I made these Thumbprint Cookies for the first time on Superbowl Sunday. I know you don’t typically think of sweets when you think of Superbowl foods, and certainly all of the social media pics of Superbowl snacks were for savoury and salty snacks, but for me I’d rather have something sweet than savoury any day. Our Superbowl food this year included fresh veggie spring rolls, turkey chili, black bean chili and Thumbprint Cookies. The Thumbprint Cookies were the highlight for me because they satisfied my sweet tooth without being too sweet.
Cookies are quite nostalgic for me. They are always accompanied by wonderful memories. Thumbprint cookies were one of the most frequently enjoyed homemade cookies growing up. They were usually filled with the least expensive strawberry jam that was sold in the grocery store, because homemade strawberry jam was saved for toast. My mom used a recipe that was given to her from Mrs. West, an old family friend. My sister recently found a copy of the original recipe and made some for my nephew, who use to come home from school to find a batch of thumbprint cookies on the front doorstep, a drop off from his Nanny (my mom).
Classic thumbprint cookies are made with butter, sugar, refined flour and an egg. My revised version of traditional thumbprint cookies is a healthy reboot and that is quick and easy to make in just one bowl. They are made with almond and arrowroot flours instead of refined white wheat flour, tahini and olive oil instead of butter, maple syrup instead of sugar, and ground flax and water instead of egg.
What makes these cookies healthy and easy to make?
Gluten free and grain free. Almond flour is the primary flour in these cookies. Almond flour is high in protein, manganese, vitamin E and fiber. Almonds produce a lower glycemic response than grain based flours and have known antioxidant benefits.
Dairy free. The consumption of dairy has been associated with increased risk for breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Refined sugar free. Maple syrup is less processed than white or brown sugar and has a lower glycemic index, which means it won’t spike blood sugar in the same way as white or brown sugar. It also contains a variety of antioxidants and minerals like zinc and potassium.
Egg free. These Thumbprint Cookies are egg free for the plant based cookie monsters in your life, but they can be made with one egg instead of a flax egg.
Quick and easy to make. You only need one bowl, a mixing spoon, some measuring cups and spoons, a baking sheet and a piece of parchment paper. No electric mixer is needed for these cookies, making them fun to make to make with the kiddos.
How do I make chia jam?
You’ll find a recipe for Raspberry Chia Jam recipe here, or use your own homemade fruit preserves or jam for the jam filling.
If you’re a self-proclaimed cookie monster and would like more cookie recipes, you may want to try some of these:
- Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Super Simple Banana Cookies
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
Give these Thumbprint Cookies a try and let me know what you think. Leave a review below and be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram so I can see your creations.
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp cold water (or 1 egg)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup chia jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Prepare flax egg and chill in the freezer while measuring other ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, stir together almond flour, arrowroot flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add olive oil, maple syrup, tahini, flax egg and vanilla to the bowl and combine.
- Shape the dough into 1” balls.
- Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2” apart. Press an indentation in the center of each cookie. You can use your thumb, but I find a round 1 tsp measuring spoon, dipped in arrowroot to prevent sticking, works really well for the perfect round indentation.
- Fill the indentations with 1 tsp chia jam or homemade fruit preserves.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.
