Thumbprint cookies are a fun type of cookie to bake when you want something that looks a little fancier than your average drop cookie – and delivers an extra punch of flavor. Each individual cookie resembles a miniature tart, made by creating an indent in the top of the unbaked dough and …
Thumbprint cookies are a fun type of cookie to bake when you want something that looks a little fancier than your average drop cookie – and delivers an extra punch of flavor. Each individual cookie resembles a miniature tart, made by creating an indent in the top of the unbaked dough and adding a filling before baking. The fillings can be just about any flavor, but I mostly see them with fruit-based jams and citrus curds.
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies break with tradition because they are made with a chocolate cookie base and feature a peanut butter filling, delivering a finished cookie that anyone who enjoys the combination of chocolate and peanut butter will love. And who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter together?
The cookie dough itself is an almost shortbread-like dough. It has a deep, bittersweet chocolate flavor and a crisp, crumbly texture. The relatively dry dough is easy to handle and shape. The shortbread-like consistency means that the cookies don’t spread out too much as they bake, holidng their shape and keeping that filling in place. The filling is purely peanut butter that is piped into the center of each cookie. You’ll notice that I said “piped” because I recommend using a piping bag (or a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off) to get the peanut butter neatly into the center of each cookie dough round. You can spoon it into place, but piping is a bit less messy. I used a national brand (I like JIF) that had a nice balance of sweet and salty to it.
Once baked, the cookies are finished with a drizzle of chocolate. If you want a little bit more nuttiness, you could sprinkle on a pinch of finely chopped peanuts before the chocolate sets! The cookies keep very well, so feel free to double the recipe and pack them away in an airtight container for snacking all week long.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
approx 1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Blend in milk and vanilla extract, then slowly blend in the flour mixture with the mixer on low speed. Dough will be dry, but will come together as you mix. If necessary, add in an additional teaspoon or two of milk.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, make an indentation in the top of each ball of dough and pipe (or spoon) peanut butter to fill the indentation completely up.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are set and are just firm around the outside edge. Allow cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
When the cookies have cooled, melt half of the chocolate chips in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Add unmelted chips to the warm, melted chips and stir until all the chocolate chips have melted (to quickly temper the chocolate). IF necessary, warm mixture for 10 seconds in the microwave if not all the chocolate chips melt. Drizzle chocolate over the cookies using a piping bag or the tines of a fork. Allow chocolate to set at room temperature.
These pastel colored cotton candy cookies are as sweet as they look – made with a duo of pink and blue cookie batter and buttercream, too. I made them from a recipe in the new Jenna Rae Cakes and Sweet Treats book. By the way – stop what you are doing and go follow @jennareaecakes […]
These pastel colored cotton candy cookies are as sweet as they look – made with a duo of pink and blue cookie batter and buttercream, too. I made them from a recipe in the new Jenna Rae Cakes and Sweet Treats book.
By the way – stop what you are doing and go follow @jennareaecakes on instagram. I have a total crush on their bakery and all of their beautiful pastel colored-sweets, treats and confections. Their aesthetic is the dreamiest. I just need to visit Vancouver to try them in person one day. In the meantime, I have their cookbook. YAY! And I also bought their Liquid Cotton Candy so I could make these cookies.
These flourless Brownie Crinkle Cookies are rich and fudgy like a brownie but shaped like a cookie. Made lighter, grain-free and gluten-free with almond meal and they have no oil or butter. Flourless Crinkle Brownie Cookies Fudgy Flourless Crinkle Brownie Cookies made with no oil or butter! And because they are made with ground almond […]
These flourless Brownie Crinkle Cookies are rich and fudgy like a brownie but shaped like a cookie. Made lighter, grain-free and gluten-free with almond meal and they have no oil or butter.
Flourless Crinkle Brownie Cookies
Fudgy Flourless Crinkle Brownie Cookies made with no oil or butter! And because they are made with ground almond meal instead of flour, they also happen to be gluten-free. What – no oil or butter in a gooey dessert?! Trust me, you won’t miss it! These Flourless Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are also gluten-free since they’re made with almond meal instead of all-purpose flour. For more gluten-free brownie recipes, try my Flourless Chocolate Zucchini Brownies and Flourless Black Bean Brownies.
Chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies are sure to be a new holiday favorite, with a red and white marbled shortbread, dark chocolate filling with a hint of peppermint, and crunchy candy cane bits sprinkled on top. I can’t speak for Santa, but classic thumbprint cookies are one of my all-time favorite cookies, the buttery shortbread serving […]
Chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies are sure to be a new holiday favorite, with a red and white marbled shortbread, dark chocolate filling with a hint of peppermint, and crunchy candy cane bits sprinkled on top.
I can’t speak for Santa, but classic thumbprint cookies are one of my all-time favorite cookies, the buttery shortbread serving as the perfect foundation for myriad filling possibilities. This festive take pairs dark chocolate with peppermint, plus a sprinkle of crushed candy canes for decoration and crunch.
Along with gingerbread, spritz, and, obviously, amaretti, thumbprint cookies are a necessity for any holiday cookie box.
And these festive, candy-cane inspired thumbprints are no exception. In fact, I’d argue these chocolate peppermint thumbprints are perhaps the ultimate holiday cookie.
I mean, just look at them!
I’ve been wanting to do a chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookie for some time now, but it’s taken me until now to actually nail down the details. I mean, it could have gone in so many different directions, I just couldn’t decide. Should it be a chocolate cookie with a white chocolate peppermint filling? Or double chocolate with a chocolate cookie and a dark chocolate filling? Or should I stick with a traditional shortbread cookie, and if so, should the cookie itself be left natural, infused with peppermint extract, mixed with crushed candy canes, or marbled with multi-colored dough?
This is how my brain works when I’m developing a recipe.
Ultimately, after a number of tests, I opted for a traditional shortbread with a hint of almond, with a striking marble effect with a swirl of red and white dough, and a dark chocolate filling with a hint of peppermint extract.
Zia Lena’s Date Bars
These date bars come from my great aunt’s recipe book, and will surely be your next favorite. These soft cookie bars are filled with plump, chopped Medjool dates and ground walnuts, perfect for a Christmas cookie tray or a mi…
These date bars come from my great aunt's recipe book, and will surely be your next favorite. These soft cookie bars are filled with plump, chopped Medjool dates and ground walnuts, perfect for a Christmas cookie tray or a mid-day treat!
Ambrosia Cookies combine coconut, oats, pecans, dates, and citrus zest into a chewy, fruity cookie that you’ll want to eat year round. I told you guys yesterday in the coconut macaroons post that I was in cookie mode and I wasn’t kidding. I’m actually thrilled with the fact that it’s pretty cold in Ohio right …
Ambrosia Cookies combine coconut, oats, pecans, dates, and citrus zest into a chewy, fruity cookie that you’ll want to eat year round.
I told you guys yesterday in the coconut macaroons post that I was in cookie mode and I wasn’t kidding.
I’m actually thrilled with the fact that it’s pretty cold in Ohio right now because I can store all the cookies I’m baking in tins inside the garage instead of cramming the tins into our garage freezer.
Because if I’m being honest, our garage freezer is a mess and still full of summer popsicles, ice cream sandwiches and various flavors of mochi that no one ever ate.
I should really clean that thing out.
But instead, here I am baking up ambrosia cookies and thinking about what’s next on my cookie to-do list!
My favorite peanut butter blossoms recipe — perfectly soft and crackled, made with extra peanut butter, and topped with Hershey’s Kisses or peanut butter cups. Friends, have you baked up a batch of peanut butter blossom cookies yet this holiday season? If not, here’s my favorite recipe for how to make them! ♡ I’ve always […]
My favorite peanut butter blossoms recipe — perfectly soft and crackled, made with extra peanut butter, and topped with Hershey’s Kisses or peanut butter cups.
Friends, have you baked up a batch of peanut butter blossom cookies yet this holiday season?
