Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies

Soft, melt-in-your-mouth gluten-free thumbprint cookies with sweet jam centers and smooth edges. This egg-free dough works with either regular or dairy-free butter and milk, making the cookies easy to make vegan.

Course Dessert, Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free christmas cookies, gluten free thumbprint cookies, vegan gluten free thumbprint cookies, dairy free thumbprint cookies

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 12

Resting Time 30

Total Time 1 7

Servings cookies

Calories 157kcal

Author Jamie Monkkonen

Ingredients

1 cup butter or vegan buttery sticks, softened at room temperature (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons)
⅓ cup sugar (70 grams)
⅓ cup light brown sugar (70 grams)
1 tablespoon milk of choice
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum (275 grams)
2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup sugar for rolling
½ cup jam

Instructions

Wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth and well combined.
1 cup butter, ⅓ cup sugar, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon milk of choice, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the dough: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, potato starch, and salt. Then add half the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining dry ingredient mixture and mix thoroughly until a soft dough forms.
2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour, 2 tablespoons potato starch, ½ teaspoon salt
Shape: Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and roll between your palms until completely smooth. Roll in sugar and place about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
If the dough is too soft, put it in the refrigerator very briefly to firm up so it's manageable. It's best to keep the dough as soft as you can manage so it doesn't crack when pressing thumbprints.
⅓ cup sugar
Indent and freeze: Slowly press your thumb or the back of a 1-teaspoon measure about one-third to halfway into each cookie. Repair any cracks by gently smoothing the dough with your fingers. Freeze for 30 minutes to firm up.
Fill: Just before taking the cookies out of the freezer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Warm the jam in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and stir until smooth. Fill each thumbprint to the brim with jam.
½ cup jam
Bake: Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are just turning golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheet.

Notes

Gluten-Free Flour: I tested this recipe with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. I use 275 grams for 2 cups. The blend already contains xanthan gum.

Dairy-Free/Vegan: Use vegan buttery sticks and plant-based milk. The recipe contains no egg, so no egg replacement is necessary.

Storage:Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Small Freezer: If your cookie sheet won't fit in the freezer, you can press the thumbprints on wax paper and transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet after freezing.

Soft Dough: If the dough is too soft to work with, refrigerate for 5-10 minutes at a time and try again. The softer it is, the easier it is to prevent cracking.

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