If you’ve been following me along, you know I like to bake cookies. Especially during the early days of the pandemic and we all had to stay home. Boy oh boy, I was cooking and baking a lot. These delicious good-for-the-soul glutenfree strawberry thumbprint cookies are a must for you if you like cookies.
These are a bit soft and chewy, due to the absence of butter, eggs, oil, and gluten. But nonetheless, packed with big flavors and using plant-based nutrient-dense ingredients without the guilt! These are perfect when you crave something sweet or want a classic cookie to have with your afternoon tea.
If you were wondering if oats were glutenfree, the simple answer is yes! I’ve done my research in this and if you’re not diagnosed with celiac disease you can definitely use regular oats, because the good news is that oats are naturally glutenfree! However, they are often processed in factories where they share facilities processing other gluten ingredients such as wheat. In other words, if you’re worried due to gluten intolerance, always choose a trusted brand such as Bob’s Red Mill who offers certified glutenfree oats.
But if your goal is to reduce gluten intake, but don’t have an allergic reaction to gluten then using regular rolled oats are perfectly fine in this recipe. If you are interested in understanding gluten and gluten intolerance better, head over to this post where I share my thoughts on it.
Another note is that these cookies are completely oil free! I’ve been experimenting baking without any butter or oils and the secret is using bananas, yogurt or apple sauce instead. This way the cookies are much lower in calories yet packed with wholesome ingredients compare to store bought ones. I can’t wait for you to try these out!
Gluten Free & Oil Free Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Makes 20 cookies
- flax egg: 4 tbsp flax meal + 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas or substitute with coconut oil)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 heaping cups of oat flour (use rolled oats and grind them into flour in a blender or food processor, or substitute with regular all-purpose flour or wholewheat flour)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (use less for less sweet)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp strawberry chia jam (or any jam you have on hand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celcius.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Place the flax meal (blend flax seeds to a fine meal) and water in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Mash the bananas in a separate bowl until mushy and add the vanilla extract to it and mix well.
- Place flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
- Make a well in the center, and slowly add the flax and banana mixture using a spatula, mix until it forms a cookie dough consistency. If it’s too sticky add more flour.
- Use an ice cream scoop or tablespoon of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball, place on the tray, and press down using your fingers. Repeat this for the rest of the dough.
- With the back of a teaspoon or measuring spoon, carefully mold a hole in the center of each cookie or use your thumb (hence the name thumbprint cookies!)
- Scoop a teaspoon of jam of choice in the center of each cookie.
- Bake cookies in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Don’t forget to enjoy them with a cup of your favorite hot beverage!
