A buttery almond flour cookie topped with a dollop of tart raspberry jam creates the most perfect treat for the holiday season! These vegan thumbprint cookies are our most recent dessert obsession. They are dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, paleo and refined sugar-free. The kids love helping to make them, and everyone loves eating them!
I am beyond obsessed with these vegan and gluten-free raspberry thumbprint cookies. They're the perfect little bite when I'm craving something sweet. A bonus, my kids love making them with me... they love to press their little thumbs into the cookie dough!
We are pretty much baking and eating them around the clock over here. If you're looking for a treat to bake for teachers, neighbors or friends, these would be perfect especially for this time of year!
Why You'll Love these Thumbprint Cookies
- Delicious cookies filled with your favorite jam
- Vegan and gluten-free version of the classic holiday cookie
- Uses just a handful of ingredients
- No electric mixer needed
- Quick and fun to make!
Ingredients
The thumbprint cookie dough is made with just 7 total ingredients. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities and full instructions.
- Dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda and fine salt
- Wet ingredients: melted vegan butter (or sub coconut oil), maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract
Optional add-ons include chopped sliced almonds, finely shredded coconut flakes or maple sugar/coconut sugar.
For the filling, feel free to use the jam of your choice. However, I highly recommend trying this easy raspberry chia jam for best results!
How to Make Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Form the cookie dough. Add the dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda and salt) to a large bowl and stir to fully combine. Add the wet ingredients (melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract) and combine using a wooden spoon. Set the cookie dough aside.
- Prepare an add-on (optional). If you plan to use one of the optional add-ons, set the one you have selected and lay it out on a plate in a single small layer for rolling (i.e. finely shredded coconut flakes, chopped sliced almonds OR maple sugar/coconut sugar). Set aside.
- Roll the dough into balls. Using a retractable cookie scoop, make 11 cookie dough balls (about 1.5 tablespoons in size each). Roll each cookie dough ball in the optional add-on toppings if desired. Note: if you choose to leave plain they will still be delicious!
- Make the thumbprint. Place each cookie dough ball on your prepared baking sheet and use your thumb (or the back of a measuring spoon) to press down in the center of each cookie to make a small well for jelly (do not push all the way through the cookie dough). If the edges crack a little that is okay. You can fix the edges with your fingers if you wish.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press your thumb in the center again to make sure the well is large enough to hold the jam. Immediately fill each "well" with ½ teaspoon of raspberry chia jam.
- Cool to room temperature. Allow the cookies to cool directly on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to fully cool. They will harden as they cool so be sure to wait to handle them until then. Enjoy after they have fully cooled or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Tip
If you are not concerned about keeping them 100% refined sugar-free then you can use turbinado sugar or organic cane sugar in place of the maple sugar or coconut sugar. You can also use store bought raspberry jam (or any fruit jam).
Thumbprint Cookie Filling
I fill the thumbprints with my homemade raspberry chia jam to keep them refined sugar-free. I love and use this jam in so many recipes (even if homemade jam sounds scary, I promise you can make this one!). I even use it to create homemade pop-tarts.
Of course, you can fill them with any type of jam that you like... or a little chocolate like I did for these Hanukkah gelt cookies! These vegan cookies are delicious enough by themselves to eat plain, but they definitely shine more with some fruit in the middle.
Almond Flour Keeps these Gluten-Free
I use super fine blanched almond flour as the base for these thumbprint cookies. It creates a perfect, fluffy cookie while also giving it a warm and subtle nutty flavor that I absolutely love. I bump up the almond flavor an extra level with the tiniest splash of almond extract.
I love baking with this gluten-free flour. Almonds are low in carbohydrates and high in protein. They also offer a good source of fiber, healthy fats, vitamin E and magnesium. They even provide iron and calcium.
This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, refined sugar-free, and peanut-free. Enjoy, and tag me on Instagram if you make these! I love seeing your creations!
More Vegan and Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
All of these recipes are free of dairy, eggs, gluten and refined sugars:
Vegan Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 11 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A buttery almond flour cookie topped with a dollop of tart raspberry jam creates the most perfect sweet treat! These vegan and paleo Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are our most recent dessert obsession. They are dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free and refined sugar-free too. The kids love helping to make them, and everyone loves eating them!
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups super-fine blanched almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅓ cup melted vegan butter (or sub coconut oil)
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Optional add-ons: chopped sliced almonds, finely shredded coconut flakes OR maple sugar/coconut sugar
- 6 teaspoons Easy Raspberry Chia Jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Form the cookie dough. Add the dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda and salt) to a large bowl and stir to fully combine. Add the wet ingredients (melted coconut oil or melted vegan butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract) and combine using a wooden spoon. Set the cookie dough aside.
- Prepare an add-on (optional). If you plan to use one of the optional add-ons, set the one you have selected and lay it out on a plate in a single small layer for rolling (i.e. finely shredded coconut flakes, chopped sliced almonds OR maple sugar/coconut sugar). Set aside.
- Roll the dough into balls. Using a retractable cookie scoop, make 11 cookie dough balls (about 1.5 tablespoons in size each). Roll each cookie dough ball in the optional add-on toppings if desired. Note: if you choose to leave plain they will still be delicious!
- Make the thumbprint. Place each cookie dough ball on your prepared baking sheet and use your thumb (or the back of a measuring spoon) to press down in the center of each cookie to make a small well for jelly (do not push all the way through the cookie dough). If the edges crack a little that is okay. You can fix the edges with your fingers if you wish.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press your thumb in the center again to make sure the well is large enough to hold the jam. Immediately fill each "well" with ½ teaspoon of raspberry chia jam.
- Cool to room temperature. Allow the cookies to cool directly on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to fully cool. They will harden as they cool so be sure to wait to handle them until then. Enjoy after they have fully cooled or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
*If you are not concerned about keeping them 100% refined sugar-free then you can use turbinado sugar or organic cane sugar in place of the maple sugar or coconut sugar. You can also use store bought raspberry jam.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
Deanna says
These are delicious! I added 1/3 cup of coconut flour to the dough for that extra "buttery" taste. Because of this I also added an extra tbsp of maple syrup and 2 tbsp of water to make sure they didn't dry out! I used the homemade chia seed jam (altho I strained the raspberry seeds out) and OMG they're SO SO yummy. I can't believe I have to wait until Christmas! I hope they all make it 🙂
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Deanna! I'm so glad you loved it and made it your own! Merry Christmas!
Rebecca Jones says
Made these today following the recipe exactly. I did purchase vegan chia raspberry jam. They came out perfect and so so good.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Rebecca! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed them!
Anne says
Can’t wait to make these! Silly question—is it 1/3 cup of coconut oil measured before melting? Or 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (measured after melting)?
Thanks!
Elaine Gordon says
Hi, Anne: It should measure about the same but in this recipe I measured before melting. I hope that helps. Best, Elaine
Blair says
You don’t have to post this, just wanted to alert you. I think the almond extract is accidentally omitted from the instructions for adding wet ingredients. I’m assuming you add it at same time of the vanilla extract?
Excited about these!
Elaine Gordon says
Oh thank you! I will update! Appreciate you alerting me. And you are correct!