This time of year I inevitably start thinking of all the things that I can, will, and have ever put into a lunchbox. Lunch is fun, but cookies are more fun and these gluten free Thumbprint Cookies are the MOST fun for lunches!
It’s pretty much a PB&J in a cookie, and how lunchbox-y is that?
I do try to get creative with lunchbox fixin’s, but sometimes it helps to get a little inspiration from others. I’m proud to say that I have come up with a few inventive ideas over the years, and I’m happy to share them with you!
I even have a Gluten Free Back to School ebook full of them! But start with my gluten free Lunchbox post first. It’s an easy read and will definitely give you some good ideas!
But back to these cookies! A few years back when I wrote my food allergy cookbook, Free For All Cooking, I included a version of this recipe called “Nut Butter and Jelly Cookies.” It is a totally nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free and of course gluten-free version of this recipe that is also, of course, super yummy and you should give it a try.
But this version is the straight up peanut buttery version we’re all most familiar with and is hard to beat if you can have nuts in your diet. Choose the jelly flavor your kids (or you!) love most and start thumb printing!
These cookies are pretty fun to make, too, I must admit. I mean, who doesn’t love to shove their thumb into a big ball of dough?
It’s a pretty satisfying feeling.
Whether you decide to make these gluten free Thumbprint Cookies for lunchboxes or not, I do hope you try the recipe soon. It’s a quick and easy PB&J fix all wrapped up in a cookie.
And when made with my award-winning gfJules Flour, the dough is so smooth and bakes up so light that no kid or grown up kid would ever know they were gluten free, so they’re easily shared and enjoyed by all.
Gluten Free Thumbprint Cookies
Yummy little thumbprints of peanut butter and jelly in a soft cookie are the perfect lunchbox (or anytime) treat!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter (or other nut butter)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
- 3 Tbs. butter or vegan butter (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg OR substitute (like aquafaba or Ener-G egg replacer)
- 1 3/4 cups (236 grams) gfJules® Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- favorite jam or jelly (not runny)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F static or 325F convection.
Line baking sheets with parchment.
Mix peanut butter and sugars in medium-size mixing bowl. Add butter and cream mixture until smooth. Stir in applesauce and egg/substitute and mix well.
In a separate bowl, measure out gfJules Flour and whisk in baking powder and salt. Slowly beat into the peanut butter mixture, mixing just until integrated into an elastic dough.
Spoon out by the tablespoon and roll in between your palms to form smooth balls of dough. Place out, spaced by 2 inches, onto prepared baking sheets.
Depress the middles gently with your thumb or finger but don't go all the way to the bottom of the dough. Fill the indentation with jam or jelly only to the top. As the cookies bake, the jam will boil over if overfilled.
Bake for approximately 9 minutes or until just lightly browned. Remove to cool on wire racks.
Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 70Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 13mgSodium 71mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 0gSugar 7gProtein 1g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
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