Gluten-Free Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

These gluten-free vegan thumbprint cookies are made with pecans, coconut, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla making them a healthier version of classic thumbprint cookies. They have the most wonderful flavour and texture and are easy to make in one bowl, with basic ingredients. Save a spot on your Christmas goodie tray for these sweet, little treats!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill however all thoughts and opinions are my own. I only work with brands I use personally and that align with my values here at Running on Real Food. Thank you very much for supporting the brands that support me.

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour

If you’re like me and not the most skilled gluten-free baker, you need Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour in your life. I’m in love with this stuff because it allows me to easily make recipes gluten-free without worrying about ingredients like potato starch, tapioca flour and xantham gum.

You can use it in everything from pancakes to muffins and it’s never failed me. It was the obvious choice for gluten-free  thumbprint cookies.

That being said, I also love Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour, Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Chickpea Flour and more of their gluten-free options and use them often in my kitchen.

I also usedBob’s Red Mill Unsweetened Coconut in this recipe. On that note, if you looked in my pantry, you would see it’s jam-packed with Bob’s products, everything from fava beans, to oats, to lentils, to chia seeds, to spelt flour. I love them and they have just about everything you’d ever need to stock your pantry.

Recipe Notes

1. Nuts. I used raw pecans for the nuts in this recipe but you can substitute them with almonds or a mixture of the two if you prefer.
2. Almond butter. I would recommend sticking to almond butter for this recipe but if you must, you can substitute a different nut butter.
3. Coconut. Make sure you use unsweetened fine or medium shredded coconut. I used Bob’s Red Mill.
4. Gluten-Free Flour. I can’t make any other flour recommendations besides Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. It has the perfect ratio of binders and flours needed for gluten-free baking. I’m not sure how to replicate that and I haven’t tested this recipe with any other flours.
5. Maple syrup. Make sure you use pure maple syrup. The only ingredient listed on the bottle should be maple syrup.
6. Vanilla. I would recommend pure vanilla extract but if you must, artificial vanilla is ok.

Quick Tip: For best results when baking, alway use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients.

Gluten-Free Almond Thumbprint Cookies

The pecan, coconut, vanilla and maple flavour combination in these cookies is so amazing. Add almond butter and you’ve got a firm but melt-in-your-mouth soft texture that everyone will love. Topped with jam, these really can’t get much better.

These cookies are gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free and vegan but I promise you won’t miss a thing.

Gluten-Free Almond Thumbprint Cookies

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

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Ingredients

• 1 cup (150 g) raw pecans
• 1/2 cup (40 g) Bob’s Red Mill Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• 1/2 cup (74 g) Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup (75 g) pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup (55 g) almond butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• jam for filling

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the pecans in a food processor or high-powered blender and mix until it forms a flour.
3. Add the coconut and mix until it forms a paste.
4. Place the coconut pecan mixture in a bowl then add the flour and sea salt and stir to combine.
5. Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla and almond butter and mix.
6. Roll into 14 balls and place on a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
7. Press a small well into each cookie using your finger. Carefully press any cracks in the dough back together if it breaks a little.
8. Fill each well with your favourite jam.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes (see notes) them a then remove from the oven and let cool completely before handling. This step is important and they need to firm up as they cool.
10. Store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

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Notes

• If you like them a little gooey in the middle, bake for 10 minutes. For a more well done cookie, leave them for 12. Either way, let them cool before handing. I liked them with 10 minutes baking time.