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My almond flour sugar cookies are soft in the middle and perfectly buttery on the outside. They need just 3 ingredients and bake in 12 minutes.
Looking for more dessert almond flour recipes? Try my classic almond flour cookies, almond flour cake, almond flour muffins, and almond flour cupcakes next.
As much as I love classic roll-and-bake cookies, I’ve been experimenting with a gluten-free and almond flour version that does the original justice. Well, friends, my almond flour sugar cookie recipe looks and tastes like classic cutout cookies but with more wholesome and fewer ingredients.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 3 ingredients. All you need is almond flour, sugar (or substitute) and butter. That is it. you don’t even need an egg to bind it together.
- Naturally gluten-free and grain-free. I promise you, I had no intentions of making these cookies any kind of diet-specific…these just happen to tick multiple boxes.
- Minimal chilling time. You can make these cookies on a whim or during the busy Christmas and holiday season.
- Perfect texture and flavor. The texture is exactly what you want in from a classic sugar cookie- Crisp and buttery on the outside and perfectly soft in the middle. They also roll out perfectly and hold their shape well, which is a must for any cutout cookie. They are pleasantly sweet and can be made with or without frosting.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“These are the best cookies I’ve ever made! Perfect sugar cookies. My fiancé didn’t know they were almond flour. He loved them too.” – Lisa
Ingredients needed
- Almond flour. You must use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. The blanched variety guarantees a lighter crumb and a crispy exterior. Do not swap this out for coconut flour or another grain-free flour.
- Butter. Softened to room temperature but NOT melted.
- Sugar OR alternative. I like using white sugar, but sugar-free and low-carb alternatives like allulose and monk fruit sweetener also work.
- Frosting. Optional, but if you like frosted sugar cookies, spread 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite cream cheese or vanilla frosting on top.
- Sprinkles. Again, optional.
How to make almond flour sugar cookies
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- Make the dough. Start by using a hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Slowly add in the almond flour and beat everything together until it forms a consistent crumble.
Step 2- Chill. Next, use your hands to shape the crumbled dough into a small ball. Cover the ball of dough and refrigerate it for 10 minutes.
Step 3- Roll out. Now, place the refrigerated dough between two pieces of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it out to around half an inch in thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circular shapes.
Step 4- Bake. Finally, place the cookies onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, before removing them from the oven and letting them cool on a wire rack completely, before frosting.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer for the very best results. I’ve tried using a bowl and spoon, but they just don’t incorporate as much as I’d like.
- Do not overbake the cookies, as they will continue to cook as they are cooling down.
- Do not discard excess dough after using the cookie cutter. Simply form it back into a ball of dough and roll it out again. Continue this process until no more dough remains.
- Make them vegan by swapping out the butter for plant-based butter or vegan margarine. Opt for a vegan butter from a block, NOT a spread/tub.
- Use different cookie-cutter shapes. Christmas ornaments, dinosaurs, and hearts are all fun and kid-friendly cookie-cutter shapes to use.
- Add flavor extracts like vanilla extract, almond extract, or peppermint extract for some flavor changes.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week. If you choose not to frost them, they will keep for two weeks.
To freeze: Place cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but only for two weeks maximum. Unlike cookie dough using white or wheat-based flour, almond flour tends to become gritty and brittle.
Overbaking is the main cause of hard or brittle sugar cookies. To prevent this from happening, remove them from the oven when the edges just begin to firm up (around the 10-minute mark).
Sugar cookies and butter cookies are a little different. While sugar cookies are lighter on the outside, butter cookies are quite crumbly and dense.
More holiday cookies
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 3 tablespoons sugar white or sugar substitutes
- 1 cup vanilla frosting optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Slowly add in the almond flour until fully incorporated and a crumbly dough remains.
- Using your hands, shape the crumbled dough into a firm ball. Cover the ball of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for ten minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into half an inch of thickness. Peel off the top piece of parchment paper and using a cookie cutter, cut out cookies from the dough. Place the cookies onto the baking sheet. Re-shape the excess dough back into a ball and roll it out again. Repeat the process until all the dough has been used up.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely, before frosting, if desired.
Looks really nice. I never tried making similar recipe.
Love your recipes.
These are the best cookies I’ve ever made! Perfect sugar cookies. My fiancé didn’t know they were almond flour he loved them too
Thanks, Lisa! 🙂
What a delightful cooky to eat after holiday spices and gooyness; I just want a good sugar cooky and this is it.
Looks so simple and delicious!
Oh my word, these were such delicious cookies. My little ones can’t have grains so this was perfect.
These were amazing! So easy to make and actually tasted like traditional sugar cookies! Thank you!
The nutrition part, is that with or without icing? 🙂
Without the icing 🙂
I love sugar cookies, and this is the first almond flour sugar cookie recipe that I made that wasn’t either gritty, or brittle. This was perfect.
Thanks for all the gluten free recipes
Can Xylitol be used?