I grew up eating some variation of thumbprint cookies. Typically it was a shortbread/butter cookie filled with jam, and I always loved the consistency of the jam after it’s been baked – kind of gooey, kind of thick. Sounds weird, but it’s delicious.
Childhood me also loved (and continues to love regularly) PB & J. So, of course the thought popped into my head – why not combine the two?
And, I figured I’ll do you one better. I made these totally gluten free, so that my GF peeps can enjoy them too! This cookie recipe is insanely simple, and most of the time is spent letting the dough chill in the fridge. End to end, you can have these on the table in an hour, with the dishes already done.
Making the cookie
So, what goes into this gluten free peanut butter cookie?
- Peanut butter
- Egg
- Sugar (granulated + brown)
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vanilla
And that’s it! You can totally change up the toppings as you wish, but for this recipe, the only additional ingredient is the jam you use.
The cookie base is super versatile, so if you’re not looking to go to the PB&J route, you’ve got lots of options. You can add marshmallows and chocolate chips to make them s’mores cookies, add crushed pretzels and chocolate for some sweet and salty, or add peanuts and chocolate for monster cookies. If you want to stick with thumbprints, you can fill them with any kind of jam, or you could bake them and then fill them with Nutella, peanut butter, etc. The possibilities are endless!
The process of making the actual cookie is as easy as combining the ingredients in a bowl, refrigerating the finished dough for 30-60 minutes, and then plopping 1 inch balls onto a cookie sheet, indenting them with your finger, filling with jam, and baking. It really doesn’t get simpler.
When it comes to baking these, you want to bake them for 8-10 minutes, until the tops are just firm to the touch. They’ll still be very soft, but they will firm up a bit as they cool, while staying super soft and chewy. If you like a firmer cookie, bake for an additional 2 minutes.
Storing the cookies
These thumbprint cookies keep well in or out of the fridge for a few days, just make sure they’re in an airtight container. They should be fine for up to 5 days or so in the fridge, and they’ll stay nice and soft and chewy. Out of the fridge, you’re good for about 3 days.
Gluten Free PB&J Thumbprint Cookies
Jacklin AltmanEquipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking Sheet
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar not packed
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup raspberry jam or other jam of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a mixing bowl, stir together sugars, baking powder, and salt.
- Add peanut butter, vanilla, and egg and stir together until you have a smooth batter.
- Wrap batter in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to allow it to firm up
- Once firm, scoop batter into ~1 inch balls and place on a lined cookie sheet (I use silicone baking mats and swear by them).
- Press your thumb firmly into the center of the cookies to create an indent. Fill indent with jam so that it’s not spilling over the sides (roughly 1/4 tsp).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the top is just firmed up. Cookies should still be quite soft, but they’ll get firmer as they cool
- Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack and then enjoy with a nice glass of milk!
Nutrition
Looking for more gluten free goodies?
Once you’ve made these, check out some of my other gluten free goodies at the links below!
7 thoughts on “Gluten Free PB&J Thumbprint Cookies”
Looks yum
I’ve made almond jam thumbprints but never peanut butter ones! They look great!
Thank you! I haven’t tried almond butter in this recipe – I’ll have to!
Super easy and super delicious! Like eating a PB&J sandwich only better! Will definitely makes these again (because they didn’t last very long)!
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