Gluten-free thumbprint cookies made with cassava flour (grain free). They are filled with raspberry jam and drizzled with an almond glaze. Soft and buttery, these cookies make the perfect holiday treat.
Thumbprint cookies are a type of shortbread cookie. They are made with simple ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, egg) and have a soft, buttery, melt in your mouth texture.
To make these gluten-free, I use cassava flour. Cassava flour is a single ingredient gluten-free flour that can typically be used as a replacement for regular flour in baking. It is not highly processed and there are no additives (hello clean ingredients).
Traditional thumbprint cookies are filled with jam. For this recipe I used raspberry jam, but apricot and strawberry are other popular choices for thumbprint cookies! And if you want to be extra healthy, try using my homemade chia jam.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
CASSAVA FLOUR - This recipe is written specifically using cassava flour, which is gluten free and grain free. You should not sub any other gluten free flour.
I recommend either Otto's Naturals or Terrasoul cassava flour.
BUTTER - For a dairy-free thumbprint cookie, you can use coconut oil (I would use refined to avoid the coconut flavor) or vegan butter.
Note you will want to use room temperature butter!
SUGAR - I use organic cane sugar (I know it's refined, and that's so not like me, but once in while a recipe really is just better with the refined stuff... but hey, I use organic so it's cleaner).
Although I would normally use coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey, this cookie just wouldn't have the same flavor and texture, so I opted for the refined stuff this time.
ALMOND EXTRACT - I love the flavor of almond extract, but if that's just not your thing, you can use pure vanilla extract instead.
RASPBERRY JAM - For an alternative to raspberry, I recommend strawberry or apricot.
How to Make Gluten-free Thumbprint Cookies
Making these gluten-free thumbprint cookies is SO incredibly easy. You'll be making these holiday favorites time and time again.
But, plan ahead. You will need to let the dough chill for 1 hour before making the cookies, and then you'll need the cookies to cool for 20 minutes or so before adding the glaze.
Step 1: Using a hand held mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat on med-high for roughly 2 minutes. Don't skimp on the beating - this helps with the soft texture of the cookies.
Step 2: Add egg and almond extract. Beat on low until egg is incorporated.
Step 3: Add cassava flour to butter/sugar mixture, about ½ cup at a time.
Step 4: Continue mixing on low speed until all flour has been incorporated.
Step 5: Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. After dough has been refrigerated, begin rolling dough into balls and place on a baking sheet. Use roughly 1.5 TBSP dough for each ball.
PRO TIP: After you have rolled your dough into balls, lightly grease the bottom of a glass cup, or measuring cup, and slightly flatten each ball (this will help get the perfectly round shape you want in your thumbprint cookie and will help to keep the dough from cracking).
Step 6: Using the back of a 1 tsp. measuring spoon, make an indent in each ball of dough. Then fill each ball of dough with jam.
PRO TIP: Cassava flour dough is a little stickier than regular dough - to keep the tsp. from sticking, dip the back of the teaspoon into cassava flour before making the indents.
Step 7: Bake at 350 F for 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool on drying rack before adding glaze.
Step 8: Make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar (also called confectioner's sugar), almond extract, and water. Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over each cookie.
Now enjoy the best gluten-free raspberry almond thumbprint cookies!
FAQs
These gluten-free thumbprint cookies should be stored in an airtight container. They will stay fresh up to 3 days at room temperature, or you can store in the fridge for 5-6 days.
They are also great for freezing - store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature before eating.
Yes, you can. I prefer jam. I think jam tastes better and I like the pieces of fruit, but with that said, jelly will work too.
You can also try my homemade chia seed jam for an even cleaner/healthier option.
Yes! Chilling the dough makes it easier to roll into balls (because of the cassava flour, the dough is a little sticky), plus it helps the cookies to keep their shape and not spread.
The key to keeping these nice and round is letting the dough chill.
Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Single Ingredient Gluten-free Flour - baking with gluten-free flour blends can be tricky. Not with these cookies! Cassava flour is a single ingredient flour, so you get the same results every time.
- Easy - these gluten-free thumbprint cookies require only 7 ingredients and minimal prep time!
Expert Tips
Be sure to remember these tips so your cookies come out perfect every time!
- Making the perfectly shaped cookie- After you have rolled your dough into balls, lightly grease the bottom of a glass cup, or measuring cup, and slightly flatten each ball (this will help get the perfectly round shape you want in your thumbprint cookie and helps to keep the dough from cracking).
- Cassava flour dough is a little stickier than regular dough - Before making your indent in the dough balls, dip the back of your teaspoon in cassava flour; this will keep the teaspoon from sticking to the dough.
- Let the cookies cool before adding the glaze - It will be tempting to glaze right away, but let the cookies cool for about 20 minutes before making the glaze and drizzling over the cookies. If the cookies are warm, the glaze will melt all over the cookies.
More Dessert Recipes for You to Try!
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Healthy!
-Sara
Gluten-free Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies (dairy free option)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ¾ tsp. almond extract
- 1 ¾ cups cassava flour
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup raspberry jam
For the Glaze
- ¾ cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1 tbsp. water
Instructions
- This cookie dough requires 1 hour of chilling - make sure to plan ahead!
- Using a hand-held mixer, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat on med-high speed for 1-2 minutes until nice and creamy.
- Add the egg and almond extract and mix on med-low until just combined.
- With mixer on low, slowly add in the cassava flour ½ cup at a time. Continue mixing until all of the cassava flour has been added.
- Allow dough to chill for one hour in the fridge before making cookies (no need to cover).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Using about 1.5 TBSP of dough per cookie, shape the dough into balls and place on cookie sheets. Slightly flatten each ball of dough using the bottom of a glass cup, or measuring cup. Next, use a 1 TSP. measuring spoon to make an indent in each ball of dough (see notes).
- Fill each cookie with roughly ½ TSP. of jam.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or just until cookies are slightly browned on the bottom edges. You don't want to overbake... the softer the better!
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 20 minutes and then make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle over cookies. Allow glaze to set before eating or storing.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use a spoon to scoop flour into measuring cup and don't pack flour down.
- For dairy-free cookies, use refined coconut oil or vegan butter.
- Slightly flattening each dough ball will help get the perfectly round shape and help to keep the dough from cracking. Lightly grease the bottom of a glass (or measuring cup) to do so. See pictures in post as needed.
- To keep the tsp. from sticking when making the indent in each cookie, dip the back of the teaspoon into cassava flour.
- If working in batches, keep dough in the fridge and use room temperature cookie sheets for baking.
Can I substitute regular flour for the gluten free?
You cannot sub regular flour for the cassava flour - cassava isn't always a 1:1 substitute so I can't guarantee it would still turn out. Sorry about that!