These gluten-free thumbprint cookies require only six ingredients and are ready in less than 20 minutes. The base for these soft, delicious cookies is blanched almond flour bound together with a bit of lemon, vegan butter, and maple syrup, and filled with homemade raspberry jam! The recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, vegan and naturally sweetened, making these cookies the perfect guilt-free treat!

Want more delicious vegan and gluten-free cookie recipes? Check out our Heart Shaped Thumbprint Cookies, Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies next!

almond flour thumbprint cookies with raspberry jam on a plate stacked on top of each other with white flowers blurred in the background

This quick and easy 6 ingredient thumbprint cookie recipe will quickly become your favorite! They are the perfect cookies for the holidays, whether gifting to a loved one or enjoying them for yourself. These gluten-free thumbprint cookies are soft, buttery, lemony, and filled with sweet jam!

Reasons You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies. It’s:

  • Easy. It’s a beginner-friendly recipe. No previous baking experience is needed!
  • Quick. Simply mix the ingredients in one bowl and your cookie dough is ready!
  • Perfectly sweetened: no need for confection sugar, white sugar, or any other processed sweetener. These cookies are perfectly sweetened with pure maple syrup.
  • Easily Customizable: You can use raspberry jam, blueberry jam, or your favorite jam!
  • The Best Egg-free Thumbprint Cookie Recipe: The texture is perfect: pillowy, soft, chewy cookies. Achieved without using eggs!
  • Made With Almond Flour: No need for any gluten-free blends or binders. All you need is almond flour to make these cookies.
four jam filled thumbprint cookies stacked with one thumbprint cookie in front of the stack

What Are Thumbprint Cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are made by rolling a simple sugar cookie dough into a ball, flattening them, and using your thumb to make an indent in the center of the cookies that you can fill with your favorite jam. The Swedish name for this popular cookie is “Hallongrotta”, which means “raspberry cave” in Swedish.

ingredients to make thumbprint cookies. gluten free blue diamond almond flour, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon, vegan butter, whisk

Ingredients You Will Need:

  • Almond Flour: Make sure to use finely blanched almond flour NOT almond meal. We used Blue Diamond Almond Flour to make these cookies.
  • Butter: We use Earth Balance Butter to keep these delicious, buttery cookies vegan. You can use regular butter instead if you would like.
  • Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is used to give the thumbprint cookies the perfect amount of sweetness while keeping them refined sugar-free. You can also use agave syrup.
  • Vanilla Extract: You’ll need just a teaspoon of vanilla extract to get that warm vanilla flavor. 
  • Lemon: The zest and juice from one lemon are all that is needed to give a light, subtle lemon flavor to the cookies.
  • Jam: We use a homemade jam for the thumbprint filing. It’s super easy to make homemade jam and my jam recipe takes less than 15 minutes! You can try my homemade Raspberry Chia Seed Jam, my Superfood Blueberry Chia Seed Jam, or simply use your favorite jam! 


How to Make Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies

  1. Combine the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until well combined.
    1. Remember when measuring the flour, do not insert the measuring cup into the bag of flour. Instead, use a spoon and scoop out the flour into the measuring cup to have a more accurate measurement.
  2. Scoop out a tablespoon of the dough and roll it into a ball. Place each ball on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  3. Make a small indentation in the middle of each cookie using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon.
  4. Fill the cookies with your favorite jam. Transfer the cookies into a preheated oven of 350°F and bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden.
  5. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
steps to show how to make thumbprint cookies. top left image is dough in a mound in a large clear bowl top right image is twelve balls of the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet bottom left photo is twelve balls with indents in each and bottom right image is close up of six jam filled thumbprint cookies before baking

Tips for nailing the recipe:

  • Mix the dough well so all the almond flour absorbs the liquid. Use a spatula to tightly pack the dough and make sure the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Roll the cookies in sugar if you like. Thumbprint cookies are generally topped with sugar before baking. We like to keep these cookies sugar-free. However, if you like, roll the balls into sugar before indenting for a sugary smooth finish.
  • To avoid cracks in the cookies roll the balls tightly and slowly indent the cookies with the back of a teaspoon. If you like, you can use the spatula or your fingers to smooth any cracks. (We don’t mind the cracks and feel they give the cookies a warm homemade look.)
close up of raspberry jam filled thumbprint cookies on parchment paper

Common Questions:

What is the best almond flour to use for these thumbprint cookies?

Not all almond flours are the same. In this recipe, we use Blue Diamond Almond Flour. It’s made from the best almonds and the flour is finely sifted, which means you get high-quality flour, making it easier to make the perfect desserts! If you cannot find Blue Diamond Almond Flour, make sure to use blanched almond flour, not almond meal.

Is Jam Gluten-Free?

Technically, jams that contain only fruit, sugar, and pectin should be gluten-free. However, some are not processed in gluten-free certified facilities and therefore may be contaminated with ingredients that contain gluten.

The best option is to search for jams that are labeled gluten-free OR make you’re own. It is very easy to make homemade jam and generally takes less than 10 minutes. Our Raspberry Chia Jam or Blueberry Chia Jam are great options!

mason jar filled with homemade raspberry jam and a gold spoon in front of the jar and a plate of thumbprint cookies in the background slightly blurred

What is the best way to store thumbprint cookies?

Store the thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. There is no need to store these cookies in the fridge, but you can if you prefer. They will last up to one week in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze my thumbprint cookies?

Yes! These cookies are perfect for freezing and enjoying later. Once the cookies are baked and have cooled at room temperature for at least an hour, you can freeze them. Place the thumbprint cookies in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each cookie. The cookies will last in the freezer for up to 1 (one) month.

When ready to enjoy, thaw the cookies overnight in the refrigerator. Rewarm the cookies in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

almond flour thumbprint cookies with raspberry jam on a plate stacked on top of each other with a mason jar of raspberry jam and a white flowers in the background

We hope you enjoy this Gluten-Free Jam Thumbprint Cookies recipe!

If you make them, don’t forget to rate the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag #goodfoodbaddie, and share them with me on Instagram! I love hearing from you!

More Gluten-Free + Vegan Deserts:

Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies (Vegan)

These gluten-free thumbprint cookies with Raspberry Jam come together in less than 20 minutes! They are moist, fluffy, delicious, and filled with homemade raspberry jam. (Vegan, Gluten-Free, & Refined Sugar-Free)
5 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Gluten-Free Dessert, Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 116kcal
Author: Capri Lilly

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups Blanched Finely Sifted Almond Flour
  • 1/4 cup Vegan Butter
  • 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Lemon Zest
  • 1 Lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 cup Raspberry Jam

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Combine the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Remember when measuring the flour, do not insert the measuring cup into the bag of flour. Instead, use a spoon and scoop out the flour into the measuring cup to have a more accurate measurement.
  • Scoop out a tablespoon of the dough and roll tightly into a ball. Place each ball on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Make a small indentation in the middle of each cookie using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon.
  • Fill the cookies with your favorite jam. Transfer the cookies into a preheated oven of 350°F and bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 116kcal

Similar Posts

22 Comments

5 from 16 votes (6 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating