These peanut butter thumbprint cookies are soft, buttery and have a chocolate center. The cookies need just 4 ingredients and don’t require any flour, dairy, butter or oil. The cookies can be made ahead of time and store well.
A stack of three peanut butter thumbprint cookies

These peanut butter thumbprint cookies are made with fewer ingredients but taste just as good as traditional ones. They are also great for gifting or bringing to an event. You can also customize them.

Ingredients

  • Peanut butter
  • Sugar
  • Egg
  • Dark chocolate

Peanut butter: Make sure to use natural peanut butter with no added oils. Regular peanut butter with added oils will not work and the dough will not turn out correctly.

Sugar: The cookie dough is sweetened with regular granulated sugar.

Egg: Egg is used as a binding agent and to provide structure for the cookies.

Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate chips are melted until smooth and added to the center of each cookie once it is done baking. You can also use milk or semisweet chocolate if you prefer something sweeter.

How to Make Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

The peanut butter, sugar and egg are mixed together until a dough forms. Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough and roll it into balls. Use the back of a teaspoon to press a well into the center of each cookie.

Bake the cookies for about 10-13 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges and set in the center.
The steps to shape cookie dough for thumbprint cookies
Allow the cookies to cool. When cookies are almost ready, melt the chocolate until smooth. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate into the center of each cookie. You can also transfer the chocolate to a piping bag and pipe the chocolate in. (This is the method we used in the photos.) Allow the chocolate to set and then the cookies are ready to be served.
Thumbprint cookies with a chocolate center
A bite taken from a peanut butter thumbprint cookie

Expert Tips

  • Make sure to use natural peanut butter with no added oils. Peanut butter that contains added oils does not work because those oils act as a stabilizer to keep the peanut butter in smooth, creamy form, which prevents it from thickening to a dough.
  • You can use a sugar substitute for the cookie dough.
  • I used melted dark chocolate chips for the cookie center. If you prefer a sweeter filling you can use milk or semisweet chocolate chips instead.
  • Dark chocolate will result in a firmer chocolate center. You can use milk chocolate for a softer chocolate center.

A pile of thumbprint cookies with a chocolate center on a white plate

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4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

These peanut butter thumbprint cookies need just 4 ingredients. No flour, dairy, butter or oil required. The cookies have a soft, buttery base and a chocolate center. The cookies are easy to make for any occasion.
Servings: 14 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup (255g) unsweetened natural peanut butter with no added oils
  • 1/2 cup (84g) granulated white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup (148g) dark chocolate chips, can use semisweet or milk chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, sugar, and egg until smooth and evenly combined. The mixture should thicken to a dough consistency.
  • Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough and roll into balls. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
  • Use the back of a teaspoon to press a deep indent into the center of each cookie (the entire back of the teaspoon should go into the cookie dough). The sides of the cookie ball should flatten when you do so, so you’re left with a classic thumbprint cookie shape. If the sides of the dough are uneven or crack, smooth the edges so that each cookie is smooth and round.
  • Bake for about 10-13 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden.
  • Let cookies cool on baking sheet and set. When cookies are almost finished cooling, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals, stirring in between with a silicone spatula, until completely smooth.
  • After cookies are set, spoon chocolate filling into each indent. You do not need to use the full amount of chocolate. You can also transfer the chocolate to a piping bag and pipe the filling in.
  • Let the chocolate cool and firm up. You can do this at room temperature or briefly put them into the fridge to help speed up the process. The cookies are then ready to eat. Store any uneaten cookies in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Peanut butter note: Make sure to use natural peanut butter with no added oils. Peanut butter with added oils will not work and the dough will not thicken correctly. I used Kirkland natural peanut butter.
  • Estimated nutrition assumes 2/3 cup of dark chocolate used since not all of the chocolate is needed for the filling. 
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 171kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 42mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, NET CARBS: 13
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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