If you love peanut butter and jelly but want an upgraded version of the classic, then make these no-bake thumbprint cookies. They are perfectly sweet, peanut buttery, and filled with a tart, flavorful jam. The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, and refined sugar-free.

Do you ever just crave a spoonful (or a few) of peanut butter? Yea, me too! I've always felt awkward being that person with a jar of creamy peanut butter at my desk. So, instead of eating peanut butter by spoonfuls, I've been trying to find some recipes that satisfy that same craving.

These no-bake peanut butter & jam thumbprint cookies are exactly what does the trick for me. They're rich, dense yet tender, with the perfect amount of sweetness. Since these thumbprints are mainly peanut butter, they are soft but rather heavy; definitely not your typical light and cakey cookie. In fact, they're more like peanut-buttery energy bites.

Tips for Making Peanut Butter & Jam Thumbprints

Ingredients

It only takes three ingredients (plus jam) to make these thumbprint cookies rich, peanut buttery, and addictive. Here’s what you need:

• Peanut butter: natural creamy peanut butter is the best for this recipe, meaning the only ingredients the peanut butter should contain are peanuts and salt. Make sure the peanut butter is well-stirred and runny. If it's too stiff/dry, the ingredients won't bind properly, and the cookies will crack when you make the indentation in the center. If all you have is dry nut butter, add a little bit of melted coconut oil to add some moisture back.
• Coconut flour: these no-bake thumbprints work with coconut flour, almond flour, oat flour, or a combination of these flours. Coconut flour is my favorite because it's slightly sweet and very soft. Almond flour is a close second with a slightly nutty flavor and a light, cake-like texture. Oat flour has the most neutral flavor but is slightly grainy, producing hearty peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies with a rustic feel. While you can substitute almond flour with oat flour in a 1:1 ratio, coconut flour is much more absorbent than the other two. So when substituting coconut flour with almond flour, for instance, you'll need to use four times the amount. 
• Maple syrup: I love the bold, complex flavor of maple syrup, but you can use any liquid sweetener you like. Just keep in mind that every liquid sweetener has a different level of sweetness, so you might need to adjust the amount. 
• Jam: strawberry jam is the classic filling for thumbprint cookies, but choose your favorite flavor of jam or use a mix. 

How to Make No-Bake Thumbprint Cookies

Once you’ve measured your ingredients, these no-bake thumbprint cookies come together in a flash!

1. Mix the ingredients. Add the peanut butter, coconut flour, and maple syrup to a medium bowl and mix until well combined. The mixture should be moist and tender, so the thumbprint cookies don't crack when you make the indentation. If it's too dry, add a tablespoon or so of coconut oil to help bind everything together.
2. Shape the mixture. Using a 1 ½-Tbsp./22.5-ml cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out the mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the ball onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Then, use your thumb to make an indentation in the middle of each cookie.  The best way to prevent the thumbprint cookies from cracking when making the indentations is to cup them in your palm, keeping the dough as compact as possible, and not to press too forcefully. If the dough cracks, smooth the cracks over before chilling.
3. Chill. Transfer thumbprint cookies to the refrigerator to firm up, for about 20 minutes.
4. Fill. Once chilled, spoon a little jam - about ½-tsp. - into each indentation. Repeat until all cookies are filled.

How to Store No-Bake Thumbprint Cookies

• Refrigerating: transfer the thumbprint cookies to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 1 month.
• Freezing: transfer the thumbprint cookies to an airtight container, separating each layer with parchment paper so the cookies don't stick together, and freeze them for up to 3 months. 

More No-Bake Cookies

• Peanut butter cookies: these no-bake peanut butter cookies are bursting with peanut butter flavor! They're perfectly sweet, chewy, and tender.
• Coconut macaroons: the most coconut-y of all cookies, these coconut macaroons will leave you in tropical, coconutty heaven. They are delicious by themselves but even more irresistible when dipped in dark chocolate.
• Chocolate coconut macaroons: if you love the combination of chocolate and coconut, these raw chocolate coconut macaroons will be your new favorite dessert. They are coconutty, chocolaty, tender, and slightly chewy.

If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

No-Bake Thumbprints Cookies

If you love peanut butter and jelly but want an upgraded version of the classic, then make these no-bake thumbprint cookies. They are perfectly sweet, peanut buttery, and filled with a tart, flavorful jam.

Prep Time25 mins

Chill time20 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: no-bake thumbprint cookies, no-bake thumbprints recipe, thumbprint cookies

Servings: 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter , smooth
• ⅓ - ½ cup coconut flour *
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 5-6 Tbsp. strawberry jam

Strawberry Jam

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Mix the ingredients. Add the peanut butter, coconut flour, and maple syrup to a medium bowl and mix to combine. The mixture should be moist and tender, so the thumbprint cookies don't crack when you make the indentation. If it's too dry, add a tablespoon or so of coconut oil to help bind everything together.
• Shape the mixture. Using a 1 ½-Tbsp./22.5-ml cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out the mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the ball onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Then, use your thumb to make an indentation in the middle of each cookie. The best way to prevent the thumbprint cookies from cracking when making the indentations is to cup them in your palm, keeping the dough as compact as possible, and not to press too forcefully. If the dough cracks, smooth the cracks over before chilling.
• Chill. Transfer thumbprint cookies to the refrigerator to firm up, for about 20 minutes.
• Fill. Once chilled, spoon a little jam - about ½-tsp. - into each indentation. Repeat until all cookies are filled.
• Store. Leftover thumbprint cookies keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. For longer-term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Equipment

mixing bowls

measuring cups

measuring spoons

Recipe Notes

*Every coconut flour absorbs liquids a little bit differently. Start with the lower amount and add more as needed.
**Nutrition information is approximate and may contain errors. Please, feel free to make your own calculations.

Nutrition Facts

No-Bake Thumbprints Cookies

Amount Per Serving (1 of 18)

Calories 127 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 4g8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.