My Gluten-Free Vegan Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies are the ultimate healthy cookie recipe! They are made with only 8 clean ingredients, no eggs, no flour, no refined sugar, and are ready in under 30 minutes!
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Table of Contents
Here's Why This Recipe Works
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- 100% Gluten-Free + Vegan...No Flour, No Butter, No Eggs!
- No Refined Sugars...Naturally Sweetened with Maple Syrup
- Made with Only 8 Clean Ingredients!
You can't go wrong with these Gluten-Free Vegan Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies because they are a favorite that everyone will love.
Peanut butter "thumbprint" cookies are also known as "Peanut Butter Blossoms" or "Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies" because in that version a chocolate Hershey's Kiss is placed in the center of the cookie.
But no matter what you call them, they are a chocolate + peanut butter lover's dream come true!
I based them off my Gluten-Free Vegan Flourless Caramel Thumbprint Cookies, which used my Vegan Caramel Sauce as the filling (yum!).
So, to change things up just a little bit, these flourless, egg-free peanut butter cookies are filled with a chocolate + peanut butter filling (double yum!) and then drizzled with more of the same chocolate + peanut butter filling.
You can never have too much chocolate + peanut butter!
This is a one bowl cookie recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to make these cookies, including baking time, and they are especially good right out of the refrigerator after the filling has firmed up and is nice and thick.
"Feel good about what you eat..."
- Karielyn Tillman
Ingredients
Here are the clean ingredients I used to make this recipe. Try to buy organic if possible.
- Almond Flour
- Peanut Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Coconut Oil
- Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Extract
- Himalayan Pink Salt
5 Fast Facts About Peanuts* (Peanut Butter): excellent source of vitamin E; high in folate; contains tryptophan which helps fight depression; good source of fiber; excellent source of vegan protein*
5 Fast Facts About Almonds* (Almond Flour): helps to regulate cholesterol and blood pressure; energy booster; loaded with calcium and fiber; ¼ cup contains 8 grams of vegan protein; high in antioxidants
5 Fast Facts About Maple Syrup*: contains manganese and zinc; super high in antioxidants; helps with inflammation; ¼ cup contains more calcium than the same amount of milk; ¼ cup contains more potassium than a banana
5 Fast Facts About Coconut Oil*: super high in lauric acid; rich in antioxidants; contains natural microbial and anti-bacterial agents; helps to improve metabolism; improves cholesterol levels
5 Fast Facts About Vanilla Bean Powder*: anti-microbial; high in antioxidants; can help reduce inflammation; contains small traces of minerals; 1 tablespoon contains 2 g of fiber
5 Fast Facts About Himalayan Pink Salt*: contains 84 minerals; unrefined, unprocessed, raw; promotes stable pH balance in cells; controls water levels in the body; aids digestion and facilitates better nutrient absorption
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
How To Make This Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
This is a really simple recipe that has a few quick steps:
- Prepare the cookies: First, you will add all the ingredients for the cookies to a mixing bowl and stir everything together. Then you'll take out a spoonful at a time and form the mixture into a small cookie shape and place it on your cookie sheet. Before baking them, you'll make a "thumbprint" into the center of the cookie that will hold the chocolate + peanut butter filling. Once you're through with all the cookies, you'll put them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
- Prepare the chocolate + peanut butter filling: While you cookies are baking, you can start working on the filling. Just add all the ingredients for the filling to a small saucepan and melt on lowest heat until it's creamy and smooth. It will need to be completely cooled before you add them to the cookies, so if you make the filling right after you put the cookies in the oven, it should be cooled off by the time the cookies are ready.
- Assembly: When the cookies and filling have cooled off, now you get to put a spoonful of the filling into the center of each cookie. You may have to re-do the thumbprint depending on how fluffy they got during baking. After you've filled each cookie with the filling, drizzle the remaining chocolate + peanut butter mixture over the top of the cookies.
- Refrigerate: You'll want to place your cookies in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes to let the chocolate filling firm before enjoying them.
Frequently Asked Questions:
In my opinion, yes!
Let's compare it to traditional, and even homemade versions, which contain the typical white flour, white sugar, eggs, butter, etc. and ingredient lists like these:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Homemade Thumbprint Cookies:
Typical Ingredients: 1 ¾ cup white flour, 1 ½ sticks butter, ⅔ cup white sugar, 1 egg
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Panera Bread Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies:
Ingredients: Almond Thumbprint Cookie (Unsalted Butter with Natural Flavors (Pasteurized Cream [Milk], Natural Flavors), Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid). Raspberry Filling (Raspberries, Cane Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Organic Beet Juice), Sugar, Almond Flour, Powdered Sugar, Modified Corn and Tapioca Starch, Salt, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Powdered Sugar
My healthier version is not only made without white flour but it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, grain-free, flourless and contains no refined sugar.
They can also be adapted to be Keto-Friendly (see substitution tips below).
You can make these easy substitutions to make the recipe keto-friendly:
1. Instead of maple syrup --> use a sugar-free liquid sweetener
2. Instead of Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips --> use sugar-free chocolate chips
No worries!
If you don't like the taste or smell of coconut oil, you can use "refined" coconut oil which has zero coconut taste or smell.
Yes, you can!
Instead of making a chocolate + peanut butter filling, you can use Homemade Chia Jam to fill the center of the cookies and omit the chocolate drizzle for a delicious peanut butter + jelly flavor combination!
I created these as a healthy version of peanut butter "thumbprint" cookies also known as "Peanut Butter Blossoms" or "Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies" which is the version that has a chocolate Hershey's Kiss is placed in the center of the cookie.
But no matter what you call them, they are a chocolate + peanut butter lover's dream come true!
However, here's the ingredient list for the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) version of "Peanut Butter Kiss":
Cookie Ingredients: ½ cup Shortening, ½ cup Peanut Butter, ½ cup Brown Sugar, ¾ cup White Sugar, 1 Egg, 2 tablespoons Whole Milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1-¾ cup White All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Milk, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Milk Fat, Lecithin (Soy), Natural Flavor.
My healthier version uses only 8 clean ingredients such as: almond flour, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, Himalayan pink salt, coconut oil, Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips making them vegan, gluten-free, egg-free, and flourless.
Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitution:
Here's some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Maple Syrup: You can try to substitute organic date nectar or coconut nectar as a maple syrup replacement. If you want to make this a Keto-Friendly dessert, try using a liquid sugar-free sweetener.
Chocolate Chips: I exclusively use dairy-free Enjoy-Life semi-sweet mini chocolate chips in all my recipes, but you could use another brand or sugar-free chocolate chips to make this a Keto-Friendly dessert.
Coconut Oil: This is used as a replacement for butter and I prefer to use "refined" coconut oil instead of "unrefined" coconut oil because it doesn't smell or taste like coconut at all.
Pure Vanilla Extract: I used pure organic vanilla extract, but you could also use organic vanilla bean powder, in the same amount, which will give a more intense vanilla flavor.
Himalayan Pink Salt: I prefer to use Himalayan pink salt in all my recipes, but you can substitute with sea salt or regular table salt.
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Gluten-Free Vegan Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup organic peanut butter
- ⅓ cup organic maple syrup*
- ½ teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
For the filling:
- ½ cup Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips*
- 2 tablespoons organic peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
Prepare the cookies:
- Add all ingredients for the cookies to a medium mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
- Take out a spoonful at a time of the cookie mixture, squeeze it tightly in your fist, then flatten it between the palms of your hands into a small cookie shape about 2-inches in diameter.
- Place each cookie onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Before putting the cookie sheet into the oven, make a deep "thumbprint" with your thumb into the center of each cookie.
- Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the filling. You may need to re-do the "thumbprint" if it fluffed up while baking but do it right after they come out of the oven and are still soft and before they cool.
Prepare the filling:
- While the cookies are baking, add all ingredients for the filling to a small saucepan and melt on lowest heat, stirring until everything is creamy and smooth, and taking care to not let it burn.
- Allow the filling mixture to cool completely before adding to the cookies.
Assembly:
- Once the cookies and filling are cooled, take a spoonful of the filling and place it in the center of the cookie, into the "thumbprint" indention.
- Drizzle any leftover filling mixture over the top of the cookies.
- Place the cookies in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes for the filling to firm.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.
More Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Recipes
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cups
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Vanilla Bean Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- or my Real Food Vegan™ 14-Day Meal Plan Program with 42 plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
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