Flaky, buttery cookies with a bright heart of raspberry jam — charming, romantic, and totally 100% vegan. Sweet, pink, and just the right amount of show-offy for Valentine’s Day. Who says plant-based treats can’t steal the spotlight?
I make these when I want something adorable to hand over in a little box, and my friends always act like I baked them from a bakery. Want them to think you’re fancy? These cookies do that job without needing a pastry degree.
Recipe Info (quick facts)
- Yield: 32 cookies
- Total time: 1 hour 7 minutes (Prep 55 min, Bake 12 min)
- Diet: 100% vegan (plant-based butter + aquafaba/flax egg)
- Category: Dessert — Valentine / giftable cookie
- Estimated calories per cookie: ~128 kcal
Ingredients (vegan-friendly)
- 1 cup vegan unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp aquafaba (chickpea liquid) or 2 flax “eggs” (2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, mixed) — pick one
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons freeze-dried raspberry powder, sifted* (~1 1.25 oz bag)
- 10 oz vegan raspberry jam (check label for no gelatin)
*To make freeze-dried raspberry powder, blitz 1–2 oz freeze-dried raspberries in a spice grinder, then sift to remove seeds.
Equipment (simple & standard)
- Mixing bowl (large)
- Electric mixer (hand or stand) or sturdy whisk + elbow power
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheets (2) lined with parchment paper
- Small cookie scoop or tablespoon
- Small spoon or piping bag (to fill jam)
- Cooling rack
- Fine mesh sieve (for raspberry powder)
FYI: You don’t need a stand mixer; a good arm and a bowl work fine.
Yield & Serving
This recipe yields 32 heart-shaped thumbprint cookies, perfect for sharing with friends, neighbors, or keeping for stealth snacking. I recommend 2–3 cookies per person as a dessert portion, which feeds about 10–16 people if you go small and shareable.
Full vegan recipe — step-by-step for Vegan Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
1 — Prep the vegan egg substitute
Choose aquafaba for a lighter texture or flax eggs for a slightly denser, nutty bite.
- Aquafaba: Measure 3 tablespoons from canned chickpeas; whisk lightly until foamy.
- Flax eggs: Mix 2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, let rest 5 minutes to thicken.
2 — Cream butter and sugar
In a large bowl, cream 1 cup vegan butter and ⅔ cup sugar with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and pale. Add your aquafaba (or flax eggs) and 1 tsp vanilla, then mix until smooth.
3 — Mix dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk 2 ¼ cups flour, ¼ tsp kosher salt, and 4 tbsp sifted raspberry powder. Stir the dry mix into the wet in two batches, mixing only until just combined. Overmix and the cookies will get tough — and nobody wants that.
4 — Chill the dough
Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Chilling firms the dough and helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
5 — Shape & press the hearts
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly into a puck and place on the sheet. Use your pinky or index finger to press a heart-shaped indentation, pressing about ¾ of the way through the ball so the jam nestles in nicely.
6 — Fill with jam
Spoon or pipe vegan raspberry jam into each indentation, filling nearly to the top but not overflowing.
7 — Chill again (important)
Return the filled cookies to the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes. This extra chill helps them hold their shape during baking and keeps the jam from spreading.
8 — Bake & cool
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the bottoms show a light golden color. The tops may look soft — that’s okay. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. The jam will set as they cool.
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Vegan Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies — Friendly, Fuss-Free
Notes, substitutions & Some Problems
- Butter: Use a firm vegan butter for the best texture. Softer margarines make spread-out cookies.
- Egg replacer: I usually use aquafaba for lift and tender crumbs. Use flax eggs if you want extra structure.
- Jam: Pick a good-quality raspberry jam (less sugary, more fruit). Check the label: some artisanal jams use pectin (fine) but avoid gelatin.
- Raspberry powder: Sift well to avoid seeds. The powder gives color and that lovely pink fleck without altering texture.
- If cookies spread: Next time, chill dough longer and ensure your oven is at 350°F. Use a firmer vegan butter.
Storage & Freezing (real-life tips)
- Room temp: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Layer with parchment to prevent sticking.
- Freeze: Freeze flat on a tray until firm, then transfer to a sealed container or freezer bag. Keep up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp.
- Make-ahead: You can shape and press the cookies, then freeze unbaked on a tray. Once firm, transfer to bags and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to bake time.
Nutrition (per cookie — approximate)
- Calories: ~128 kcal
- Fat: ~6.1 g
- Carbs: ~17.1 g (sugars ~8.6 g)
- Protein: ~1.2 g
- Fiber: ~0.4 g
These numbers vary slightly by ingredient brands and whether you use aquafaba or flax eggs.
Tips for perfect Valentine-style hearts (presentation)
- Use your pinky for a neat heart, or press with a small heart-shaped cutter lightly to guide your finger.
