These Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies are simple 4-ingredient chocolate cookies topped with a chocolate filling and ready in just 30 minutes. They are gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free!
I love all sorts of cookies for the Christmas season and, while I’ve made many thumbprint cookie varieties, like my 3-Ingredient Thumbprint Cookies or Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies, I had never tried to incorporate chocolate.
It’s a fact that chocolate makes everything better, so it was a no-brainer for me to make chocolate thumbprint cookies, but I still wanted them to be healthy, so I went with almond flour as a base ingredient.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You need only 4 ingredients for the base and two more for the chocolate filling.
- Almond Flour – Forms the base of the cookie, providing a tender, slightly nutty texture. Almond meal works as a substitute but may bring a slightly coarser texture. Do not swap the almond flour for coconut flour or regular flour, it wouldn’t work.
- Maple Syrup – This naturally sweetens the cookies and helps bind the ingredients. Agave syrup or coconut nectar are good alternatives, though each will slightly alter the flavor.
- Melted Coconut Oil – Adds moisture and a subtle richness. For a neutral taste, use refined coconut oil. Light-flavored oils like grapeseed oil or melted vegan butter can also work as substitutes.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Provides the chocolatey flavor and deepens the color of the cookies. Use a high-quality cocoa powder for the best flavor.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – Used for the filling, adding a rich chocolate flavor. Choose dark chocolate for a less sweet filling, or vegan chocolate chips if needed.
- Coconut Oil – Helps to create a smooth, glossy filling. You can also use coconut cream which makes the filling softer and more ganache-like, while coconut oil will firm up more in the fridge.
How to Make Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies
This recipe is really easy to whip up, here’s how in a few pictures.
Pour all the dry dough ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine them.
Add the wet ingredients and combine the batter with a silicone spatula.
Combine the dough into a large dough ball.
Form 12 small dough balls of the same size and place them on a cookie sheet.
Press the cookies with a small measuring spoon.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) before pouring the melted chocolate in the thumbprint.
Carine’s Baking Tips
While you can make these cookies easily with the recipe below, here are a few more tips for perfect cookies.
- Use finely ground almond flour for a smoother texture; coarser flours can make the cookies grainy and more crumbly.
- Chill the dough briefly if it’s too sticky to handle. This can make shaping the dough balls easier and reduce the stickiness.
- Experiment with different fillings like a nut butter ganache or a fruit jam for a unique twist. Dark chocolate or almond butter filling pairs well with the almond base.
- For perfectly shaped thumbprints, use a rounded measuring spoon (like 1/4 teaspoon) to press the indentations. This ensures uniformity and a clean edge.
- Microwave the chocolate in short intervals and stir between each to prevent overheating, which can cause it to seize.
- Garnish with chopped nuts (like toasted almonds) or a sprinkle of sea salt for added flavor and texture contrast on top of the chocolate filling.
- Let the cookies firm up in the fridge for at least 15 minutes after adding the filling. This sets the chocolate, making them less messy to serve or store.
- Make these cookies ahead and store them in the fridge. The flavors meld beautifully over a day or two, enhancing the almond-chocolate combination.
More Thumbprint Cookie Recipes
If you like thumbprint cookies, you’ll love these:
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Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond Flour - packed (note 1)
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup - (note 2)
- 2 tablespoons Melted Coconut Oil - (note 3)
- 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Optional ingredients – recommended to add flavors
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
Chocolate Filling
- 4 tablespoons Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- ½ teaspoon Coconut Oil - (note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add almond flour and unsweetened cocoa powder and whisk to combine.
- Add maple syrup, melted coconut oil, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract if used.
- Combine the ingredients with a spatula at first, then, when it looks dry, use your hands to squeeze the dough and bring ingredients together into a cookie dough. If it is too dry and crumbly, simply add a little more maple syrup or 1-2 teaspoons of water until the dough forms a nice dough ball. It will be sticky, that's normal.
- Divide the dough into 12 small balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a thumb of space between each. They won't expand in the oven but you don't want the cookies to touch each other.
- Use the back of 1/4 teaspoon measuring scoop to press the center of each dough ball and form a print in the middle.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until they look dry and baked. They will be soft to the touch, which is normal. Don't overbake, or they will get too crunchy.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool down.
- Meanwhile, add chocolate chips and coconut oil (or coconut cream in a small microwave-safe bowl for a smoother, ganache-like filling). Microwave in 30-second bursts, stir between each and repeat until fully melted.
- Fill each cookie thumbprint with the melted chocolate mixture. Refrigerate the cookies to make the center firm up faster.
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