During the four weeks leading up to Thanksgiving last year, I tested my recipe for the ultimate healthy pumpkin pie countless times, tweaking ingredients and instructions and baking times until it was finally perfect. With so many iterations, my fridge held three different full-sized pies at one point, each slightly different, and the entire kitchen smelled like pumpkin pie whenever someone opened the refrigerator door!
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, my family felt a little overwhelmed by the thought of baking even more pies to serve at our small five-person feast (even though those desserts always disappear at least four days before the rest of the leftovers!). Because Mom and I refused to completely give up pie, we settled on a compromise the afternoon before.
With the majority of the best and final pumpkin pie still sitting in the fridge, we decided to mix up just a third of our traditional pecan pie filling recipe (Mom’s Thanksgiving favorite!) and bake it in my mini pie plates without a crust. While the turkey rested the following day, we planned to quickly whip up a small batch of buttery pie dough, roll it out, cut it into strips, and pop it in the oven on a baking sheet to serve alongside the crustless pecan pie.
However, we hit one tiny snag on Thursday afternoon while Dad and I worked on prepping the stuffing, whole wheat rolls, sweet potato casserole, and easy roasted Brussels sprouts. Mom decided to taste a tiny spoonful of one mini pecan pie for quality control, just to double check that we did the math correctly when dividing the ingredient amounts… Which turned into another… And another… And another… And a few tastes for Dad as well…
By the time Dad pulled the turkey off of the grill, only one of the three tiny pecan pies remained!
So just in case anyone gets the same idea this year, I planned ahead and created the recipe for these Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies for my family to nibble on instead! They have the same sweet, cozy flavors as pecan pie, but they’re perfectly portioned and so much easier to make. And with only 50 calories with no butter, refined flour or sugar, they’re basically guilt-free too!
Because I’m sure you’re already a master cookie maker and already know how to whip up cookie dough, let’s just go over a few quick things! We’ll start with two key ingredients. Instead of all-purpose flour, you’ll use white whole wheat flour. It’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat, which gives it a lighter taste and texture that’s very similar to all-purpose flour. However, white whole wheat flour still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour (like extra fiber!), which comes from a heartier variety of red wheat.
Instead of refined sugar, you’ll use coconut sugar in these cookies. Coconut sugar is exactly what it sounds like: sweetener that comes from coconuts! However, it doesn’t actually taste like coconuts. It has a rich, caramel-like flavor very similar to brown sugar, and it has the same pourable consistency as granulated sugar. Many mainstream grocery stores have started to stock it right next to the regular sugar on their baking aisles, and you can also buy it online.
If you remember to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale, then the cookie dough will be very wet when you first mix it up. Therefore, chilling is mandatory! This stiffens and thickens the cookie dough so it’s not quite so gooey when you drop it into the baking sheet.
However, it will still be slightly sticky, so use a spoon and spatula to drop dollops onto the silicone baking mat. To make those mounds round and make a well in the center, moisten your fingers with just a tiny bit of water to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
Time to add the filling! It’s super simple: just finely diced pecans and pure maple syrup. I used a tiny dessert spoon and my favorite mini spatula to fill each well. You’ll want to gently press down the filling with the spatula just before baking since it doesn’t spread and completely holds its shape in the oven.
But just a few minutes later…
Time to eat your delicious treats! And if you’re like my parents… They said these tasted exactly like pecan pie—if not even better!—and finished off the cookies I gave them in the blink of an eye. We may need a double batch on Thanksgiving after all! ?
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your cookies and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar
- ¼ cup (28g) finely diced pecans
- 1 ½ tsp pure maple syrup
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the coconut sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until incorporated. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- To prepare the filling, stir together the pecans and maple syrup in a small bowl.
- Roll the cookie dough into 24 small spheres, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. (If it’s still sticky, use a spoon and spatula to drop the cookie dough into 24 rounded scoops instead. Moisten your fingers with a tiny amount of water, and gently shape into rounded mounds.) Using your index finger or thumb, make an indentation in the center of each, and fill with the pecan mixture. (If the dough is still sticky, moisten your finger with a tiny amount of water first.) Gently press the pecan filling into each well with a spatula. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
The cornstarch helps keep the cookies soft.
