Almond Flour Cookies
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My almond flour cookies are thick, soft, chewy, naturally grain-free, and refined sugar-free. They require no chill time and are ready in 15 minutes.
Using grain-free flour in cookies can be very tricky. While traditional white flour or wholewheat flour are safe choices, others can be pretty hit-and-miss. My simple almond flour cookie recipe is a winner, and it tastes like any good cookie!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 5 Ingredients. And you don’t need any eggs or milk to make them.
- Perfect texture. They are thick and chewy, have a slightly soft center, and have gorgeous crisp edges.
- Quick and easy. There is no chilling required, and they take less than 15 minutes to make.
- Diet-friendly. These cookies are vegan, gluten-free, AND paleo!
Ingredients needed
- Almond flour. You must use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. Almond meal tends to yield heavy and dense cookies and will be darker in color.
- Baking powder. Gives the cookies some rise.
- Butter. Either butter or vegan butter can be used. You must measure your butter in a melted/softened state. If you use vegan butter, be sure to use one from a stick, as other kinds contain added water that can affect the texture of the cookies.
- Maple syrup. Gives the cookies the necessary sweetness without being overpowering. You can also use agave nectar or honey (although I find honey to be a little too overpowering, so be wary!).
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cookie recipe!
- Chocolate chips. Optional but highly recommended! I like to use a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips. If you opt for vegan butter, use vegan chocolate chips.
How to make cookies with almond flour
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Mix together the almond flour and baking powder. Next, add the softened butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Gently fold through your chocolate chips, reserving a few to top the cookies with.
Step 2- Shape. Form 6 large or 12 small balls of dough and place on a lined baking sheet. Press each ball of cookie dough into a thick cookie shape.
Step 3- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the pan.
Arman’s recipe tips
- While your butter must be melted/softened, it should also be at room temperature. Using warm butter will start the melting process of the chocolate chips, resulting in marbled cookies and burnt edges.
- These cookies do not spread, so shape them the size and thickness that you want.
- Do not overbake the cookies, as they continue to cook as they cool down.
- Be sure to check on the cookies at the 12-minute mark and continue to monitor them until done. They can go from golden to dark brown in a short amount of time.
- Use another syrup. Some readers have tried replacing the maple syrup with sugar-free syrup. I haven’t tried this myself, so I cannot vouch for its outcome.
- Shape appropriately. I made 6 large cookies (as pictured). For smaller cookies, make 12 balls of dough.
Flavor variations
- Almond flour chocolate chip cookies. As pictured! Fold through 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chip of choice into the dough.
- Raisin cookies. Add 1/2 cup raisins to the dough, and reserve a few to top the cookies with. Soak the raisins for 30 minutes prior, for them to plump up and be extra juicy.
- Trail mix cookies. Add up to 1/2 cup of your favorite mix-ins, including seeds, nuts, candy bits, and more!
- Double chocolate cookies. Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the batter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
Storage instructions
To store: Place the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Store them in the refrigerator if you’d like them to keep longer.
To freeze: Put your cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
While you technically can use almond meal, your cookies won’t be creamy in color but flecked with brown and black spots. They also will be slightly more crumbly.
Unfortunately, no. Freezing this particular cookie dough will yield crumbly and gritty remnants once thawed, and the cookies will be brittle and grassy once baked. My recipe is super simple, though, so you don’t need to fret about prepping this in advance.
More almond flour desserts
- Almond flour brownies
- Almond flour oatmeal cookies
- Almond flour banana muffins
- Almond flour banana bread
- Almond flour waffles
- Almond flour chocolate cake
- Almond flour cupcakes
Almond Flour Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour blanched almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup butter or vegan butter, softened
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your almond flour and baking powder and mix well. Add your softened butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold through your chocolate chips.
- Form 6 large or 12 small balls of dough. Place on the lined sheet, and press down into a cookie shape. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just beginning to go golden around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published October 2020, updated and republished November 2024
This was a super-easy recipe with great cookie-dough texture as the ingredients were added. I made it for and really seemed like cookie dough, which it was! I made them for two friends with different dietary preferences—one avoids pecans and walnuts and the other doesn’t like coconut. I didn’t have maple syrup, so I substituted raw honey. The cookies were delicious, although I could use a little less honey next time. Everything blended very well.
I also found an unopened can of expired baking powder and tested it before using it: Put 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in a small cup and add 1/4 cup hot or boiling water. If it bubbles vigorously, its’ still good. If it stays flat, replace it.
Have you tried substituting coconut sugar for the maple syrup?
Hey Becky, you can definitely give that a try, you’ll just need to compensate for a little lost moisture from the maple syrup. You could use a couple tablespoons of milk, plant based milk, or even a little more butter. Let us know how you go!
I did test these cookies using brown sugar, which bakes almost identically to coconut sugar, and the cookies turned out way too crumbly. Maple syrup (or honey/agave) gives the cookies those soft middles and crisp edges.
can I use coconut sugar in this recipe I made them and they tasted like they needed to be sweeter I made the recpie right tho
Hi Kora! Yes, using coconut sugar is fine for this. They’ll just be a little darker.
Can I replace coconut oil for butter? Thank you
Yes you can, Connie. Let me know how you go with them!
I used agave in one patch and blackstrap molasses in another patch also used coconut oil instead of butter finally replaced vanilla extract with almond extract. They are delicious thank you Armin for this wonderful recipe!
Oh wow, Connie- I love that you used molasses for a batch. I loved it when I tested them with it, but I seemed to be the only one haha!
can i use oat flour as almond flour?
I’d stick with almond flour for these. I do have a dedicated oat flour cookie recipe.
what about brown rice flour?
If you want to replace the almond flour, sunflower seed flour or cashew flour are the only ones that will replicate the flavor, texture, and richness.
How many grams is 1 cup ?Can you please add metric measurments?
Hi Vesi, we’re working on getting metric measurements into all of our recipes. 1 cup of almond flour should be about 100 grams. Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing Arman. I can’t wait to try your almond flour cookies.
Please do, Marilyn- I hope you enjoy it!
Hi, thank you for the recipe. For the double chocolate cookies, you suggested adding cocoa powder. Do I reduce the almond flour by the amount of cocoa powder added, or do I add the cocoa in ADDITION to the quantity of almond flour? Thank you.
Hi T! I’d add the cocoa powder in addition to the almond flour, but add an egg and/or some extra butter and milk (start with one tablespoon of each). I’d keep the almond flour the same.
A favorite of mine now, esp. because it is so fast and tasty. I just have to order more 25 lb. bags of almond flour from the wholesaler in NJ. Thanks for this recipe
Luckily living in VT I also get a deal on maple syrup! 😉
I’m so jealous, Lindaa- I wish I had a supplier nearby that sells 25 pound bags- I’ll have to visit this place in New Jersey mnext time I’m there:)
And a deal on maple syrup? Lindaa, you need to adopt me haha!
I tried different temperatures moved the racks, added salt to one batch.
Swing and a miss. Nope.
Just made these today! I put flaked salt on top and my husband and I love them! We have each had 2 while they are still warm!
Mary Ann! Thanks so much for your lovely comment and review- I’m so glad you and the hubby both enjoyed them- the addition of salt is one of my favorite things for cookies! 🙂