• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Salty Cooker
  • Recipes
    • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Breakfast's
    • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Lunch's
    • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Dinner's
    • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Appetizer's
    • Gluten Free & Dairy Free Dessert's
  • Danielle's Pantry
  • Shop
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Gluten Free Breakfast
  • Gluten Free Lunch
  • Gluten Free Appetizers
  • Gluten Free Dinner
  • Gluten Free Dessert
  • Danielle's Pantry
  • Shop
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

    Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

    Published: Jan 6, 2023 · Last Modified: Jan 17, 2023 by Danielle · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Cookie season is in full effect! What is your favorite cookie to break into this time of year? Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies are a decadent and fully loaded take on the classic thumbprint cookie.

    Gluten and Dairy Free Thumbprint Cookies

    What is better than the combination of caramel, chocolate, and pecans? It practically checks off the entire best of list. This classic combination of ingredients such as Gluten Free and Dairy Free Brownie Turtle Pie is a beloved mashup of flavors for a reason. These cookies pack everything you love of the nostalgic confection of turtles in the ultimate bite.

    Ingredients

    Is there any better smell than warm cookies baking away in the oven? With a few simple steps and ingredients Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies will have your friends and family coming back for another.

    • Gluten Free Flour - Bob's red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour is my go-to flour for both sweet and savory recipes. It makes it easy to measure for recipes that aren't traditionally written Gluten Free without having to add any extra ingredients.
    • Vanilla Extract - The better the quality the vanilla, the more pronounced the flavor will be.
    • Eggs
    • Sugar
    • Dairy Free Butter - Adds richness to these cookies while also giving them their soft, tender texture.
    • Pearson Farm Pecan Meal - Pearson Farm has been in operation for over 135 years. These premium Georgia pecans are harvested, shelled, and right on the farm ensuring that you receive the freshest in flavor.
    • Dairy Free Caramel - You can use Dairy Free condensed sweetened coconut milk for this, or your favorite dairy free caramel sauce.
    • Dairy Free Chocolate - Pick your favorite variety of either chocolate chips or a chocolate bar that has been finely chopped for easy melting.

    How to Make Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

    These sweet cookies pack as much texture as they do flavor. They come together in just a few simple steps. Be warned, they're addictively delicious!

    Time needed: 1 hour.

    Buttery sugar cookies are rolled in pecans and filled with caramel before being kissed by chocolate.

    1. Pregame

      Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

    2. Cream

      Add the room temperature butter and sugar to a mixing bowl and mix on high for 3 minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy.

    3. Mix

      Add the vanilla and eggs and mix to combine. Next add the salt and flour and mix until just combined.

    4. Chill

      Allow the cookie dough to chill for at least 30 minutes.

    5. Roll

      Place the pecan meal in a bowl. Use a 1 ½" scoop to form even sized cookies. Roll the balls into the pecan meal and place onto the prepared baking sheets.

    6. Fill

      Use the underside of a spoon to press down your cookies and create a center. Fill them with a little Dairy Free sweetened condensed coconut milk or caramel.

    7. Bake

      Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes.

    8. Finishing Touch

      Melt your chocolate in the microwave until just melted. Drizzle the chocolate over your cooled cookies. Enjoy!

    Variations

    This recipe for Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies is completely Dairy Free. However, you can use dairy butter and caramel sauce with cream in it. The measurements will be the same.

    Tools

    Parchment paper not only prevents your cookies from sticking to the pan, but also allows them to bake more evenly. Bonus points it also makes for easy cleanup.

    Using a scoop allows you to not only create equal sized cookies which will bake evenly but makes it easy to divide the batter. If you don't have a scoop, you can use a spoon.

    Storage

    Cookies are the gift that keep on giving, especially these Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies. They will stay fresh for a week if stored in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature.

    Top Tip for Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

    Allowing your butter to come to room temperature, regardless of whether it's Dairy Free or dairy butter makes it easy to quickly mix together a smooth cookie dough. However you want to make sure you chill your dough before rolling your cookies and baking. This will prevent them from spreading out too quickly and being flat once they hit the oven.

    Gluten Free Flours

    My go to for baking is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. It is a blend of several different gluten free ingredients and I find it just works consistently well for what I need. I could blend flour myself but I choose to spend my time other ways and the 1:1 is a really good product.

    Oat Flour can give you a chewier, more moist product. It can lend a nice sweet flavor to baked foods and is a flour I tend to mix with others if I want a lighter or fluffy result. I am always very careful to buy organic gluten free oats because they can be sprayed with nasty stuff and be processed in a way that they are no longer gluten free.

