These easy vegan thumbprint cookies made with just 5 healthy ingredients the perfect sweet chewy vessel for your favorite fruit jam or even a fudge filling!
A pound each of rhubarb and strawberries makes for a lot more jam-swirled bowls of ice cream than even I can eat, but leftover jam is never a problem. More an opportunity to dream up other recipes that call for a fruity filling or pink swirl. Or just an opportunity to eat a lot of PB&Js – up to you!
Crumble bars, jelly donuts, streusel tarts, overnight oat parfaits – all these ideas danced through my mind, a few sticking around longer than the others. But I just couldn’t shake the PB&J thought, so it had to be something sandwich-inspired. The delicious contrast of rich + nutty next to fruity + sweet is too good!
But I didn’t want to bother with bread and crusts and straight vs. diagonal slicing, so instead I made much cuter cashew butter jam thumbprint cookies. You could go traditional with PB too, but cashew butter is just my jam right now. Or shall I say my nutty favorite, strawberry rhubarb is the jam here.
The cookie. These little cookie vessels are made with just a few and just the yummiest ingredients. Rolled oats for a chunky chewy base. Cashew butter for an indulgent and classier-than-kindergarten-lunchtime taste. And maple syrup for sweetness and that glorious golden-brown magic it brings to baked goods.
They are just as simply scrumptious as they sound, and I love how easy this dough is to work with too. Not too sticky. Not too crumbly. You could even roll it out and cut cookie shapes from it. Cashew butter cookie flowers/hearts/stars/succulents anyone? (Can’t even make this stuff up!)
The filling. As previously mentioned, I used this strawberry rhubarb jam to fill my concave cookies, because jam over-abundance was the whole point of making cookies in the first place. But that doesn’t mean you have to do the same.
You could fill them with fudge frosting. Or non-chocolate frosting. You could spoon a dollop of date caramel in there. You could use other flavors of homemade jam. Or just unscrew the usually impossibly tight lid off a store-bought jar in your favorite flavor. You could bake them without filling and then add chocolate ganache after they cool like those Keebler fudge button cookies I swear were a part of my childhood but yet I cannot find any trace of on google. With this simple buttery cookie base, the filling possibilities are almost endless.
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These easy vegan thumbprint cookies made with just 5 healthy ingredients the perfect sweet chewy vessel for your favorite fruit jam or even a fudge filling!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup cashew butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Optional: pinch of sea salt
- Jam of choice ((*see notes))
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Combine everything except the jam in a mixing bowl. Mix to form a ball of dough.
- Roll into small balls, flatten slightly, then use your thumb or finger to create a small well in the center of each cookie.
- Fill each cookie with a teaspoon of jam.
- Bake for approximately 12 minutes at 350F or until the edges are just starting to brown.
- Remove from the oven. Cool briefly. Enjoy!
Notes
I used my homemade strawberry rhubarb jam for this batch. You could also use store-bought jam, I look for ones that are sweetened with fruit only. Or try one of my other homemade jam recipes: blueberry fig or strawberry banana. Or see the post above for other non-jam filling ideas!
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First of all, we are on the same wavelength because just last night I was brainstorming cookie ideas that are “summer appropriate,” which obviously leads one to think of fruit! I can relate to having extra especially when it comes to fruit…I totally over buy every time, worried that I won’t have enough and then my fridge looks like the produce section for a bit. Not a bad problem to have, I guess! I definitely would’t be mad about having some extra gorgeous jam, as in your case. Not to mention those cute little cookies underneath! You know I love my almond butter but there’s something so rich and awesome about cashew – and as a kindergarten teacher myself, I can totally verify that it is indeed MUCH classier than kindergarten PB. 🙂 Everything about these looks incredible, and so perfect for this time of year!!
When I was typing up this post I paused for a second like hmmm cookies usually are a holidays/winter thing…but the strawberry rhubarb totally makes them count as a summer thing too, right? Oh but they would be so good with almond butter instead! I actually just bought a jar of AB so once I polish off my cashew I’m moving on to that one for a while 🙂 Haha yes you are the expert on PB&Js…and the mess that can become of them too I’m sure😂
So very in love with these lil gems! The combo of cashew butter & rhubarb-strawberry sounds even more glorious than the traditional pb&j!! Love the texture of these hearty beauties!
