Friends! I’m so excited to share my new favorite cookie with you just in time for the holidays. They’re so easy to make, ready in 20 minutes, require no baking and just 5 ingredients, and they’re naturally sweetened! Let’s (not) bake!
The base for these cookies starts with creamy, salted peanut butter sweetened with maple syrup.
For gluten-free flour I used almond flour for its light texture, somewhat “cakey” flavor, and ability to absorb moisture without over-drying (like coconut flour can). While I didn’t test the recipe with other flours, I suspect oat flour, coconut flour (if reduced by half), or your gluten-free blend of choice would likely work.
Once your dough is formed, scoop out golf ball sized amounts and form into balls. Then use your finger or thumb to make an indent. Transfer to the fridge to chill while you make your jam.
To make the jam, all we’re essentially doing is blending up dried fruit and adding a little hot water.
I tested several jam options, including both store-bought jam, fresh chia-raspberry jam, and cooked compote. But none of these compared (see why in the notes) to this simple 1-ingredient blended option! It’s tart and sweet, not too wet, and sits perfectly in the thumbprint!
The jam recipe makes enough for about two batches of cookies, so you’ll have leftovers to use for future cookies and baked goods (think banana bread swirl), on top of oats, or stirred into chia pudding.
Once the jam is dolloped into the cookies, they’re ready to enjoy or chill back in the refrigerator!
We hope you all LOVE these cookies! They’re:
Tender
Peanut-buttery
Salty-sweet
Easy & quick to make
& Absolutely delicious
These would make the perfect easy cookies to bring to holiday gatherings, cookie swaps, or to just have around the house when you’re craving a healthier treat.
If you’re into no-bake treats, also be sure to check out our Coconut No-Bake Cookies, Almond Butter No Bakes, No-Bake Chocolate Cake Bites, No-Bake Vanilla Cake Bites, No-Bake Lemon Poppyseed Donut Holes, and Vegan Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
5-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Thumbprints
Ingredients
COOKIES
- 1/2 cup natural creamy salted peanut butter (or sub other nut / seed butter)
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 ⅓ cup almond flour (or half this amount in coconut flour, plus more as needed)
JAM*
- 1 cup dried unsweetened fruit (we used half wild blueberries, half cherries)
- 2 Tbsp warm water
Instructions
- Add peanut butter to a medium mixing bowl. The peanut butter should be runny when measured. I recommend using natural peanut butter, meaning the ingredients should just be peanuts and salt. Then add maple syrup and stir until well combined.
- Measure out almond flour and add a little at a time until a workable dough forms (see photo). If too dry/crumbly, add more peanut butter or maple syrup. If too sticky or wet, add a little more almond flour. We added an additional few tablespoons to achieve the right consistency.
- Scoop dough out in 1 ½ Tbsp amounts (I like using this scoop) and gently roll into balls. Then pick up one cookie at a time and cradle it in your palm. Use your pointer finger or thumb to make an indent, being careful not to press too forcefully to prevent cracking. If the dough cracks, smooth the cracks over before chilling. Continue until all cookies are pressed, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
- To make your jam, add dried fruit to a food processor and blend until a ball forms or only small bits remain. Then add warm water 1 Tbsp (15 ml) at a time until a thick paste forms, scraping down sides as needed. Be careful not to add too much water or the jam will become too wet. We found 2 Tbsp (30 ml) to be the right consistency (as the recipe is written). You’re looking for a paste consistency.
- Remove cookies from refrigerator and add 1/2 tsp of jam to the center of each cookie. Press down to situate the jam as needed. Repeat until all cookies are filled. You’ll have leftover jam which you can cover, refrigerate, and reserve for future cookies, PB&J sandwiches, or oats!
- Store cookies well sealed in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month (let thaw before enjoying).
Video
Notes
*As written, the recipe yields about 1/2 cup of jam, but you’ll only need 6 teaspoons for the cookies. If you have a small food processor, you can try to make a lesser quantity. It’s just difficult to make smaller batches in larger food processors and blenders since lesser quantities won’t blend well.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1/4 of the total amount of jam.
Bianca says
Just made these with coconut flour, for the filling I used dried cranberries, a touch of honey, xylitol and hot water. They were amazing! Thank you.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Bianca! Thank you for sharing! xo
Michelle says
Made these last Christmas with a freeze dried berry mix from TJs, and just made them again with success! You actually don’t even need a food processor if you add hot water to the freeze dried berries. Thank you for all the wonderfully naturally sweetened recipes! I can bake for Christmas again with much less guilt!