Brown sugar or granulated sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.
It’s important to dice the pecans very finely, no larger than half the size of mini chocolate chips, so that the filling fits into each cookie dough’s well and can be gently down to fit together with a spatula.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
I used my tiny dessert spoons and my favorite mini spatula to fill each well. You’ll want to gently press down the filling with the spatula just before baking since it doesn’t spread and completely holds its shape in the oven.
If you’re short on time (or feeling lazy!), then mix the filling into the cookie dough at the end of Step 1 instead.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Easy Pecan Hand Pies
♥ Butterscotch Pecan Tartlets
♥ 5-Minute Candied Pecans
♥ Skinny Slow Cooker Sticky Pecan Buns
♥ The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Pie
♥ Healthy Classic Apple Pie
♥ Cranberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
♥ Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies
♥ Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
♥ Peanut Butter Cheesecake Oatmeal Cookies
Can I use flax egg instead ?
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Monisha! I don’t have much experience with flax eggs, but I know that Ener-G will work. My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute! Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white, and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if you’re vegan!} for each egg yolk. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these cookies if you try making them!
HI Amy! How are the cookies able to taste buttery with just 1 tbsp of butter?
I use a bit more vanilla extract than many “traditional” cookie recipes. That extra vanilla enhances and amplifies butter’s rich flavor, which makes these low-fat cookies taste buttery and sweet. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of them if you try making this recipe, Ruby!
Ur recipe came at 11.58. It.s now 17.51. 2 batches made. 2 batches gone. I recommend chilling for longer. Put my away and went shopping. Super super yummy. This one will be written down and will become a regular.
Thank you.
From England,
Diana
Oh my goodness — two batches made and gone already?? That’s the BEST kind of compliment there is! I’m truly honored, Diana! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. You just put the biggest smile on my face!
Hi Any! I have made many of your delicious recipes and love the fact that they are healthier. All of them have tasted sweet enough, just like traditional recipes. That is, except this one. I followed your recipe exactly, and they looked just like yours. But to me, they tasted like “wheat bread”, not a cookie. Not sweet at all. I have used coconut sugar before. But maybe I should try regular sugar for this recipe. Or do you have other suggestions?
It means a lot that you’ve tried many of my recipes, PJ! I’m really honored and so glad that you’ve enjoyed the others. That sounds disappointing and not like how these cookies are supposed to taste, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what might have happened. In order to do so, I have some questions for you! 🙂
Was their texture okay (soft and chewy — not bready, cakey, or dry), and it was just the flavor that wasn’t as expected?
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for all of the ingredients — especially the flour, butter, and sugar?
What’s the exact flour (brand + product name) that you used?
Did you use the full amount of coconut sugar? (And just to double check — was it pure coconut sugar? Not a blend?)
Can you describe the consistency of your cookie dough before and after chilling? (For example, really wet, somewhat sticky, dry, crumbly, etc!)
How long did you bake your cookies?
Did they spread at all while baking?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once I know your answers to all of them!
Thank you for your time in helping me determine what went wrong! I have answered your questions below.
Was their texture okay (soft and chewy — not bready, cakey, or dry), and it was just the flavor that wasn’t as expected? The texture was fine. Like others I have made. It was just the taste.
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? No substitutions.
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for all of the ingredients — especially the flour, butter, and sugar? Unfortunately, my scale was not working and I used measuring cups.
What’s the exact flour (brand + product name) that you used? King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour.
Did you use the full amount of coconut sugar? (And just to double check — was it pure coconut sugar? Not a blend?) Yes, the exact amount. Organic Coconut Sugar.
Can you describe the consistency of your cookie dough before and after chilling? (For example, really wet, somewhat sticky, dry, crumbly, etc!). It was somewhat sticky until I chilled it. Then like typical cookie dough after chilling.
