Paleo Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

For the Grain-Free Shortbread Cookie Base:

• 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour
• 3 tbsp organic coconut flour
• 0.25 cup tapioca starch or arrowroot flour
• 0.33 cup melted grass-fed ghee or virgin coconut oil
• 0.33 cup pure Grade A dark maple syrup
• 1.5 tsp pure Madagascar vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp coarse Celtic sea salt and 0.25 tsp baking soda

For the Gooey Dairy-Free Salted Caramel:

• 0.33 cup creamy roasted almond butter or cashew butter (no added oils/sugar)
• 0.33 cup pure Grade A dark maple syrup
• 2 tbsp unrefined coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp culinary coconut cream
• 1 tbsp melted grass-fed ghee or coconut oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp coarse sea salt

For Finishing:

• Flaky Maldon sea salt crystals (for sprinkling)
• Optional melted 85% dark chocolate drizzle

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat Oven & Line Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
2. Mix Shortbread Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca starch, sea salt, and baking soda. Add melted ghee, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir with a silicone spatula until a thick, pliable shortbread dough forms.
3. Shape & Indent (The Thumbprint Invariant): Using a 1.5-tbsp cookie scoop, roll dough into 14 smooth balls and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Use your thumb (or the rounded back of a 0.5-tsp measuring spoon) to gently press a clean indentation into the center of each ball. (If edges crack slightly, smooth gently with fingers).
4. Bake Shortbread: Bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes until bottoms and edges are golden brown. (If the center indentation puffed up during baking, gently re-press with the measuring spoon immediately upon removing from oven). Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes to firm up completely.
5. Simmer Stovetop Salted Caramel: While cookies bake, combine almond butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, coconut cream, ghee, vanilla, and sea salt in a small saucepan over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Whisk continuously as the mixture comes to a gentle bubble. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until thick, glossy, and caramel in color. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes (caramel thickens as it cools).
6. Fill Thumbprints: Spoon generous teaspoonfuls of warm caramel directly into the center well of each cooled shortbread cookie, letting caramel mound slightly above the rim.
7. Flaky Salt Finish & Chill: Immediately sprinkle flaky Maldon sea salt crystals over the warm caramel. Place cookies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow caramel to set into a chewy, gooey texture. Serve at room temperature or chilled!

Nutritional Breakdown (Per Cookie)

Chef's Paleo Nutritional Science

Roasted almond butter supplies concentrated monounsaturated fatty acids and dietary magnesium. Unrefined coconut sugar provides inulin fibers and trace minerals (zinc and potassium) with a low glycemic index, preventing the sharp postprandial insulin surges associated with refined sucrose.

Frequently Asked Questions