bakingglutenfreememories Baking thumbprint cookies is definitely a good memory of mine. I recall them being a deliciously, buttery cookie filled with jam in the middle. They are great all year round, but I think they are a really good welcome to spring.
As most cookies tend to be loaded with cane sugar, these are not. Yet, the flavor and texture are very reminiscent of the thumbprint cookies I used to bake with wheat flour, they even look like them! The sweeteners I used are maple syrup and coconut sugar which perfectly sweeten the cookies while still letting the sweetness of the jam to shine through. That combined with the buttery cookie is heaven.
Additionally, only 8 ingredients and 1 bowl are required to make these cookies! There is a 2 hour chill time for these cookies before baking them. Simply chill them the night before if you are short on time the day you plan to bake them!
Ingredients You Will Need
- King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour
- salt
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- softened butter
- maple syrup
- coconut sugar
- jam of choice
These cookies are:
- soft
- buttery
- refined sugar free
- nut free
- and always gluten free
They make for a great snack or dessert! They also pair well with hot or iced coffee or tea as an afternoon pick-me-up! Another thumbprint cookie recipe on the blog to try are my Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies.
How to Make Thumbprint Cookies
To begin with, allow the butter to soften. The softer the better since it requires less mixing. Generally, the more batter is mixed, the more fluffy and cake-like bakes will become. We do not want that for cookies. To make it easy, leaving the butter out to soften overnight is a great way to ensure it is soft.
First, place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Then add in the coconut sugar and maple syrup. Mix together with a large spoon. Next, add in the vanilla extract and eggs and continue to cream the ingredients together. Leaving chunks of butter is fine, those will continue to get incorporated once the flour is combined.
Now, combine the gluten-free flour and salt. Mix well until the dough is nice and smooth. The texture of the dough will be a bit sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a small spoon to scoop out a spoonful of dough. Furthermore, use your hands to roll the dough into rounds and place them a couple inches apart on the cookie sheet. Then use your thumb to press down in the center of each cookie round, creating a hole, as pictured below.
Use your jam of choice to fill the middle of each cookie. Be careful not to overfill with jam since that will lead to a cookie volcano while baking.
Lastly, bake the cookies for 12 minutes on the middle oven rack. Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Storage Tips and Notes
- Different jam options include: raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, apricot, (as featured) blueberry, etc. I have tried them all in thumbprint cookies!
- Store these cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 days or freeze
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened (8 T)
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup (75ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cups King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour (222g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- jam of choice (I used Crofter's Apricot Just Fruit Spread)
Instructions
- Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Then add in the coconut sugar and maple syrup and stir together. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and continue to cream the ingredients.
- Pour in the gluten-free flour and salt and stir together until the dough is nice and smooth. The texture will be a bit sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Next, remove the dough from the refrigerator and use a small spoon to scoop a spoonful of cookie dough. Use your hands to roll the dough into rounds and drop them a couple inches apart on the sheet. Then use your thumb to press down in the center or each round, creating a hole.
- Now, fill the center of each cookie with jam. Be careful not to overfill. Place the cookies on the middle oven rack and bake for 12 minutes.
- Lastly, allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.
Yum! These are delicious😋 I used a cherry rhubarb jam. Listen when she says don’t over cook, sadly I overcooked the 1st round, they lose their flavor, but the next I cooked according to the directions. They were a good as I was hoping.
Thank you so much! Cherry rhubarb is a great choice! I am very happy you enjoyed them. 🙂