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing, Michelle! xo
Ilena says
Made these with melted sugar free choc chips and coconut oil instead of the fruit filling for someone who loves peanut butter cups and they were a hit!
Ilena says
Made these with melted sugar free choc chips and coconut oil instead of the fruit filling for someone who loves peanut butter cups and they were a hit!
Yumm – such a fun filling idea! Thanks for the lovely review, Ilena! xo
Evelyn L says
Delicious but didn’t satisfy the cookie cravings. I associate these more of an energy ball than a cookie. MB has plenty of other amazing cookie recipes I’ll be sticking to.
Thanks for the feedback, Evelyn! This one is more of a classic thumbprint: https://minimalistbaker.com/pbj-graham-cracker-thumbprints/
Nicol says
Love making these little guys! I found the best flavor is when using peanut butter—sun butter makes them pretty dense and provides a bit of a strange flavor that not everyone is accustomed to.
Logan says
Delicious! I used crunchy peanut butter and only 1 cup of flour. I actually like the texture of the crunch and they still rolled up in smooth balls. As for the fruit, I used what I had on hand, prunes with a sprinkling of golden raisins. Sounds weird but it worked! Because the prunes were naturally moist, I didn’t need much water to create a paste. Excited to try this one again with other variations.
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Logan!
Lindsay Tramble says
These cookies blew me away! Literally took 20 min start to finish and they taste like eating raw cookie dough! I used a mixture of raisins and dates for the centre, and added a tablespoon of brown sugar for sweetness. The almond flour is PERFECT for this recipe because it adds a decadent/cakey texture. I will definitely be making these often! Thank you!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lindsay! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ambika says
These were delicious and so easy to make! I didn’t have dried fruit on hand so I subbed the jam with store bought fig spread which has a similar consistency.
Love your blog, Dana. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Ambika! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Annie says
Let me start off by saying I am a huge fan of Minimalist Baker! But, I feel feedback is most helpful when it’s critical so here goes. This is the first M.B. Recipe I did not like. Personally, these were just way too dense and hurt my tummy. I did almond flour. I’ll be sticking to baked cookies 🙂
Hi Annie, sorry to hear these ones weren’t for you! Better luck with the next one!
Hillary says
These have been my go-to cookies in quarantine! They are so easy, guilt free compared to regular cookies, and you don’t need much to whip them up. I haven’t tried making the jam yet, but I have liked using a gourmet one from the local store (marionberry). Not going to lie, if I have a dessert craving, sometimes I just mix these ingredients in a bowl at a smaller ratio and skip the chilling! :)
Love that idea! Thanks so much for sharing, Hillary!
Christina says
I made this as instructed but used jam/preserves because its all we have. Since my partner and I are working from home I was okay with a slightly messier treat/snack :). Great little snack!!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing!
Julie says
These are so simple and you can play with the boilerplate, but a lot of great flavor; I was surprised how effective these were.
Kate says
This is the first recipe I have ever learned by heart in my 30-something years of existence! I make these every week, with all sorts of different toppings (jam, chocolate, coconut, PB cups, etc). I’m currently pregnant and have craved these cookies like nothing else for month after month. So grateful to have found this blog to help keep me and my baby healthy, happy, and well-fed. Thank you MB!
We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Kate! All the best to you! xo
Jules says
YES! These are AMAZING and addictive!! Made them twice so far, I love packing one in a little container to have with my lunch as a snack. I could only get dried unsweetened cherries for my jelly filling, but they worked out great!
Jessie says
I made these twice this week! The first time I didn’t have almond flour so I blended some oats into flour instead, which made them a bit more ‘healthy’ textured (?) and felt a lot like energy bites. Yesterday I made them with the almond flour and they are much more decadent and cakey. I didn’t have fancy dried fruits so I used raisins & cranberries, which made a very Christmas-y sort of jam. I also tried store-bought apricot jam for a couple but its texture didn’t really match the cookies. I imagine these would be amazing with a fig jam, and almond butter?, or with the jam rolled inside a ball (like a surprise!), and then rolled in hemp/chia seeds? Also: very tempted to replace the jam with…chocolate.
10/10 chance that I will make these all of the time.