    Almond Flour has a nice nutty flavor but can tend to dry out what you are preparing. I like to balance it with an extra egg if I am adding it to meatloaf for example and add banana or egg if it is in a sweet treat. Your end product could be a bit denser if you are using straight almond flour as well. I do like using almond flour as bread crumbs or a crunchy topping on savory dishes. 

    Arrowroot  is my normal choice for a thickener in sauce or gravy. It is great for things you want a good crunch on that would normally be dredged in flour. Arrowroot can also be used to temper other gluten free flours for sweets and baked goods.

    Brown Rice Flour can also be used in combination with other gluten free flours for baked goods. I like to use it when making a roux and brown rice noodles are a favorite.

    More Flours

    Amaranth is another gluten free flour that works well when blended. It has a nice nutty flavor that makes it good for crusts, tortillas and breads.

    Coconut Flour has a bit of a sweet coconut flavor. It tends to absorb liquid so you will need to adjust your recipe but it does give a nice light texture.

    Corn Flour is a great thickener, makes delicious tortillas and one of my favorites, corn bread. Just make sure the corn flour you are buying was proceed in a gluten free environment and from a clean source.

    Cassava Flour is the most similar to white or all purpose flour but can be expensive if you are using it often and is high in carbohydrates.

    Tapioca is a great thickener as well for soups, pies and sauces and works well when combined with other flours.

    Chickpea or garbanzo is used often in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine… Think hummus, falafel, flatbreads. It has lots of healthy benefits and a mild nutty flavor. You can also use the water from the beans, called aquafaba, as an egg replacer or instead of cream for whipped cream. Crazy, I know, but it works so stop dumping it down the drain.

    Gluten Free Grains

    The gluten free grains we grab for most often are…

    Quinoa- easy to make and flavor and is high in fiber and protein. It is actually one of the plant proteins that is a complete protein. 

    Oats are also good for fiber and a bit of protein but make sure they are clean and gluten free.

    Buckwheat actually has no wheat in it but does have fiber, protein and trace minerals. I love buckwheat noodles. I also add them to salads and soups for texture and a bit of “chew”.

    Gluten and Dairy Free Thumbprint Cookies

    Gluten and Dairy Free Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

    Buttery sugar cookies are rolled in pecans before being filled with caramel and drizzled in chocolate.
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Prep Time: 45 minutes
    Cook Time: 13 minutes
    Servings: 24

    Equipment

    • 1 Mixing Bowl
    • 2 baking sheets
    • Parchment paper
    • 1 1 ½" scoop

    Ingredients

    • 2 ¼ cups Gluten Free 1 to 1 flour
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • ¼ tsp kosher salt
    • 2 eggs
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • 1 cup Dairy Free butter, room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups Pearson Farm pecan meal
    • 1 cup Dairy Free caramel can use Dairy Free sweetened condensed coconut milk
    • 1 oz Dairy Free chocolate, melted

    Instructions

    • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Add the room temperature butter and sugar to a bowl. Mix on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
    • Add the eggs and vanilla and mix.
    • Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
    • Allow the cookie dough to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Pour the pecan meal into a shallow bowl.
    • Use a 1 ½" scoop to roll out your cookies.
    • Roll them into the pecan meal and then place them on the prepared baking sheets.
    • Use the underside of a spoon to press down on the cookies, creating an indent.
    • Fill the center with some caramel. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
    • Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes.
    • Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
    • Drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the cookies.
    • Enjoy!

    Video

    Tried this recipe?Mention @TheSaltyCooker or tag #thesaltycooker!
    « Dairy Free Decadent Morel Mushroom Risotto
    Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Revel Bars »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Danielle!

    Danielle Cochran aka The Salty Cooker

    Thanks for stopping by. I'm a recipe creator focusing on gluten free and dairy free recipes that taste amazing.

    about me!

    Subscribe

    Top Recipes

    Follow us on

    Member Of

    Featured On

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Subscribe to receive our top gluten & dairy free recipes

    Subscribe to receive our top recipes

    Follow our cooking journey on

    Follow Us on

    • Recipes
    • Danielle's Pantry

    • About Danielle
    • Contact Danielle

    TheSaltyCooker.com  is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I (TheSaltyCooker.com) earn from qualifying purchases. Read more here.

    Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

    Terms & Conditions

    ©The Salty Cooker 2021 All Rights Reserved

    Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

    Terms & Conditions