Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies with Raspberry Jam

PB&J lovers this sweet treat is for you! Gluten-free peanut butter thumbprint cookies with raspberry jam make the best cookies.  The center of each cookie gets a dollop of fruity jam, and the base is a soft, sweet, and delicious 3-ingredient peanut butter cookie.  They are made with peanut butter, oat flour, maple syrup, and raspberry jam – that’s it!

Peanut butter thumbprint cookies with raspberry preserves

These healthy peanut butter cookies could not be easier to make!

The simple peanut butter cookie base is a perfect cookie on its own, but then you add delicious, fruity raspberry preserves and you’re left with such a tasty treat.

Think of these cookies as the jammy version of peanut butter blossoms.  Instead of a chocolate kiss center, these homemade cookies cater to someone looking for a fresh and fruity cookie.  You’ll get that with these easy cookies!

What makes these the best peanut butter thumbprint cookies?

Peanut butter flavor – You just can’t beat the flavor of peanut butter in a cookie.  And these cookies give you loads of peanut butter flavor.

Fruity jam – Pair that peanut butter flavor with jam and it’s a combo that brings you back to childhood.  The classic combo can’t be matched!

Naturally sweetened – No need for loads of white sugar in these cookies, they are sweetened to perfection with just maple syrup.  The flavor of the maple syrup really comes out in this recipe and it’s a great combo!

Gluten-free – These cookies are gluten-free, but you sure wouldn’t know.  They cater to anyone, so they’re a great cookie to bring along to get-togethers, holiday parties, or to share with friends and family.

Mix in one bowl – Clean-up is a breeze since these cookies mix in one bowl.

Kid-approved – Loved by both adults and kids, these cookies are a YES for all pb&j lovers.

Ready super quick – With the minimal ingredients and quick cook time, they are ready in under 15 minutes!  Perfect for when that cookie craving comes on and you need something sweet right now.

Gluten-free thumbprint cookie recipe

The base of these PB & J thumbprints are soft peanut butter cookies made with 3 simple ingredients – creamy peanut butter, oat flour, and maple syrup.

Yup, that’s it!

The flavor combo of peanut butter with maple syrup is perfection.

These cookies offer a soft texture with loads of peanut butter flavor.

The best part? They’re naturally sweetened with maple syrup!  Most cookies are loaded with brown sugar, white sugar, or both.  Not these healthy peanut butter cookies!

What you need for jelly thumbprint cookies

Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.

• creamy peanut butter
• maple syrup
• oat flour
• raspberry preserves

How to make this easy recipe

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, add the peanut butter and maple syrup.  Mix the wet ingredients together until fully combined.

Step 3: Add the oat flour to the peanut butter mixture and stir until mixed together.

Step 4: Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, roll the cookie dough balls into 1-inch balls.  Place on the prepared baking sheet with space between each cookie.  You’ll end with around 10 cookies.

Step 5: Using your thumb or the back of a small spoon, make a small indent on the balls of dough.  Add 1 teaspoon of jam to the center of each cookie.

Step 6: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the peanut butter cookie are set.

Step 7: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

Watch me make delicious peanut butter cookies

The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!

Tips for the best peanut butter thumbprint cookies

Using natural peanut butters can sometimes leave you with less creamy peanut butter.  The oil separates and if not mixed well, the peanut butter can seem hard.  This can be especially true if it has been refrigerated.

To combat this, be sure to leave the peanut butter out on the counter to come to room temperature before baking.  This will leave you with a smoother nut butter that will give you better results.

A room-temperature nut butter mixes much more easily than a chilled one.

Can you double this recipe?

Yes, you can absolutely double this cookie recipe!

Simply use twice the amount of ingredients, and increase to 2 prepared cookie sheets when baking the cookies.

​Be sure to not cover crowd the pan so that the cookies have space between them.

How to store

Once the cookies are fully cooled, you can place cookies in an airtight container.  They keep well at room temperature or stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can also freeze peanut butter thumbprint cookies beautifully.

Once the cookies are fully cooled to room temperature, place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and into the freezer to allow the cookies to freeze individually.

Once the cookies are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag or container.  Label and date the cookies, and keep them frozen for up to 6 months.

To defrost and enjoy these cookies, place the desired number of cookies on the counter to come to room temperature.

Because these are super soft pb cookies, they should not be reheated in the oven.  You’ll want to enjoy them at room temperature and not warm.

Substitutions

Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in these easy peanut butter cookies. 

If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!

Peanut butter – Creamy peanut butter is called for in this recipe, but crunchy peanut butter would work here too!  You can also swap peanut butter for other nut butters like almond butter, cashew butter, or hazelnut butter.  For a nut-free alternative, try sunflower seed butter or tahini (sesame seed butter).

Maple syrup – Three other liquid sweeteners to try in this recipe are honey, agave nectar, and date syrup.  To maintain the correct consistency, don’t swap in granulated sugar.  If you’d like to use granulated sugar, use this 3 ingredient peanut butter cookie recipe as your base (it’s made with peanut butter, egg, and sugar).

Oat flour – To keep these cookies gluten-free, you can use quick oats in place of the oat flour, but it will have a chewy texture (not a bad thing!).  You can also use almond flour in place of oat flour.  Using almond flour will leave you with a cookie that is slightly more delicate.  If you don’t need to keep this cookie gluten free, other alternatives include all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour.

Raspberry jam – Raspberry jam (or preserves) can be substituted with strawberry jam, strawberry jelly, blackberry jam, apricot jam, cherry jam, blueberry jam, or whatever jam or preserve you have on hand.  

More recipes you’ll love

• Chocolate oatmeal almond flour cookies
• Vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• Almond butter oatmeal cookies
• Chickpea cookie recipe
• Almond flour snowball cookies

If you try this peanut butter thumbprint cookie recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!

XO

Heather