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    Keto Thumbprint Cookies | One of The Best Holiday Cookies

    Dec 24, 2020 The Diet Chef

    Jump to Recipe

    These keto thumbprint cookies have a buttery shortbread cookie base with a smooth jam-filled center. And each melt in your mouth thumbprint cookie has only 2g NET CARBS. Plus, these keto cookies are super easy to make, the whole family will have fun baking them!

    A raspberry jam filled thumbprint cookie that's set on top of a peach jam filled cookie. They are set on a plate with other cookies as well.

    The Best Keto Thumbprint Cookies

    There aren't many things better than baking during the holidays.

    And let's be honest, it wouldn't truly be the holidays without baking some Christmas cookies.

    Now, I know there are a ton of cookies to choose from to bake, but these keto thumbprint cookies should be at the top of your list. 

    They are delicate and have such a warm and buttery flavor, perfectly topped with a tasty keto friendly jam. 

    And with only 2g NET CARBS per cookie, making them is a no brainer.

    That said, something I love about thumbprint cookies is that they are great to bake with family and friends because everyone can have a different role while making them. Between rolling the dough, making the thumbprint, and filling it with jam, there's a whole lot of fun for everyone!

    And a unique aspect of these cookies is you can customize them to your taste preference by swapping out the type of jam used.

    We'll take more about that in the ingredients section, so let's jump in! 

    Thumbprint cookies on a nude colored plate set on a white speckled table.

    Ingredients for Keto Thumbprint Cookies

    These keto thumbprint cookies have a shortlist of ingredients. And that means this recipe comes together super quick!

    A majority of the ingredients are keto staples, so hopefully you have most of them on hand!

    That said, here's what you'll need: 

    • ¼ cup cream cheese
    • ¼ cup softened butter
    • ⅓ cup  Granular Swerve
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 egg
    • Just less than 1 ½ cups almond flour
    • Around ½ a cup sugar-free jam for filling

    As I already mentioned, one of the best parts about thumbprint cookies is you can completely change the cookie by putting different jams in the center. 

    And there are a ton of flavors to mix up the recipe based on your jam preference. My favorite is a classic raspberry thumbprint cookie, but you can use apricot, strawberry, blackberry, or even a blueberry jam and end up with some pretty tasty results too.

    That said, if you'd like to make your own jam - instead of buying it - this is a really great recipe to try!

    Whichever jam you decide to use, make sure it is SUGAR-FREE!

    Cookies filled with peach jam and raspberry jam on a nude colored plate.

    Keto-friendly Flours to Use and Avoid

    So, if you've read my blog before, you know that not all keto-friendly flours are created equal. Certain flours can be a substitute for each recipe, and others you'll want to avoid depending on what you are making. 

    Let's go through a few common flours that you can and can't use to substitute almond flour in this keto thumbprint cookie recipe.

    Walnut and Sunflower Seed Flour

    Walnut flour and sunflower seed flour are both keto-friendly flours that can be used as a substitute for almond flour!

    They both measure out with almond flour on a 1:1 basis. 

    If you use either of these in place of almond flour, they will give your cookies the same consistency and subtle nutty flavor.

    Thumbprint cookies on a nude plate. There are more cookies on a silver plate behind them.

    Avoid Using Coconut Flour

    Coconut flour is another keto-friendly flour that is commonly used in low carb recipes.

    Although it works great in specific recipes like these keto brownies and keto coconut flour cream cheese pancakes, it should not be substituted for almond flour. 

    Coconut flour is extremely absorbent and will soak up all the liquid that you put into the recipe.

    Using coconut flour will make these soft and buttery keto thumbprint cookies turn out crumbly and hard! That is if they even turn out at all.

    How To Make Keto Thumbprint Cookies

    This recipe is simple, fun, delicious, and the perfect low carb version of traditional thumbprint cookies.

    Enough said, let's get started making these keto thumbprint cookies!

    Step 1: Prep

    Before we get going, make sure the butter and cream cheese are warmed up, and slightly softened. 

    Oh, and the cookies will have to chill in the refrigerator, so clear room for them in there too!

    Then, once you've done those two things, you can preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    Cookies on a nude colored plate. One of the cookies is sticking up, and has a bite taken out of it.

    Step 2: Combining the Ingredients

    Ok, so now you'll want to add the almond flour into a bowl and set it aside. 

    Then cream the butter, cream cheese, egg, Granulated Swerve, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until fluffy. 

    And the easiest way to get these thicker ingredients together is with either a stand or hand mixer. If you don't have a mixer, you can also use a blender or a food processor to mix them too.

    Anyway, once those ingredients are nicely creamed, gradually add the flour to the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and mix them with a spatula until combined. 

    Then, once everything is combined, cover your bowl of cookie dough and put it into the fridge to chill for 60 minutes.

    A cookie with raspberry jam filling with a bite taken out of it stacked on top of another cookie. The cookies are set on a nude plate, with more cookies behind them.

    Step 3: Making the Thumbprint and Baking 

    After your cookie dough has chilled, scoop rounded tablespoons of the dough and roll them into individual balls to make each cookie. 

