Soft, chewy, and quick to make, this easy almond flour cookies recipe has been my go-to dessert since 2014! Made with six simple ingredients in just 20 minutes, these cookies are packed with irresistible sweet, nutty flavor in every bite.
Why you’ll love this almond cookies recipe
Looking at the recipe, you’d never guess that these almond flour cookies are anything special, but they’re truly magical once baked!
Sweet, chewy, and perfectly soft, they’re an instant favorite with everyone who tries them.
I love cooking with almond flour, using it in desserts like my almond brownies and double chocolate almond cookies. However, if I had to pick a favorite, these cookies would probably be.
- Easy – All you need are six pantry staple ingredients and 20 minutes, and these cookies are ready to eat!
- Minimal equipment – There’s no need to pull out a mixer or special equipment. Thanks to the simple steps, a bowl and a spatula are all you need.
- Dietary needs – Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, and Paleo, these cookies fit a variety of dietary needs.
Don’t take my word for how good these cookies taste. Take a look at what readers are saying, too:
“I’ve made this recipe quite a few times but never left a comment. They are always a hit. Recently made them for my 3-year-old and he was like, Wow Mommy these are the best”
– Liyanna
“No one in my family is gluten, dairy, or egg intolerant but these are a favorite. Only thing I have added is sesame seeds on the top. Now I can’t keep them in the house as they disappear!!”
– Carol
Key Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour forms the base of the cookie dough. Do not substitute any other flour, or your cookies won’t work! Keep reading to learn about the different types of flour and how to use them in various recipes.
- Baking soda helps the cookies rise.
- Raw honey sweetens the cookies without the need for different types of sugar. If you prefer, you can substitute pure maple syrup to make the cookies vegan.
- Coconut oil adds moisture to the cookies and helps combine the ingredients.
- Pure vanilla extract – I almost always have homemade vanilla extract on hand, but storebought will also work. Just make sure to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation varieties!
How to make almond flour cookies
Before you begin, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, and set it aside.
1. Make the cookie dough
- Mix the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. The mixture should be thick and evenly moistened. It’s ok if it looks a little crumbly!
- Stir in any optional mix-ins, if desired. I often add chocolate chips!
Adjust the batter
The batter’s texture can vary slightly depending on your ingredients (e.g., honey, maple syrup, almond flour, etc.). It’s normal if the batter is a little crumbly.
To test, squeeze a small amount of dough in your hand. If it holds its shape, you’re good to go!
If your batter is too dry to hold its shape, add a little bit more honey or coconut oil to moisten it. This cookie batter is quite forgiving!
2. Shape and bake
- Portion the dough into 1-inch balls using a medium cookie scoop, and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
- Gently flatten the cookie dough balls with your hand or the back of a spice. These cookies don’t flatten as much in the oven. So, this helps ensure they bake evenly!
- Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then, gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success:
- Mix well. Make sure to mix all the ingredients so that they are well coated and moist with an almond sand-like texture. Otherwise, your cookies are likely to turn out dry and may fall apart!
- Make sure to flatten the cookies. If you don’t flatten the cookies, they’ll stay round and will likely still be fairly raw in the center.
- Avoid overbaking. Keep a close eye on your oven, and remove the cookies as soon as they’re light golden brown in color. Remember they’ll continue to bake slightly as they cool!
- Handle the baked almond cookies carefully. Almond cookies are quite fragile as they come out of the oven but become a bit firmer as they cool. So, don’t rush the process, and handle them gently when transferring them to the wire rack.
Storing Tips
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, transfer them to the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Note that they will become softer the longer they sit!
- Freeze almond cookies for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping each cookie with plastic wrap to prevent them from clumping together. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or sealable bag to freeze.
- Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature when you’re ready to serve.
FAQs:
Yes! If you know me, you know I add chocolate chips to anything I can, and they work great in this recipe. However, you can also include coconut flakes, quick oats, or raisins for extra texture and flavor.
