Gluten Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

by Kayla Berman on August 12, 2021 0 comments

My Uncle Jay’s favorite fruit is raspberries and every time I post a treat on Instagram he requests I make a raspberry one! I figured it was time to answer his wishes and boy did I deliver. He absolutely loved these Gluten Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies. Trust me, that is saying a lot from a raspberry lover and a big time gluten eater. If he loved these, I know you will too!

Gluten Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are a soft and buttery cookie filled with the raspberry jam of your choice! They’re lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup, have a bright & flavorful filling, and are complete with a simple icing drizzle. This healthier take on the classic cookie is truly melt in your mouth delicious!

What are Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies?

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are essentially a simple shortbread or sugar cookie dough filled with jam. In this case raspberry jam! They’re called thumbprint because of how they are made. You roll the dough into balls, flatten, and then form the hole in the middle with your thumbs!

These cookies are typically a Christmas holiday cookie, but I think they work for all seasons. Especially during summer berry season. These cookies are bright, beautiful, and fit right in for this time of year!

Ingredients needed for this recipe…

These cookies call for pretty much your classic shortbread or sugar cookie ingredients, with a little gluten free spin. A simple few as always!

Butter: Butter is the delicious base of these cookies! It provides that rich & classic taste we all know and love. You’ll need 6 tbsp!
Almond Flour: One of my favorite gluten free flours to bake with is almond flour. It makes for such a soft & light treat! 2 cups is needed for this recipe.
Oat Flour: You’ll also need 1/2 cup of oat flour! Read below for more details on oat flour – where to buy, how to make, and all things gluten free.
Pure Maple Syrup: I love love love to use pure maple syrup. It is a rich & delicious refined sugar free sweetener! 1/4 cup is all you need for these cookies.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is the other sweetener needed for this recipe. It makes up the sweet & simple icing. Add 3 tbsp!
Egg: Use 1 egg for binding and moisture.
Almond Milk: Add a splash of almond milk to the powdered sugar to make the smooth & creamy icing. 1 1/2 tsp to be exact!
Raspberry Jam: You’ll need 1/3 cup of your raspberry jam of choice for these thumbprint cookies.
Vanilla Extract: Add 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract to the dough to achieve that classic flavor.
Baking Powder: Baking powder helps to bake these cookies to perfection! Throw in 1/2 tsp.
Salt: Lastly, a pinch of salt helps to balance out all the sweet here. You’ll need 1/8 tsp!

How are these Raspberry Jam Cookies gluten free?

These Raspberry Jam Cookies are gluten free because of the combination of almond flour and oat flour in them!

Almond Flour: Almond flour is essentially a fine flour made out of ground almonds. Its a less processed flour with minimal ingredients and is highly nutritious. Almond flour is also completely gluten free, low carb, and paleo which makes it the perfect option for those with food allergies or sensitivities.
Oat Flour: Oat flour is a little more tricky and controversial on the gluten free front! Oats themselves are gluten free, but can sometimes be processed near gluten or on a surface that also processes gluten. Therefore, if you have a severe allergy or sensitivity I recommend you use certified gluten free oat flour or oats to completely ensure your cookies are gluten free!

Tip! Make your oat flour at home by simply blending oats in a high speed blender until a fine flour forms. Its easy & cheaper too!

How to make Gluten Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies from scratch…

Making these cookies from scratch is so so simple! You’ll have them on your table before you know it! And they’ll be completely gone even faster.

Here’s hows to do it:

Set the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl combine the softened butter, egg, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract. You can use an electric mixer, but a whisk should work fine too!
Next add in the dry ingredients – almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine evenly.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Remove from the fridge and roll about tablespoon sized scoops into balls. Place on a greased or parchment paper lined baking tray. Flatten the cookies and make little holes in the center of each cookie with your fingers.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Remove and fill each of the cookies with 1-2 tsp of the raspberry jam.
Bake for another 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cooled drizzle each with the homemade icing.
Enjoy!

How to make a sweet & simple icing drizzle…

This icing drizzle is truly the cherry on top of these raspberry thumbprint cookies. And it is just as easy to make as the cookies themselves are! You love to see it.

Here’s how to do it:

Add the powdered sugar and almond milk to a small bowl.
Mix until smooth & creamy.
That’s it!

Tip! Add more almond milk if the icing is too thick and more powdered sugar if it is too thin. Make sure to do so bit by bit, a little goes a long way here!

Can I customize these Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies?

Of course! Here are some delicious ways to customize your cookies:

Use a different jam flavor – Grape, blueberry, or apricot jam would be great options.
No drizzle – If an icing drizzle is not your jam, leave it out.
Powdered sugar finish – Instead of the icing drizzle try a powdered sugar dusting.
Almond extract – Lots of thumbprint cookies have an almond flavor to them, if that’s your thing add in a bit of extract.

How do I store these gluten free cookies?

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for about 3 days. Since they are pretty soft & moist and contain jam you should move the cookies to the refrigerator if they last any longer than that!

These cookies will keep there, in the fridge, for 1-2 weeks.

Looking for more cookie recipes? Check out the delicious ones below…

Connect with me!

If you make Gluten Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on instagram so I can see and share your recreations!

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.