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    Home » Recipes » Cookies » Coconut Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies

    Coconut Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies

    Published: Dec 15, 2019 · Modified: Dec 2, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    Jam thumbprint cookies are a perfect sweet treat that are so melt-in-your-mouth good, you would never guess they're gluten-free! A bit of your favorite jam in a coconut-coated almond shortbread cookie, it's definitely something to savor with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

    Several jam filled cookies on a foil sheet

    If you are looking for holiday cookie, these jam thumbprint cookies are IT!

    I have always associated making these cookies especially during the holidays.

    But really, they are so melt-in-your-mouth insanely delicious that you will love them any time of the year!

    And they're gluten-free without you even realizing it!

    This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's Jam Thumbprint Cookies, which I used to make every Christmas when I lived in California. After moving to Hong Kong, however, I stopped making them, and then I got re-inspired to making them again this year.

    But I made some changes...

    Less Is More

    The biggest thing is that this is a gluten-free version, so if you are on a gluten-free diet, you can enjoy these cookies! That being said, anyone who takes a bite of one of these gems will have no clue that the gluten is missing!

    There is still a little bit of sugar to give the cookie a bit of sweetness and its texture, but I've reduced the sugar by HALF and let me assure you that you don't miss it one bit!

    Another slight modification is that I used unsweetened flaked coconut. Besides the fact that I don't think you need to add more sweetness to the cookies, I actually had a very difficult time finding sweetened flaked coconut in Hong Kong. So I went with the unsweetened, only to discover that it was just as good, if not better!

    Finally, I substituted some of the dry ingredients with almond flour which gives the cookies a slight nuttiness that only enhances their deliciousness! They also make the cookies even more melt-in-your-mouth.

    The Dough

    The dough for these cookies can be easily whipped up in a bowl with a spoon. You can use a mixer, but it's not necessary.

    Like standard cookies recipes, you start by creaming the butter and sugar together. Then you add the dry, which is a simple gluten-free blend of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and almond flour. Mix it all together until you get a cohesive dough and no dry ingredients remain in the bowl.

    Collage: a bowl of flour ingredients, creamed butter in a bowl, a white spoon mixing dry ingredients and butter, a yellow cookie dough

    Since the dough is very soft at this stage, it needs to rest in the fridge for 30-40 minutes to let the butter stiffen up again and it will be easier to handle when it comes time to make the cookies.

    Rolling and Coating the Cookie Balls

    Once the dough has had a chance to chill, then comes the fun part! Portion the dough out to make 1 ¼" dough balls, about 1 oz. (or 30 grams) of dough each. Do all of this before you start doing any dipping/coating.

    Collage: A yellow dough ball in a hand, dough balls on a plate next to bowls of scrambled egg and white shredded coconut, a dough ball in yellow egg wash, a dough ball coated in shredded coconut

    Coat each dough ball in egg wash, being sure to let any excess drip away before coating the dough ball in coconut. Place the coconut coated balls on a parchment lined baking sheet.

    The "Thumbprint"

    To make the indent in the cookies, I used a ⅛ teaspoon measuring spoon and that worked like a charm! However, I've also used my fingertip or the round end of a mixing spoon. Despite the name, my thumb is too big! 😉

    Collage: a silver spoon making an indent in a dough ball, filling the indent in a cookie with red jam, a tray of jam thumbrint cookies

    Fill each indent with your favorite jam. We usually have St. Dalfour jams in the house, and I used raspberry for this recipe. All you need is about ¼ - ½ teaspoon of jam...don't overfill as you don't want the jam to bubble over when it's baking.

    Bake in a 425 deg F (220C) oven for 20 minutes and you are going to have a tray full of cookie deliciousness!!

    Closeup of a brown jam thumbprint cookie on parchment paper

    Crumbly almond shortbread with a subtle coconut flavor and just the right amount of sweet jam...these cookies are just ridiculously good. And they go so well with Yummy Cuppa English Tea Latte or your favorite hot beverage.

    Closeup of a hand holding a jam cookie with a bite taken out

    Melt-in-your-mouth delicious and gluten-free...what more could you want from a cookie? Even my boys, who are are more fans of chocolate chip type cookies, admitted that they were "pretty good"!