So kind! Thanks, Jessie! Let us know how the fig jam/chocolate and almond butter goes!
Becki says
These cookies were so good! I made three cookie recipes from your site for Christmas: these, the 1 bowl snickerdoodle cookies, and the fluffy 1 bowl sugar cookies. All of them came out well and were easy to make. These no bake cookies are awesome for a guilt free snack. I have already made mini-batches for myself and my daughter to enjoy after dinner. These are a keeper for sure.
Yay! Thanks, Becki!
Lily says
These are so simple and delicious. They definitely taste like PB&J. For a different taste, I recommend playing around with the filling- chocolate chips, cinnamon-sugar-honey, etc.
Great ideas, Lily! We’re so glad you enjoyed these!
Tara Turner says
My kids and I love these! I’ve made them many times using various dried fruit (apricot, cherries, cranberries) and all came out great! I used my mini food chopper to make my fruit mixture, perfect size.
We’re so glad you and your kids enjoy these, Tara! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing about the other dried fruits! xo
Emily says
So delicious! Made it for my friends and husband and they couldn’t stop eating them. I love the simplicity of minimal ingredients and no baking time needed. Can’t wait to use more of your recipes Dana!
Yay! Thanks, Emily!
Becca says
Super yummy and easy treat for an afternoon snack! I made them with oat flour, honey, and fig jam, and they were like a bite-size PB&J. Great little recipe!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Becca!
Rob says
I decided to try and make this into a single serving recipe. It came out the perfect amount as a late night snack for me and my wife:
2T of peanut butter
2T of almond flour + 1tsp
1tsp maple syrup
The first time we made it, we just put strawberry jam in the middle. The second time we added melted semi-sweet chocolate.
Thanks for the inspiration!
So creative! Thanks so much for sharing, Rob! We are so glad you enjoyed it.
JLB says
Made these today following the recipe as written, they turned out amazing! For the jam, I used an entire bag of Publix Greenwise Dried Berry Blend which was slightly less than a cup of dried fruit, and ended up using all of the jam I made to fill the cookies. Love that they aren’t too sweet, but still managed to satisfy a craving for something sweet. Would make again!
Alexis says
Amazing! Want to keep the whole batch to myself. 10/10 would recommend.
DianeThompson says
Can I use almond butter? I can’t eat peanut butter.
Yes!
Jessica says
Can you sub different flour to almond or coconut? Like just all purpose or a whole wheat?
Hi Jessica, we don’t recommend consuming raw wheat flour due to food safety concerns. While we didn’t test the recipe with other flours, we suspect oat flour, coconut flour (if reduced by half), or your gluten-free blend of choice would likely work. Hope that helps!
zovag says
Very easy to make. Delicious and healthy. My son is very picky but he loved it. It was finished in a day.
I dipped the balls in chocolate instead of using jam. It was perfect! Thank you for this recipe.
Emily says
Where do you buy unsweetened dried fruits? I always have a hard time finding fairly priced unsweetened dried fruits.
Martha says
I buy my dried fruit at nuts.com I haven’t gotten a single product I don’t like from them.
M says
I rarely have almond flour on hand as it’s hard to find where I live, and am going to substitute with normal flour. Is it safe to eat raw flour? Or will I have to toast it before incorporating in the recipe?
Do you have access to coconut flour? We wouldn’t recommend eating raw all purpose flour. Hope that helps!
Jenae says
My grocery store was out of almond flour, so I just used blanched sliced almonds (no skins) and turned them into a powder in the food processor first… It worked like a charm! Sometimes you can also find ground almond in the baking aisle with the bagged nuts… it is a little more coarse than the ‘flour,’ but pretty interchangeable for this!
Magda says
I made them with plum jam (cooked for 2min with 1tsp of agar flakes) and coconut flower and they turned out delicious! Thank you for posting the recipe.
Amanda says
Amazing blog! These were phenomenal! I used Trader Joes Almond Meal and it was perfect! I love the use of dried fruit as jam. I don’t think I will share this batch with my kids. Maybe next time :)
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Amanda. We are so glad you enjoyed these]! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Carolyn says
I used date nectar instead of maple syrup, and coconut flour. I didn’t have dried fruit on hand so I used dried hibiscus flowers instead (combined with freshly squeezed orange & sugar). Turned out great!
