Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies – Delightfully crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and a dash of chocolate in the center. These chocolate thumbprint cookies are perfect for holidays or just a sweet chocolate treat on the weekend.
Healthy, Easy and Delicious Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
My family loves these chocolate thumbprints so much that I also made a Thumbprint Cookie with strawbwerry jelly too! Of course, you can use any flavor, but strawberry and raspberry tastes the best, in my opinion.
Ah, the sweetness of sweets. With the holidays in full swing, there is no better excuse for making something sweet to eat than right now. If you only have time to bake one batch this season, my special dairy free / gluten free thumbprint chocolate cookie recipe featured below is guaranteed not to disappoint.
How to Make Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Making a quick batch of our chocolate thumbprint cookies will not only taste good, but ensure you are eating whole foods that are healthy for you. Naturally, we have made some really great swaps in our ingredients from the classic thumbprint cookie.
I am pretty sure this thumbprint cookie is the most-frequently made sweet treat on our site. We get emails often around the holidays about how delicious and easy they are to make.
Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients to form your chocolate thumbprint dough, you’re halfway there. Follow these instructions:
- Using a small scoop or medium scoop, scoop the dough and place it on the baking pan about 2 inches apart. Roll each scoop into a ball.
- Using a moist 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon, push the teaspoon into the center of each dough ball.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, making the chocolate filling by placing the chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a heavy bottomed pan over low heat. Stir until a chocolate syrup is formed. Drop 1/2 a teaspoon full into each cookie and let sit for 20 minutes for the chocolate to set.
That’s it!
Satisfying, Whole Food Ingredients:
Here are some of our top ingredients that are sure to make these cookies delicious and satisfying!
#1: Omega-3 almond flour
Truly, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, probably because the ingredients are so surprisingly healthful and simple. Plus, you are absolutely not sacrificing taste at all. I even managed to spike the cookies with omega-3 rich almond flour.
#2: Dairy free chocolate chips
We use a high quality vegan dark chocolate chip (such as Enjoy Life brand “Dark Chocolate Morsels”). So delicious and healthier than the conventional chocolate chips made with dairy and lots and lots of sugar.
#3: Swap butter or shortening for coconut oil
The extra virgin coconut oil is used in place of butter or shortening. If you’ve never baked with coconut oil, you must give it a try. It’s a one-for-one swap with butter and leaves a crisp cookie on the outside while soft on the inside.
#4: Use whole grain gluten free flour
In this thumbprint cookies with chocolate recipe, gluten free flour and almond flour to make the flour mixture. This mixture is not only nutty and delicious, it’s also 100% whole grain with nut flours. Plus, it keeps gluten out of our recipes!
#5: Sweetened with organic maple syrup
Sweetened with “whole food” maple syrup, which keep our thumbprint cookies free from added refined sugar! (Note: the chocolate chips contain a small amount of sugar, but the amount is minimal when considering each cookie only contains about 4 or 5 little chocolate morsels.)
Kitchen Favorites
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are a perfect holiday cookie. Gluten free, dairy free and naturally sweetened with maple syrup!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup
- 1 1/2 cups
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- OPTIONAL: 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
Chocolate Filling:
- 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking pans with unbleached parchment paper or use a non-toxic baking stone.
- In a large bowl, add the almond flour, cacao powder, gluten free flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- To the large bowl, add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract (and mint extract, if using) and combine with a wooden spoon or hand-mixer for about 2-3 minutes until a dough begins to form. Knead with your hands if the dough is not forming.
- Using a small scoop or medium scoop, scoop the dough and place it on the baking pan about 2 inches apart. Roll each scoop into a ball.
- Using a moist 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon, push the teaspoon into the center of each dough ball.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, make the chocolate filling by placing the chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a heavy bottomed pan over low heat. Stir until a chocolate syrup is formed.
- Drop 1/2 a teaspoon full into each cookie and let sit for 20 minutes for the chocolate to set.
Last Step! If you loved our recipe, leave us a review below. This helps future recipe makers and ensures continued high-quality recipes for years to come!
Sherry Scoffield
Monday 20th of March 2023
Suggestion for elimating Almond flour as I'm sensitive? I use Cup4Cup for gluten free flour--o.k? Sensitive also to Coconut - alternative oil??
Aimee Niedosik
Monday 20th of March 2023
You can use either GF flour or cashew flour to replace the almond flour. I've not tried substitutes for the coconut oil - but maybe try avocado oil? Keep me posted!