

Recipe