Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

Yields: 24 cookies

These rich chocolate cookies are a chocoholic’s dream come true! They practically taste like brownies, and the sweet cheesecake filling takes them over the top. The cookies will keep for at least 5 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

for the filling
2 tbsp (30g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp (28g) Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
¼ tsp vanilla crème stevia, or adjusted to taste
⅛ tsp vanilla extract
for the cookies
⅔ cup (80g) white whole wheat flour (measured like this)
⅓ cup (27g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
½ tsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (96g) coconut sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
To prepare the filling, mix together the Greek yogurt, Greek yogurt cream cheese, stevia, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag.
To prepare the cookies, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. If the dough is too sticky to roll, chill for 20 minutes.
Roll the cookie dough into 24 small spheres, and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently press your index finger or thumb into the center of each sphere to make a well. Cut off a small piece of the corner of the filling bag, and pipe the filling into each well. Bake at 350°F for 7-9 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: Neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese may be substituted for the Greek yogurt cream cheese.

Stevia powder (¾ teaspoon, or adjusted to taste) may be substituted for the vanilla crème stevia. Alternatively, about 1 ½ tablespoons of granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar may be substituted. I do not recommend substituting another liquid sweetener (i.e. honey, maple syrup, etc.) because it will make the mixture too runny.

Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, but the cookies will have detectable “wheat-y” taste.

It's incredibly important to measure the unsweetened cocoa powder correctly, using a kitchen scale or the method outlined here. Too much cocoa powder will make the cookies taste dry and bitter. Do not substitute Dutched or special dark cocoa powder; these will also make the cookies taste bitter.

Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.

{clean eating, low fat, low calorie}

Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/06/01/dark-chocolate-cheesecake-thumbprint-cookies/