Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

Last updated - ; Published - By Rhian Williams 19 Comments

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TheseGluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies are soft, melt-in-your-mouth "buttery" and filled with sticky, tart-sweet raspberry jam. They're also refined sugar free, come together in one bowl and the dough doesn't requirechilling. Perfect for Christmas!

Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (1)

What are thumbprint cookies?

Thumbprint Cookies originally come from Sweden, where they are known as Hallongrotta. They are known as Thumbprint Cookies in the US, where they are commonly eaten as Christmas Cookies. Similar cookies are eaten in Australia, where they are known as jam drops.

The cookies are usually made with a crunchy shortbread cookie dough, or a soft sugar cookie dough. I tested both and decided to use a sugar cookie dough for these cookies as I prefer the soft, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

What type of jam should you use for thumbprint cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are traditionally made with raspberry jam, but you can use any type of jam you like.

I recommend something slightly tart such as apricot jam or strawberry jam. You can also use any other spread you like, such as a vegan chocolate spread or vegan lemon curd.

How to make this recipe

Scroll down to thebottom of the post for the full recipe.

Tip: If the dough looks too wet: place it in the fridge for an hour to help it firm up. If it looks too dry: add a splash of any type of plant-based milk.

Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (2)

Tip: Line the baking tray with greased baking paper to make sure the cookies don't stick.

Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (3)
  • Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to form an indent in the centre of each cookie.
Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (4)
  • Fill each indent with a teaspoon of raspberry jam.
Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (5)
  • Bake in the oven for around 10 minutes - be careful not to over-bake!
Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (6)
  • They will still be very soft when they come out the oven, but will firm up as they cool down.

How long do these Thumbprint Cookies keep for?

These Thumbprint Cookies do taste best when fresh, but keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to afew days.

Substitutions you can make

  • You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
  • You can replace thecoconut oilwithcoconut butter.
  • You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
  • If you don't need the cookies to be gluten-free,you can replace the gluten-free flour with plain flour.
  • The ground almonds can be replaced with ground walnuts.
  • For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and use a nut-free plant-based milk.
  • For a refined sugar free version, make sure to use a refined sugar free jam or spread.
  • You can replace the raspberry jam with any other jam or spread.
Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (7)

More gluten-free vegan cookie recipes

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  • Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Oatmeal Cookies
  • Snickerdoodles
  • Chocolate Cookies
  • Carrot Cake Cookies
  • Millionaire Shortbread
  • Gingerbread Cookie Bars
  • Linzer Cookies
  • Homemade Oreos
  • Brownie Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
  • Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it arating, leave acomment, or tag a photo@rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipesonInstagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe

Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (8)

Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

TheseGluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies are soft, melt-in-your-mouth "buttery" and filled with sticky, tart-sweet raspberry jam.

4.42 from 31 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten-free thumbprint cookies, gluten-free vegan cookies, vegan thumbprint cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 14 cookies

Calories: 155kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

  • 30 g ( cup) coconut oil (or sub coconut butter)
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other similar sweetener)
  • 6 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
  • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
  • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend plus more for rolling (or sub rice flour, or plain flour if not gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
  • 14 teaspoons raspberry jam ** (or sub any other jam or spread)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).

  • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.

  • Add the maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla and salt and mix well.

  • Measure out the ground almonds, gluten-free flour and baking powder and mix well.

  • Add these to the other ingredients and mix well.

  • If the dough looks too wet, placing it in the fridge for an hour will help it firm up. If it looks too dry, add a splash more plant-based milk.

  • Shape into small round, flat patties and lay them out on a baking tray lined with greased baking paper - makes 14 cookies.

  • Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to form an indent in the centre of each cookie.

  • Fill each indent with a teaspoon of raspberry jam.

  • Bake in oven for 10 minutes - be careful not to over-bake!

  • They will be slightly soft when you remove them from the oven and will firm up as they cool down.

  • Taste best when fresh, but keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

Video

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour.

**Use a refined sugar free jam or spread if necessary.

Thumbprint cookies are traditionally made with raspberry jam, but you can use any type of jam you like. I recommend something slightly tart such as apricot jam or strawberry jam. You can also use any other spread you like, such as a vegan chocolate spread or lemon curd.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 155Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Sodium 12mg1%

Potassium 54mg2%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 60mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

More Baking & Dessert Recipes

  • Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Madeleines
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Muffins
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Cake
  • Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. Julie Harkey

    Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (13)
    I made these over the weekend and they were yummy. I used a strawberry jam sweetened with fruit juice and no refined sugar. Even my non-vegan husband liked them. Next time I will use apricot jam which is the husband's favorite!

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!

  2. Aidan

    Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (14)
    These are so easy to make and are delicious!!

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!

