Whole Wheat Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

These whole wheat thumbprint cookies are rolled in coconut flakes and filled with a honey sweetened, pineapple sauce. Mmm yum! Plus the whole wheat flour moves these cookies up just a tad on the healthy scale 😉

I have posted this thumbprint cookie recipe before when I made these with my son a few times last winter, but this time I have much nicer pictures to go along with the recipe 🙂

I also kicked this recipe up a notch and made my own fruity filling instead of using store bought jelly or preserves.

Scroll down for complete recipe and instructions.

You’ll definitely want to pin this recipe for future reference.

The cookie ingredients. Set the egg whites and coconut flakes aside.

Mix softened butter, brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour to make the cookie dough.

Roll cookie dough into balls. Place egg whites and coconut flakes in separate bowls to prepare for dipping dough balls.

Roll dough balls in egg whites and then in coconut flakes to coat and put on a greased cookie sheet.

They wouldn’t be called thumbprint cookies without putting a thumbprint in them. My oldest loves this part.

Filling the partially cooked cookies

Finished cookies ready to eat

Whole Wheat Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) real butter — softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs (separate yolks and whites)
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup coconut flakes (preferably unsweetened)
• ¾ cup jelly or preserves or make this pineapple filling — recipe below

Instructions

• Beat softened butter, brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and salt until well blended. Stir in the whole wheat flour.
• Put egg whites and shredded coconut in separate bowls.
• Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 cookie sheets.
• Form dough into balls approximately 1″ in diameter.
• Dip each ball into egg whites and then roll in coconut and place on greased cookie sheet.
• Make a thumbprint dent in each ball
• Bake for 8 minutes (cookies will not be done at this point)
• Fill the thumbprint dents with fruit filling of choice. You can use jelly, preserves, or pineapple filling recipe below
• Return cookies to oven to bake until lightly browned (approximately 6-10 minutes)
• Remove from oven and place on wax paper or cooling rack
• Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Note: I like to try substituting coconut oil for butter and other fats in some recipes. I have made this recipe both ways and I like this recipe with butter better. The cookies using butter come out slightly bigger and more “cookie-like” while the coconut oil cookies come out a little denser and more “candy-like.” Both versions got great reviews in my house, but I personally prefer the thumbprint cookie recipe using butter.

Pineapple filling

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp corn starch

Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients in a 2 cup glass measuring cup.
• Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir. Mixture will rise as it is heated.
• Let cool for a few minutes before filling cookies. This will allow the filling to thicken.