These thumbprint cookies are sweet, nutty, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Soft, buttery, and bite-sized, they’re perfect for Christmas baking!
When you were a kid, did your grandma ever have a tin of assorted cookies at Christmas? And did you ever dig through the tin to find that one cookie that was your favorite?
I sure did, and my favorite was always the one with the raspberry jam in the middle.
I haven’t had those jam cookies in YEARS, so this season, I made sure to include my version of healthy thumbprint cookies in our annual cookie-baking tradition!
HEALTHIER THUMBPRINT COOKIES
I’m pretty sure those thumb print cookies my grandma made didn’t use REAL jam… they were kind of gluey, and my grandma had that tin on her table for WAAAAY longer than jam should be left unrefrigerated.
And I’m pretty sure we can all agree that any cookie you find in a Christmas tin at TJ Maxx or Marshalls is probably not going to be the healthiest cookie, right?
But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy healthier thumbprint cookies this season! My version of this holiday classic is:
- Naturally gluten-free
- Refined sugar-free, no need for granulated sugar (they’re naturally sweetened!)
- Just 8 pantry staple ingredients
- Paleo
- Vegan-friendly – this recipe does not call for egg yolk or milk.
But that’s not all you guys. When I told my kids we were making “the kind of cookies that have raspberry jam in the middle,” my daughter LITERALLY pumped her fists and said “YESSSS!! Those are my FAVORITE!”
And the fact that she kept walking into the kitchen WAY more than normal – just to sneak a cookie in passing – proved her right!
CLASSIC THUMBPRINT COOKIE RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You only need 8 ingredients to make this classic thumbprint cookie recipe, and they’re all pantry staples!
- Almond Flour or Almond Meal. Required for the classic almond flavor of these shortbread thumbprint cookies. If you make your own Homemade Almond Milk, you can use the leftover almond meal in this recipe!
- Oat Flour or Whole Wheat Flour. Both are optional but help to offset the cost of almond flour – even if it’s just a little bit!
- Coconut Oil or Unsalted Butter. One of the main ingredients in shortbread cookies like this, which gives you that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Maple Syrup or Honey. Use either one here but know that the honey flavor will come through.
- Vanilla Extract. Here’s how to make your own.
- Almond Extract. We don’t need much, but a little splash gives amazing flavor!
- Salt. A pinch brings out the nuttiness of the almonds.
- Raspberry Jam. You can also use Strawberry Jam or Apple Pie Jam or blueberry jam or apricot jam… whatever flavor you want! If you have a jam no one loved on sandwiches, dessert is a great chance to use it up.
Psst! Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).
ALMOND THUMBPRINTS
Do you have to make almond thumbprint cookies with almond flour (or almond meal) and almond extract?
- For the classic thumbprint cookies we know and love, yes. That’s how you get that almond flavor!
- I don’t always keep these ingredients on hand, but I also don’t make these cookies year-round. For me, Christmas cookies are a special tradition, and I’m willing to buy a couple of things to make them. Not to mention, almonds are really beneficial for our health!
- I recommend buying a bag of almond flour and giving these a shot. If you have leftover flour, use it in Almond Flour Pancakes or Triple Fudge Paleo Brownies!
HOW TO MAKE JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Step 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to combine all the ingredients except the jam until it becomes a cohesive dough, about 1-3 minutes.
Step 3. Using a small cookie scoop OR a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Step 4. Wet your hands just a little bit and roll the dough into balls. Using a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon (tip: re-use the one you used to measure the almond extract!), make a small indent in the middle of each of the cookie dough balls.
Step 5. Fill the wells with about ¾ teaspoon of jam.
Step 6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are JUST slightly brown.
Step 7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 8. Store the jam thumbprint cookies at room temperature for one day or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (you can buy containers locally at Walmart or have them shipped to you via Amazon).
THUMBPRINT COOKIE RECIPE VARIATIONS
You can also make chocolate thumbprint cookies! Instead of filling the wells with jam, leave them empty while you bake the cookies, and fill them with melted chocolate chips after they come out of the oven. As the cookies cool, the chocolate will set too.
