Keto thumbprint cookies are easy gluten free cream cheese cookies with a fruity raspberry jam filling. They are ready in 25 minutes!
I am a serial cookie baker. A couple of highlights I have shared recently include my keto peanut butter cookies and keto chocolate chip cookies.
Why do I secretly prefer cookies over any other keto dessert?
Firstly, they are easy treats and quick to make. A lot less daunting than a cake. Also, they are portable, can be stored for a long time and look all pretty and petite.
And last but not least, they go so well with coffee!
This time, I wanted to make a fruity cookie. And since I had a jar or my sugar free raspberry jam in the fridge, I settled on keto thumbprint cookies.
It took just a few tweaks to turn the classic thumbprint cookie recipe into a low carb version. Almond flour - tick! Sweetener - tick!
Oh my, they turned out so well.
I ended up making several batches - one with jam, one with a cream cheese filling, one cinnamon "sugar" version and even one without a filling altogether.
Who would have thought that pressing your thumb into a little dough ball was so much fun?
Jump to:
🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The texture - Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy inside.
- The flavor - The fruity raspberry filling pairs perfectly with the buttery vanilla crumb.
- Gluten-free - These are almond flour cookies, which means they don't contain any gluten.
- Keto friendly - Only 0.9 garms of net carbs
- Easy, quick recipe - 7 ingredients, 1 bowl, no special equipment needed
Ingredients
You only need 7 ingredients for this recipe:
- Almond flour - I used ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour in the US.
- Cream cheese - full fat
- Unsalted butter - should be room temperature
- Sweetener - I used a granulated erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend. The first time I used a white sugar alternative. The next time I chose a brown sugar alternative called Lakanto Gold, which gives the cookies a nice caramel flavor. This is the sweetener you see in the step by step images below. Both worked well.
- Vanilla extract
- Egg - size medium.
- Sugar-free raspberry jam - no cooking necessary! Or, use any other low carb jam.
Option to also add a pinch of salt to the dough. It's not necessary to use baking powder - but if you like an extra fluffy cookie, add ½ teaspoon.
Instructions
This section contains step by step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step 1: Blend the cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla extract and sweetener until smooth.
I used a food processor, but a large bowl and an electric hand mixer work just as well.
Step 2: Add the egg and whisk. Then, add the almond flour and blend until a smooth dough forms.
Step 3: Form cookie dough balls (or use a cookie scoop). Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Press your thumb into the middle of each ball to form an indentation.
Step 4: Fill each indentation with sugar-free jam.
Step 5: Bake in the oven until golden.
Top tips
Chill the dough. If the dough feels sticky and too soft to handle, form a ball and wrap it in clingfilm. Then cool it in the fridge for 20 minutes (or in the freezer for 10).
Patience. After baking, don't touch cookies until they have cooled down. Keto cookies are very fragile when hot. They firm up as they cool.
FAQ
Yes. Any sugar free jam can be used. Try my blueberry jam or this sugar free strawberry jam. Store-bought jams should be sweetened with stevia or erythritol and not grape juice.
I recommend an erythritol based sweetener for cookies, because it makes them nice and crunchy on the outside. Pure erythritol works, or erythritol blends such as Swerve. Xylitol, Bocha Sweet and allulose make softer cookies.
No, you cannot replace it 1:1. I recommend making coconut flour cookies instead, and add the raspberry filling.
Yes, you can prepare the cookie dough up to 2 days in advance. Wrap in cling film and store in the fridge.
Variations
I have tried various fillings for keto thumbprint cookies:
Cinnamon Sugar: Mix melted butter, cinnamon and powdered sweetener.
Cheesecake: Stir together cream cheese, powdered sweetener and a few drops of vanilla extract. Add lemon zest or lemon juice for a lemon cheesecake version.
Chocolate: Put a few sugar free chocolate chips into each thumbprint hollow.
Nutella: Use my sugar free nutella!
Peanut butter: Mix it with a pinch of sea salt. Or, use almond butter.
No filling. This is a great pared-down version that ends up deliciously crunchy.
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Suitable for freezing. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Related recipes
For a "best of" low carb cookie compilation, get my Keto Cookies cookbook. More recipes like this:
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Keto Thumbprint Cookies
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup almond flour 150g
- ¼ cup full fat cream cheese 2oz / 55g
- ¼ cup unsalted butter 2oz / 55g room temperature
- 5 tablespoon granulated erythritol 50 grams
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg medium ***
- ¼ cup sugar free raspberry jam 60g, or any other sugar free jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit electric or 160C / 320F fan assisted.
- Mix the cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla extract and erythritol in a food processor or with a hand blender until smooth.
- Add the egg and mix, then add the almond flour and blend until a smooth dough.
- If the dough feels too soft to handle, form a dough ball, wrap it in clingfilm and cool in the fridge for 20 minutes (or in the freezer for 10).
- Form small balls (15 grams) in your hands and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Press your thumb into the middle of each ball to form an indentation. Fill each indentation with sugar free raspberry jam.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Jodie Hall
If I wanted to make a sugar cookie fruit pizza (one huge round cookie, cream cheese frosting topped with sliced fruit) -- do you think this cookie recipe would be best, or your other S-F sugar cookie recipe that doesn't use an egg? Thanks!
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, this one would work. For a crunchier base, try my keto sugar cookies.
Lucy
Do you have a replacement for the cream cheese?
Katrin Nürnberger
You can use sour cream as well.
Rose McCrumb
Great with coffee in the morning
Eileen Kazanjian
Fantastic!!! They are great! Do many people in my family love raspberry and are diabetic or pre. These are wonderful! Thank you!
Rukshana
Hello, thank you for your brilliant recipes! May I ask what is the make and model of the food processor you use here? I need one to make life easy when making food.
Katrin Nürnberger
It's a Phillips. I can't see it on Amazon any more - it's quite old - but there are many similar models. I only paid about £80 for it and it's still going strong.
Khursheed Rossenkhan
Such a versatile recipe. Make it again and again. Its a good base to use for any topping really. Today I tore up some sugar free fruit rolls and stuck them on.
Liviana
Wow, what a simple recipe.
Thank you!
JWoodard
My favorite filling is homemade cranberry sauce because of its tartness! Apricot preserves were also good. I bet tart cherry would be good, too.
Katrin Nürnberger
That sounds amazing! I have a recipe for sugar free cranberry sauce on my website in case your comment is inspiring anyone else!