These flourless peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies are super easy to make, just one bowl and six ingredients! They melt in your mouth and have a delicious contrast in flavor.
Peanut butter and jelly fans! This recipe is made especially for you. It can’t get easier than this, one bowl and just six ingredients to reach cookie bliss. These cookies are filled to the brim with sweet strawberry jam that sits perfectly in the thumbprint indent.
Do you remember making thumbprint cookies with your family or friends during the holidays? I always looked forward to rolling and smooshing these cookies to create a snug little well for the filling. You don’t have to be a kid to have fun making these.
We grew up eating Smucker’s jam, our cupboard was loaded with grape, apricot, and strawberry flavors. Make sure to pick a seedless variety, so you don’t get them stuck in your teeth.
The jam is set like jello in the jar, so whisk it before filling to help make it easier to work with each cookie. Look at those magnificent jeweled center mini masterpieces! Sometimes the most simple treat hits the spot.
The cookie dough batter is a quick mixture of super smooth and creamy peanut butter. I used Jif Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, brown and white granulated sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla. That’s it!
Since there is no flour, you get a nice strong peanut flavor. The cookie just melts in your mouth. You’ll find yourself sneaking a cookie or two, three or four!
These delicate and delicious peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies are the easiest sweet snack you could make this holiday season. Since they only have sugar and egg holding them together, they are more fragile than flour-based cookies yet have enough structure to hold in your hand.
Grab a big glass of milk, and a handful of cookies, and sit back and relax to your favorite holiday tunes. Enjoy!
Recipe Science
How do these cookies hold together without flour?
These flourless thumbprint cookies are noticeably more delicate. However, a few ingredients in the batter hold the dough together. The eggs in the mixture contain proteins that, once cooked above 70 degrees, set and provide a structure to the dough. The egg helps to bind the ingredients. The sugars offer a hint of sweetness and add stiffness as it dissolves in the batter and assists in firming up the texture. It’s best to keep these cookies small, about 1-inch balls, to hold together.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter, creamy, or peanut butter spread
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup seedless strawberry jam
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk all ingredients together to combine, except jam. Press dough together into a ball, wrap tightly, and chill in fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack set in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape dough into small 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Lightly press the center of each dough ball with your thumb to create a well.
- Stir jam so that it's easy to pour into each cookie.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of jam in the center of each cookie.
- Bake 7 to 9 minutes, until just set on the outside but still very soft. Do not over bake.
- Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet, and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe Video
Equipment
Notes
- Keep cookies in airtight container at room temp to preserve softness.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Victoria Gilliland says
ABSOLUTELY SCRUMPTIOUS when you know how to measure the ingredients properly and follow the directions to the letter. It’s not rocket science haters , it’s paying attention to details and a little common sense.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback! Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the cookies.
Katherine says
Made these with a hot pepper raspberry jam. Had a nice sweet spicy nuttiness to them.
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, adding a spicy jam to the cookies sounds amazing!
Lulu says
Thank you for this recipe! Yum!
Jessica Gavin says
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Lulu!
Justine says
My dough never gets as thick as it does in the video. Am I doing something wrong?
Jessica Gavin says
at kind of peanut butter do you use? Did you pack the brown sugar?
Laura says
I love love love these cookies!!! They’re soft cookies, which are my favorite kind. The peanut butter is nice and strong, and of course is a perfect match for jelly (I used strawberry). My husband can’t have gluten or dairy (but he CAN have egg) so these are perfect for him. Big plus, my young daughter approves!!! She gave a very enthusiastic “Mmmmmm!!!!” and 2 thumbs up, plus asked for another. I’d say she liked them!!!
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo hoo! What a great dessert win for the entire family. Thank you for making the recipe!
Jane says
I am so happy I found this recipe! I recently acquired a lovely daughter in law who just happens to be gluten intolerant. I have baked my whole life (its how I earned my allowance as a kid – baking for the week lol) and until now I’ve never even thought about trying to bake gluten free. I’ve tried some gf flours and they end up either gritty or so stiff you need to double all the other ingredients to make it edible …when I saw this recipe had NO flour of any kind I had to give it a shot. THEY ARE DELICIOUS!! I doubled the batch to send half to her and to have some in the house too and I got 52 out of it. I did half with grape jelly and half with strawberry. This is a recipe that will be used alot! One thought – have you tried this with other nut butters? I’m wondering how that would work to change up the flavors from time to time
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so happy to Jane! I like that idea for allowance for my kids, your parents are so clever 🙂 I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and your daughter in law can too. I haven’t tried it with other nut butter but I think it’s definitely a good idea. I think the texture would have to be creamy. I’m excited to experiment!
sugar says
Mine did not turn out well at all 🙁
They taste delicious , but are like pancakes. They flattened out big time.
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so sorry to hear that! Can you tell me more about the brand you used for the peanut butter, how long you chilled the dough and if your oven is calibrated?
Lise says
Hi, I’ve made flourless peanut butter cookies before and yours look delicious with the jam! My issue is that they ALWAYS stick to my cookie sheet, even if I line it and spray with non-stick spray. Any tips? The end up breaking when I try to remove them.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Lise- Have you tried wax paper or baking directly on a greased cookie sheet, no paper? Sometimes I find cooking right on the pan works better. Or Silpat works well too. What kind of pan do you have? I didn’t have any sticking issues with my recipe. Perhaps it’s something in the other’s causing it to be really sticky?
Linda says
Lise….I always bake my cookies on parchment paper. You can use the same piece over and over as you bake and it keeps your baking sheet clean! Just throw it away when finished baking. I have made these flourless pb cookies many times on parchment. I do not recommend wax paper because I have had issues with sticking when using it.
Shirley says
Would grape jam work as well?
Jessica Gavin says
Absolutely!
Dee says
I found this way too sweet even though i added a little less sugar than in the recipe and dont taste the pb that much.
A bit disappointed with this recipe
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Dee I appreciate your honest feedback on the cookie recipe! What kind of peanut butter did you use?
Stacey says
I have made flourless PB cookies dozens of times, and I always add about 1/3 cup of sugar for each 1 cup of PB. I find this amount is plenty sweet and you get a nice peanut flavor shining through!
edgar says
im alergic to brown sugar is there a way to do these anyway?
Ciara says
It’s is confirmed, crunchy pb is a great choice for people for who like nuts! Awesome texture, we (my hubs and I) think!
Jessica Gavin says
Whoot whoot! I’m so glad that you gave it a try! I can only imagine how that extra crunchiness makes them disappear in an instant Ciara 🙂
Ciara says
I only have crunchy peanut butter right now and I need these in my life right now!!! lol Is there a reason you only use creamy? I enjoy nuts in cookies, especially thumbprints. Excited to try these!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Ciara! Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner, but looks like you had success. High five!
Judy Caywood says
Printing the recipe right now. Going to make to take with us to Pismo Beach for New Years.
Jessica Gavin says
Yay! These ones are so easy and yummy. Let me know how it turns out!
plasterers bristol says
This sounds like pure awesomeness. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Jessica Gavin says
No problem Simon!