Eggless Strawberry Jam Cookies| Gluten-free, Easy!
These bite sized delightful treats will steal your heart! Filled with preservative free strawberry jam, these gluten-free, eggless melt-in-your-mouth cookies are perfect for a mid-day snack or tea-time with friends and family.
How to thicken homemade strawberry jam for cookies?
Moisture is the top offender for a runny texture. Here are a few ways for you to get the perfect jam consistency for your cookies:
- Stovetop: Simmering the jam over low-medium heat eliminates excess moisture and thickens the jam. Refer to my Eggless Strawberry Ice cream Recipe for the Strawberry compote used in this recipe. I thickened it over stovetop and refrigerated to get a perfect spreadable consistency.
- Cornstarch: The use of cornstarch thickens the jam instantly. For 1 cup of homemade preserve, add 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in cold water to the heated preserve on low heat.
- Lemon Juice: The acid in the lemon juice acts as a natural preservative and also as a thickening agent.
How long are the jam filled cookies good for?
These cookies use only use a small amount of jam and are also baked with the jam and so are good at room temperature in air tight containers for upto 2 weeks. In case you’re using a fruit preserve in larger quantity, refrigerate them after a week and then warm them up at 200 deg F for a freshly baked taste.
How do you store these jam filled cookies?
After the cookies cool down, cut small pieces of parchment paper and cover the jam portion of the cookie to keep the cookies from sticking together when stacked while storing.
Can I use Cream Cheese in Cookies?
With a lower calorie and high calcium content, cream cheese is a healthier choice. In baking recipes, you can substitute butter in a 1:1 ratio. Cream cheese gives a nice smooth melt-in-your mouth texture to these delightful cookies.
How to Make Gluten-free (Eggless) Strawberry Jam Filled Cookies?
What ingredients do I need to make the Gluten-free Strawberry Jam Filled cookies?
Flours: A combination of sorghum flour, almond flour and roasted chickpea flour. This combination gives a nutty undertone and a soft, smooth texture without making the cookies too dry.
Leavening Agent: These eggless cookies use baking powder to raise the dough and make them airy and light. It also helps bind the dough together.
Sugar: I’ve used white granulated sugar in the recipe as I wanted a nice golden shade when baked. I would not recommend using brown sugar as it is high in moisture and may alter the shade of the cookies once baked.
Fat: The use of butter and cream cheese helps lower the calorie and fat content without compromising the desired texture. For a vegan option, you may swap the butter and cream cheese with Coconut oil in a 1:1 ratio.
Optional: Although the predominant flavor is strawberry, I’ve added some fresh vanilla extract to the dough.
Strawberry Jam: The showstopper ingredient in this recipe is the homemade strawberry compote. The mixture of fresh strawberries and white granulated sugar simmered over gas stove. You may easily use any gluten-free strawberry jam of your choice.
Step by Step Process:
Mix Dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, sieve together the flours, baking powder and salt , discard the impurities and set aside. (Pic#1)
Mix wet ingredients:
- In another bowl, cut the softened butter into smaller pieces and cream together, cream cheese and granulated white sugar using a hand mixer or a stand mixer on medium setting. Pic#2,3
- Mix until the mixture becomes lighter in color and fluffy. Add in Vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds. Pic#4
Make the dough:
- Fold in the flour mixture into the butter sugar mix in 3-4 batches. (Pic#5)
- Mix one batch in then add the next with a spatula, making sure the flour mix is incorporated well. If needed add 1-2 tbsp of milk if it is difficult to bring the dough together. (Pic#6)
- Using your hand bring together the dough making sure there is no dry flour left and there are no lumps in the dough. Pic#7
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Pic#8
- Take out the jam from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature.
Baking:
- Preheat oven at 350 deg F. Take out the dough from the refrigerator, apply some butter on your palms.
- Take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a ball about 1 inch in diameter, flatten it and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper/ silicon mat. Pic#9
- Apply some butter on the back of a teaspoon measure and press down the center of the cookies taking care not to touch the bottom. Pic#10
- Place the dough balls onto the parchment paper about an inch apart. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes (Pic#11). Do not turn off the oven as we’ll put the cookies back in.
- After 10 minutes, the cookies start rising, take out the cookies and add about 1/2 tsp jam in the center gently pressing down with the teaspoon measure (Pic#12)
- Repeat the process for all the cookies and then bake for another 6-8 minutes or until the cookies turn a beautiful golden color. (Pic#13, 14). If you prefer a chewy texture and lighter shade you can turn off the oven after just after 5 minutes.
- After the oven is turned off, let the cookies remain for another 2-3 minutes.
Finishing touch:
- The cookies are very fragile, so transfer the cookies onto a wire rack along with their parchment paper.
- Once cool, sprinkle some powdered sugar on them and enjoy with your favorite tea/coffee.
Related Recipes:
EGGLESS STRAWBERRY JAM COOKIES| GLUTEN-FREE, EASY!
Ingredients
Dry Mix Ingredients
- 100 gm Sorghum flour Certified gluten-free, organic
- 50 gm Almond Flour Certified gluten-free
- 50 gm Roasted Chickpea flour Certified gluten-free
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
Wet Mix Ingredients
- 113 gm Unsalted Butter (½ cup/ 1 stick)
- 28.3 gm Cream Cheese (1 oz)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 130 gm Granulated White Sugar
Topping
- ¾ cup Strawberry Jam Store bought or home made
- 1 tbsp Powdered Sugar
Optional
- 1-2 tbsp Milk
Instructions
Dry Mixture
- In a mixing bowl, sieve together the flours, baking powder and salt , discard the impurities and set aside. Pic#1
Wet Mixture
- In another bowl, cream together softened butter (microwaved for 10 seconds in straight out of the refrigerator), cream cheese and granulated white sugar using a hand mixer or a stand mixer on medium setting. Pic#2,3
- Mix until the mixture becomes lighter in color and fluffy. Add in Vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds. Pic#4
The dough
- Fold in the flour mixture into the butter sugar mix in 3-4 batches (pic#5). Mix one batch in then add the next, making sure the flour mix is incorporated well. If needed add 1-2 tbsp of milk if it is difficult to bring the dough together.
- Using your hand, bring together the dough making sure there is no dry flour left and there are no lumps in the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. Pic#6,7
- Take out the jam from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature.
Baking
- Preheat oven at 350 deg F. Take out the dough from the refrigerator, apply some butter on your palms. Take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a ball about 1 inch in diameter, flatten it and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper/ silicon mat. Pic#8
- Press down a teaspoon measure in the center, or you can use your thumb Pic#9. Place the dough balls onto the parchment paper about an inch apart. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Do not turn off the oven as we'll put the cookies back in.
Adding Jam
- After 10 minutes, the cookies start rising, take out the cookies and add about 1/2 tsp jam in the center gently pressing down with the teaspoon measure.
- Repeat the process for all the cookies and then bake for another 6-8 minutes. If you prefer a chewy texture and lighter shade you can turn off the oven after 5 minutes.
- After the oven is turned off, let the cookies remain for another 2-3 minutes.
Finishing touch
- The cookies are very fragile, so transfer the cookies onto a wire rack along with their parchment paper. Once cool, sprinkle some powdered sugar on them and enjoy with your favorite tea/coffee.