THUMBPRINT PROTEIN COOKIES (VEGAN)
Thumbprint cookies are a must on my holiday baking list. So I came up with this single serving recipe that’s only 430kcal for all six cookies! They’re gluten-free, low in sugar, and even have a little protein boost. I make the traditional version every year too, but definitely feel more satisfied (and a bit healthier) snacking on these. These thumbprint protein cookies have a crumbly shortbread texture filled with sweet jam. You can use any flavor of jam you like! I went with my favorites: raspberry and fig (mmm).
Did you know? Single serving desserts are a great option for those who are still learning healthy moderation. You can satisfy your cravings without worrying about over-indulging or bingeing.
Protein powder recommendations
For added protein, I used LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in Cake Batter flavor. I love that this protein has no artificial additives and includes organic superfoods and probiotics! My gut has never been happier with any protein powder. Best of all, LIV Body tastes great and works super well for baking 😉 You can use my code NOEXCUSES for 20% off all LIV Body products!
Feel free to soy isolate, a vegan protein blend, a whey blend, whey concentrate, or casein. Just bear in mind, for whey and casein blends you’ll want to reduce baking time by about 4 minutes to avoid drying them out. You can also omit the protein powder completely and use 25g flour in its place.
Flour substitutions
I prefer gluten-free baking flour in vegan recipes, but you can also use all-purpose flour, brown rice flour, cake flour, cassava flour (Paleo), oat flour (oats blended into flour), sorghum flour, spelt flour, tiger nut flour or whole wheat pastry flour. Almond and coconut flour may not work in this recipe because they do not bind together well.
Sweetener substitutions
To sweeten these cookies, I used a calorie-free organic stevia-erythritol blend that’s twice as sweet as sugar. I love it because it has no bitter aftertaste! If substituting baking stevia, granulated erythritol, or granulated sugar, you’ll need twice as much (one quarter cup) for the same level of sweetness.
Other ingredients
For the perfect texture, I used a combination of vegan buttery spread and cashew butter. Feel free to use regular unsalted butter if not vegan! Aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) replaces any egg in this recipe, but you can use vegan egg replacer or one egg white if not vegan. Finally, I added some vanilla extract for even more flavor!
Of course, these wouldn’t be thumbprint cookies without some delicious jam filling! I used “no sugar added” raspberry jam and fig jam. Both versions were so good there is no way I could choose between the two!
Here is the printable recipe for these vegan Thumbprint Protein Cookies. I hope you’ll rate this recipe and comment below if you try them 🙂
This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.
Thumbprint Protein Cookies (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 25 g vegan vanilla protein powder* I used LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in Cake Batter (code NOEXCUSES for 20% off)
- 1 1/2 tbsp. (12g) gluten-free baking flour*
- 2 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* I used a stevia-erythritol blend that's twice as sweet as sugar
- 1/8 tsp. baking soda
- Dash salt optional
- 2 tbsp. vegan buttery spread*
- 2 tbsp. aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)* or vegan egg replacer or 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp. cashew butter
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. fig or raspberry jam
*See blog post for substitutions.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk together dry ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl.
- Add wet ingredients (through vanilla) and mix until a soft dough is formed.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll dough into six equal-sized balls (one rounded tablespoon each).
- Place each dough ball onto prepared baking sheet and press thumb into center to make a well.
- Fill each well with half a teaspoon of jam and bake for 10-12 minutes. Microwaving the jam for 5-10 seconds may make it easier to work with!
- Let cool 10-15 minutes before eating! Leftover cookies will keep in an airtight container at least one week.
Notes
Also in Blog
CHOCOLATE PEANUT PROTEIN CANDY BARS (VEGAN)
PUMPKIN CHIP PROTEIN BREAD (GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE)
This Pumpkin Chip Protein Bread has a rich, tender texture full of pumpkin spice and chocolate chips (no dry protein bread here). The kids and I can't get enough! Best of all, it's gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and easily made egg-free and vegan.
