Valentine’s Day or not, these chocolate thumbprint cookies with strawberry coconut cream are a must. And, hey, if Valentine’s Day is your jam, you’ll be all set with these dreamy, creamy wonders.
The best part about these cookies is hands down the strawberry coconut cream. Don’t get me wrong, the chocolate thumbprint part is fantastic too, but let’s be real — it’s really just a vehicle for the fluffy pink strawberry whip. Seriously, the stuff is life changing.
Also, these cookies may look semi-complicated, but I assure you they’re not. The main thing is to allow enough time to chill the coconut cream and reduce the strawberry puree. So, really it’s just a test of some patience. But, I get it, having to wait when cookies are involved is not fair. I promise — these beauties are totally worth the wait though.
Lastly, catch me making these chocolate strawberry delights on Portland’s KATU Afternoon Live next Tuesday, February 12 between 2-3pm PST! Watch the replay of my segment HERE.
And, if you’re looking for other Valentine’s Day treat recipes, be sure to check out my strawberry coconut butter cups too!
Cheers and enjoy!
A not too sweet treat, these chocolate thumbprint cookies with strawberry coconut cream are truly something special. Plus, chocolate and strawberry are always a match made in heaven! No dairy, gluten, grains or refined sugar either.
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa or cacao powder
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg, preferably pasture-raised
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 10 oz bag frozen strawberries, thawed
- 3/4 cup cold coconut cream, (refrigerate overnight — also see notes about coconut cream)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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Mix the almond flour and remaining dry ingredients for the thumbprint cookies together in a large bowl. Then, add the wet ingredients and mix to incorporate.
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Roll dough into 12 balls, about 2 Tbsp or 1-inch size each. Place on lined baking sheet and press thumb into the middle of each cookie to form an indentation. You may need to remold the dough a bit if cracks occur (some are okay, but make sure the cookie is sturdy).
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Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5-10 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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While cookies are cooling, get going on the strawberry coconut cream. Place thawed strawberries in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Then add to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring often. Strawberries will thicken and reduce down once done. Set aside to cool completely. Place in fridge to speed up cooling, if desired.
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Add cold coconut cream to a chilled glass or stainless steel bowl (tip: chill the beaters too for better whipping). Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla, and then beat with a hand mixer until thick and fluffy. Once strawberries are cooled, fold into the whipped coconut cream.
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Scoop some of the strawberry coconut cream into the thumbprint of each cookie. Garnish with cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips, if desired. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container and eat within a few days.
Fresh strawberries can be used in this recipe as well. Follow the directions the same way. I opted for frozen since strawberries were not in season at the time I made this recipe. This way, I was still able to use local berries, but in frozen form!
Also, I used and recommend this brand of coconut cream. It has no gums and it’s all cream — no need to separate the cream part from the water! But, as an alternative, you can place canned coconut milk in the fridge overnight and then scoop out only the cream part (save water for cooking, smoothies, etc).
I get so confused with cooking terms sometimes 🙁 …but I’m hoping you can clarify things a bit for me…
Are Coconut Cream and Coconut Butter basically the same thing?
As I understand things, CC is finely ground coconut meat typically floated in a can of plain water (or water from the inside of an actual coconut), and the ratio between the water and *meat* determines the fat content of that can of coconut milk. As for CB, it too is finely ground coconut meat, but instead of it being canned with water, it is packed/bottled/jarred completely free of water or moisture of any kind.
If the above is true and correct, doesn’t that make CC and CB kind of interchangeable and, therefore, equally usable for icing on your thumbprint cookies?
Hi, Mae. I can understand why this may be confusing and am happy to clarify. So, coconut cream and coconut butter are not technically the same thing, but your explanation is not inaccurate. They are similar, but different! Texturally, they are very different and react differently to cold temperatures. Coconut butter (made from ground dried coconut) has a grittier texture than coconut cream and when cold, is very firm and hard like coconut oil. In fact, coconut butter usually has a layer of coconut oil in it that is visible prior to stirring or when the jar is cold. Now, if you’re thinking of coconut cream concentrate then yes, that is the same as coconut butter. Once warmed, it is spreadable like a runny nut butter and works well for drizzling too. Coconut cream (the cream part from a can of chilled coconut milk or if you use the Aroy-D boxed coconut cream like me, the whole thing is cream) is creamier and smoother, and still soft when cold. It works very well for whipped cream because it gets light and fluffy. You could use coconut butter for the filling part of these cookies, but it won’t have the same effect and will be quite dense versus whipped and fluffy. The filling would also get super hard in the fridge, so you’d need to let the cookies come to room temp before eating. In my experience, I haven’t had the best luck incorporating cold maple syrup into coconut butter either and it makes the texture even thicker. But, you could try room temp or slightly warm maple syrup instead — or honey, of course. Or, you can omit the sweetener altogether. I’m not sure how well the coconut butter would mix with the strawberry puree either and you’d have to do it when it was still warm. Anyway, that was long, but I hope I was successful in clarifying for you!
You have indeed clarified things for me! Thank you for taking the time to do so 🙂
I have coconut butter. I never realized, though, that it was made from dried coconut meat. That detail right there explains all its unique characteristics and *cooking* properties. (It also explains why EVERYTHING I tried doing with it came out tasty but somehow texturally *off* :))
I think I need to invest in that Aroy-D coconut CREAM product you mentioned. It seems less wasteful to me than using only the fatty portion of canned coconut milk, and it absolutely will yield better, different results for me now that I understand how and why it IS different from my coconut butter.
Again, thank you for your time, knowledge and your willingness (long-winded or not) to share it! 🙂
Alisa, one more thing…just out of curiosity…
Do you know whether the water in commercially-canned coconut milk—in, say, a Thai Kitchen can, for example—is the canner’s tap water (denatured and chemically *cleaned*) or is it the watery liquid from inside actual young coconuts?
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So glad I could help clarify, Mae! In regards to the water inside the coconut milk can, it’s added by the manufacturer and I believe that’s true for all brands, but not completely sure. I just looked at what I have in my kitchen and it definitely implies that it’s added too (Native Forest Unsweetened Simple Coconut Milk — ingredients are organic coconut and filtered water). I agree that the Aroy-D cream is the way to go, but if you’re ever in a pinch and use it from a can, you can save the water for cooking — add to soups, curries, sautés, smoothies or whatever.