How long did you bake your cookies? Your recommended time.
Did they spread at all while baking? Not really.
It’s my pleasure, PJ! I’m happy to help. Thank you for sharing such details answers — this information is so useful! I have an idea of the culprit, and your answers to these quick follow-up questions should confirm my hunch.
When you used measuring cups for the flour, did you happen to dip them directly into the container to scoop out the flour? (I know people often do this!)
If not, and you used my fork method for the flour, did you ever gently shake or nudge the measuring cup back and forth while filling it? For example, to “level out” the mound of flour at the top?
Did the cookie dough stick to your hands at all while rolling it and making the indentations with your fingers?
Thanks so much for your patience — we’re nearly there! 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to troubleshoot this with me! By the way, my new scale had arrived, so my next batch will be perfectly measured 😁
To measure, I scooped the flour out with a little scoop and poured it into the measuring cup. I did shake the measuring cup to level it each time.
I used a small “ice cream scooper” to measure the balls and place on the cookie sheet. The dough was a bit “tackie”, so I had to help it out. When I made the thumbprints, my finger did stick a tiny bit, so I used water as you suggested.
They turned out looking just like yours in the picture.
Only one other thing I can think of to mention. The coconut sugar was a brand new package, but the flour was not. I keep them in glass air tight containers.
You’re welcome, PJ! I really appreciate you taking the time to share all of this with me too. It’s so helpful!
That method of storing ingredients is great. If you had recently used your white whole wheat flour to make other baked treats and didn’t notice any funky flavors, then it was probably fine!
Based on what you’ve said, it sounds like there was too much flour in your cookie dough. The culprit was how the measuring cups were used! When the measuring cup is shaken, that compacts the flour already in the measuring cup, which creates more empty space in the measuring cup… Which means you end up adding up to 1 ½ times more flour than called for by the recipe.
That extra flour throws off the ratio of flour to coconut sugar, which makes the cookies taste noticeably less sweet. It can give them a “wheat-y” flavor that’s more like bread than cookies. (Exactly like you described!)
I’m really happy to hear that you have a new working scale! I think if you use that to measure the ingredients (especially the flour!), your next batch should turn out much better. 😉
But if it ever breaks or runs out of batteries, I recommend using the measuring method outlined on my Baking Basics page. Leave the measuring cup stationary the entire time while filling it, and don’t shake it to level out the flour at any point. That should ensure you add the correct amount!
If you’re still a bit concerned about the cookies’ flavor, you can try using light brown sugar instead of the coconut sugar. Some people with more sensitive palates and taste buds can find that it yields a “purer” sweetness in baked goods.
I hope that helps and your next batch turns out better, if you do end up making these cookies again! 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to troubleshoot this with me! By the way, my new scale had arrived, so my next batch will be perfectly measured 😁
To measure, I scooped the flour out with a little scoop and poured it into the measuring cup. I did shake the measuring cup to level it each time.
I used a small “ice cream scooper” to measure the balls and place on the cookie sheet. The dough was a bit “tackie”, so I had to help it out. When I made the thumbprints, my finger did stick a tiny bit, so I used water as you suggested.
They turned out looking just like yours in the picture.
Only one other thing I can think of to mention. The coconut sugar was a brand new package, but the flour was not. I keep them in glass air tight containers.
Thank you so much for this valuable lesson about measuring, Amy! I have never heard this before. It now makes perfect sense why my cookies turned out as they did. I will try the recipe again with the same ingredients, using my new scale, so I can see what they really should have tasted like!
It’s my pleasure, PJ! I’m truly happy to help, and I’m really glad everything makes sense. I can’t wait to hear how your next batch of cookies turns out — and I have all of my fingers and toes crossed that your new scale makes a big difference! 🙂
Thank you so much for this valuable lesson about measuring, Amy! I have never heard this before. It now makes perfect sense why my cookies turned out as they did. I will try the recipe again with the same ingredients, using my new scale, so I can see what they really should have tasted like!