Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies

Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies are soft, tender, and the perfect bite. Sourdough Starter creates a tangy bite that perfectly compliments the sweet, Strawberry jam.

Allergen-Friendly

Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies are delicious and allergen-friendly. The recipe I was originally inspired by – Little Spoon Farm’s Sourdough Thumbprint Cookies calls for eggs in the dough. However, with having an “anaphylactic shock response” to eggs, I cannot eat these cookies if they have eggs. Therefore, I used 1 Unsweetened Applesauce Pouch (approximately 1/4-1/2 c.) in place of the eggs.

Because I used Applesauce in lieu of eggs in this recipe, my cookie dough was a bit crumblier than the original recipe showed. Therefore, I had to add 1 tbsp. of Oat Milk into the dough to make the dough come together more. Oat Milk is a dairy-free milk that has a thicker consistency, like milk, and an oat taste (hence the name). Oatly is my favorite Oat Milk brand, but there are also other brands you can use if you cannot find that one in your grocery store.

Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookie Ingredients

• Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• Granulated Sugar
  • You can easily substitute Granulated Sugar for Coconut Sugar, however, this will change the color of your dough and the outside of your cookie to a golden brown color.
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Mexican Vanilla
• Active Sourdough Starter
• Organic, All Purpose Flour
• Oat Milk (or any dairy-free milk)
• Pink Salt
• Baking Powder
• Strawberry Jam (or your favorite jam)
• Powdered Sugar

Making the Cookie Dough

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   • If you do not have two baking sheets, one will work, but you will have some waiting time between cookie batches.
2. Then, using a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, cream together the butter and sugar (about 2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
3. Next, drop in the Active Sourdough Starter and mix until combined.
4. Then, add the Mexican Vanilla and applesauce and mix until combined.
5. Next, drop in the baking powder and salt and mix. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
6. Then, add the flour one cup at a time.
7. Next, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and then assess the consistency of the dough.
   • You are looking for a dough that has slight moisture to it and is not overly crumbly. If your cookie dough is too crumbly, add 1-to-2 tbsp. of dairy-free milk, such as Oat Milk.
8. Then, add the Oat Milk to the cookie dough and mix just until incorporated. Turn off the stand mixer and move the mixing bowl near the parchment-lined or silicone baking sheets.
9. Next, in a small mixing bowl, measure out the granulated sugar.
   • Again, granulated sugar can be substituted for Coconut sugar, but this will create a more golden-brown color for your cookies.

Preparing the Baking Sheets

1. Using a cookie-dough scoop or your amazing eye-sight, measure 1 tbsp. of cookie dough. Then, roll each tbsp. of cookie dough into the sugar.
   • This is an EXCELLENT step to involve your toddler or child in. Show them how to roll each of the dough balls into the sugar and then place them on the sheet. Let them have fun! (Or let them make their own cookie dough sheet with dough balls…my toddler chose to lick her hands after moving each dough ball around…so she got her own area of cookies).
2. Place the cookie dough on your parchment-lined or silicone baking sheet. Repeat until you have either filled both of your baking sheets and/or have run out of room.
3. Then, using your thumb, lightly press your thumb in the center of the cookie dough balls until you create a small dent. (Note: do not break the dough by pressing all the way through – this dent will hold the strawberry jam filling).
   • This is a GREAT step to involve your toddler or child in. Make sure they wash their hands first (or you wash them – whatever is more reliable), and then show them how to create these dents in the cookies.
4. Next, using a tsp measuring cup or a spoon, spoon a little bit of Strawberry Jam (or your favorite jam) into the center of each cookie. The jam should sit comfortably in the indention, but not overflow.

Baking the Thumbprint Cookies

1. Then, bake the cookies in a preheated 350-degree oven for 13-15 minutes.
   • I always start with the lower amount of cooking time first, because it’s always easier to add time than remove!
2. Next, once the Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies are baked, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes prior to transferring them to a cooling rack.
3. Allow the cookies to finish cooling to room temperature on the wire, cooling rack.
4. Finally, once all of the cookies are completely cooled, lightly dust them with powdered sugar (this is optional, but it does make quite a pretty presentation). Enjoy!

