You can’t go wrong when peanut butter and jelly are involved. And in a cookie? Irresistible! These vegan and gluten-free thumbprint cookies are tender with crisp edges, packed with peanut butter flavor, and have a fruity jam center (a.k.a. cookie perfection!).
Plus, they’re easy to make with just 8 ingredients, 1 bowl, and 30 minutes required! Naturally sweetened, grain-free, and oil-free too! We know: It’s magic. Let’s get baking!
These thumbprint cookies begin by whisking together three simple wet ingredients: peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla.
Then we add almond flour and tapioca starch, keeping them gluten-free, grain-free, and with a texture that’s tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. Baking soda and salt are the final dry ingredients for rise and flavor.
After rolling the cookie dough into tablespoon-size balls, each one gets a press of the thumb, creating indents in the centers.
Then they’re ready for raspberry or strawberry jam and a quick bake in the oven.
After baking comes the hardest part. Try to wait for the cookies to cool for 10-15 minutes to help them hold their shape and to let the jam cool a bit so you don’t burn your mouth (not speaking from experience here or anything ?).
We can’t wait for you to try these thumbprint cookies! They’re:
Crisp on the outside
Soft on the inside
Peanut buttery
Perfectly sweet
Nostalgic
& SO delicious!
They’re the perfect cookie for PB&J lovers and would be so cute for baby showers, after school snacking, picnics, and beyond!
More Cookies for Peanut Butter Lovers
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 20 (Cookies)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (natural, unsweetened // see our peanut butter review)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour (we like Wellbee’s)
- 3/4 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup raspberry or strawberry jam
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Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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To a medium mixing bowl, add peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine. Next add the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt to the peanut butter mixture. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix well. You can use your hands if the mixture becomes too stiff to work with. It should look like thick cookie dough.
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Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll into balls before placing 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Gently press your thumb into the center of each cookie and place about 1/2-3/4 tsp of jam into the center. Smooth the top of the jam and repeat with each cookie. Recipe as written should make ~20 cookies and they won’t spread much, so they should all fit on a standard-size baking sheet.
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Bake in the oven for 13-16 minutes, until golden. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then enjoy!
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Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Enjoy at room temperature for best texture.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with Crofter’s Just Fruit Raspberry Spread for the jam.
*Adapted from our Easy Tahini Cookies.
Serving: 1 cookie Calories: 123 Carbohydrates: 14.1 g Protein: 3 g Fat: 6.7 g Saturated Fat: 0.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 3.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 95 mg Potassium: 110 mg Fiber: 1.3 g Sugar: 7.5 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 2.4 mg Calcium: 30 mg Iron: 0.4 mg