An easy recipe for gluten-free thumbprint cookies. A soft gluten-free sugar cookie with a jam filling. The recipe also includes a how-to video!
Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
These gluten-free thumbprint cookies are a classic holiday cookie. These soft and sweet cookies can easily customized with your choice of jam, chocolate, or your favorite filling.
You can see just how easy these gluten-free thumbprint cookies are to make in the detailed recipe step photos or the recipe video.
Ingredients In Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
- Unsalted Butter: These cookies are made with softened unsalted butter. The butter brings both flavor and texture to the recipe. For dairy-free butter use Smart Balance butter or your favorite vegan butter.
- Granulated and Brown Sugar: Both sugars not only sweetens the cookies but helps give the cookies a softer texture.
- Pure Vanilla Extract and Salt: These ingredients are purely for flavor.
- Egg Yolk: It enriches the cookie dough with extra fat and protein. The extra fat with enrich the flavor and texture of the cookie and the protein helps with the gluten-free flour to mimic the texture of traditional flour.
- Gluten-Free Flour With Xanthan Gum: The gluten-free flour is the base of the cookies.
How To Make Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until the ingredients are well combined. (photo 1)
- Add the egg yolk, pure vanilla extract, and salt and beat until the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the gluten-free flour and mix until completely combined. Occasionally scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. The dough will seem dry and crumbly, but it will come together. (photo 2)
- Scoop cookie dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls using a greased cookie scoop. Roll the cookie dough in a round ball. (photo 3 & 4)
- Roll the cookie ball into a small bowl with the ⅓ cup of granulated sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet. Place the cookie dough balls about 2-inches apart.
- Use your thumb or the back of a rounded teaspoon to gently press an indent in the center of the cookie dough. (photo 5)
- Place the jam in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about 5-10 seconds, or until jam no longer firm and it is easy to stir. Stir the jam until it is smooth.
- Spoon the heated jam into each thumbprint, filling each indent to the brim. (photo 6)
- Bake on the center rack for 12-14 minutes or until edges of the cookies are turning light golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
Tips For Making The Best Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack of your oven and only one cookie sheet at a time for even baking.
- Make sure to heat up the jam and add the jam to the cookies before baking the cookies.
- To prevent the dough from cracking, roll the balls until they are really smooth and there are no lines or cracks in the dough.
- Do not place the second round of cookie dough balls on a warm baking sheet. Before placing your next batch of cookie dough on the baking sheet, make sure it has cooled completely. Not doing so can make your cookies spread.
Can I Make the Gluten Free Cookie Dough In Advance?
Yes, it is easy to make this gluten-free cookie dough ahead of time. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated for up to one day.
Gluten-Free Flour
This gluten-free thumbprint cookie recipe was developed with Pillsbury gluten-free flour. It is a cup-for-cup all-purpose gluten-free rice flour blend and already has the xanthan gum and starches included.
Most gluten-free all-purpose flour blends have starches and xanthan gum already in them. The xanthan gum helps replace the elasticity and texture of gluten.
So make sure to check the ingredients of your gluten-free flour so as not to add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already includes it. If you do, you will get gummy cookies!
My favorite gluten-free flour is Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
This gluten-free cookie recipe will not with not work with almond, oat, or coconut flour.
Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour
It is super important to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a Pyrex liquid measuring cup) to measure gluten-free flour. I measure the gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method.
I use a large spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Then I use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.
Please do not scoop the flour directly out of the bag with your measuring cup. If you do, you could end up with more flour than is called for in the recipe.
Ingredients Substitutions For Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
I have tested this gluten-free thumbprint cookie recipe with dairy-free ingredient substitutions. For the dairy-free butter use Smart Balance butter.
Easy Thumbprint Gluten-Free Cookies
This gluten-free thumbprint cookie recipe is made with a few simple ingredients and bake in just 11 minutes. They are a prefect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
Make sure to check out all of my Favorite Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies!
More Gluten-Free Cookies Recipes To Try!
- Gluten-Free Snowball Cookies {Dairy-Free Option}
- Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookies {Dairy-Free & Vegan Option}
- Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies {Dairy-Free Option}
- Gluten-Free Cut Out Sugar Cookies {Dairy-Free Option}
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Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter For dairy-free use Smart Balance.
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar for rolling
- ⅓ cup jam I used seedless raspberry jam.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the egg yolk, pure vanilla extract, and salt and beat until the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the gluten-free flour and mix until completely combined. Occasionally scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. The dough will seem dry and crumbly, but it will come together.
- Scoop cookie dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls using a greased cookie scoop. Roll the cookie dough in a round ball.
- Roll the cookie ball into a small bowl with the ⅓ cup of granulated sugar and place the cookie ball on the prepared baking sheet. Place the cookie dough balls about 2-inches apart.
- Use your thumb or the back of a rounded teaspoon to gently press an indent in the center of the cookie dough.
- Place the jam in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about 5-10 seconds, or until jam no longer firm and it is easy to stir. Stir until smooth.
- Spoon the heated jam into each thumbprint, filling each indent to the brim.
- Bake on the center rack for 12-14 minutes or until edges of the cookies are turning light golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container.
Video
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- This gluten-free cookie recipe will not with not work with almond, oat, or coconut flour.
- For the dairy-free option use Smart Balance.
- Mama says, "Make sure to always check all of your labels!"
Gracelene Dela Cruz says
Can I use cassava flour alone? Or chickpea flour?
Audrey says
Hi Gracelene! You cannot use either cassava or chickpea flour in this recipe. This recipe is developed with a gluten-free all-purpose gluten-free flour blend made with rice flour. I bake with Pillsbury gluten-free flour and I order it from Walmart.
Alia says
My whole family enjoyed these. I will be making them again.
Sharon says
Hi! I would love to make these with a chocolate filling – what would you suggest? A chocolate glaze or buttercream? Also, would you fill them after baking? Thanks in advance!!
Audrey says
Hi Sharon! You could use a chocolate filling. I would recommend a thick chocolate buttercream and you would add it after the cookie are completely cooled. Using a piping bag to fill the cookies. I have a chocolate peanut butter filling in my gluten-free peanut butter blossoms recipe that would work well too.