If not, here’s my favorite recipe for how to make them! ♡
I’ve always been a bit disappointed by many traditional peanut butter blossom recipes I’ve tried in the past that end up being dry and crumbly and, ironically, lacking in peanut butter flavor. So I tinkered around with the original Hershey’s kiss cookies recipe this year — upping the amounts of peanut butter and vanilla, reducing the amount of flour, and replacing shortening with butter. And I have to say, the results were delightful! The modified peanut butter cookie base is much more soft and flavorful, plus the extra peanut butter flavor really shines through.
I also experimented with all of the internet’s best tips for getting those Hershey’s kisses (or you could use peanut butter cups) to actually stick to the cookies and hold their shape, rather than falling off of the cookies or melting and losing their form. And the winning solution ended up being super simple — just pop the kisses in the freezer while you prep and bake the cookies. Then press the frozen kisses into the cookies as soon as they emerge hot outta the oven, which allows the bottoms of the kisses melt and adhere to the cookies without the tops of the kisses losing their shape. Easy breezy!
We’ve been sharing these peanut butter kiss cookies with friends and neighbors all season and they are always a hit. So gather some kisses and let’s bake up a quick batch together!
Homemade Oreo Recipe
A homemade Oreo recipe with chocolate wafer cookies and a creamy vanilla filling. Dunk in milk or twist them apart!
READ: Homemade Oreo Recipe
Each year at Christmas I like to put together a cookie box for family, friends, and neighbors. The content changes somewhat over the years; some cookies come and go, others are staples that stick around. I’ve put together a list of favorites that…
Each year at Christmas I like to put together a cookie box for family, friends, and neighbors. The content changes somewhat over the years; some cookies come and go, others are staples that stick around. I’ve put together a list of favorites that I’ve featured here on my site. Many of these recipes come from both my cookbooks: 100 Cookies and The Vanilla Bean Baking Book. Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate: Buttery, crisp cookies with chocolate drizzle. My mom requests this one every year, and I willingly oblige. Find the recipe here. Chocolate Orange Sables: More buttery, crispy goodness, with hints of orange and chocolate. I created this recipe for Bake From Scratch Magazine and will be putting it in my cookie box this year; it’s become a personal favorite. Find the recipe here. Neapolitan Cookies: Strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate! This bright and tasty cookie is a family favorite. Feel free to switch up flavors: use 3 different shades of cocoa powder, swap raspberry for strawberry, or add some flavored extracts to personalize your cookie. Find the recipe here. Pan-banging Ginger Molasses Cookies: Crisp, ripply edges, a tender center, and a balanced mix of holiday spices make for […]
No one will be able to stop eating these applesauce cookies! Made with applesauce and oatmeal, they’re laced with an easy icing drizzle. Hello and welcome to our new favorite cookie recipe…spiced Applesauce Cookies! These are so moist and irresistible, you’ll forget about everything else and you savory each chewy bite. (Sorry, not sorry.) The applesauce makes them ultra moist, and they’ve got a little oatmeal to balance the sweet. But make no mistake: these aren’t a health food. They’re more like a lighter version of an oatmeal cream pie: which is AOK in our book. Here’s what to know about them! Ingredients for applesauce cookies These applesauce cookies are perfectly spiced to perfection, and so moist you won’t believe how soft and chewy they are. I always reach for a soft cookie over a crispy one (chewy ginger molasses cookies, any day). So this type of cookie is my ultimate. Here’s what you’ll need for the tastiest applesauce oatmeal cookies: All purpose flour Old Fashioned rolled oats (aka oatmeal!) Light brown sugar & granulated sugar Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves Baking soda Salt Applesauce Neutral oil Egg Vanilla extract When it comes to a neutral oil, you can use grapeseed […]
No one will be able to stop eating these applesauce cookies! Made with applesauce and oatmeal, they’re laced with an easy icing drizzle.
Hello and welcome to our new favorite cookie recipe…spiced Applesauce Cookies! These are so moist and irresistible, you’ll forget about everything else and you savory each chewy bite. (Sorry, not sorry.) The applesauce makes them ultra moist, and they’ve got a little oatmeal to balance the sweet. But make no mistake: these aren’t a health food. They’re more like a lighter version of an oatmeal cream pie: which is AOK in our book. Here’s what to know about them!
