Almond Butter Cookies
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These almond butter cookies are soft and chewy and need just three ingredients to make. They bake in just 12 minutes.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
My almond butter cookie recipe is a weekly staple in my household, mostly because my sister has a peanut allergy and we just love cookies. It’s also why I whip up a batch of homemade almond butter so quickly.
I took my tried-and-true peanut butter cookie recipe and swapped out the nut butter while keeping the other ingredients the same. I found that the smoother the almond butter, the softer and more tender the cookies would turn out. Here’s why I make them most weeks:
- 3 ingredients. All you need is almond butter, eggs, and brown sugar.
- No flour is needed. Traditional cookies call for flour, but these are completely flourless. It’s perfect if you follow a gluten-free diet.
- Ready in 12 minutes. From prep to plate, these cookies take no time at all, and there’s zero chilling required.
- Perfect texture and flavor. Soft, chewy, and crisp around the edges. The cookies themselves are sweet and taste even better with some chocolate chips mixed through and a sprinkle of salt on top (as told by my toughest critic- my partner).
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Wow, these are delicious and SO easy! I may double the batch next time. I used coconut sugar and thought they were amazing!”– Sherri
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into almond butter cookies, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Almond butter. Smooth almond butter, not the crunchy type. If I’m not making my own, I like to use Kirkland almond butter (from Costco). It’s affordable, drippy, and tastes delicious. Not a fan of almond butter? Other nut butters, like smooth peanut butter and cashew butter, work, as do nut-free subs like sunflower seed butter and tahini.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs, please. Cold eggs firm up the almond butter, making the dough difficult to mix evenly.
- Brown sugar. Keeps the cookies soft in the middle but crisp around the edges. You can also use coconut sugar.
- Chocolate chips. Optional, but I love folding in about 1/2 a cup of dark chocolate chips or a chopped-up chocolate bar.
- Flavor boosters. I always add a sprinkling of flaky salt on top for a sweet-and-salty flavor.
How to make almond butter cookies
Step 1- Make the cookie dough. Add the almond butter, eggs, and sugar to a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Fold through the chocolate chips if using them.
Step 2- Shape. Roll the cookie dough into balls and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Lightly press down each ball of cookie dough into a thick cookie shape.
Step 3- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are firm to the touch. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Always use smooth almond butter. This mixes easily and yields smooth, even cookies. Crunchy or natural almond butter is too stiff and inconsistent. The oils can separate during mixing, leaving you with uneven dough.
- Room-temperature eggs are a must. Refrigerated eggs firm up the almond butter, making it difficult to mix.
- Lightly wet hands before rolling into balls. This prevents bits of cookie dough from sticking to your fingers and helps you create a more uniform dough.
- Add baking soda. While unnecessary, this helps produce thicker cookies. Just 1/4 teaspoon is enough. I skip it when I want thinner, slightly crisp cookies.
- For crispier cookies, swap out half the brown sugar (1/3 cup) with white sugar.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
Almond butter cookies are super forgiving and are easy to customize for various diets or eating styles. You can also try out some tested substitutions:
- Make them without eggs by trying out an egg substitute. I’ve had the best results by using ground chia or flax seeds.
- Low carb. Aimee in the comments made these with keto brown sugar and called them divine- that’s the version I’d recommend for low carb.
- Substitute the almond butter for cashew butter, peanut butter, or tahini. Janet, in the comments, used crunchy peanut butter with cinnamon and vanilla. She loved it, though smooth is still my preference.
- Add mix-ins like raisins, dried fruit, vanilla extract, nuts, or seeds.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cookies can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to one week. If you’d like the cookies to be kept longer, store them in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Place the cooled cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almond butter isn’t a good substitute for butter in cookies or other dessert recipes. It’d be best to use a butter substitute instead.
Flat cookies almost always come down to the almond butter being too runny or the dough being too warm. Make sure your almond butter is thick and drippy and not separated- I would give it a good mix first. If it’s been sitting and the oil has pooled on top, stir it well before measuring. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate the shaped dough balls for 10 minutes before baking.
You can pre-make the cookie dough up to 5 days in advance and refrigerate it. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Almond Butter Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter
- 2/3 cup brown sugar * See notes
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, brown sugar, and egg until completely mixed. If using chocolate chips, fold through at the end.
- Form 12 balls of cookie dough and place them on the lined tray/cookie sheet. Place balls of dough 2 inches apart. Press down on each ball into a cookie shape. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just golden on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the cookie sheet.
Notes
Nutrition
More recipes using almond butter
- Almond butter brownies
- Almond butter smoothie
- Almond butter cups
- Almond butter bars
- Almond butter balls
Originally published November 2019
BTW I just posted a review of this delicious cookie recipe, but did not mention that i had used natural almond butter which was not completely smooth and they were DELICIOUS.
Delicious. As suggested I added a bit of pure vanilla extract & a pinch of salt. I made exactly 12 balls & cooked them for 13 minutes ( think they would have been just fine at 12 minutes). They have a DELICIOUS flavour & lovely texture. Added to my list od favourite cookies/dessert & sent the recipe to my niece who has celiac. Thank you!
Cookies turned out very soft and very delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
AMAZING
These cookies are so delicious!!!
I want to try this. But I would put some forrest fruits instead of choco chips.
What if I change sugar with some protein powder with flavour. I really eat only healthy and dont eat sugar never. You think it would be bad?
I always buy peanut butter instead of almond as its cheaper. But will make cokkjes using this recipe but with peanut butter. Will it be good?
This is one of the best keto cookies ever! I have made them 5 times now. I experimented with different sugars and the Swerve Brown sugar is the best for Keto. The coconut Palm sugar is best for Paleo. I also agree that Costco’s Almond butter works the best!
Thank you for this great recipes and your other ones as well.
Could I use a flax egg?
Yes you can, Lianna. Although my trick is a little different- blend down the flax into a powder and mix it through the almond butter and sugar. The cookies won’t be as sturdy, but they are very delicious.
For this need to buy almond butter. It is more expensive than peanut butter.
This will make for Christmas! Wow!
This will make for Christmas!
Excellent 👍🏻
These cookies are so easy to make and delicious!
Thanks, Krista!
This man is an absolute GENIUS! He truly has unlocked the secret of flavorful keto recipes! Keep it up my good Sir, you are appreciated!
Thank you, Kalyn!