These irresistible chocolate peanut butter thumbprint cookies are perfect for the holidays or any day of the week! With a soft peanut butter base, a chocolate peanut butter filling and a touch of flaky sea salt for sprinkling, they’re vegan, dairy free and gluten free.

It’s time to bake! After a week of enjoying wholesome foods following Thanksgiving, holiday baking season is officially here. First on the list: salted chocolate peanut butter thumbprint cookies.

The name is a mouthful, but every element is essential.

Here’s what makes these cookies so good:

• A tender, peanut butter-forward cookie base that’s simple to make.
• A rich two-ingredient dark chocolate and peanut butter filling.
• A finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt for contrast and sparkle.

Together they create bite-sized cookies that are dangerously easy to eat — tested thoroughly (purely for quality control, of course).

Even after I stopped baking them nonstop, my husband missed them — cookie withdrawal is real.

Tips & Tricks

1. Use natural, pourable peanut butter for best texture. I didn’t test regular, stabilized peanut butter, so results may vary if substituted.
2. Stick with the blanched almond flour and oat flour combination. I use super-fine blanched almond flour and oat flour for a tender crumb. I tested white whole wheat with almond flour and the wheat overpowered the flavor.
3. If you have allergies, always check ingredient labels carefully—this matters for chocolate chips, oat flour, and other packaged items.
4. Even after chilling, the dough can be soft when rolling. That’s normal—just roll gently and keep a light dusting of flour on your hands if needed.
5. The chocolate filling firms as it cools. After a short set it will be fudgy; after longer chilling it will harden enough to stack the cookies. The peanut butter keeps each bite pleasant and not overly hard.

Additional Vegan Dessert Recipes:

• Vegan Chocolate Biscotti
• Vanilla Almond Vegan Biscotti
• Vegan Snowball Cookies
• Vegan Gingerbread Cake
• Dairy Free Hot Chocolate
• Dairy Free Apple Cobbler
• Dark Chocolate Fruit & Nut Clusters

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it below — I’d love your feedback.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Yield:
about 18 cookies

Prep Time:
20 minutes

Additional Time:
45 minutes

Cook Time:
12 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour 17 minutes

These irresistible chocolate peanut butter thumbprint cookies are perfect for the holidays or any day of the week! With a soft peanut butter base, a chocolate peanut butter filling and a touch of flaky sea salt, they’re vegan, dairy free and gluten free.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon blanched almond flour
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon oat flour
• ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil*
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter (stirred well)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

• ½ cup dark chocolate chips**
• 2 tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter (stirred well)
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

For the cookies:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour and sea salt. In another bowl, whisk the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
2. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Shape the chilled dough into 1 to 1¼-inch balls (about a heaping tablespoon). Place 1½ to 2 inches apart. Use your thumb or a wine cork to make a deep indentation in each cookie.
5. Bake about 12 minutes, until set. As soon as they come out of the oven, deepen the wells again with a small spoon or cork.
6. Let cookies cool about 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.

For the filling:

1. Combine chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
2. Spoon filling into the center of each cooled cookie and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
3. Let the cookies stand until the chocolate sets.

Notes

*Melt the coconut oil first, then measure the amount called for.

**To keep these dairy free and vegan, use non-dairy chocolate chips.

See the Tips & Tricks section above for additional guidance on ingredients and texture.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 18
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 96
Total Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 65mg
Carbohydrates: 7g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 2g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only.