These lemon baobab cookies are buttery little thumbprints filled with tangy homemade lemon curd and finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar. The baobab powder is baked right into the cookies, adding an extra citrusy kick and a subtle superfood boost that makes them really nutritious and special.
They’re simple to make, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and have just the right mix of sweet and tart. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee… though honestly, they’re so good they probably won’t last that long!
The majestic baobab trees and a cup of baobab coffee
Rising from the African savanna like an ancient monument, the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and Western Madagascar. It’s one of the oldest trees on earth, with an almost mythical presence. Some specimens are believed to be over 2.500 years old, and their swollen trunks store thousands of litres of water to survive the long, dry months.
With branches stretching like roots into the sky, the baobab is often called the “upside‑down tree,” but for the people living in its shadow, it’s a sacred giant, a living pharmacy, and a spiritual centre of village life. In some places, it’s believed a baobab can hold the spirit of an ancestor, so you’d never cut one down without a blessing.
Sadly, despite their resilience, baobabs are now considered endangered in parts of Africa, threatened by climate change, habitat loss, and human activity.
Baobab trees bloom for only one night with magnificent white flowers that get pollinated by bats and moths. It can take 8 to 23 years before a young baobab tree makes its first fruit, but once it starts, it can grow more than 250 big, velvety pods a year.
When harvest time comes, people use long sticks to knock down the dried pods or gather them from the ground. Inside the hard shell is a tangy, citrus‑like pulp wrapped around shiny seeds. Nothing goes to waste — the pulp is ground into the super‑nutritious baobab powder, the seeds are dried and roasted for coffee or added to soups and ground into sauces, the leaves are cooked like spinach, and the bark is stripped for rope and mats.
While most recipes often use baobab fruit powder from the pulp, like the famous superfruit baobab juice and creamy no-churn baobab ice cream, or tasty desserts like baobab bites, gluten-free baobab energy bars and lemon‑kissed baobab cookies, the baobab seeds often get overlooked…. and today, we’re giving these a moment of fame. We’re roasting them into a rich, tasty cup of baobab coffee.
And hopefully, next time you’re soaking up that baobab pulp, you’ll think twice before tossing the seeds — and give this healthy, magical brew a try instead!
Benefits of drinking baobab coffee
It’s packed with antioxidants. Roasting baobab seeds even boosts the total phenolic content in baobab coffee up to 851 mg GAE/100 g. The phenolic compounds in baobab coffee are linked to heart health, anti‑inflammatory effects, and protecting cells from oxidative stress.
It supports cell health. Baobab coffee contains vitamins A, C, E, and D3, plus phytosterols and minerals that play a role in cell regeneration and slowing age‑related decline.
It’s exceptionally low in caffeine. With only ~16–21 mg caffeine per 100 g, it’s dramatically lower than regular coffee (over 1,100 mg) and even decaf (about 123 mg), making it a great option for caffeine‑sensitive people. This means you have no worries when drinking it in the evening.
It contains heart‑friendly fats and minerals. Baobab coffee offers a good dose of healthy fats like oleic and linoleic acid, plus calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron for cardiovascular, bone, and muscle health.
It contains heart‑friendly fats and minerals. Baobab coffee offers a good dose of healthy fats like oleic and linoleic acid, plus calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron for cardiovascular, bone, and muscle health.
It’s organic. Most coffee you find on the shelves has been sprayed, treated, and processed, but baobab trees thrive naturally in the wild. That makes baobab seed coffee a pure, chemical‑free brew straight from nature.
Unlike the Little Prince, who imagined baobab seeds as a danger to his tiny planet, many people in Africa use as a gift of nature. Roasted and brewed, these seeds become a source of income for families, helping to keep money in the community while also supporting the conservation of these magnificent trees.
Why do baobab seeds need to be roasted
Not long ago, I came across a YouTube video of a guy trying to grind raw baobab seeds into coffee. He not only broke his grinder, but the look on his face when he tasted his “magic brew” was not a happy one.
When baobab seeds are roasted, their sharp, raw bitterness softens, and they take on a rich, nutty, almost chocolate‑like depth. The colour deepens into that familiar coffee‑brown, and once roasted, they become easy to grind.
It also makes the coffee safe. Raw baobab seeds contain cyclopropenoid fatty acids (CPFAs), which can be harmful in high amounts. Around 200 °C, these compounds break down quickly. Roasting for 55–80 minutes at that temperature results in those levels dropping well below the safe limit.
Meanwhile, healthy fats like oleic and palmitic acid actually increase, making the coffee richer in healthy compounds. In other words, it’s not just better tasting — it’s better for you. That 55–80‑minute sweet spot gives you the best flavour and the most health‑boosting benefits.
How to make baobab coffee
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 392 °F/200 °C.
Crack two eggs into a bowl, add ⅓ cup (60 g) sugar and a pinch of salt, and whisk until smooth. Add the butter and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy. Use a hand mixer or the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to make sure everything mixes evenly.
STEP 2: Mix in the baobab powder until the batter is smooth and creamy. For the perfect baobab flavor, let the mixture rest for a few minutes so the baobab has time to dissolve and blend fully with the butter.
STEP 3: Add the flour and mix until the dough comes together nicely. Scrape down the sides if needed, then press the dough into the bottom of the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes—the key to perfect cookies is making sure the butter is properly chilled before baking.
