These chewy lemon almond thumbprint cookies are filled with cherry chia jam and are healthy, paleo, vegan, kid approved, and easy to make. They taste buttery and decadent but are gluten free and dairy free!
I’ve neglected chia in a bad way. As in, I’ve had chia seeds in my fridge for probably a year, and the bag was still sealed when I rummaged through to finally make some chia jam last week. My inspiration? Fresh cherries! And cookies.
It’s hard for me to go more than a couple of weeks without baking cookies, but this time, I wanted them to be sort of seasonal.
So, this recipe sort of created itself. Cherry chia jam + cookies = lemon almond thumbprint cookies with cherry chia jam!
Admittedly, I concerned myself so intensely with the chia jam itself, that I sort of “assumed” the cookies would work out regardless of the recipe I came up with.
However, I was failing to recall that I had a few goals for these cookies that would pose challenges, as it turned out: 1.) make them vegan 2.) make them lemon flavored and 3.) make them addictingly delicious. Not just “good”, but truly wow-worthy.
Despite the goals, I didn’t concern myself with the actual cookies until after making the jam.
Since I’d never worked with chia seeds before, I wasn’t sure the type of consistency to go for. When I dove in, I was surprised to see 1.) how fast the chia expands in water (whoa!) and 2.) how thick and perfect the jam was within minutes of cooking!
I was nervous at first, but after it worked so well, I was kicking myself for not making it years ago!
The jam recipe is super simple, and the sweetness/tartness can be adjusted based on your preferences.
I used an immersion blender to smooth out the cherries the jam but this is optional. You can always mash the cherries another way or use a regular blender to get things smooth as well.
And, by the way – you’re making LOTS more cherry chia jam than you need for the thumbprint cookies, so you’ll be covered for the next couple of weeks, when it comes to jam, anyway. Think of the cookies a an AWESOME bonus with the jam recipe 🙂
Back to the cookies – the ones I assumed would just get up and bake themselves. I tried 3 times to be exact (good thing I had a lot of jam!) and the final version is pretty darn amazing if I do say so myself.
A combination of creamy nut butter (almond or cashew is best), coconut oil, almond flour, coconut flour, lemon zest AND juice, plus almond extract and pure maple syrup.
Honestly, similarly to the jam, you can JUST make the cookies and call it a day. But, thumbprints are fun, aren’t they?
Yes, I know it’s not December (thumbprints are very holiday-ish I guess) but the fresh cherries and lemon makes them perfect for summer in my opinion!
Did I mention these are great for the kiddos too? Because, yes, they are, shockingly to me, even with the chia seeds! Are you ready to get started! Let’s JAM AND BAKE!
Lemon Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Cherry Chia Jam {Paleo & Vegan}
Lemon Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Cherry Chia Jam {Paleo & Vegan}
Ingredients
For the Cherry Chia Jam:
- 3 cups fresh cherries pitted***
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
For the Cookies:
- 3 Tbsp creamy cashew or almond butter any smooth nut butter will work
- 1/4 cup coconut oil refined (no coconut flavor) melted but cooled to almost room temp
- 5 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- grated zest of one lemon - about 2 tsp
- 1/2 tsp almond extract optional, but adds great flavor!
- 1 cup fine blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
Instructions
Make the Cherry Chia Jam First*
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Heat the pitted cherries with the water, maple syrup and lemon juice**, stirring, over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Add the chia seeds and lower the heat to med-low. Continue to cook and stir another 10 minutes.
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Use an immersion blender or regular blender to smooth out the jam. I used an immersion blender right in the saucepan to make it simple. If you used the immersion blender, you can continue to simmer after blending another few minutes.
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Allow to cool completely, then store in a tightly lidded jar in the refrigerator for to 2-3 weeks*.
While the jam cools, prepare the cookie dough:
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In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt, set aside
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In a large bowl, whisk together the nut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon zest and juice, and almond extract until very smooth, then stir in the dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms. Chill the dough for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator or 10 minutes in the freezer, until it's firm enough to be formed into balls.
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Form the cookie dough into 14-16 balls, flattening each one a bit and arranging on the prepared baking sheet. Take your thumb or the back of a 1/2 tsp to make a small indentation in the middle of each cookie, being careful not to break the dough. Spoon about 1/2 tsp of jam into the middle of each cookie.
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Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, until the cookies are set and just beginning to brown. Baking time will vary between 10-14 minutes depending on your oven.
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Remove the cookies and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer to wire racks to fully cool. Store leftover cooled cookies loosely covered at room temperature for the first day, then covered in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cookies may be frozen too. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*This recipe makes about 16 oz of jam - much more than you need for the cookies! You can store the jam in a tightly lidded glass jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
**You can add the minimum amount of maple and lemon, then add more to taste after the jam is done.
***You can use any berries you want, or stone fruits, and frozen should work as well, though you may need to adjust cooking time you thicken the jam.
Nutrition
What I Used to Make My Cherry Chia Jam and Lemon Almond Thumbprint Cookies:
Want more paleo and vegan sweet treats? Try one of these!
Banana Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
Almond Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars
Tell Me!
Do you still bake in the summer, or give your oven a break?
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Mikey says
June 21, 2017 at 7:23 amI may try this with raspberries! Cherries are too high FODMAP for me, but this is an awesome recipe (as always!)