- Pipe jam with a small round nozzle for cleaner filling.
- Dust with powdered sugar right before serving for a romantic look.
- Arrange on a pretty plate or in a small gift box with tissue paper. Trust me — presentation gets you half the compliments.
Variations & upgrades (because creativity rules)
- Lemon-raspberry: Add 1 tsp lemon zest to the dough for a citrus lift.
- Chocolate rim: Dip the bottoms in melted vegan dark chocolate and chill to set.
- Coconut twist: Roll dough balls in shredded coconut before pressing for a tropical flair.
- Mini size: Use 1 tsp dough for bite-sized cookies — great for parties.
Why these taste bakery-level (but easier)
The freeze-dried raspberry powder gives a concentrated berry flavor and gorgeous color without extra liquid. The chill steps help the cookies bake with a neat well for jam. Using aquafaba keeps them tender and light while staying fully vegan. Follow those small steps and you’ll get consistent results. Ever wonder why bakery cookies always look perfect? They chill. So should you.
Still Hungry, Try It Next recipe:-
Vegan Chewy Valentine’s Day Red Velvet Cookies Recipe
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Vegan Cabbage Rolls With Lentils and Rice — Crockpot Recipe
Some Help Q&A
Q: My jam spreads and runs — help!
A: Chill the cookies longer before baking and avoid overfilling the well. Use slightly thicker jam if possible.
Q: The cookies feel cakey, not crisp.
A: Bake a minute or two longer (watch bottoms), or swap aquafaba for flax eggs for more structure.
Q: Seeds in the powder make texture grainy.
A: Sift the freeze-dried powder well. If you can’t remove seeds, skip the powder and add a tsp of raspberry extract instead.
My Thoughts
These Vegan Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies hit every Valentine note: pretty, sweet, and thoughtful. They work as last-minute gifts, a cozy bake for movie night, or a way to show someone you care without dairy or eggs. I promise they taste like effort — but they hide that effort beautifully.
Vegan Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- 1 — Prep the vegan egg substitute
- Choose aquafaba for a lighter texture or flax eggs for a slightly denser, nutty bite.
- Aquafaba: Measure 3 tablespoons from canned chickpeas; whisk lightly until foamy.
- Flax eggs: Mix 2 tbsp ground flax + 6 tbsp water, let rest 5 minutes to thicken.
- 2 — Cream butter and sugar
- In a large bowl, cream 1 cup vegan butter and ⅔ cup sugar with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and pale. Add your aquafaba (or flax eggs) and 1 tsp vanilla, then mix until smooth.
- 3 — Mix dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk 2 ¼ cups flour, ¼ tsp kosher salt, and 4 tbsp sifted raspberry powder. Stir the dry mix into the wet in two batches, mixing only until just combined. Overmix and the cookies will get tough — and nobody wants that.
- 4 — Chill the dough
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Chilling firms the dough and helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven.
- 5 — Shape & press the hearts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly into a puck and place on the sheet. Use your pinky or index finger to press a heart-shaped indentation, pressing about ¾ of the way through the ball so the jam nestles in nicely.
- 6 — Fill with jam
- Spoon or pipe vegan raspberry jam into each indentation, filling nearly to the top but not overflowing.
- 7 — Chill again (important)
- Return the filled cookies to the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes. This extra chill helps them hold their shape during baking and keeps the jam from spreading.
- 8 — Bake & cool
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the bottoms show a light golden color. The tops may look soft — that’s okay. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. The jam will set as they cool.
- Notes, substitutions & troubleshooting
- Butter: Use a firm vegan butter for the best texture. Softer margarines make spread-out cookies.
- Egg replacer: I usually use aquafaba for lift and tender crumbs. Use flax eggs if you want extra structure.
- Jam: Pick a good-quality raspberry jam (less sugary, more fruit). Check the label: some artisanal jams use pectin (fine) but avoid gelatin.
- Raspberry powder: Sift well to avoid seeds. The powder gives color and that lovely pink fleck without altering texture.
- If cookies spread: Next time, chill dough longer and ensure your oven is at 350°F. Use a firmer vegan butter.
Notes
Nutrition (per cookie — approximate)
- Calories: ~128 kcal
- Fat: ~6.1 g
- Carbs: ~17.1 g (sugars ~8.6 g)
- Protein: ~1.2 g
- Fiber: ~0.4 g
These numbers vary slightly by ingredient brands and whether you use aquafaba or flax eggs.
Hi — I’m Rachel. I’m a wife, a mom, and a home cook who believes that food should bring comfort, joy, and compassion to the table. I live with my family — two hungry little foodies who are my most honest recipe testers — and together we’ve built a kitchen culture that’s all about good food that happens to be 100% vegan. I started this blog because I wanted a place to share the recipes that keep our days moving, the dishes that make weeknights feel a little easier, and the meals that become our little family traditions.