Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Peanut butter and jam is one of the most iconic combinations and this gluten-free little cookie gives the best of both worlds. Chewy with just the right sweetness and gemmed with a shiny spoonful of jam, these treats are as pretty as they are delicious.
Servings: 14 cookies
Calories: 144kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup natural peanut butter
- ¾ cup organic coconut sugar
- ¼ tsp Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup homemade jam (more if needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl combine the peanut butter, coconut sugar, salt and vanilla extract together.
- Add the egg and mix thoroughly to incorporate it (ensuring there are no clots or blobs of egg visible, alternatively you can whisk the egg in a separate bowl before adding it to the dough).
- Add your finely ground blanched almond flour and baking powder and combine to form a firm dough.
- Roll your dough into balls or scoop your dough by the tablespoonful onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper into 12-14 portions, and, using the tips of your fingers, make an indent in the middle of each cookie dough and work outwards to create an indent or "thumbprint".
- Option 1: Fill each of the cookie indents with a spoonful of jam being sure to not overfill them.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Note that the cookies will be soft when removed from the oven, they will harden as they cool.
- Option 2: After baking and cooling slightly, fill each indent with a spoonful of jam.
- Enjoy by themselves or with a cold glass of your favorite milk! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week. If left unfilled, you can freeze your cookies for up to 3 months.
Notes
- The use of coconut sugar is recommended since it will not make your cookie overbearingly sweet like other sugars will plus it adds an almost caramelized flavor to your cookie in addition to being a low GI sugar.
- You can also substitute 2 tbsp of coconut flour in place of the almond flour but note that the coconut flour will impart a wonderfully coconut flavor.
- Parchment paper or a baking mat is recommended as it will keep the bottoms of your cookies from burning or cooking faster than the tops.
- If you didn't fill your cookies prior to baking they might puff up a bit which reduces the depth of your indent. If that happens you can gently press down on the indent using the back of a spoon once they're out of the oven (but before they've cooled).
- The benefits of filling your cookies before baking are that the jam gets baked into the cookie and since some moisture is removed it can be handled without the risk of filling leaking out.
- The benefits of filling your cookies after you've baked them is that you can fill them just prior to eating them which reduces the risk of a soggy cookie and extends the cookie's lifespan as well as makes them easier to store.