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PB & J Thumbprint Cookies
5 from 33 votes

PB & J Thumbprint Cookies

PB & J Thumbprint Cookies combine peanut butter with a soft dough and a jam-filled center for a nostalgic treat. The dough is gently chilled before baking, helping shape the cookies and maintain a tender texture. Each cookie sports an indented thumbprint that holds the warm, slightly runny fruit preserves, giving a pleasantly sweet contrast to the nutty base. This recipe allows flexibility in nut butters and jam flavors, accommodating different preferences or allergies.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
11 mins
Chilling
15 mins
Total Time
36 mins
Servings: 20
Calories: 74 kcal
Course: Dessert, Snacks
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter use almond butter or cashew butter for peanut free) see notes for nutfree, smooth
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp non-dairy milk such as almond, soy, oat or coconut, warmed
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional
  • 3/4 to 1 cup flour I use a mix of 3/4 all purpose and 1/4 wheat. Use oat flour or gf blend for glutenfree
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 3-4 tbsp fruit preserves Raspberry, strawberry, cherry etc as needed

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  2. In a bowl mix the peanut butter, warmed (to almost hot) milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth. It will take about a minute to fully come together.
  3. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl, then add 3/4 cup of the dry 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. The dough will be soft but shouldn’t be too runny/sticky. It will get more handleable on chilling. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 15 mins. If still too sticky then add more flour.
  4. Shape the dough into about an inch wide balls. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheetz Make dents using a Measuring spoon or end of a spatula. Warm the preserves and mix with a spoon so they are not lumpy. fill the dents with warmed preserves or jam. (Warming the preserves makes it easy to fill the cookies cleanly).
  5. Bake the cookies for 11 mins.
  6. Cool completely before storing. Store on the counter for up to five days Or refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Notes

  • Warming the fruit preserves before filling the thumbprints helps with smooth, clean placement and reduces lumps.
  • You can substitute peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter to accommodate allergies; sunflower seed butter benefits from added lemon juice to prevent color changes due to baking soda.
  • Avoid overfilling the jam indentations to keep the cookies neat and prevent jam from spilling over.
  • Increasing the size of the thumbprint indentation allows more jam, balancing sweetness with the cookie's mild base.

Nutrition Information

Calories 74kcal (4%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 92mg (4%) Potassium 65mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 6IU (0%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 12mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 74

% Daily Value*

Calories 74kcal 4%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 92mg 4%
Potassium 65mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 6IU 0%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.