These vegan peach thumbprint cookies are a take on this traditional Swedish hallongrotta. The addition of whole wheat flour gives these cookies a lovely texture with a slight crunch. A coating of chopped almonds adds additional flavour and texture to these buttery cookies. A perfect little cookie for any occasion.
This post was made in partnership with Paderno Kitchenware, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A new take on a classic recipe
Thumbprint cookies are actually the American version of Swedish hallongrotta, which translates to "raspberry cave."As you've guessed, these molded cookies are traditionally filled with raspberry jam in Sweden, however, you've probably seen them filled with all sorts of sweet ingredients- apricot preserves or chocolate morsels even.
With their shortbread-like base, these cookies often appear during holiday time. However, one doesn't have to wait until December to enjoy them. And with peach season in full swing, it's time to grab your favourite jar of peach preserves and get baking.
Why you will love this recipe
These cookies have a buttery soft texture, a have a nice crunch to them, and they're filled with sweet peach jam. This recipe is also versatile and I've included notes below for exchanges and substitutions.
These vegan thumbprint cookies are:
- easy
- adaptable
- great for any occasion
- sweet, butter, and crunchy
- dairy-free
- egg-free
- simple and fun
What you will need
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- unsalted dairy-free butter softened
- organic cane sugar
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- whole wheat flour
- teaspoon salt
- blanched almonds
- peach preserves (jam or jelly is fine)
How to make this recipe
The first step is to beat the butter then add in the sugar and vanilla extract. Then add the flours and mix . Then form the dough into one ball and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill. Meanwhile, pulse the almonds in a small food processor until finely chopped.
Preheat the oven to 350F, then portion and roll the dough into 1” rounds. Roll each dough ball in the chopped almonds and place 2” apart on a baking sheet.
Next, using your thumb or a small spoon, gently press a well in the centre of each dough ball and fill each well with the peach preserve. The cookies bake for 18-22 minutes, or until slightly golden brown around the edges. Then they need to cool before serving.
The Paderno Cookware and Bakeware
I'm happy to be partnering with Paderno Kitchenware again for this recipe. Using the new Paderno small appliance line allows these cookies to come together rather effortlessly, especially when it comes to the task of finely chopping almonds for the coating.
For this recipe, the Paderno 3-Cup Food Chopper processes blanched almond into a fine pieces quickly and efficiently. It's also very lightweight to move around, which makes it great for those smaller jobs that you don't want to pull out a large processor for.
When it comes to mixing the dough, the Paderno 10-Speed Hand Mixer beats butter and combines dry ingredients with ease. Moreover, the beaters are silicone-coated which makes them quiet to use.
Bottom line, I love working with these appliances because of how versatile, practical and attractive they are for everyday use in the kitchen.
Tips to make the best vegan thumbprint cookies
- Use the best fruit preserves you can source. Because the base of these cookies are not very sweet, you want your preserves to shine.
- When forming the wells, some cracking will happen, which is completely ok. However, if you want to make really pretty looking cookies, you can gently press the cracks together; you may need to reform the centre well if you do.
- Don't overfill the cookies. You want to fill each well up to the brim, but not so much that it's overflowing.
Pro Tip
Chilling the cookie dough for a little as 30 minutes before baking can make for better cookies. When cookie dough is chilled, the fat solidifies. Because solidified fat takes longer to melt, your cookies will spread less and spread more evenly as a result.
Chilling also creates a chewier cookie and, some say, better flavour. Because there is a high fat content, you don't want these cookies spreading too quickly and possibly leaking jam.
Substitutions and options
- Any fruit preserve you like will work for this recipe (raspberry, blackberry, apricot, etc.)
- Coconut oil can be used in exchange for vegan butter in a 1:1 ratio.
- You can omit the chopped almonds if you like; this recipe will work fin without them
- Whole wheat flour can be substituted for more all purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio.
Storage
Keep the finished cookies in a container with a lid for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. I like to place a small piece of parchment paper between the cookies if they're being staked on top of each other.
A quick thank you to my sponsor
Sending another big thank you to Paderno for partnering with me for this post. You can view their entire small appliance line by visiting their website, or following along on social media #itsacookingthing or @padernokitchenware (Facebook, Instagram) and @padernocookware (Twitter).
If you give my vegan peach thumbprint cookies a go, leave me a comment below and share a photo with me over on Instagram @the_simple_green.
More recipes like this
If you enjoyed my vegan thumbprint cookies, you may also enjoy:
Chewy Vegan Ginger Spice Cookies
Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Vegan Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies
Chewy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Peach Thumbprint Cookies
These vegan peach thumbprint cookies are a perfect little bite for any occasion. The addition of whole wheat flour gives these cookies a lovely texture with a slight crunch and a coating of chopped almonds adds additional flavour and texture to these buttery cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted dairy-free butter softened
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blanched almonds
- ½ cup peach preserves
Instructions
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In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the flours and salt to the butter mixture and beat until the mixture resembles coarse wet sand (it should stick together when pressed). Using your hands, press and form the dough into one large mass. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.
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Meanwhile, add the blanched almonds to the Paderno 3-Cup Food Chopper or a small food processor. Pulse the almonds approximately 6-8 times, or until finely chopped. Pour the chopped almonds into a shallow dish and set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 350’ F. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and using your hands or a 1” cookie scoop, portion and roll the dough into 1” rounds. Roll each dough ball in the chopped almonds and place 2” apart on a baking sheet.
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Using your thumb or a small spoon, gently press a well in the centre of each dough ball. The dough may crack, which is ok. If you prefer, you can press each dough ball back together while continuing to create a well in the centre with your thumbs.
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Fill each well with a ¼ - ½ teaspoon of peach preserve. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until slightly golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the baking tray before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
You can use any fruit preserve you prefer. Keep the finished cookies in a container with a lid for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these for up to 3 months.
Try and source a dairy-free butter alternative that doesn't contain palm oil. Palm oil farming and production are noted to be responsible for much of the world's deforestation. Natural rain forests are cut down and even burned to accommodate oil palm plantations. Until stricter rules are enforced for palm oil production, try and avoid it whenever possible.
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