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Cookie of the day · Sunday, November 8, 2026

Vegan Cashew Thumbprint Cookies with Mango Saffron Jam

Tender, cardamom-scented cashew cookies that taste like kaju katli, each filled with a glossy, sunset-orange mango saffron jam. They're dairy-free and egg-free, and they look lovely on a Diwali mithai platter.

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Vegan Cashew Thumbprint Cookies with Mango Saffron Jam
Total time
About 2 hrs 10 mins
Makes
24 cookies
Oven
350°F
Ingredients
15

Includes 30 min chill and two 15-min bake rounds.

About these cookies

These thumbprints are short and tender with a sandy texture, and they taste of toasted cashew and cardamom, much like kaju katli. Each one holds a spoonful of mango jam that's bright with lemon and fragrant with saffron. The jam goes in near the end of baking, so it stays glossy and doesn't bubble over. Bake a batch before Diwali on Sunday, November 8, and they'll sit nicely next to the barfi and ladoo on your mithai platter.

Steps

  16. Tap a step to check it off.

Tips for success

  • Grind the cashews together with the powdered sugar and stop when the mix looks like fine sand. The sugar keeps the nuts from turning into cashew butter, which would make the dough greasy.
  • Use stick-style vegan butter, not a tub spread. Tub spreads hold more water, which makes the cookies slump and the wells close up in the oven.
  • Bake each sheet straight from the fridge after its 30-minute chill, and keep the second sheet cold while the first one bakes at 350°F (175°C).
  • Make sure the jam is completely cool and thick before you fill the cookies. If it runs off a spoon, simmer it for another minute or two and cool it again.
  • The tops of these cookies stay pale, so check the bottoms instead. They're done when the bottoms are light golden and the edges are set.

Swaps

  • Ground cashews: swap in 85 g (about 3/4 cup) almond flour. The texture stays about the same, but you'll lose some of the rich, milky kaju katli flavor.
  • Fresh mango: use 1/2 cup canned Alphonso or Kesar mango pulp. Cut the sugar to 1 tablespoon and simmer for only 5 to 6 minutes, because the pulp is already sweet and thick. The jam will taste even more intensely of mango.
  • Homemade jam: warm 1/2 cup store-bought mango or apricot jam with the bloomed saffron and its water for 2 minutes, then let it cool. It's quicker and a little sweeter, and the saffron flavor is still there.
  • Saffron: use a tiny pinch of ground turmeric in the jam for the golden color. It won't give you saffron's floral flavor, so add an extra pinch of cardamom to the jam for aroma.

Storing

Keep the filled cookies in an airtight container in a single layer, or with parchment between the layers, for up to 4 days at room temperature. The jam softens them a little each day. To freeze, bake the cookies for the full 13 to 14 minutes without jam, cool them, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw, crisp them at 300°F (150°C) for 3 to 4 minutes, then fill them with jam, which keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week.

This recipe was developed with AI and checked for vegan ingredients and sensible baking times, but it hasn’t been test-baked in our kitchen yet. How our recipes are made.

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