Thumbprint cookies are a delicious type of cookie that are common in Sweden. They are known as hallongrotta, which means “raspberry cave”. Usually they are made with fruit preserves and flavored with vanilla. For this paleo thumb cookie recipe, I like to use frozen blueberries along with honey and chia seeds for the filling. I also like to add a bit of tangy flavoring to them by mixing in lemon zest and lemon juice. The actual cookies are delicious in their own right, made using a splendid mix of almond flour, coconut oil, honey, and of course, and pure vanilla extract.
Blueberries and Chia Seeds – Nutritional Powerhouses
Traditionally, thumb cookies are filled with raspberry jam or preserves, hence the Swedish name. However, I prefer making my own homemade filling that makes good use of blueberries and chia seeds. One of my favorite things about following a paleo style diet is that pretty much everything that I eat has some type of nutritional benefit, even if it’s a baked good or dessert such as cookies or cake.
Blueberries are well known for their antioxidant content, which plays a role in helping to prevent cancer as well as keeping your cells safe from free radical damage. (1) They are also extremely high in vitamin C so they help keep your immune system strong and healthy. Chia seeds carry similar benefits; they actually have an astoundingly higher amount of antioxidants than blueberries. (2) Together they combine with honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest to make a sweet and tangy filling that’s a perfect addition to these thumb cookies.
Thumbprint Cookie Ideas
If you’re not a fan of blueberries, you could certainly stick to raspberries and still maintain a similar calorie and macronutrient profile. You could also use strawberry filling, paleo chocolate, apricot, or just keep it plain.
Almond Flour – A Paleo Flour Substitute
This recipe calls for almond flour. It is not to be confused for almond meal, which is a slightly coarser version of almond flour. Use finely milled organic almond flour to ensure that the texture of your thumb cookies remains as close to the original recipe as possible. You’ll only need 1 cup to make 15 thumbprint cookies, so be sure to check out this list of almond flour recipes for possible ideas on what you can do with the rest of your almond flour.
These thumb cookies are a great way to still enjoy baked sweets while following a paleo style diet. Thanks to the cookies and the filling itself being made with all natural paleo-approved ingredients, they can be enjoyed by absolutely anybody no matter what sort of diet they are following. They’re gluten-free, sugar-free and just plain good for the soul.
- 1 cups almond flour
- 2 ½ tbsp coconut oil, softened
- 2 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 ½ tbsp honey
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 4 tsp chia seeds
- To make the filling, in a small saucepan place all the ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until juices are reduced by half, 5–10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
- To make the cookies, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take the dough out of the freezer.
- Shape the dough into balls and place them onto prepared baking sheet.
- Use your thumb to press into the center of each cookie, creating a well for the jam.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Use a spoon to drop a dollop of jam into the center of each cookie and serve.
#1 – Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
#2 – No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
#3 – Amazing Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Paleo Thumbprint Cookies with Homemade Chia Jam
Jess (Paleo Grubs)
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