    Make up a batch to give away to friends, to serve for dessert, to enjoy with an afternoon tea...or do like I did and have one for breakfast (don't worry, I won't tell!).

    ~ Lisa.

    Coconut Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies

    These jam thumbprint cookies are a perfect sweet treat that are so melt-in-your-mouth good, you would never guess they're gluten-free! A bit of your favorite jam in a coconut-coated almond shortbread cookie, it's definitely something to savor with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
    4.75 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine: Western
    Keyword: holiday cookies, shortbread
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Refrigerate: 30 minutes
    Makes: 22 cookies
    Calories: 134kcal
    Author: Lisa from A Day in the Kitchen

    Ingredients

    • 225 g butter, room temperature (1 cup)
    • 50 g sugar (¼ cup)
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 140 g brown rice flour
    • 130 g tapioca starch
    • 80 g almond flour
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbs water
    • Unsweetened coconut flakes/shredded coconut
    • Your favorite jam

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer
    • Mixing bowl
    • Mixing Spoons
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Parchment Paper
    • Baking sheets

    Instructions

    • Combine room temperature butter and sugar and cream together using either a mixer or a spoon. Add vanilla and mix.
    • Combine brown rice flour, tapioca starch, almond flour. Add to the butter.
    • Beat mixture together until dough comes together and there is no more loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
    • With hands lightly dusted with brown rice flour or tapioca starch, press and shape dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
    • Preheat oven 350 deg F (180C).
    • Beat together 1 egg and 1 tbs water for egg wash.
    • Remove dough from fridge and portion out into 1 ¼" balls (about 30 grams or 1 oz. each).
    • Roll each dough ball in egg wash, being sure to let any excess egg drip away before rolling it in shredded coconut. Place on parchment lined baking sheet.
    • Press an indentation into each dough ball with the back of a ⅛ teaspoon measuring spoon, your finger, or the tip of a mixing spoon handle.
    • Fill indentation with about ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon jam. Do not overfill.
    • Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
    • Let cookies cool 10 minutes on the pan before using a spatula to transfer them to a sheet of foil on the counter to cool completely.
    • Store cookies in a container at room temperature or in the fridge.

    Notes

    • Cream the butter and sugar using a mixer or by hand using a spoon. Be sure the butter is room temperature so it is easy to cream.
    • Refrigerating the dough before rolling the balls is necessary so that it can firm up and is easier to handle.
    • Make the dough ahead of when you actually plan to bake and simply keep it in the fridge. In this case, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes so the dough is soft enough to handle and roll into balls.
    • You can use sweetened shredded coconut if you prefer a sweeter cookie. Because sweetened shredded coconut is stiffer and stickier than unsweetened, you may have to press the coconut into the dough balls as it may not stick as easily on its own.
    • Skip the coconut, if desired.
    • Be sure not to overfill the indents with jam. I use about ¼ to ½ tsp. Any more than that and it the jam will bubble over.
    • These cookies will hold together better when eaten a day after making them, or if they are kept chilled. They are delicious on the same day of baking, but will be more crumbly.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 134kcal
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @dayinthekitchen or tag #adayinthekitchen!

    **Recipe updated December 15th, 2020 because of a slight error in the measurements.

    A brown plate containing jam filled cookies, the words coconut almond jam thumbprint cookies on the bottom


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maria Bender

      April 27, 2021 at 8:09 pm

      Lisa, I am wondering if you've tried another flour instead of rice flour. I can't use rice, so I was thinking of subbing another GF flour in it's place, any suggestions? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Lisa

        April 28, 2021 at 7:27 am

        Hey Maria! While I have not tried substituting the rice flour myself, oat, millet, sorghum, or buckwheat are all possible options you can try (although buckwheat will affect the color). Let me know if you try one of these and thanks for the question!

        Reply
        • Maria Bender

          April 29, 2021 at 12:28 pm

          So Lisa, I had buckwheat, but thought it might be too strong. I decided to go with chickpea flour. The cookies actually turned out great, my son is really loving them. They hold their shape and are slightly crisp, with a slightly nutty taste. But I think I will take this same recipe, using the chickpea flour and make tea cakes. I think this dough will work great, keep their round shape and covering them with powder sugar will add a nice bit of sweetness. Anyway, it worked out well, better than I expected.