  3. Elizabeth

    Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (15)
    I LOVE these!! I make myself half a batch and try to not eat them all in one sitting! They really are delicious. I especially like to make them when going to a get together so that I have something sweet to eat since I usually can’t eat any of the pre-made desserts. As always, your recipes use easy-to-find ingredients and don’t take long to make. Two huge winners in my book! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!!

  4. Anonymous

    Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (16)
    They are nice and soft. I have also tried home-made coconut caramel sauce instead of jam.

    Reply

    • Rhian Williams

      Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!

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Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep gluten-free cookies from falling apart? ›

Chilling helps the flours and xanthan gum absorb liquid, which makes the dough sturdier and easier to handle. Without a proper rest, your cookies are likely to crumble. Think of mix-ins as the Spanx of the cookie world. They are a sly way to ensure that your cookies look like cookies, not misshapen gluten-free blobs.

Why did my gluten-free cookies not rise? ›

13- Make sure your baking soda and/or baking powder are fresh. These are the leavening agents in your cookie recipe and if they are no longer active, your cookies won't puff up and may spread more. Try a fresh container if they've been open longer than 3 months. 14- Use a tried and true gluten free cookie mix.

Why are my thumbprint cookies falling apart? ›

The dough should be chilled for at least 30 minutes, so that you can shape it into balls and indent without falling apart. Check that your oven temperature isn't too high.

Why are my thumbprint cookies cracking when putting thumbprint? ›

Thumbprints crack if the dough is too cold or pressed to aggressively. I recommend using your index finger and pressing firmly but make the indent slowly.

How do you make gluten-free cookies less dry and crumbly? ›

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

Should I add xanthan gum to gluten-free cookies? ›

Using xanthan gum helps provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity. Xanthan gum mimics some of gluten's most essential properties by sticking to flour and its moisture. This helps create moist goods that hold their shape after being baked.

How do you get gluten free baked goods to rise? ›

2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of gluten-free flour is necessary to ensure proper leavening. Baking soda and buttermilk can be used to leaven instead of baking powder, but 1-1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar should be added for each 1/2 teaspoon baking soda used.

What holds gluten-free cookies together? ›

Since there is no gluten there needs to be another way to level the cookies and keep them from falling apart. If you make home made GF cookies you would need to add an extra egg or two and more baking soda. That's how I get my home made cookies to work.

How can I improve my gluten-free cookie texture? ›

Give xanthan gum a try – This is a very common bonding agent in gluten-free baked foods. If your recipes tend to crumble too much then add some xanthan gum to the ingredients and you will get much better elasticity. These tips are amazing for improving the texture and taste of your gluten-free foods.

Should you fill thumbprint cookies before or after baking? ›

Thumbprint cookies should be filled before baking. This gives the jam time in the oven to firm up and set a little. That way the jam won't be spreading all over the place when you're eating the cookies!

How do I stop my thumbprint cookies from spreading? ›

Storing your dough in the fridge helps to harden the fat and prevent your cookies from spreading. Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Should you refrigerate thumbprint cookies? ›

No. After baking, thumbprint cookies do not need to be refrigerated. To store them, simply save in an airtight container at room temperature. You can store them in the refrigerator if you prefer, but it's not necessary.

Can I freeze dough for Thumbprint Cookies? ›

Absolutely! Thumbprint cookies will either have their indentions made before or after baking. If that occurs before baking, you can do that before they're frozen so that they're ready to go when you're ready to bake them.

What is the shelf life of Thumbprint Cookies? ›

When does Thumbprint Cookies expire? When does Thumbprint Cookies expire? Thumbprint cookies, whether homemade or store-bought, generally maintain their best quality for up to 1 to 2 weeks at normal room temperature.

Can I mail Thumbprint Cookies? ›

Do Thumbprint Cookies ship well? Yes. Firm and sturdy cookies are the best type of cookies to ship, so our Thumbprint Cookies handle the trip well.

Why do gluten-free cookies crumble? ›

Gluten-free flour is not a perfect substitute for wheat flour. Each mixture out there is designed to mostly work in certain kinds of recipe, but not in all of them. And yes, it is perfectly normal for a gluten-free cookie to be crumbly, since it is the gluten itself that holds wheat cookes together.

Why is gluten-free baking crumbly? ›

This might be due to the lack of gluten but can be for many other reasons. Lots of gluten free flour is rice based and this can result in a dry and slightly gritty texture. The Juvela gluten free White and Fibre Mix have been developed to be as comparable to gluten containing flour as possible.

Should you refrigerate gluten free cookie dough before baking? ›

This is because cold dough is less sticky, and it doesn't spread as easily, too. If you're making a gluten-free cookie recipe that you don't want to spread too much (like crinkle cookies), make sure to chill the dough before baking it.

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