STEP 4: While the dough chills, get started on the lemon curd. Grate the zest from your whole lemon—you’ll get about 2 teaspoons. Then squeeze out the juice from the same lemon and set it aside.
STEP 5: Pour the lemon juice into a small pot along with two egg yolks and one whole egg. Add the sugar and lemon zest, then cook over low heat, stirring constantly to keep it smooth.
When the curd begins to thicken, stir in the butter. Let it cook for another few minutes to make sure it’s thick enough—you don’t want that lemony goodness dripping out of the cookies when you stack them in a container or carry them around.
STEP 6: Once the dough has chilled, scoop it into 25 small portions (about a tablespoon each) and roll them into balls using your palms. Arrange the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between each one.
STEP 7: Use the back of a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon or your finger to press an indentation into the center of each dough ball. Actually, I’ve found an even quicker trick—use the closed cap of a plastic bottle turned upside down! It makes the process so much faster. If the dough sticks, just dip the cap lightly in oil to keep things smooth.
STEP 8: Bake the cookies for 11–12 minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t overbake—it only takes a few seconds for them to go too far.
The baobab powder gives them a naturally deeper color, so don’t mistake that for being overdone like you might with regular thumbprint cookies. It’s better to take them out early, they’ll firm up while they cool.
STEP 9: Once the cookies are baked, transfer them to a cooling rack and dust them with powdered sugar while they’re still warm. Next, spoon the warm lemon curd into the indentations. If the curd has thickened too much, gently warm it up again until it’s pourable.
STEP 10: Let the cookies cool completely on the rack before serving. As they rest, the centers will stay tender and crumbly while the edges turn perfectly crisp.
And that’s it—your lemon baobab thumbprint cookies are ready to enjoy!
Recipe notes and tips
The butter makes all the difference. Start with butter at room temperature for mixing the dough. Soft butter blends in more easily and gives you that smooth, even texture we all love to work with.
Chill before baking. Honestly, the success of these cookies depends on how well you chill the dough. Cold dough is so much easier to shape, and it helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven. If shaping takes you a bit longer (we’ve all been there), pop the whole baking sheet back in the fridge for a few minutes before baking.
Watch the oven like a hawk. These beauties bake fast and you can overdo it in seconds. Pull them out while they still look slightly soft in the center—they’ll set up perfectly as they cool.
Dust with sugar first. Here’s a little trick we learned the hard way: sprinkling the cookies with sugar before pouring in the lemon curd makes them look much prettier.
Thicken that lemon curd. Cook the curd just a little longer so it’s thick enough to stay put. This way, you won’t end up with lemony drips when stacking or carrying the cookies around. Making the curd a day ahead isn’t a bad idea either—it saves time and tastes even better!
Storage
Let the cookies cool completely before stacking them in a covered container. I like to line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper and add another layer on top before closing the lid—it helps keep them fresher for longer.
They’ll stay perfect for up to two weeks in a cool, dry spot, and even longer (about a month) if you store them in the fridge. Oh, and yes—you can freeze them too!
Baobab cookies FAQs
Baobab powder can lose some vitamin C when exposed to high heat, but it still keeps plenty of its fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. So while baking slightly reduces its nutritional punch, your cookies will still have a healthy boost.
You can swap the eggs in the dough with flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water per egg) or use a store-bought egg replacer. For the lemon curd, try a vegan version made with cornstarch or agar-agar to thicken instead of eggs—it’s just as delicious and holds up perfectly.
Simply swap the all-purpose flour for a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Look for one that contains xanthan gum or a similar binder to help the cookies hold their shape. You can also mix in a fair share of almond flour or coconut flour – this will make them taste even better.
It’s easy! Swap the butter for plant-based butter or coconut oil, and replace the eggs with flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water per egg). For the lemon curd, use a vegan version thickened with cornstarch or agar-agar instead of eggs—it’s just as creamy and delicious.
A few more baobab recipes
Lemon Baobab Cookies
EQUIPMENT
- 1 baking sheet
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup baobab fruit powder
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup butter
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 lemon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 356°F (180°C). Whisk 2 eggs with ⅓ cup (60 g) sugar and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add softened butter and beat for 2 minutes until creamy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Mix in baobab powder until fully blended and smooth. Let the batter rest a few minutes so the baobab can dissolve and flavor the dough.
- Add flour and mix until a dough forms. Press it into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up the butter.
- While the dough chills, prepare the lemon curd. Zest and juice the lemon (you’ll get about 2 tsp zest).
- In a small pot, combine lemon juice, 2 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, sugar, and zest. Cook on low, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Stir in butter and cook another few minutes until the curd is thick and glossy.
- Scoop the dough into 25 balls (about 1 tbsp each) and roll between your palms. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Press a small well into each ball using your finger, a teaspoon, or the cap of a plastic bottle (dip it in oil if it sticks).
- Bake for 11–12 minutes. Watch closely—baobab gives the cookies a deeper color, but they’re done once edges are lightly golden. Remove slightly early if unsure; they’ll firm as they cool.
- Transfer cookies to a rack and dust with powdered sugar while warm. Fill centers with warm lemon curd, reheating it slightly if too thick to pour.
- Cool completely before serving. The edges will crisp up as the centers stay soft and crumbly. Enjoy!
NOTES
Nutrition
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