Michele says
June 21, 2017 at 9:29 amYou can use any berries/fruit you want! I should probably mention that in the post, lol.
Josephine Sena says
June 21, 2017 at 11:25 amWhat would the carbs be on these?
Michele says
June 22, 2017 at 8:55 amI don’t calculate nutrition, but you can use this recipe nutrition calculator to find all the stats: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
Donna says
June 21, 2017 at 9:27 amWould you be able to use frozen cherries?
Michele says
June 21, 2017 at 9:28 amYes I believe so…since there will be more water you’ll need to cook it a bit longer perhaps prior to adding the chia mixture, however I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’ve made my non-chia jams with both frozen and fresh berries without problems!
Donna says
June 21, 2017 at 9:34 amThank you so much for your answer…can’t wait to try them, they look delicious!!!
jada says
June 21, 2017 at 1:08 pmDo you think I could sweeten the cookies with dates instead? They are easier on me than maple syrup.
Michele says
June 22, 2017 at 8:41 amYes, definitely. You could make date paste in advance and use the equivalent to sub for the maple 🙂
cam says
June 21, 2017 at 3:46 pmWould these work well with storebought jam?
Michele says
June 22, 2017 at 8:40 amYes! Absolutely 🙂
Emily says
June 22, 2017 at 10:19 amHehe… my poor family. I do bake in the summer. I’m trying not to do it as much, but sometimes I just can’t help baking a cake or cookies or some bars. I have your Paleo & Vegan brownies to try next, but these also look like a huge winner.
Michele says
June 22, 2017 at 5:28 pmBaking is fun no matter the season! Hope you like whatever you decide to try 🙂
Andrada says
June 29, 2017 at 3:27 pmMichelle, GIRL. What did you do to my taste buds?! I will never be able to have any cookies other than these ever again.
I am a broke student from the UK and until recently my diet consisted of cheap, greasy pizza, instant noodles and sugary brownies. I have recently decided, however, that I would like to invest a little more in my eating now to save me from dying 15 years sooner than I should if I were to keep my old eating habits going.
So there goes me, floating around ‘healthy’ people, eating salads and feeling somewhat content. But something was missing. How was I supposed to enjoy life if I couldn’t have cookies…? Every sweet treat in supermarkets had added sugar and all sorts of ingredients that seemed better fit for a chemistry spelling bee. So I logged in on Pinterest one day and then…
KAPOW!!!
These cookies. It was love at first sight. I knew I had to try them, and had a feeling they would taste nice, but BOY. OH. BOY.
I substituted vanilla extract for almond extract and ground almonds for ground flour due to not being able to find the original ingredients. They still somehow tasted like pure magic. I can’t describe the burst of flavour that every bite has, from the tangy-ness (is that a word…?) given by the lemon zest, to the sweetness of the almonds and the zing of the cherry jam, this is pure perfection.
The only downside is that, when I made them for my boyfriend, it made him blurt out ‘is it too early to propose yet’, which freaked me out a little bit. They should come with a note – careful who you’re making them for! They’ll fall in love with you instantly.
Thank you so much for making a healthy diet taste so darn amazing. You are not the hero the world deserves, but the hero the world needs. The fact that no animal had to suffer or be mistreated in order to enjoy such wonderful flavours is even more of an added bonus.
I’ll surely have a look around your blog more! Expect to see more of me, I am most definitely hooked 🙂
Michele says
July 4, 2017 at 8:03 pmYES!! What a great comment to receive on these cookies. Welcome – I’m thrilled you loved them! Hope you find more recipes you like 🙂
Gwen says
July 13, 2017 at 4:23 pmAnother great recipe!! I used date paste and they’re fantastic. I’m going to use some of the jam on my grilled chicken tonight.
Michele says
July 14, 2017 at 10:56 amSounds great! So glad you liked it and the date paste is a great idea 🙂
Esther says
October 15, 2017 at 5:14 pmwill lemon curd work in these instead of jam?
Michele says
October 17, 2017 at 11:46 amYup that would be great 🙂
Jeanie says
July 5, 2018 at 9:51 amHey there! First of, your blog is absolutely amazing! Every recipe you post is mouth watering! I want to make them all!! But, I’m really craving thumbprint cookies so that’s what I’m making today! My question is does it have to be refined coconut oil or can I used unrefined?
Kyra Hirata says
July 15, 2018 at 10:22 pmDelicious for anytime of day!
sharon says
July 30, 2018 at 7:42 pmJeanie I use unrefined almost exclusively, and I think these cookies have enough depth of flavor to handle a little tinge of coconut. I’ll make them today as written subbing only unrefined for refined coconut flour.
sharon says
August 1, 2018 at 9:47 pmGood grief, I meant coconut oil unrefined; I did make them today (got repurposed for 2 days by 6-yr. old) with unrefined, also used almond flavoring as suggested, reduced maple syrup to 4 Tbs. AWESOME cookie I will make again and again. I think I will add some lemon zest or lime juice to the jam; maybe even chipotle, ’cause I like a little kick. You have spoiled me with this; thanks (I think; I could hurt myself with this one).
Tina.pachniak says
December 14, 2018 at 7:55 pmDo you think the leftover jam could be frozen?