Even though they’re paleo cookies made with almond butter, they taste very similar to traditional peanut butter cookies, and the crumbly, buttery cookie and creamy salted caramel are an unbeatable team.
I was assigned Karen’s blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club reveal. Every month the club gives members a chance to explore and cook or bake from someone else’s blog, and the best part is that finding out who had your blog is a big surprise on reveal day. It’s kind of like Secret Santa for food bloggers, all year long.
Perusing the recipes on Karen’s site was so much fun, and I had a hard time deciding what to make. I was tempted by some of her main dishes, like Slow Cooker Asian Beef Short Ribs and Chorizo, Kale, and Chicken Stuffed Poblanos, which I bookmarked for later. However, anyone who visits Karen’s blog will be able to tell that her real passion is baking, so I decided to go with a baked dessert. (If you’re not gluten-free, you should check out all the gorgeous breads she has made–visit her recipe index and scroll down to see the bread section. They all look so beautiful!)
I was extremely happy with my final choice. I adapted Karen’s recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies with Salted Peanut Caramel to make it gluten-free and grain-free, and used almond butter instead of peanut to make paleo-friendly cookies. I was thinking about putting cashews into the salted peanut caramel, but decided the cookies has enough nutty ingredients and that I would let the salt take center stage in the caramel.
The cookies were easy and fun to make, and so was the caramel–but nothing was as much fun as eating the cookies. They were delicious the day I made them, even better the next day, and gone the day after that. I cannot wait to make them again!
Almond Butter Thumbprints with Salted Caramel
Yield: About 22 cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
For the cookies (adapted from Karen’s Kitchen Stories):
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup raw sugar or coconut sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup creamy unsweetened almond butter
1 1/2 cups almond flour, lightly packed
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the salted caramel (adapted from Karen’s Kitchen Stories):
1 cup heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk)
1 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Sea salt, for topping (I used Himalayan pink salt
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond butter.
Whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined.
Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough, form them into balls, and place them about 11/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use your thumb or the back of a spoon to make an indentation in the top of each cookie. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for about 17 minutes, until set and golden brown around the edges. Use a teaspoon to reinforce the indentation in the cookies while they’re still hot. Let the cookies cool for five minutes on the pan, then use a spatula to carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
To make the caramel, heat the cream in a small saucepan or the microwave until hot. Set aside. Bring the sugar, water, honey, and sea salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved. Once the mixture is smooth, raise the heat to high and stop stirring. Let the caramel cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the color darkens significantly and the fragrance changes from honey sweet to nutty caramel. Turn off the heat and carefully whisk in the cream and vanilla (the caramel will bubble vigorously).*
Let the caramel cool until warm, but no longer hot, and then spoon about a teaspoon into the center of each cooled cookie. Sprinkle sea salt to taste on top of the caramel center of each cookie. Let cool completely and enjoy!
*Note: If, after stirring in the cream, you discover that what you have is not really caramel, but instead a soupy, milky mixture with a light beige color, don’t despair! I’ve made the mistake of adding the cream to caramel too early, and it’s fixable. Just turn the heat back up to high and let it bubble away, tilting and swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture takes on the color and aroma of true caramel. Once it does, remove it from the heat immediately and stir until it stops bubbling to avoid getting burned bits on the bottom.
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Laura says
March 20, 2016 at 1:26 pmHi! I tried these any they are AMAZING! especially so since my sister has celiac. I am so glad I found this recipe! Quick question – does your caramel set, or does it remain gooey and tacky? I want to be able to make a bunch for work, but my caramel didn’t set and I had big (delicious!) Mess when I tried stacking them.
Thank you!
Becky says
March 20, 2016 at 2:40 pmI’m so glad you liked them, Laura! The caramel hardens up some, but does stay a little sticky. If you want to bring them to work, I’d recommend refrigerating them in a single layer so the caramel hardens up a little more, then maybe try stacking them with little slips of parchment paper in between.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
November 14, 2014 at 8:01 amThese sound dreamy!! Love that caramel in there. Mmm.
Rebecca Winkler says
November 15, 2014 at 3:16 pmThank you, Katrina!
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee says
November 4, 2014 at 3:37 pmI can't get enough of Almond Butter. I'd love these.
Great pick!
Rebecca Winkler says
November 6, 2014 at 2:59 amThank you, Nicole! I can't get enough almond butter either 🙂
The Food Hunter says
October 31, 2014 at 4:31 pmGreat combination!
Rebecca Winkler says
November 3, 2014 at 1:03 amThank you!
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
October 29, 2014 at 8:48 pmI can, easily, understand how three of you ate the entire batch! They look amazing and I love the twist of using almond butter.
