Vegan Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
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Easy vegan thumbprint cookies with an apricot jam walnut filling and a buttery shortbread dough. The perfect cookie to add to your Christmas dessert spread, melt in your mouth, dairy free and absolutely sublime!
Best Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
Easy and fun to make without any dairy, these thumbprint cookies are filled with the most delicious walnut and apricot jam filling. It’s an old world European Christmas treat with the nostalgia of buttery horn cookies combined with that of melt In your mouth Italian shortbread thumbprint cookies everyone is sure to love, vegan or not.
The Cookie Dough
So it’s technically another shortbread dough that yields melt in your mouth cookies. It’s Christmas so why not?! You’ll beat the butter until creamy then start incorporating your sugar, vanilla, plant milk and flour until you get a shaggy dough. You can use a handheld mixer or stand mixer to whip all the ingredients together, whatever you fancy.
Shaping the Cookies
Using a measuring spoon (1 tablespoon) simply scoop out some of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Do this 28 times and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet leaving an inch of space between them (use two baking trays if need be). Using your thumb press in the center of each dough ball to make an indentation, but careful not to go all the way through the bottom of the cookies. This is the crater your filling will sit in. There will be cracks around the edges of each cookie which is perfectly normal and you can leave them be.
About the Filling
Traditionally thumbprint cookies are filled with jam but I’m here to argue that you can make them better with a walnut filling – I said what I said! Finely chopped walnuts (or pistachios), a little brown sugar and lemon zest are bound together with some apricot jam for the most delicious Christmasy filling. It’s like those dreamy European horn cookies but without all the fuss. Easy peasy and perfect bite size pieces of goodness.
Use a teaspoon size measuring spoon to scoop some of the filling and place it inside the crater of each cookie. You should have exactly 28 teaspoons of walnut filling to fill each cookie perfectly.
Useful Notes
- The Mixer – You can make the dough using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer, whichever you prefer.
- Baking Time – Preheat your oven to the universal cookie baking temperature of 350″F. I baked my cookies for exactly 15 minutes because I prefer crispy edges but also crispy bottoms. Anywhere between 13 to 15 minutes should yield a perfect cookie.
- Powdered Sugar Coating – For a festive wintery presentation prepare a small bowl with powdered sugar and give each cookie a little twist in it. This way you’ll get a nice coverage on the bottom and sides while still showing the walnut filling. Of course you are free to just roll them around for full coverage if desired.
- Storage – The cookies keep great stored at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container or cookie jar. They also freeze really well up to 4 months in a parchment lined freezer proof container. Only take out as many cookies as you plan to eat within a couple of days.
- Variation – Use pistachios in lieu of walnuts in the filling or stick to the classics and fill the cookies with your favorite raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam instead. Go over the top with a drizzle with vegan salted caramel or fill them with lemon curd, whatever speaks to your tastebuds.
Vegan Desserts
- Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
- Black Bean Brownies
- Walnut Apple Pie Bars
- Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- Best Vegan Christmas Cookies
- Vegan Coffee Cake
- Vanilla Coffee Cupcakes
- Ricotta Apple Pie
- Nutty Cookies.
how to make vegan shortbread thumbprint cookies
Vegan Thumbprint Cookies with Walnuts
Ingredients
Walnut Filling
- 3/4 cups raw walnut pieces
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp apricot jam
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1 pinch sea salt
The Dough
- 12 Tbsp salted vegan butter (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp cashew milk (or any pant milk)
- 2 cups all purpose flour or whole what pastry flour
Instructions
- Add the walnut pieces with the brown sugar and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a food processor. Using the Pulse button process the nuts until a small chop is achieved (you don’t want walnut dust but also not large pieces, just a nice coarse texture)3/4 cups raw walnut pieces, 2 Tbsp light brown sugar, 1 pinch sea salt
- Add the jam and lemon zest and pulse a few more times until incorporated. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.2 Tbsp apricot jam, Zest from 1 lemon
The Cookie Dough
- Note: You can make the dough using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer, whichever you prefer.
- Using the whisk attachment beat the soft butter on medium speed until creamy (45 seconds or so).12 Tbsp salted vegan butter
- Add sugar and beat until incorporated then add the vanilla and plant milk.1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp cashew milk
- Turn the speed to low and start adding in the flour in 1/2 cup increments. Mix just until the dough comes together and scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. The dough will look shaggy which is great!2 cups all purpose flour
- Preheat oven to 350"F and prepare a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Using a tablespoon (measuring spoon) scoop out some dough and roll it into about ball in the palm of your hands. Place the dough balls an inch apart from each other on the baking tray. Repeat will all the dough. You should get 28 cookies.
- Press in the center of each dough ball with your thumb to make an indentation. Careful not to go all the way through the bottom of the cookie, you’ll want a nice little crater for the filling to sit in. (There will be cracks around the edges of the dough now and that’s perfectly fine, leave them be)
- Use a teaspoon (measuring spoon) to scoop the walnut filling and place it inside each cookie center perfectly nestled in the crater you just created. If you measure correctly there will be the perfect amount of filling for all 28 cookies (don’t ask how I measured so perfectly 😉
- Bake the cookies in the preheated 350"F oven for 13 to 15 minutes until you notice a light golden hew forming at the edges which means the bottoms should be golden. I prefer to bake mine for exactly 15 minutes because I love a crispy bottom on my cookies).
- Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool on the tray for 10 minutes.
- OPTIONAL. Prepare a small bowl with powdered sugar and give each cookie a little twist in it, this way you’ll get a nice coverage on the bottom and sides while still showing the walnut filling. Of course you are free to just roll them around for full coverage if desired.
Video
Notes
- The Mixer - You can make the dough using a hand held mixer or a stand mixer, whichever you prefer.
- Powdered Sugar Coating - Prepare a small bowl with powdered sugar and give each cookie a little twist in it, this way you’ll get a nice coverage on the bottom and sides while still showing the walnut filling. Of course you are free to just roll them around for full coverage if desired.
- Storage - The cookies keep great stored at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container or cookie jar. They also freeze really well up to 4 months in a parchment lined freezer proof container. Only take out as many cookies as you plan to eat within a couple of days.
This cookies are crazy good, if you love shortbread and walnuts this is a dream cookie! Baking a batch to give away away! Fantastic recipe, thanks for sharing!