POWER UP YOUR THUMB FOR THESE DELICIOUS KETO THUMBPRINT COOKIES
As the name suggests these buttery keto thumbprint cookies have a thumb indent in the middle then filled with a jam or spread.
The bigger the thumb, the more filling you get. Ha, I’m just kidding.
I wanted to bake simple keto thumbprint cookies for the holidays that didn’t take me hours in the kitchen.
Some keto thumbprint cookies may want you to refrigerate the cookie batter which takes up valuable time.
There is no refrigeration or waiting needed for this keto thumbprint batter.
You just make it and bake and then eat the thumbprint cookies all to yourself.
Well, not the last part. Ha!
No-Cheat Days This Christmas With Keto Cookies
Having guilt-free indulgences this holiday season was the basis around our keto baking plan.
These keto thumbprint cookies are soft and delicious out of the oven but even better cold out of the freezer.
I find that when you bake with nut flours the flavours and texture are enhanced if you wait a day or two.
This is the case with these keto thumbprint cookies but if you are baking ahead for the holidays you’ll be fine.
Keto Thumbprint Cookie Recipe Varieties
The reason I didn’t add specific flavour in the title for these keto thumbprint cookies is that all you need is the base recipe.
Once you’ve mastered how to make a delicious almond flour keto cookie recipe the rest is simple.
For example, I used almond extract for these almond flour thumbprint cookies but you could use vanilla extract or even orange or lemon.
That’s the beauty of having an array of extracts and oils available in your baking pantry and which I highly suggest.
Extract and Oil Varieties
Some of our favourite oils and extracts that we keep on hand are:
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Coconut extract
- Anise extract
- Orange extract
- Banana extract and banana cream oil
- Maple extract
- Rum extract
- Lemon extract and lemon oil
- Cherry oil
We have plenty more than the above but that’s just to give you an idea of how we stock our keto pantry.
Sugar-Free Jam Keto Thumbprint Cookies
There are so many sugar-free jams at the grocery store you will have plenty to choose from.
If you’re like me you’ll want to make your own sugar-free jam but only if you have the fruits available.
I’ve used both frozen and fresh fruits to make a sugar-free jam.
Also, have a look at the reduced rack at the grocery store if you plan to make your own jam.
Often you may find the grocer has reduced the price of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.
Chocolate and Berry Filled Keto Thumbprint Cookies
Two flavours I chose for our keto thumbprint cookies are:
- Hazelnut Chocolate Keto Thumbprint Cookies
- Sugar-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Seed Jam filled Keto Thumbprint Cookies
You can also use the same ingredients to make traditional easy keto cookie recipes such as;
- Keto Shortbread Cookies
- Keto Sugar Cookies recipe (Just roll in a granulated sugar-free sweetener when they come out of the oven such as Swerve granular.
You can also turn this same recipe into Keto Russian Tea Balls by rolling the dough, baking it and then rolling it in Swerve Icing Sugar. To-die for, it’s that good.
The idea around keto baking is that you have to use your imagination to make things work.
We eat with our eyes and taste with our mouths so if you can create the texture and flavour you can build on it.
Hazelnut Chocolate Filled Keto Thumbprint Cookies
To make delicious Nutella filled thumbprint cookies without all of the sugar we needed to do 1 of 2 things;
- Make homemade sugar-free keto Nutella (which we’ve done before)
- Find an alternative sugar-free hazelnut chocolate spread (which we did, Nuti light it is delicious and has 20 servings in each jar).
Nuti Light dark chocolate hazelnut spread has 8 grams of carbs in 1 tablespoon minus 5 grams of fibre leaving 3 net carbs.
How To Make Keto Thumbprint Cookies
Some bakers like to add a crunchy texture to the outside of their keto thumbprint cookies.
When we make a classic thumbprint cookie we take the ball, dip it in egg and then into chopped walnuts or pecans before indenting the middle with our thumb.
If you have a Costco Canada in your area stock up on nuts from them as they have the cheapest prices.
I did not do that for this recipe to keep the net carb count lower but you can certainly do it as nuts are keto-friendly.
Shaping Your Keto Thumbprint Cookies
Honestly, you’ll make this thumbprint recipe over and over, it’s that simple.
Don’t press your thumb down to the bottom of the cookie as you risk it cracking when it bakes.
I also like to shape the cookie into a round after I indent my thumb into the middle.
You’ll notice the outside of the cookie will crack so smooth it out the best you can.
This will help to keep the filling inside the indent.
Adding Filling To Your Keto Thumbprint Cookies
- Fill First Then Bake
Before putting the cookie sheet in the oven fill the indented cookies with your favourite sugar-free jam, jelly or spread and you’re ready to bake.
2. Bake First Then Fill
I’ve seen bakers who will bake their keto thumbprint cookies first, cool and then fill them before they are ready to serve.
By choosing this option it allows the filling to stand out even more when placed on a platter.
If you plan to travel with these cookies filled after you bake them just be sure to freeze them first.
When freezing them with jam or chocolate spread in the middle you can layer the cookies without worry.
Freezing Keto Thumbprint Cookies
These cookies will freeze without any issue and you can keep them stored for up to 6 months.
I like to freeze them on the baking sheet first and once they are frozen transfer them to a parchment-lined container.
As mentioned above you’ll find that the cookies are far better tasting after you freeze them.
Don’t ask me the science behind it but that’s also just my personal opinion.
- ½ Cup Softened Salted Butter
- 2 cups Almond Flour
- ½ cup coconut Flour
- 1 tablespoon Almond extract (optional) Vanilla or lemon
- ¾ cup of Powdered Erythritol
- 1 large Egg Beaten
- ¼ teaspoon Xanthan gum
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ cup sugar-free powdered Erythritol icing sugar for dusting
- ½ cup of filling either sugar-free jam, chocolate spread or other nut butters.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl add your butter and sugar and mix until combined or whipped together.
- Add your eggs and continue to blend until incorporated then whisk in your extract.
- Add all of your dry ingredients and gently mix just until combined.
- Using a small ice-cream scoop begin to scoop out uniform amounts of dough.
- Roll them into balls and place on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Once done press your thumb in the middle to make an indent but don't go to the bottom of the cookie.
- Shape the cookies with your fingers to make them round and to reduce and cracks.
- Add your filling into the indent. unless you want to fill them after you bake them. Either way is fine. Typically I would add 1 tablespoon of filling as it does reduce in the oven when baking.
- Bake for 7 minutes and remove immediately from the oven to cool.
- Once cooled you can eat them or freeze them. (see instructions in the blog post)
- Optional: You can dust the cookies with a bit of sugar-free icing sugar before freezing.
Depending on what you use to scoop your thumbprint cookies you may get less or more than I did.
Each of the keto thumbprint cookies filled with my sugar-free jam is 4 carbs minus 2 grams of fibre = 2 net carbs.
Discussion: What would you fill your keto thumbprint cookies with?
Leave me a comment below and I’ll be sure to respond.
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