Plating, Serving, and Other Variations

You can serve the Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies on any serving dish of your choice. These cookies are an excellent after-meal treat, brunch sweet, and/or coffee/tea treat.

Serve the Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies at room temperature for the best result (as in to not burn anyone’s mouth from the jam and/or to make sure the powdered sugar doesn’t melt when dusting the tops of the cookies).

Finally, you can add your own flair to these Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies by substituting the Strawberry Jam for your favorite jam or filling. You can also add citrus zest to the cookie dough to give it an extra punch of flavor. Finally, consider substituting the Granulated Sugar with Coconut, Turbinado, or Monk Fruit Sugar/Sweetener for different sugar profiles.

Enjoy, have fun, and happy baking to you all!

Recommended Products

Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies

Yield: 24 Cookies

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies are soft, tender, and the perfect bite. Sourdough Starter creates a tangy bite that perfectly compliments the sweet, Strawberry jam.

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Ingredients

• 8 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 3/4 c. + 1/4 c. Granulated Sugar (You can easily substitute Granulated Sugar for Coconut Sugar, however, this will change the color of your dough and outside of your cookie to a golden brown color).
• 1 pouch of Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1 overflowing tsp. of Mexican Vanilla
• 1/4 c. Active Sourdough Starter
• 2 1/2 c. Organic, All Purpose Flour
• 1 - 2 tbsp. Oat Milk (or any dairy-free milk)
• 1/2 tsp. Pink Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/3 c. Strawberry Jam (or your favorite jam)
• 1/3 c. Powdered Sugar

Instructions

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you do not have two baking sheets, one will work, but you will have some waiting time between cookie batches.
2. Then, using a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, cream together the butter and sugar (about 2-3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
3. Next, drop in the Active Sourdough Starter and mix until combined.
4. Then, add the Mexican Vanilla and applesauce and mix until combined.
5. Next, drop in the baking powder and salt and mix. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
6. Then, add the flour one cup at a time.
7. Next, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and then assess the consistency of the dough. You are looking for a dough that has slight moisture to it and is not overly crumbly. If your cookie dough is too crumbly, add 1-to-2 tbsp. of dairy-free milk, such as Oat Milk.
8. Then, add the Oat Milk to the cookie dough and mix just until incorporated. Turn off the stand mixer and move the mixing bowl near the parchment-lined or silicone baking sheets.
9. Next, in a small mixing bowl, measure out 1/3 c. Granulated Sugar. Again, Granulated Sugar can be substituted for Coconut Sugar, but this will create a more golden-brown color for your cookies.
10. Using a cookie-dough scoop or your amazing eye-sight, measure 1 tbsp. of cookie dough. Then, roll each tbsp. of cookie dough into the sugar. This is an EXCELLENT step to involve your toddler or child in. Show them how to roll each of the dough balls into the sugar and then place them on the sheet. Let them have fun! (Or let them make their own cookie dough sheet with dough balls...my toddler chose to lick her hands after moving each dough ball around...so she got her own area of cookies).
11. Place the cookie dough on your parchment-lined or silicone baking sheet. Repeat until you have either filled both of your baking sheets and/or have run out of room.
12. Then, using your thumb, lightly press your thumb in the center of the cookie dough balls until you create a small dent. (Note: do not break the dough by pressing all the way through - this dent will hold the strawberry jam filling).
13. This is a GREAT step to involve your toddler or child in. Make sure they wash their hands first (or you wash them - whatever is more reliable), and then show them how to create these dents in the cookies.
14. Next, using a tsp measuring cup or a spoon, spoon a little bit of Strawberry Jam (or your favorite jam) into the center of each cookie. The jam should sit comfortably in the indention, but not overflow.
15. Then, bake the cookies in a preheated 350-degree oven for 13-15 minutes. I always start with the lower amount of cooking time first, because it's always easier to add time than remove!
16. Next, once the Sourdough Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies are baked, take them out of the oven and allow them to cool for 10 minutes prior to transferring them to a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to finish cooling to room temperature on the wire, cooling rack.
17. Finally, once all of the cookies are completely cooled, lightly dust them with powdered sugar (this is optional, but it does make quite a pretty presentation). Enjoy!