Is it just me, or is there something kind of icky about the thought of a big thumbprint in the middle of a cookie? I get this flashback to the Man Hands episode on Seinfeld; a big, pale, bulky thumb smashing into soft, defenseless cookie dough. (My nickname isn’t Howard Hughes for nothing.) But as the brave must do, I stared down the challenge and made a batch of thumbprint cookies, $#@*!!
You know what comes next: The original recipe appeared on 29 Ways to Honor Peanut Butter & Jelly in the form of Peanut Butter & Jelly Potato Chip Thumbprint Cookies thanks to Spoon Fork Bacon. I misread this recipe the first time through. I thought the potato chips were mixed into the dough (yum!), but turns out, the cookies are rolled in crushed chips (yum!). In the end, I went for mixing in the crunchiness and I opted for brown rice cereal because potato chips – or rather their oil content – scare me.

Crisped Rice PB & J Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pureed prunes (I use baby food)
- 2/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 Tbsp. egg replacer + 3 tbsp. water (whisked together until smooth)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. liquid stevia (I use NuNaturals brand)
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch salt
- 1 cup crisped brown rice cereal
- your favorite 100% fruit jam or jelly
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the prunes and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugar, the egg replacer mixture, non-dairy milk, the vanilla, and the liquid stevia and continue to process until very smooth.
- Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours and the pinch of salt. With the stand mixer on low, carefully tip the flour mixture into the bowl and process until a soft dough forms. Turn off the mixer and pour in the rice cereal. Pulse the mixer a few times to incorporate – scraping down the batter as needed.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop up walnut-sized pieces of batter and roll these into balls. Flatten the balls and make indents in the middle of each cookie. Bake them for about 15 minutes, shifting pans halfway through the cooking time.
- Let the cookies cool on the trays for a few minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Place small dollops of jam into the indents in each cookie.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 432
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 44
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 66
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 0
I’m with you, Howard, I don’t fancy swallowing someone’s thumbprint but the jam does an excellent job – out of sight, out of mind.
A little camouflage job never hurt anybody.
I never thought of thumb prints to be gross in that way until you mentioned it now. Ewww! Haha
But those cookies look yum! Especially with those dollops of jam.
I’m a little weird that way ;-).
thank God the jam is covering up the thumb print, this never even occurred to me before now! I’m going to have to make a batch soon so I can have taste overtake the visuals of dirty thumb prints! lol
your’s look great btw
Yes, soldier through, India! I’m sure a therapist would encourage me to make batches and batches of thumbprint cookies to help me overcome my phobia ;-)!
Mmmm, I love thumb prints (now more than ever) 😀
Great photos!
Cheers
CCU
Heehee!
These look great! I am truly amazed at how many PB & J recipes you have come up with!!!!! cant wait to make a couple 🙂
I wondered how it would go – but I had such a great template to use for inspiration.
I like to think with a lot of baked goods (that I just KNOW people put their paws all over) the over temp kills some of those germs haha. I would not worry about your thumbprint though, you are one of few I would trust touching my food!
I didn’t think of the baking temps…Okay, I feel a lot better now. And thank you for your trust – I wash my hands A LOT ;-)!
I didn’t think of the baking temps…Okay, I feel a lot better now. And thank you for your trust – I wash my hands A LOT ;-)!
Waw, these beautiful appetizing cookies look so special & apart too! Yum Yum Yum!
PB & J heaven!
Love Thumbprint Cookies and these look extra special with the crispy rice added in.
Wow, love the crisped rice crunchiness!!
I’m addicted to the stuff. I use it in my granola all the time – adds such a nice crunch.
I’ve had it in granola blends and adore the crunch, would never have thought to put it in a cookie. You’re never out of genius ideas Annie!
It’s crazy that I’ve never thought of this combination for a thumbprint cookie, but it seems so logical! Love it!
oh yum!!!!!!!! They look delicious. i love cookies like this with jam in the middle 🙂
These look yum! I can’t make too many things with peanut butter in them a my husband hates the stuff and literally won’t come near me if I have eaten it! lol (Trust me it was my only doubt about marrying him, I mean who doesn’t like peanut butter) but I will defo be making these and eat them happily when he is at work! X
Oh my! I can understand why you had doubts ;-)! PB is one of those love it or hate it things, I guess.