Vegan Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies | Vegan Richa (2024)

Published: Jun 10, 2020 by Richa 24 Comments

PB & J Thumbprint Cookies are an irresistibly nutty twist on your classic Jam Thumbprints with protein-packed peanut butter in the dough! A must-try for PB&J fanatics. 7 ingredients. Super easy. Gf and Nutfree options. No added oil!.. Jump to Recipe

Peanut Butter & Jelly Fans, gather – you won’t be able to resist the nutty and jammy little gems I have in store for you. These yummy Vegan PB & J Thumbprint Cookies turn our favorite childhood sandwich into a tasty lunchbox treat. Perfectly paired with a glass of plant-based milk, these easy vegan cookies are a delight for the kid in every one of us.

If you are a regular here on Vegan Richa, you know that I’m into vegan peanut butter desserts. I made these ultimate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, I’ve curbed my ice cream craving with these Peanut Butter Popsicles and don’t get me started on this Peanut Butter Cake.

I’ve also experimented with the peanut butter and jelly flavor combination. Remember this oatmeal bake recipe? So GOOD and pretty easy and straightforward. Just like these Thumbprint Cookies, which are my latest peanut butter foodie crush

Recipe Card

Ingredients needed for making PB & J Cookies:

• smooth peanut butter – crunchy peanut butter adds chunks as well as a more crumbly texture. I recommend using smooth and creamy in this recipe.
• maple syrup – the nutty sweetness of maple syrup goes perfectly with the peanut butter flavor.
• warmed non-dairy milk, such as almond, soy, or coconut – we need it warm-hot to “melt” the peanut butter enough to get a smooth batter.
• vanilla extract, optional but recommended.
• flour – I use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat. For gluten-free, you can use oat flour or a gf blend like Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free blend.
• fruit preserves (raspberry, strawberry, cherry, etc) – fill them with your favorite jam, jelly, or preserve for a hint of nostalgia. I usually use raspberry preserves and/or strawberry jelly because that’s the classic pb&j combo and we always have both on hand. But anything goes– grape, blueberry, blackberry, peach, you name it.

Tips and Substitutions:

• You could also use vegan lemon curd, dulce de leche or chocolate hazelnut spread to fill the center. It would not be a pb&j cookie anymore, but still pretty dang delish.
• Warming the preserves up a bit makes it easier to fill the thumbprint cookies without making a mess.
• The bigger the indent, the more jam you can fit in. Now, no such thing as too much jam, right? Careful with that – do not overfill these or you’ll have a mess..
• Nutfree: Use sunflower seed butter.Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the milk before using. Sun butter can bake up green because of reacting with baking powder and the lemon juice helps reduce that chance of reaction. They are edible even when colored

How to make this thumbprint cookies recipe:

Prep: Line a baking sheet with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

In a bowl combine the peanut butter, warm milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined. It will take about a minute for the mix to come together.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl then add ¾ cup of the mix to the wet and make a soft sticky dough. Depending on your peanut butter and flour you might need to add a bit more flour. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 15 mins. Add some chilling time if it still feels too soft or if your fridge is not very cold.

Shape the dough into about an inch wide balls. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Indent each cookie. This is easiest using the a measuring spoon, or end of a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. This way your thumbs stay clean and no dough gets under your nails PLUS you obtain a perfect uniform indent in each cookie. Of course, you can still use your thumb if that’s easiest for you!

Fill each cookie with a small amount of jam. Do not overfill or the jam will run right out and make the cookies look messy. Warming the preserves makes it easier to fill the thumbprints cleanly. Bake the cookies for 11 mins.

Cool completely before storing them.These Thumbprint Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Can these be made ahead of time?

You can make the cookie dough ahead of time and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Unbaked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze without the preserves. Add preserves in the dent before baking.

Baked thumbprint cookies, with jam filling, freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and bring them back up to room temperature, before serving.

More cookie recipes from the blog:

• Chocolate Tahini Cookies.Grainfree. Nutfree
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies.No Oil
• PB Chickpea Cookie Pie- Can be nut-free. GF
• Lemon Chia Cookies. GF option
• Cardamom Snikerdoodles.GF option
• Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies.GF
• Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies. GF oil-free
• Ginger Tahini CookiesGF option