Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies- Gluten Free Cookie Recipe (2024)

A classic cookie recipe made gluten-free. These gluten-free thumbprint cookies are buttery and soft. Fill with your favorite jam, or check out one of many other filling options. A drizzle of white chocolate gives a festive finish.

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I always think of these jam-filled buttery cookies during the winter holiday season. Growing up we always had them as part of our Christmas cookie tray and converting this recipe to be gluten-free was easy.

📖Why This Recipe Works

The base for this recipe is my gluten-free sugar cookies, but with a slightly different mixing method. Adding an extra egg yolk gives the gluten-free flour additional protein needed to give them the shortbread consistency.

Resting the batter for 10 minutes so it can hydrate is key to a firm cookie that doesn't fall apart.

With all of our different filling and decorating options, you can make them all your favorite holidays. However, the white chocolate drizzle I think looks the sharpest.

🧾Ingredient Notes

GF Flour 1:1 Blend-I tested this recipe with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour and Pillsbury Gluten-free flour. Both worked fine. And you should be able to use your favorite GF flour blend. As with all our recipes, do not use a single flour, like almond flour or rice flour unless the recipe specifically calls for it.

If your flour mix does not contain xanthan gum, you must add it.

Unsalted Butter- If you use salted butter reduce the amount of salt. You can use vegan butter to make these cookies dairy-free.

Eggs- Note you will need one whole egg plus one yolk. The extra fat helps keep the cookie moist.

Vanilla Extract and Almond Extract- The almond highlights the butter flavor, while the vanilla gives the cookie a little finesse. Be careful with the almond extract, a little goes a long way.

💭Filling and Decorating Options

The classic thumbprint cookie is typically filled with raspberry jam or apricot jam. But you can do any type of jam you like from blueberry or strawberry, even orange marmalade.

This is a great use for your favorite homemade jam. Personally, I love using this juneberry jam.

If you want to expand beyond the typically jam-filled thumbprint cookie recipe, try one of these other filling options.

• Lemon curd
• Fruit butter like apple butter or our strawberry spread
• Nutella
• Caramel
• Dulce de leche
• Chocolate ganache
• Buttercream frosting

You can also roll the cookie dough balls in nuts, sugar, cinnamon and sugar, or shredded coconut before baking.

Or leave them plain and drizzle on a little white chocolate frosting.

See the recipe card for exact quantities.

⏲️How to Make GF Thumbprint Cookies

This recipe comes together quickly so preheat your oven before you start making your cookie

Step 1- Make the Cookie Batter

This is a one-bowl recipe so grab a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat together the softened butter and sugar. It should be light and fluffy before you add in the eggs and extracts.

Mix until thoroughly incorporated and then slowly add in the flour ½ cup at a time.

Once all the flour is fully mixed in you need to let the dough chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

This serves two purposes, first, you need to reheat the gluten-free flour, and second, cooling the butter down will prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.

Step 2- Form and Bake

This dough makes 24 portions. Roll the cookie dough into small balls and place them on your cookie sheet. They should be about 1-inch wide.

If you want to roll the cookies in sugar or a sugar mixture, roll them in that now.

For a coating, like toasted coconut or ground nuts, you need to dip them in an egg wash and then roll them in the coating.

An egg wash is one beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of water or milk.

To form the well. Use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of each cookie dough ball creating a well for your filling.

If using jam, fill them before baking. For all other fillings, you fill them after baking.

Place the cookies into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet to cool for 1 to 2 minutes. Then move to a cooling rack.

If filling the cookies after baking, let them cool completely.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• You can use a hand mixer or the paddle attachment on a standing mixer.
• Room temperature butter means it is softened to the point that it is easily cut with a butter knife but not liquid.
• Be creative! Try different combinations of fillings and coatings.

🌡️Storage

Once baked and cooked, store your jam-filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Any longer than that and you can move them to the refrigerator.

It is better to freeze the unbaked cookies than the baked cookies. They crumble when thawed out.

Prepare the cookie dough up until the point where you make the indentation. Freeze the unbaked cookies on a tray. Once frozen, transfer the unbaked cookies to a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.

To bake, arrange the cookies a few inches apart on a baking sheet and allow them to thaw at room temperature while the oven reheats. Add the jam and bake as directed.

More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes

💬Frequently Asked Questions

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📖 Recipe Card