These are the BEST Almond Thumbprint Cookies. They’re perfectly moist, made with almond flour and topped with homemade jam and a light drizzle of frosting! Vegan variant included.
Are you a fan of fingerprints? Alex and I have a new version of the classic Then Well, we called it “the best”. And we think you’ll agree! These Thumbprint Almond Cookies are made with almond flour, homemade berry jam and sweetened with maple syrup. If desired, add our Easy Powdered Sugar Icing which takes them from good to amazing! With just the right chewy texture made from almond flour, these cookies are a healthy twist on the traditional flavor, but even better. Ready to start?
The highlight: homemade berry jam!
The highlight of these Almond Thumbprint Cookies is the homemade jam (similar to our Easy Strawberry Jam). The taste is unbelievable: it tastes like pure berries. And it’s made with maple syrup it is therefore free of refined sugar and just sweet enough. Although you can substitute store-bought jam, we recommend making the homemade version as it gives these cookies the perfect amount of sweetness and berry flavor. It only takes 15 minutes to whip, and for easy prep, you can do it ahead of time.
Frozen berries work well for making homemade jam: although you can use them fresh if you have them! Any type of frozen berry will work, however These cookies work best with mixed berries or raspberries. The photos show our mixed berry version. Using raspberries would give them an even brighter red color that would be perfect for parties and Christmas cookies!
almond flour makes better Almond Thumbprint Cookies.
What Makes the Best Almond Thumbprint Cookies? almond powder! Almond flour is made from finely ground blanched almonds: it is often used as an alternative flour in gluten-free baking. (Here are all our almond flour recipes: it’s perfect for cookies and cakes!) Be careful not to confuse it with almond flour, which is more coarsely ground and contains the almond shells.
Almond flour makes an almond thumbprint cookie with the perfect texture. This results in a chewy biscuit texture compared to a crumbly shortbread. Also note that this recipe doesn’t contain any almond extract, so it doesn’t have an almond-flavored essence: it’s simply made with almonds.
Are you in good health?
Are These Healthy Almond Thumbprint Cookies? Well, no cookie is actually a healthy food. However, we consider it a healthy rotation because:
- The dough consists of 2/3 almondswhich equates to more nutrients and less refined flour.
- Jam and batter are lightly sweetened with maple syrup, thereby making them refined sugar free. Although it’s still sugar, it’s a milder sweetness. It’s also just sweet enough, not a sugar bomb.
- The jam is homemade with real berries, giving it a small dose of real fruit. (OK, that’s not much, but more than most cookies!)
Can you make these gluten-free fingerprint cookies?
In these Almond Thumbprint Cookies, we used 2 cups of almond flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Using the mixture that has all-purpose flour in it gives the perfect texture. Using 100% almond flour can result in a very dense and crumbly cookie.
If you want Make them gluten free, use your favorite flour 1 for 1 gluten free instead of all-purpose flour. We don’t recommend making everything out of almond flour.
Can you make these vegan thumbprint cookies?
You can! Just replace the butter with coconut oil or vegan butter. The texture is such that they work the same!
Easy Icing Sugar Icing – in 1 minute!
To spice up these easy thumbprint cookies with almonds, we used our favorite trick: powdered sugar icing! I grew up with a cookie called Raspberry Swedish Cookies that was similarly glazed. As soon as we added the icing, we knew we had a hit.
We made these cookies with Alex’s mother-in-law. I mixed up the frosting and was back in 1 minute, ready to drizzle. “Wait, have you done that yet?” she exclaimed. She was thrilled to see how easy this frosting was to make! All you have to do is:
- mix together ½ cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk.
- Whisk until all clumps are broken up and glaze is smooth.
- Use a fork to baste on cookies! Using a fork will help achieve a fine drizzle, while a spoon may be too thick.
Looking for more great cookies?
And that’s it, the BEST Almond Thumbprint Cookies! Let us know if you try them in the comments below. We usually make these as a Christmas dessert or Christmas cookie exchange, but they work any time of the year. when do you do them
If you’re looking for more cookie recipes, here are some of our favorites:
This recipe for thumbprint almond cookies is…
Vegetarian. For gluten-free or vegan, see recipe below for alternatives.
The description
These are the BEST Almond Thumbprint Cookies. They’re perfectly moist, made with almond flour and topped with homemade jam and a light drizzle of frosting!
For jam filling
- 1 ½ cups frozen raspberries or mixed berries
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon Cinammon
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the almond biscuits
- 2 cups almond powder
- 1 cup general purpose or 1-for-1 gluten free flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 5 tablespoons melted butter (under coconut oil or vegan butter for vegans)
For the glaze (use about ¾ of it)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp Milk (or oat or almond milk for vegans)
- Prepare the homemade jam: Place berries, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat for 10-12 minutes until the berries break down. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl and mash the berries with a spatula. Return the sauce to the same pan, then add the cornstarch and heat over low heat until bubbly and thick, 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let cool while you bake the cookies. (This step can be done ahead of time and refrigerated up to 1 week before making the cookies.)
- Bake cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and maple syrup. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until well combined.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into small balls, about 12 for one tray, 24 total. Start with one sheet and then chill the dough for the second sheet. Gently press your thumb into the center of the ball. (You can shape the cookie with your fingers if it breaks a little.) Then add about ½ teaspoon of jam to each cookie.
- Bake the first sheet for 13 to 15 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the second sheet, bake and let cool (cooking the sheets separately allows for a more even bake).
- Glaze the cookies (optional – if you freeze them, add them afterwards): Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), prepare the icing. Whisk together the sugar and confectioner’s milk (start with a little less if using non-dairy milk) until the sauce is smooth and any lumps are gone. Place the biscuits on baking paper, dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle in a zigzag pattern. Let the cookies sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes until the glaze is dry.
- Store at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. For frozen baked cookies without icing, place in an airtight container and freeze for 2-3 minutes. Once thawed at room temperature, add the frosting.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: Cookies
Keywords: Almond Fingerprint Cookies, Easy Fingerprint Cookies