    Now place the cookies on your parchment-lined baking sheet, and in the middle of each ball, GENTLY press your thumb to create an indentation.

    Then spoon around a teaspoon of sugar-free jam into each indent. 

    Bake the cookies for 15 minutes until they are slightly brown, and then let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

    After about 10 minutes, remove the cookies from the rack and take a bite of smooth, buttery goodness.

    An assortment of jam filled cookies on a silver plate.

    Storing your Keto Thumbprint Cookies

    These cookies are so good fresh out of the oven, they might be gone by the end of the day.

    But a cookie as good as this is better shared, so we'll talk about storing these keto thumbprint cookies.

    The best way to store these cookies is to layer them in an airtight container, putting parchment paper between the layers to keep them from sticking together.

    While the jam will firm up, it may retain its stickiness, making it hard to stack all the cookies on top of one another.

    That said, you can keep these cookies on the counter for a day or two, in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Other Keto Cookies To Make For The Holidays

    As I mentioned earlier, there are so many cookies to choose from to make during the holidays!

    If you want some more low carb cookie deliciousness, check out these recipes:

    • Snowball Cookies
    • Chocolate cookies 
    • Peanut butter cookies
    • Gingerbread cookies
    • Chocolate chip cookies
    • Keto Macaroons

    Whichever one of these recipes you choose, you can't go wrong.

    A thumbprint cookie with a bite taken out of it, stacked on top of another cookie. There are more cookies behind them.

    Nutritional information

    As I'm sure you're aware, cookies and jam typically contain a high amount of carbs. But, that's not the case with this recipe.

    Each cookie contains just 2 NET CARBS!

    That said, here's the full nutritional breakdown per cookie:

    • 115 Calories
    • 10g Fat
    • 3g Carbs
    • 1g Fiber
    • 2g NET CARBS
    • 3g Protein

    Whether you adhere to a keto diet or are just someone who loves cookies, these thumbprint cookies won't disappoint!

    And I feel confident saying that after you make these once, they'll become a staple Christmas cookie in your household.

    Anyway, I'd love to hear what flavor jam you use to make your cookies.

    Let me know what you use and what you think about the recipe below! 

    Print

    Keto Thumbprint Cookies | One of The Best Holiday Cookies

    A raspberry jam filled thumbprint cookie that's set on top of a peach jam filled cookie. They are set on a plate with other cookies as well.
    Print Recipe

    These keto thumbprint cookies have a buttery shortbread base with a smooth jam-filled center. Each melt in your mouth thumbprint cookie has only 2g NET CARBS. Plus, these keto thumbprint cookies are super easy to make and is such a fun holiday activity!

    • Author: The Diet Chef
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 miuntes
    • Total Time: 54 minute
    • Yield: 15 cookies 1x
    • Category: Cookies
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: Keto Low carb

    Ingredients

    Scale

    ¼ cup (55g) cream cheese

    ¼ cup (55g) softened butter

    ⅓ cup (65g) Granular Swerve

    ½ tsp (2g) pure vanilla extract

    1 egg

    Just less than 1 ½ cups (150g) almond flour

    Around ½ a cup (135g) sugar-free jam for filling

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are slightly softened.
    3. Put the flour into a bowl and set it aside. 
    4. With a stand or hand mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese, egg, granular sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until fluffy. 
    5. Gradually add the flour to the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and mix until combined.
    6. Once everything is combined, cover your bowl of cookie dough and put it into the fridge to chill for 60 minutes.
    7. After your cookie dough has chilled, scoop rounded tablespoons of the dough and roll them into individual balls to make each cookie. 
    8. Place the cookies on your parchment-lined baking sheet.
    9. In the middle of each ball, GENTLY press your thumb, or use the back of 1 teaspoon, to create an indentation.
    10. Then spoon ½ teaspoon of your sugar-free jam of choice into each indent. 
    11. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes until they are slightly brown.
    12. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
    13. After about 10 minutes, remove the cookies from the rack and take a bite of smooth, buttery goodness.

    Notes

    The scale up function only scales up the cups and not gram measurements. If using  grams, you must scale them up yourself.

    If you'd like to make the jam yourself, here's a great recipe to use - Keto Jam.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cookie
    • Calories: 115
    • Fat: 10
    • Carbohydrates: 3
    • Fiber: 1
    • Protein: 3

    Keywords: Keto thumbprint cookies, low carb thumbprint cookies, thumbprint cookies, thumbprint cookie recipe, thumbprint christmas cookies, recipe for keto thumbprint cookies, christmas cookies, thumbprint cookies keto, thumbprint cookies low carb, how to make keto thumbprint cookies, keto cookies, low carb cookies,

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me on Instagram @thejoeduff — I can't wait to see what you've made!

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Hey there! I'm Joe Duff - The Diet Chef, and I've been creating low carb keto recipes for over 15 years. Initally, I started making these recipes to help myself lose weight - I lost over 75 pounds doing so - but now I make recipes for the entire low carb keto community!
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