These vegan thumbprint cookies might just be your favorite Christmas cookie of the season! Simple ingredients, quick to make, and festive too! Vegan, soy free, and nut free!
This post was originally published in December 2015
Wow! It has been three years since I first wrote this recipe, and boy have things changed! When I first shared this recipe for Vegan Thumbprint Cookies I told you all about how David believed in Santa, but he was beginning to question everything! Fast forward three years and David has been….enlightened….and now it’s Jonny’s turn to be firmly in Camp Santa! We still go through the song and dance of setting out cookies and eggnog for Santa each year….and maybe some carrots for Rudolph too! Mostly because that means that I get to pretend and eat the cookies for Santa! Yum!
Behind the scenes
Last week I had the boys help me make these cookies after school so that I could take new photographs. Of course, I had specific ideas of exactly how they had to stand while making the cookies, how to smile, etc. Once baked, I informed the boys that they weren’t actually allowed to eat the cookies, as I needed to wait for better light the next day to photograph them. Cue all the tears— #momoftheyear. The next day I took photos of the cookies. It was then that I learned that Silk soy creamer photographs better than soy milk or soy nog. I forged a note to Santa in my best left handed penmanship because there were no elves children to write one for me. Also, to simulate the look of a “messy,” baked in kitchen on a day when you are not baking, just taking photos….splash some water in a measuring cup, add a tablespoon of flour, and shake it around to coat. Voila—instant baking day! All the illusions…but I promise you, these cookies are amazing—no tricks there!
^^^ Happy little baking boys….before they knew I was going to make them wait a whole day to eat the cookies they made!
Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
These vegan thumbprint cookies are so delicious! They are soft and chewy with a crispy sugar coating. The jelly in the center gives them a sweet fruity bite—a refreshing change of pace from traditional Christmas fare. They can really be a favorite all year long—really simple to make, and relatively healthy ingredients too!
Kid Favorite
These cookies for Santa are a kid favorite in my house! They boys had so much fun making them last week (minus the part about the mean mommy who didn’t let them eat them), and they did a pretty good job of it too! And I really like that they are a less complicated than full on roll out cookies (though I LOVE those too!).
Easy to make!
No mixer required! Just stir the dry ingredients, stir the wet, and combine them! Then we roll the dough into balls and roll it in sugar before squishing them with a thumbprint! Finally, just fill the divot with a spoon full of jelly and bake for a few minutes! As David would say, “Easy peasy!”
More Christmas Cookies You Will Love!
- Classic Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Sugar and Spice Cookies
- Grandma Henrietta’s Bourbon Balls
- Chocolate Peppermint Vegan Rice Crispy Treats
- Homemade Graham Crackers
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Black and White Cookies
^^^ Throwback pic to 2015 — Look at the excitement on their little faces!
Santa
So back to Santa…..Apparently I believed in the big guy until I was 9 or 10 (I know!), then pressured my parents for the truth. Upon hearing that Santa wasn’t real I worked myself into a terrible funk, then went back to believing that he was real for another year. Thankfully David learned the truth in a rather graceful manner…though we struggle with him to not spill the beans to his sweet little brother! And I’m pretty sure I will lead the way in leaving cookies out for Santa all the way through the boys’ teenage years!
I hope you have a chance to make these Vegan Thumbprint Cookies for Santa—I know he will love them….if you manage to save him any! If you do bake them, please take a picture, post it on Instagram, and tag it with #frieddandelions! Make sure to keep up with me on Facebook and Instagram! Merry Christmas!!!
Vegan Thumbprint Cookies — Cookies for Santa
Ingredients
- 1 egg replacer egg (I like Ener-G, see notes)
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup jelly (I like strawberry and raspberry)
- 1/4 cup sugar for rolling cookies (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix the egg replacer and set aside.
- Melt the coconut oil (it does not need to be total liquid, but needs to be very soft). Add the applesauce, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Add the flax egg and mix again.
- Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together.
- Add the wet ingredients and mix well into a soft dough.
- Scoop dough out in leveled tablespoons. Roll into a ball and roll through sugar.
- Set on the cookie sheet and make an indentation with your thumb. Fill the thumbprint with 1/2 t jelly (I use a 1/4 teaspoon and doing a heaping spoonful.) Repeat with remaining dough. I can usually make about 24 with a single batch of dough.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. They are delicious fresh out of the oven but store well for a few days as well.
- To store, place a piece of parchment paper between layers to keep the jelly from sticking. Enjoy…but make sure to leave some for Santa too!
Notes
- I like using Ener-G egg replacer in these cookies—1 1/2 teaspoons of Ener-G powder mixed with 2 Tablespoons water.
- You can also use 1 Tablespoon chia seeds gelled with 3 Tablespoons of water, or the 1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds gelled with 3 Tablespoons of water.
- I like Bob's Red Mill Sparkling Sugar!
[…] There’s no reason to keep these just for the holidays! These cookies are great year round—Valentines Day, 4th of July, Tuesdays. Any time! I love making these because they require a lot less mess and attention to detail than a cut out cookie, but the sugar and jam make them look really festive! Get the recipe HERE ——> […]