Maggy says
I’ve made about a dozen of MB recipes and all were amazing except for this one. This one was super quick and easy to make, with minimal clean up, but the cookies turned out very heavy. I followed the recipe exactly as written but unfortunately the taste was disappointing.
Hi Maggy, Sorry to hear these didn’t turn out for you! These cookies are intended to be a more rich and dense cookie since they are not baked, so that could explain why they felt heavy. As for the taste, is it possible that some of your ingredients weren’t fresh?
Alison says
I was craving a peanut-buttery sweet and these were perfect! I ground oats in the food processor and used chunky pb so texture was chewier than probably would’ve been with listed ingredients. Also used Crofter’s raspberry spreadable fruit (didn’t have any dried fruit on hand) and ended up with a delicious pb&j cookie! One thing I consistently love about your recipes is they’re easily customizable- I can usually sub some ingredients I already have and create something good! ❤️
Ariel Kirby says
DELICIOUS ! I successfully doubled the recipe and was only able to find PB with added oil to it and salt (but no sugar) so the consistency was similar to Kraft PB. I structured it so I added less almond flour and it turned out great! I look forward into bringing these treats to the office!
Kyra says
I make a lot of your recipes and I think you are fabulous! These cookies were a favorite with everyone in my house (my baby is gobbling up one right now!)! I used dried tart cherries and I love the tartness with the creamy subtle sweetness. Quick question because I have small children and want to make sure- I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic White flour because my father is allergic to almonds (and I wanted to give some to my parents) but he reminded me that you are usually not supposed to eat flour raw. I forgot about that! I didn’t worry too much, because its a reputable brand, vegan and “organic”. I tried to find the info on the internet and can’t find anything except “don’t eat flour raw”. Is almond and coconut flour more safe to eat raw? I guess I could use ground up oats instead as well. Thank you.
Kyra says
I make a lot of your recipes and I think you are fabulous! These cookies were a favorite with everyone in my house (my baby is gobbling up one right now!)! Quick question because I have small children and want to make sure- I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic White flour because my father is allergic to almonds (and I wanted to give some to my parents) but he reminded me that you are usually not supposed to eat flour raw. I forgot about that! I didn’t worry too much, because its a reputable brand, vegan and “organic”. I tried to find the info on the internet and can’t find anything except “don’t eat flour raw”. Is almond and coconut flour more safe to eat raw? I guess I could use ground up oats instead as well. Thank you.
Kyra says
don’t know why this posted twice, sorry
Wendy says
I did make these with a little change up. Used the almond butter but didn’t have enough maple syrup so I mixed with blackberry honey. I added some cacao powder and stuck a pecan in it because I didn’t have any dried fruit. Next time I make them I will try it with the fruit but this turned out so good!
Emaleigh Downey says
Made these but covered them in chocolate instead of jam!
Annie Tobias says
Delicious and easy. I love peanut butter and jelly and these cookies do that, and more. Love!
Lisa G says
Delicious; Literally took 7 minutes to put together. This is my new treat!
nazish says
These sounds so yummy but it’s cold and I’m wondering if there are any minor tweaks that could turn this recipe into baked cookies?
Thanks!
Hmm we haven’t tried and can’t say for sure, but if you experiment with it, report back!
Michaela says
These were SO easy to make and scrumptious!
Erin says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made it. I used half coconut flour with other half regular flour. The dough was much too dry. I increased the liquid ingredients to almost double. The overall taste was good. I made the filling according to the recipe and it turned out perfectly. I will try again once I pick up almond flour. Per your note – the coconut flour may have been too absorbent. Thank you again!
Thanks for sharing, Erin! Yes, coconut flour needs to be used a little at a time, otherwise it can dry everything out.
Tiffany B says
I have an intolerance to fruit so I subbed dried rosehips & had to double the water for a good jam consistency. I also used a cinnamon-infused maple syrup! Hit. the. spot. !!! Thanks & Happy Holidays!
Smart! So glad you enjoyed these. xo!
Carol says
Just made these and they are outstanding. So yummy, I made them according to the recipe, using chunky peanut butter for a wonderful crunch. I’ve only been vegan for about two years, so still adjusting and looking for great recipes. This is one for my recipe collection! Thanks!
Thanks, Carol!
Sushmita says
Hello, Recipe looks very nice.
1) Can I make with whole wheat flour ?
