ALMOND BUTTER & JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES (paleo, vegan, keto)

These Almond Butter & Jam Thumbprint cookies are wonderfully soft and chewy and super easy to make. Thumbprints take me back to childhood — except my updated treats contain no eggs, dairy, grains/gluten or refined sugar, and are packed with fiber, healthy fats, and protein, too!

Side note: I made this batch of my AB&J Thumbprint cookies with my Instagram-turned-real-life-friend Teri-Ann Carty (@terianncarty) who took all of these amazing photos. She has her own wellness website as well as an Instagram page showcasing her photography (@t.a.c_photos)!

Ingredients for 12 to 14 cookies:

• 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal

• 5 Tbsp warm water

• 1 cup almond flour

• 2 scoops Nuzest Clean Lean vanilla protein

• 1/4 cup Lakankto Golden monkfruit sweetener (here) or maple syrup

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1 cup crunchy almond butter

• 1 tsp pure almond extract

• 1/4 cup Blueberry Almond Chia Protein Jam

BLUEBERRY ALMOND CHIA PROTEIN JAM using Nuzest Protein and almond extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare cookie sheet with parchment or silicone liner.

2. In a small bowl, mix flaxseed meal with water and allow to sit for 10 to 15 min until gloopy egg-like consistency achieved.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together almond flour, protein powder, monkfruit sweetener, baking soda, and salt.

4. Add almond butter, almond extract, and flax eggs, and stir until well combined.

5. Shape dough into balls and roll between your hands until really smooth (to prevent cracking).  Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb to put an indent into the middle of each cookie.  Fill each indent with a small spoonful of chia jam.

6. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Almond Butter & Jam Thumbprints can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.