          Reply
          • Lisa

            April 30, 2021 at 5:28 am

            Thanks so much for checking back in, Maria! I'm really glad to hear that chickpea flour worked as I have never used it! I'm so glad you and your son like it and tea cakes sound like an awesome idea!

            Reply
    2. Zelka

      December 22, 2020 at 5:08 am

      Does 1 egg go in the batter or is that only egg wash? I made these and they just spread on the cookie sheet to be completely flat. 2nd batch is baking now in cupcake liners-
      Hoping that works.

      Reply
      • Lisa

        December 22, 2020 at 7:21 am

        The egg is only for the egg wash. The cookie is a shortbread, so there is no egg in the dough itself. The egg wash merely acts as a glue for the shredded coconut. I hope that helps, Zelka.

        Reply
    3. Erika

      December 16, 2020 at 1:36 am

      Half a cup butter is only 113 grams. That's a huge difference. I wonder which is correct, the half a cup or the 225g? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Lauren

        December 16, 2020 at 2:29 am

        When I made these with 1/2 cup of butter they didn't come together. I ended up adding a few tbsp water but they turned out very crumbly. I would assume the grams measurement is correct but it should be 1 cup butter, not a half.

        Reply
        • Lisa

          December 16, 2020 at 7:42 am

          I'm so sorry, Lauren. It was a typo on my part and the 225g/1 cup measurement is correct. I have corrected the recipe to show the correct volume measurement. I hope you'll give the cookies another try. Thanks for your comment.

          Reply
          • Lauren

            December 17, 2020 at 10:46 am

            No problem! Thank you for your clarification!

            Reply
      • Lisa

        December 16, 2020 at 7:40 am

        Big apologies, Erika. The weight measurement of 225g is correct and the "1/2 cup" note was a complete typo on my part. I have updated it to reflect the correct "1 cup" equivalent measurement.

        Reply
        • Erika

          December 16, 2020 at 10:00 pm

          All good:) Banking them today.

          Reply
          • Lisa

            December 16, 2020 at 10:13 pm

            Wonderful! Please let me know how they turn out!

            Reply
    4. Sean@Diversivore

      December 24, 2019 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      I LOVE thumbprint cookies. There's something so cute and delightful about them. And yet, I feel like I'm often let-down by them if they're not homemade (not enough filling, methinks). These look incredible, and I love the cakey, crumbly consistency you managed to get without using conventional flour. Cheers!

      Reply
    5. Terri

      December 23, 2019 at 11:17 am

      5 stars
      These sound so delicious and I love that they're gluten-free!

      Reply
    6. Marieke

      December 21, 2019 at 12:11 am

      5 stars
      These are great! Gluten-free holiday baking can be so frustrating, but these are beautiful!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        December 22, 2019 at 3:07 am

        Thanks, Marieke! Yes, those on gluten-free diets should be able to enjoy their holiday cookies, too, right?

        Reply
    7. Sabrina

      December 20, 2019 at 12:33 pm

      5 stars
      So good and so simple! I love this reliable recipe with wholesome real ingredients. Thanks for sharing Lisa!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        December 22, 2019 at 3:03 am

        Thanks, Sabrina!

        Reply
    8. Jessica

      December 19, 2019 at 12:27 am

      5 stars
      Love thumbprint cookies! And I love the simplicity of this recipe. Happy holidays!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        December 19, 2019 at 5:01 am

        Thanks, Jessica! Happy Holidays to you, too!

        Reply
    9. Colleen

      December 18, 2019 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      Thumbprint cookies are a tradition for us, and I love the crumbly texture of these ones, Lisa. Since I need to bake some gluten free now, I can't wait to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        December 18, 2019 at 8:12 pm

        Thanks, Colleen. Let me know when you make them!

        Reply

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    I cook up big ideas in my small kitchen in Hong Kong! My recipes are big on healthy eating, real food, and international flavors that you can create in any size kitchen. I also specialize in gluten-free cooking and baking, demystifying gluten-free and showing you how easy and delicious it can be!

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