Ingredients for applesauce cookies
These applesauce cookies are perfectly spiced to perfection, and so moist you won’t believe how soft and chewy they are. I always reach for a soft cookie over a crispy one (chewy ginger molasses cookies, any day). So this type of cookie is my ultimate. Here’s what you’ll need for the tastiest applesauce oatmeal cookies:
All purpose flour
Old Fashioned rolled oats (aka oatmeal!)
Light brown sugar & granulated sugar
Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves
Baking soda
Salt
Applesauce
Neutral oil
Egg
Vanilla extract
When it comes to a neutral oil, you can use grapeseed oil, organic canola oil, or vegetable oil: any oil that has a neutral flavor. Avoid olive oil since it’s rather strong! You can also substitute melted butter for oil if you wish.
Add icing for best results!
The best part about these applesauce cookies? The powdered sugar icing! This icing takes them up a notch: both in overall presentation and in flavor! The sweet icing adds just the right additional sweetness to each bite. (Side bonus: it reminds us of an oatmeal cream pie.) Here’s what to know about this easy icing:
Mix powdered sugar with milk until smooth (quantities here). Easy as that! Make it dairy free with dairy free milk.
Drizzle with a fork, not a spoon! Yes, that’s right. We always reach for a spoon: but it’s the tines of a fork that make the best icing drizzle! Trust us.
Add color if desired. We made a cute holiday version by splitting the icing and adding food coloring to make half red and half green.
Tips for making applesauce cookies
Here are a few tips for the baking portion of applesauce cookies. It’s very easy and similar to most standard cookie recipes. Just a few things to note are:
The dough will be very sticky. It’s stickier than what you’d expect for say, a chocolate chip cookie dough.
Observe the chill time. After you mix up the dough, chill for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this part: it helps so the cookies don’t spread when baking.
Use 2 spoons or a cookie scoop to shape drops. Don’t adjust the cookies once they’re on the tray. The dough is sticky, so it’s a little harder to work with and form into a round drop (the cookie scoop is easiest). But never fear: once your cookies are on the try, they’ll bake up nicely.
Vegan variation
Want a vegan variation on these applesauce oatmeal cookies? Luckily, they’re easy to make plant based! All you have to do is substitute the egg with a flax egg. A flax egg is ground flax seed that’s mixed with water. Let it sit and it forms a gel-like substance you can use as a binder in vegan baked goods. It might sound odd but use it once, and you’ll see how easy it is! It works well in quick breads, cookies and pancakes.
Why bake with applesauce?
Why bake with applesauce? Adding this fruit puree gives cake a rich, moist crumb to baked goods. Applesauce is a well-known substitute for butter and oil in baking recipes, an easy way to cut the overall calories. In these cookies it’s used for moisture and overall flavor (the oil is still necessary!). Even though it only uses 1/2 cup applesauce, you can taste it in every bite.
Storage info
These applesauce cookies store well and stay very moist in a closed container. Here’s what to know about storage:
Store at room temperature in a cookie tin for up to 5 days. If the cookies are becoming too moist, you can unseal the top and let it loosely cover the tin.
Freeze un-iced cookies for up to 3 months.
More recipes with applesauce
Applesauce is one of our favorite tricks in baking! If you love these applesauce oatmeal cookies (which we know you will), here are a few more recipes with applesauce you’ll enjoy:
Bake up our fan favorite Applesauce Cake (so moist and delicious!)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until a sticky dough forms (it will be wetter than you expect).
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for 10 minutes.
Make 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls (using a size 40 cookie scoop, if you have it) and place them onto the baking sheet. Scoop or use 2 spoons to make evenly spaced drops onto the paper — don’t try to adjust or move them once they’re on the sheet.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature before enjoying. If desired, make a criss-cross icing drizzle with a fork using our 1 Minute Powdered Sugar Icing. Store at room temperature in a cookie tin for up to 5 days, or freeze (un-iced) for up to 3 months.
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