2) If regular flour is used, it will need some baking right – since it’s not possible to eat uncooked flour ? What are the changes in the recipe with regular flour.
Thanks.
We haven’t tried this with whole wheat flour but assume it would work? We did try baking these and I really didn’t like the texture. If at all possible I’d suggest trying to get some almond or coconut flour.
Jessica Marquis says
Hi, I know you specifically state in some of your recipes using almond flour that you should use actual almond flour not almonds blended by hand into a meal but would the latter option work in this case? I never have almond flour but do often have almonds and these look way too easy and delicious not to try! :)
Almond flour is more similar to flour, which in this recipe is nice for creating a smooth cookie dough without flecks of brown in it. But generally speaking, yes that swap should work here!
Ruth says
hello Dana, thank you for such healthy recepies i did not go to school like you did but take pictures on my tablet of what i think is pretty food dishes that i have made we cant eat till i take pictures lol any way i would like to know where do you buy the fruit u used with no sugar added ? thank you for your time .
I got the blueberries from Trader Joe’s and the cherries from Target.
RUTH says
THANK YOU
Elaine says
Hi,
I do not like maple syrup, can I substitute with something else like corn syrup, molasses or honey?
It’s worth a try! I’d suggest honey or agave.
Jen says
Have you tried this with honey eater than maple syrup?
I haven’t! Let us know if you do.
Brenda Carpenter says
Could I use plain regular flour? And would I have to change any measurements if I do use it.
Hmm, you can start with a little less and work your way up. Let us know if it works!
Pavitra Pujary says
Your recipes are so amazing! The date brownies are a real discovery and our family’s favorite desert. Cant thank you enough and can’t wait to try this one!
Your truly talented..God Bless ! xx
Amee says
tried it with a alternative flour works a treat. thank you
Scarlet says
Do you think crunchy peanut butter would work for this? I prefer crunchy a lot more than creamy. I also don’t have a small food processor…only a large Vitamix. Wondering if there’s another option to make my own jam, like using fresh berries and hand-mashing them..? (just made that word up)..lol :)
Lois Saland says
I have a question. Could you use a chocolate kiss,or an organic chocolate dollop homemade in the canter of no bake peanut butter cookies?
Scarlet, you can use crunchy! See notes for jam recommendations.
Lois, you could certainly try that, but just know that the cookie will be softer than the chocolate and would likely be difficult to eat. I’d recommend something more like this in that instance: https://minimalistbaker.com/3-ingredient-no-bake-peanut-butter-cookies/
Caitlin Fendley says
Look for “natural” (or even “organic”) peanut butter, they usually just list peanuts and salt (and sometimes oil, sugar, etc. but brands I’ve looked at, such as Jif natural, do not have dairy.)
rachel says
I’m hoping to bring these to a work cookie swap! Looks so tasty. I have garbanzo flour on hand–do you think that would work well with the peanut butter?
Hmm, I don’t think so. But if you give it a try let us know!
Heidi Bone says
I do want to try your filling but just out of curiosity Will thick store bought jam work as a filling ? What did you think when you tried ? Sorry for the lazy question. I’m going to make these with your filling I just figure I’d try a few and see ;) since I’m not eating toast anymore I haven’t thought of any creative uses for Jam except mixing with mustard.
You can see my notes there. I found it too sweet and too wet. But depending on the jam you might find a good fit!
Heidi Bone says
Thank you ? I’ll let you know when I make them.
Nena says
Which penaut butter you good for a child allergic to cows milk?thanks
Nena says
Sorry was typing too fast and had my son around
Which pb tou would recommend for a child allergic to cow’s milk?thanks
I’m not sure I understand the question. Peanut butter doesn’t contain dairy.
Ballsdeep says
Sound
Jasmin S says
Just made these using coconut flour. Worked like a charm- and so tasty!
Yay! Thanks, Jamin. Mind leaving a rating with your review next time? It’s super helpful to us and other readers. xoxo!
Tori says
If I am using unsalted peanut butter do I need to add additional salt?
Start with 1/8 tsp and work your way up!
Tori says
1/8 teaspoon in addition to the pinch it already calls for?
Tori says
1/8 teaspoon in addition to the pinch of salt it calls for?
Mafe G. says
Looks yummy! Do you think Trader Joe’s almond meal would work? (It’s not too fine)
I think it would work. You will be able to see the brown flecks in it, but yes that would likely work!