Thank you my sweet rhubarb dessert twin 🙂
These are just the cutest little cookies Natalie! Such a great use for your leftover jam you made too. Thumbprint cookies are such a wonderful classic and so simple to make. I love that you used cashew butter. It is probably my favorite ingredient to use in cookie recipes. It’s just sooo delicious. These would be so awesome for so many different cookie flavor ideas too….can you imagine like cinnamon roll or chai or lemon…oh man, such a perfect cookie you’ve made and the sky is the limit! I love how pretty they are with the pop of red from the jam too. Nice pop of flavor too from that jam in contrast with the mellow cookie flavor. Super healthy too. Don’t think it gets any better than that!
Omg yes yes and YES to all those flavor ideas!!! Your brain thinks in the yummiest of ways…a lemon curd-ish filling sounds especially amazing to me right now. I’ve made a very similar cookie with the coconut butter and love it too, but the cashew butter flavor is just so good 🙂 Thanks friend!
Looking for actual meals not just treats, tvp is good to work with but I need some ideas.
I’m a baker not a cook, so this probably isn’t the best place for dinner ideas. But I do have a vegan blogger friend who uses TVP in all kinds of creative ways: https://www.elephantasticvegan.com/tvp-textured-vegetable-protein-recipes/
Thanks for your answer I’m out of shape and need help that’s why I think treats go to be careful with
These lil’ gems need to get straight into my mouth! Love that they are filled with strawberry rhubarb jam too! PINNING! 🙂
Gotta consume all the berries in all the forms while they are soooo sweet and ripe 🙂 Thanks Rachel!
I’ve made PBJ thumbprint cookies once before and we loved them, but after we totally forgot about them until now! The kids loved sticking their fingers in to make the print haha! I like the use of oat flour and again, all your recipes are such simple ingredients! If these are anything like your oreo cookies, they’ll be devoured by yours truly before the kids even get their hands on them! I think we’d opt for the chocolate ganache or fudge…because you know…chocolate ha! But let’s see if i can get my hands on some frozen rhubarb!
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Aw I can totally see why that was their favorite step of the process 😀 The cookie is actually based off my golden oreos, so very similar indeed. Totally with you on the fudgy filling choice, I didn’t think of that till I was writing the post but kinda wishing I had started with that 🙂
Hello! Would it be possible to use date paste instead of the maple syrup and applesauce instead of the cashew butter?Thanks Natalie 🙂
You are welcome to try it, but the cashew butter is what keeps the cookie moist and the maple syrup helps it brown and develop those slightly crispy edges so they will be much more chewy without and dry out much faster. If you want a low-fat date-sweetened cookie recipe, maybe try this dough recipe instead: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/vegan-gluten-free-fig-newtons/ Good luck!
Was craving a thumbprint cookie, so searched your site and was thrilled to see it. These are so delicious! Crispy too. I’m pretty addicted to chocolate but sometimes I need something a little different and these were perfect. I made them with cherry preserves. I’d think they were wonderful even if they had double the ingredients. But with only five, they were a breeze to make and taste so much more complex than you would think 5 ingredients could taste.
I am so happy you liked them Ellen! I totally feel you on every once in a while needing a still sweet break from chocolate, the cherry filling sound delish. And yes so surprisingly simple, right? Thanks for the feedback and enjoy the rest😊
Great recipe! I substituted almond butter for cashew butter and used up some of my leftover cranberry sauce made with dates. Delicious. Thank you.
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Oooh that sounds even better, I adore cashew butter in baking! I am so happy you liked them, and great idea for the leftover cranberry sauce😊
Hi, could I use Earth Balance butter instead of cashew butter and regular flour?
I haven’t tested either, the butter should work but I worry regular flour may make them dry since it doesn’t have the same natural oils as almond flour😬
But this is oat four. Is almond flour better to use?
Ah my bad! You are correct, regular flour will be fine in place of oat😊
I made them with the oat flour and they turned out really good! Thank you!
Woohoo! So happy to hear they were a success🤗
These turned out really tasty and wholesome! I used tahini in place of cashew butter and chunky strawberry jam…yum!
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Oh those sound like delicious swaps, so happy you liked them!
These look amazing! I have some naturally sweetened nut butters. If I use those will I still need the maple syrup? Or should I use soy milk instead if I still need the liquid without the sweetness?
I would still recommend the maple syrup, typically sweetened nut butters are just lightly sweetened so without the syrup the cookies will taste quite bland. Hope you enjoy them Kim 🙂
is there any substitute for the cashew butter? im allergic to nuts
Sure, try sunbutter or tahini or coconut butter!