Yes, butter works well in these cookies. I recommend using unsalted butter for the best results. Use 2 tablespoons (30 grams), melt it, and let it cool slightly. Then, proceed with the recipe as usual.
There’s no need! Almond flour won’t spread like all-purpose flour, which eliminates the need to chill these cookies.
More Cookie Recipes
Chewy Almond Flour Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) almond flour
- ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup (120 g) raw honey Note 1
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) coconut oil melted, Note 2
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Optional Add-ins (pick one):
- ½ cup (90 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup (45 g) quick oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except optional add-ins. The mixture should be thick and evenly moistened. (Note: It's ok if the batter looks crumbly. But if you think your batter is too dry, feel free to add a little more honey or coconut oil. The batter is quite forgiving.)
- If using, stir in optional add-ins like chocolate chips.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, shape the dough into 16 1-inch balls and place 8 cookies per baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or silicone mat.
- Flatten the cookie dough balls.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- The cookies will be quite fragile as they come out of the oven, so cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheets first, and then transfer onto wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on January 22, 2014.
No one in my family is gluten, dairy, or egg intolerant but these are a favorite. Only thing I have added is sesame seeds on the top. Now I can’t keep them in the house as they disappear!!
Hi, Carol. Same here! We have no particular diet restrictions and these are our go-to cookies. So happy you love them as much as we do. Thank you for your feedback.
Hello, thanks for the recipe. Can I replace the coconut oil with butter? If yes, would the measurements be the same?
Hi, Ala. Yes, butter works great. The same amount, melted.
I love this cookies😍
Thank you, Evelyn!!
This is my GO-TO cookie recipe, full-stop. I’ve been baking them for over a year and not only are they guilt-less, but they’re also absolutely delicious.
Yay, so happy you love these cookies! They’re our favorite too!
Absolutely LOVE these cookies. I’ve tried a lot of different almond cookies recipes and these are by far the best and the easiest. Most call for similar ingredients but for some reason, this specific combo works best.
Highly recommend— especially for beginners
Yay, so happy you tried and loved this recipe, Alana. Thank you for your feedback!!
This cookies of yours look very delicious and I am very grateful to have found you and bake together with you.
Thank you, Dina, for such sweet message. Hope you’ll give these cookies a try! They get so many rave reviews all the time.
So darn good!! Perfect texture. I did half vanilla extract and half almond. Mixed in walnuts and pressed a few chocolate chips on top of each. Absolutely delicious! Kept very well in the fridge for the day that they lasted. The texture didn’t get weird over time either like some other GF recipes do. My husband is demanding his second batch in 2 days, so off to the kitchen I go! 🙂
Very good! I made a half batch to not use all of my precious almond flour in case I didn’t like them. Used almond extract instead of vanilla and a few chocolate chips. Glad I only made a half batch as I may eat them all in one day, it made about 8 small cookies. I will make again for sure.
Hi, Linda. So glad you enjoyed the cookies!! They do disappear pretty quickly! 🙂 Thank you for your feedback!
I used maple syrup instead of honey and they turned out great. I also added cinnamon to half the batch – also great 🙂
Thank you for the recipe 🙂 so simple and quick, and delicious! I like how versatile this cookies can be. I added lemon juice and lemon zest, and fresh pineapple, that I cut into small pieces. Baked for 10 min.
Irina, so glad you loved the cookies!! And thank you for sharing your adaptation. I never thought of adding lemon juice and zest, and pineapple, but now I can’t wait to try it!
These are by far the BEST paleo cookies I’ve ever had!!! And I’ve tried a lot.
I’ve been making these for over 2 years now and I can’t believe I haven’t ever left a review! I love making them just as is but I also LOVE doing half vanilla extract half almond extract. I’ve made them with maple syrup instead of honey and yup just as good. I half the recipe since I love them fresh and make OFTEN!
Thanks for your feedback, Ryan. So happy you love this recipe!