Rebecca Winkler says
November 3, 2014 at 1:03 amThank you, Betsy–I know I can count on you to understand my extreme love of desserts!! 🙂
Tara says
October 29, 2014 at 7:39 pmSo beautiful! I will definitely have to try these. Love the combination of almond and caramel.
Rebecca Winkler says
November 3, 2014 at 1:02 amThank you, Tara! Me too–almond goes well with so many things!
Melissa @ Fried Ice and Donut Holes says
October 28, 2014 at 9:28 pmAlmond butter AND salted caramel?! This sounds like a winner in my book! Can't wait to try them. Great pick this month 🙂
Rebecca Winkler says
November 3, 2014 at 1:02 amThanks, Melissa!
Lynn Huntley says
October 28, 2014 at 6:32 pmWow! These cookies sound wonderful!! Lynn~
Rebecca Winkler says
October 28, 2014 at 9:04 pmThank you, Lynn!
Tina Muir says
October 28, 2014 at 11:18 amThis sounds amazing! I am pinning these right now! Found you through culinary content, and glad I did! YUM!
Rebecca Winkler says
October 28, 2014 at 9:03 pmThank you, Tina! So glad you stopped by. I'm off to visit your blog!
Couscous & Consciousness says
October 28, 2014 at 5:01 amGorgeous – nice change from a traditional jam thumbprint cookie. With so much good stuff going on in these cookies, I would pretty much justify them as "health food", and salted caramel anything is an absolute winner with me.
Rebecca Winkler says
October 28, 2014 at 9:02 pmHaha, thank you! This is my favorite kind of health food 🙂
Avril says
October 28, 2014 at 3:05 amI LOVE that you used almond butter instead of peanut butter! LOVE it! I have recently fallen in-love with almond butter. I have yet to bake with it though. I simply have to now that I have discovered this recipe!! Wonderful SRC pick for this month 🙂
Rebecca Winkler says
October 28, 2014 at 9:02 pmThank you, Avril!! Since you're into almond butter–did you know you can also make brownies or blondies with almond butter instead of flour? I have an almond butter blondie recipe here: http://www.acalculatedwhisk.com/2013/08/cherry-blondies-homemade-almond-butter.html
Lauren Everson says
October 28, 2014 at 1:28 amYour cookies are beautiful!
Rebecca Winkler says
October 28, 2014 at 8:59 pmThank you, Lauren!
Christie Campbell says
October 28, 2014 at 12:02 amKaren has such lovely recipes. I can only imagine how delicious these taste. I love the sprinkles of salt on the caramel. YUM!
Rebecca Winkler says
October 28, 2014 at 8:59 pmThank you, Christie–she really does!
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere says
October 27, 2014 at 6:29 pmOoh, I love using caramel instead of jam for the thumbprints. Delicious!
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 7:24 pmThanks, Sarah! I think caramel does trump jam in these, although jam would be fun for a peanut butter and jelly cookie.
nicole says
October 27, 2014 at 5:20 pmYum! I love the salty & sweet combination
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 7:24 pmMe too! It's almost gotten to the point that I don't want any desserts that aren't salted.
Emily says
October 27, 2014 at 4:53 pmWhat a great pick! I would want to eat them all too.
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 7:23 pmThank you, Emily!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
October 27, 2014 at 4:40 pmI've never used almond butter instead of peanut butter in cookies, but I really need to try– I bet they have amazing flavor!! These cookies sound awesome!
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 7:23 pmThanks, Jess! I bet you will love making cookies with almond butter 🙂
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
October 27, 2014 at 2:51 pmMy thumbprints usually have jam. Caramel is an awesome idea!
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 7:22 pmThanks, Dorothy! I have made them with jam, too, and I think I like the caramel even better.
Wendy Klik says
October 27, 2014 at 2:04 pmOH my goodness. My mouth is watering here.
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 7:22 pmMine too…I wish these cookies weren't gone!
Rebekah Hills says
October 27, 2014 at 1:27 pmOhhhh yes, I need to try these. Everything about them looks AMAZING!! Gorgeous pictures too, of course! 🙂
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 7:21 pmThank you so much, Rebekah!
SallyBR says
October 27, 2014 at 1:24 pmThey look so cute! I have always wanted to try and make thumbprint cookies, but so far haven't gotten there.
what a nice color they have…. beautiful post!
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 6:51 pmThank you, Sally! Thumbprints are so fun. I'm thinking about trying something like this but with chocolate ganache in the middle next time.
Karen Kerr says
October 27, 2014 at 7:16 amI'm so glad these adapted well to all of the modifications! Funny that we both had each other! These look just like the originals.
Rebecca Winkler says
October 27, 2014 at 6:50 pmThank you, Karen! It was so much fun exploring your blog 🙂