Make thumbprints with hearts! Use your thumb to make two prints in the shape of a heart for even more festive cookies, perfect for a Valentine’s Day treat.
Use up to half oat flour or wheat flour. We also tested several versions of thumbprint cookies by substituting some of the almond flour with oat flour and whole wheat flour and found that you CAN substitute up to one full cup of flour with either one. However, my family liked the cookie made with mostly almond flour and some oat flour best, so that’s how the recipe is written.
THUMB COOKIES FAQS
How long will thumb cookies stay fresh?
You can store thumbprint cookies for up to a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Do cookies with jam need to be refrigerated?
If you don’t eat the batch the day they’re made, yes. The jam is not shelf-stable.
Can you freeze thumbprint cookies?
Yes! They’re good for up to 3 months. I recommend flash-freezing them on a baking sheet in a single layer and then transferring them to a resealable freezer bag.
What if I want strawberry jam cookies instead of raspberry thumbprint cookies?
There’s no rule that says you HAVE to use raspberry jam in these cookies – that’s just what is traditionally used. In the spirit of keeping things affordable, use whatever you happen to have. If you want to splurge, cherry jam would be exceptionally tasty with the almond flavor in the cookie.
MORE HEALTHY COOKIE RECIPES
This recipe is part of an ongoing journey to make traditional Christmas cookies better for you. Here are a few cookie recipes we’ve already transformed:
- Healthier Sugar Cookies
- Healthier Candy Cane Cookies
- Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
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These thumbprint cookies are sweet, nutty, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Soft, buttery, and bite-sized, they’re perfect for Christmas baking!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups almond flour or almond meal
- ½ cup oat flour OR whole wheat flour (or additional almond flour)
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup jam of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle blade attachment to combine all of the ingredients except the jam until it becomes a cohesive dough, about 1-3 minutes.
- Using a small cookie scoop OR a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Wet your hands just a little bit and roll the dough into balls. Using a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon (tip: re-use the one you used to measure the almond extract!), make a small well in the middle of each cookie.
- Fill the wells with about ¾ teaspoon of jam.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are JUST slightly brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store the jam thumbprint cookies at room temperature for one day or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze thumbprint cookies for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 160
in the recipe it says good for 5 days in the refrigerator…but then another spot it says 10 days…which do you think is most accurate? this is a family favorite, they love for breakfast with eggs!
Hello Sarah,
This recipe has been updated. These thumbprint cookies can be stored for a week in the refrigerator. Happy to hear it’s a family favorite!
Delicious cookies! I divided my dough into two separate batches. The first batch I filled with Polaner’s All-Fruit Seedless Raspberry Spreadable Fruit. The second batch I baked unfilled, then later piped full of Tiffany’s chocolate ganache, the recipe for which I also found on this site. Both varieties were absolutely fabulous!! Thank you!
This was great! I was looking for a lighter version of thumbprint cookies, and gluten free. I did half almond flour, half gluten free flour. Added a tablespoon or two of milk as a result. Also I used coconut oil and found they held their shape well! Delish
So happy to hear this recipe worked so well for you!
These were fabulous! My daughter, who is 5, was diagnosed with Crohn’s and we are looking for healthier alternatives to familiar foods. These were a huge hit and SO YUMMY. I used homemade sugar free jam too!
YUM!! I’m so glad your daughter enjoyed these!
Delicious! I made them just as the recipe directed and used organic cherry jam. They are not too sweet but that is perfect for me!
The cookies turned out pretty good! The only two issues I had was that I used coconut oil, and that really over powered the flavor of the cookies in my opinion.
Second my cookies didn’t really hold the pretty shape, they sort of melted open and became blob-like. I think I could have possibly done something wrong? Otherwise these were good and easy to make!
I would def use butter next time!
Hi MM – it’s definitely the coconut oil! I’d love for you to try these again with butter, and possibly update your ranking. 😉
These were so good. I’m going to make them a yearly Christmas Tradition. Thank you!
You’re so very welcome!