Brown butter and caramel are a perfect match. These caramel thumbprint cookies start with nutty brown butter in a tender almond-flour dough, then each one is filled with a soft, glossy caramel center and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
They are sugar-free and sweetened with allulose, which makes a caramel that stays soft and gooey. Each of the 8 big cookies has about 155 calories and just 2g net carbs.
They make a beautiful addition to a holiday cookie tray, and the salted caramel centers always disappear first.
Why You’ll Love These Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
- Brown butter flavor. Toasty, nutty butter in every bite.
- Soft caramel centers. Allulose caramel stays gooey, not hard.
- Salted caramel finish. A pinch of flaky salt balances the sweetness.
- 2g net carbs per cookie. About 155 calories each.
Ingredient Notes
Brown butter. Forty grams of Land O Lakes butter browned until the milk solids are golden and nutty. Browning cooks off some water, so a little is added back to keep the dough the right texture.
Flours. One cup of Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour and 2 tablespoons of coconut flour make thick, tender caramel thumbprint cookies that hold their wells.
Egg and vanilla. An egg yolk and a little egg white bind the dough. For the vanilla, use an alcohol-free vanilla flavoring.
Caramel. Granulated allulose cooked with a little water until light amber, finished with warm cream, butter and a pinch of salt.
Allulose. Powdered allulose sweetens the dough and granulated allulose makes the caramel. Allulose is a rare sugar that the FDA allows to be excluded from the total sugars and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts label.
If you want to check the nutrition of staples like almond flour and butter yourself, you can look them up on USDA FoodData Central. The nutrition is estimated from ingredient labels.
How to Make Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
You need an 18×13-inch baking sheet, parchment, a light-colored saucepan, bowls, a whisk, a spatula, a measuring spoon, a kitchen scale and a cooling rack. Prep takes about 20 minutes, the cookies bake for 14 to 16 minutes and the caramel cooks for a few minutes, with about 70 minutes of chilling and cooling.
Brown the butter and make the dough
Step 1. Brown the 40g of butter over medium-low heat until the milk solids turn golden and nutty. Scrape into a bowl and cool until lukewarm. Weigh it and add only enough water to bring it back to 40g.
Step 2. Whisk the flours, baking powder and salt. Mix the allulose, yolk, white and vanilla into the butter, then add the dry mix. Rest for 5 minutes.
Shape and bake
Step 3. Divide into 8 thick discs, about 2 inches wide and ½ inch thick, on a parchment-lined sheet. Press wide wells, leaving solid bases, and mend any cracks. Chill for 20 minutes and heat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
Step 4. Bake for 10 minutes, re-press the wells with a measuring spoon, then bake for 4 to 6 minutes more until golden at the edges. Cool completely on the sheet, about 30 minutes.
Make the caramel and fill
Step 5. Heat the caramel allulose and water until light amber. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the warm cream, then add the 7g of butter and the pinch of salt.
Step 6. Return to low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and slightly thick. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes until spoonable.
Step 7. Fill all 8 wells evenly, sprinkle with the flaky salt and let the caramel thumbprint cookies set for 10 minutes before serving.
Success Tips for Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
Brown, never burn. Take the butter off the heat as soon as the solids turn golden and smell nutty.
Cool the butter first. Add the egg only when the butter is lukewarm so it does not scramble.
Re-press the wells. The wells puff up in the oven, so press them again halfway through baking.
Expect a soft caramel. Allulose caramel stays soft and tacky rather than setting hard.
Serving Ideas
Add them to a Christmas cookie tray, wrap them in a box for a holiday gift or serve them with coffee. Keep them chilled until serving so the caramel holds its shape.
More Sugar-Free Caramel Treats
For a spoonable sauce, try my sugar-free caramel sauce. For a chewy cookie, the sugar-free Samoa cookies are a favorite.
And for brown butter lovers, make the sugar-free brown butter brookies.
Storage
Refrigerate the caramel thumbprint cookies airtight for up to 3 days. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Caramel Thumbprint Cookies FAQ
Why add water back after browning the butter?
Browning evaporates some of the water in butter. Adding a little back keeps the dough moist enough to hold together.
Why is my caramel soft?
Allulose caramel naturally stays soft and gooey. Chilling the cookies helps it firm up a little.
Can I use regular butter without browning?
Yes, but you will lose the toasty, nutty flavor that makes these cookies special.
How many caramel thumbprint cookies does this make?
The recipe makes 8 large cookies, about 155 calories and 2g net carbs each.
Is allulose a sugar alcohol?
No, allulose is a rare sugar, not a sugar alcohol.
Nutty, buttery and filled with salted caramel, these caramel thumbprint cookies are the star of any cookie tray.
Sugar-Free Brown Butter Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Brown 40g butter over medium-low heat until milk solids turn golden and nutty. Scrape into a bowl; cool until lukewarm. Weigh and add only enough water to restore 40g.
- Whisk flours, baking powder and salt. Mix allulose, yolk, white and vanilla into butter; add dry mix. Rest 5 min.
- Divide into 8 thick discs, ~2 inches wide and ½ inch thick, on parchment-lined sheet. Press wide wells, leaving solid bases; mend cracks. Chill 20 min. Heat oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Bake 10 min, re-press wells with a measuring spoon; bake 4–6 min more until golden at edges. Cool completely on sheet, ~30 min.
- Heat caramel allulose and water until light amber. Off heat, gradually whisk in warm cream; add 7g butter and 0.2g salt.
- Return to low heat 1–2 min until smooth and slightly thick. Cool 10–15 min until spoonable.
- Fill all 8 wells evenly; sprinkle with 0.4g flaky salt. Set 10 min before serving.
Notes
- Brown butter, never burn; add eggs only when lukewarm.
- Allulose caramel stays soft and tacky.
- Refrigerate airtight up to 3 days.