These almond flour thumbprint cookies are soft, tender, and bursting with almond flavor, with a fruity jam center. They’re incredibly easy to make in less than 30 minutes, with just one bowl and no chilling required!
Love baking with almond flour? Try our Italian almond cookies, lemon almond cookies, or almond croissant cookies.
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Why you’ll love Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies!
These almond flour thumbprint cookies are soft, tender, wonderfully almondy, and filled with sweet, fruity jam. 🍓 They’re inspired by the cookies my nonna Lidia made whenever relatives visited during the holidays. I remember eating half the plate as a kid! She used homemade jam, while I use store-bought, but they taste just as I remember.
Louise and I love how ridiculously easy these cookies are to make. Just one bowl, a handful of ingredients, and less than 30 minutes from start to finish. No mixer, no chilling, and no complicated steps! ❤️
Made with almond flour, they’re naturally gluten-free and butter-free, with a soft, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture. Fresh lemon zest adds a lovely fragrance, while the powdered sugar coating gives them those beautiful little cracks.
They’re perfect with afternoon coffee, as a sweet snack, or for holiday cookie trays. ☕ Pretty enough to impress family and friends, yet so easy you’ll want to make them all year round!
P.S: For more easy homemade cookies, try our almond flour chocolate chip cookies, almond butter chocolate chip cookies, or easy soft pumpkin cookies
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Almond flour: Use finely ground, blanched almond flour for soft, tender cookies.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the dough and gives these Italian almond cookies their delicate texture. Make your own by blending granulated sugar until powdery.
- Egg white: Binds the ingredients together.
- Honey: Adds moisture and helps keep the cookies soft. Substitute maple syrup or agave syrup.
- Lemon zest: Adds a fresh, fragrant note. Substitute orange zest.
- Raspberry jam: Adds a sweet, fruity center. Strawberry, apricot, fig, blueberry, plum, cherry, or orange marmalade all work beautifully. We especially love slightly tart jams like sour cherry, plum, or orange marmalade, as they balance the sweetness of the almond cookies.
- Powdered sugar for coating: Gives these gluten-free thumbprint cookies their pretty, crackled finish. Skip it for a simpler look.
How to Make Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
Step 1. Combine the ingredients
Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, combine almond flour, powdered sugar, egg white, honey, and grated lemon zest.
Step 2. Make the dough
Stir with a spoon, then use your hands to squeeze and pinch the mixture until it forms a ball.
The dough will look dry and crumbly at first—that’s normal! Keep squeezing for about a minute, and it will gradually come together.
Step 3. Shape the cookies
Divide the dough into 17–18 equal pieces, about 25 g (0.9 oz) each, and roll them into balls.
Sprinkle the powdered sugar onto a plate or tray. Add the dough balls and gently shake the plate back and forth until they’re evenly coated in sugar.
Arrange the coated balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them.
Step 4. Fill with jam
Gently press your thumb into the center of each ball to make a small indentation.
The edges should crack slightly, giving these Italian thumbprint cookies their beautiful rustic look.
Fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon of your favorite jam. Raspberry, strawberry, or apricot are all delicious!
Step 5. Bake and cool
Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 12 minutes, until the cookies are set but still pale and soft.
Don’t wait for them to turn golden! Let them cool on the baking sheet.
Tips
- Use finely ground almond flour: Blanched almond flour gives the cookies their soft, delicate texture. Coarse almond meal makes them grainier.
- Don’t worry if the dough looks dry: Squeeze and pinch it with your hands for about a minute until it comes together.
- Make smaller cookies: Aim for 25 g (0.9 oz) per ball, giving you 17–18 cookies with perfectly tender centers.
- Coat them the easy way: Put powdered sugar on a plate or tray, add the dough balls, and gently shake until evenly coated.
- Make a deep enough indentation: Press your thumb gently into each ball to create a little well for the jam. Small cracks around the edges are normal.
- Choose a thick jam: Raspberry, strawberry, and apricot work beautifully. Avoid runny jam that might spill during baking.
- Don’t overfill: About ½ teaspoon of jam per cookie is enough to prevent overflowing.
- Don’t overbake: Bake for 12 minutes at 340°F (170°C). The cookies should stay pale and soft, not golden.
- Cool on the baking sheet: They’re delicate when hot but firm up beautifully as they cool. No wire rack needed.
- Store or freeze: Keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
We haven’t tested this recipe without egg white, so we can’t recommend a reliable substitute. The egg white helps bind the almond flour and gives the cookies their soft yet sturdy texture. For the best results, we recommend sticking to the original recipe.
That’s completely normal! Keep squeezing and pinching the dough with your hands for about a minute. It will gradually come together. If it’s still too dry, add a few drops of egg white.
We recommend using finely ground blanched almond flour for the best results. Almond meal is coarser and may not bind as well with just one egg white, making the cookies more crumbly. We haven’t tested it, so we can’t guarantee the same texture.
Raspberry, strawberry, apricot, orange, fig, and plum jams all work beautifully. We especially love less sweet, slightly tart jams like sour cherry, plum, or orange marmalade, as they balance the sweetness of the almond cookies. Use your favorite or mix different flavors for a colorful cookie tray!
A few cracks are perfectly normal, especially after rolling the dough in powdered sugar. They give the cookies their beautiful rustic appearance. If the edges crack too much, gently pinch them back together before adding the jam.
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More cookies to try
- Italian Biscotti
- 3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
- Healthy Breakfast Cookies
- Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Banana Peanut Butter Cookies
- Oatmeal Date Cookies
- Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
If you try this Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies (6 Ingredients, 27 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond flour
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar + 3 tablespoons for coating the cookies
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 lemon the grated zest
- your favorite jam about ½ teaspoon per cookie
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients: Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.Add 3 cups almond flour, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, 1 large egg white, 1 tablespoon honey, and the zest from 1 lemon to a mixing bowl.
- Make the dough: Stir with a spoon, then use your hands to squeeze and pinch the mixture until it forms a ball.The dough will look dry at first. That's normal! Don't add extra liquid. Keep squeezing for about a minute until it comes together.
- Shape the cookies: Divide the dough into 17–18 pieces, about 25 g (0.9 oz) each, and roll into balls.Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons powdered sugar onto a plate or tray. Add the balls and gently shake the plate until they're evenly coated. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
- Fill with jam: Gently press your thumb into the center of each ball to make a small indentation. A few cracks around the edges are normal.Fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon of your favorite jam.
- Bake and cool: Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 12 minutes. The cookies should still look pale and soft.Let them cool completely on the baking sheet.
Notes
- Powdered sugar → Blend granulated sugar until powdery.
- Honey → Maple syrup or agave syrup.
- Lemon zest → Orange zest.
- Raspberry jam → Strawberry, apricot, cherry, or blueberry preserves.
- Use fine almond flour: Blanched almond flour gives the softest, most delicate texture.
- Dough looks dry? That’s normal! Don’t add extra liquid. Just squeeze and pinch it with your hands for about a minute until it comes together.
- Keep cookies small: Make 17–18 balls, about 25 g (0.9 oz) each.
- Don’t overfill: Use about ½ teaspoon of thick jam per cookie.
- Don’t overbake: Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 12 minutes. Cookies should stay pale and soft.
- Store or freeze: Keep airtight for up to 5 days at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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