These almond flour cookies will become your new favorite treat! This healthy cookie recipe is egg free, grain free and refined sugar free!
Your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe just got an allergy friendly makeover! Even better, these cookies are shockingly delicious. The dough itself it hard to resist eating – this is a good problem to have. Well, good problem if you’re a cookie dough connoisseur like me. But I digress. Okay let’s dive into the FACTS about this easy 7 ingredient almond flour cookies recipe.
P.S It’s safe for lunchboxes. Meaning, peanut free, dairy free, casein free, etc. WOO!
First up, the fact about almond flour and baking!
Can you substitute almond flour for all-purpose flour?
If you are baking with gluten free ingredients, more than just the flour will probably change.
Almond flour is one of the few that can be substituted cup-for-cup for all-purpose flour. If you use buckwheat, coconut, garbanzo bean, soy or other flour replacements, you will often need recipes specifically designed for that flour.
Almond flour doesn’t actually taste much like almonds. It does add a mild sweet flavor to the almond flour cookies. In fact, it’s helpful because, as a result, less sweeteners are needed! In these almond flour cookies, chocolate chips add another layer of flavor and sweetness but they’re an optional add-in.
How do you cook with almond flour?
Eating gluten free or another healthy way doesn’t mean you will never again have baked treats. Almond flour is a great alternative that you can experiment with in recipes like pancakes and cookies.
Almond flour is heavier so, as a result, it doesn’t rise like all purpose flour. Since almond flour is gluten free, when you bake with it, you will have to add a leavener like baking soda or yeast.
In some recipes using almond flour, you will also notice a decrease in the amount of added fat. Almond flour contains more healthy fats than all-purpose flour. This means you can still get a rich taste without needing a lot of butter or other fattening, less healthy ingredients.
Leave the almond flour cookies on the pan for a few extra minutes to cool. Keep in mind that these cookies are more fragile and will easily break. The delicious taste makes up for the crumbs though!
Also keep in mind that you need to preserve almond flour differently than regular flour. It should be tightly stored in the refrigerator or freezer. It will keep for one year when stored this way.
Are almond flour cookies healthy?
In addition to being gluten free, these cookies are healthier, thanks to the power of almond flour!
Almond flour offers these healthy benefits:
- high in protein
- packed with omega-3 fatty acids
- rich in magnesium and Vitamin E
- Low glycemic index
What can I substitute for eggs in healthy cookie recipes?
Eggs are a combination of moisture, protein and fat. All of those work together to give the cookie its structure. Almond flour does require more binding agent than if you used all-purpose flour.
However, in these almond flour cookies, peanut butter or other nut butters replace the fat and protein while the maple syrup provides the moisture. That’s what makes these healthy cookies work!
These cookies are easy to make, egg free, grain free, super fluffy, and refined sugar free. All with the power ingredient –> of almond flour!
Almond Flour Cookies (vegan, paleo)
- Total Time: 22
- Yield: 10–12 1x
Description
These almond flour cookies will become your new favorite treat! This healthy cookie recipe is egg free, grain free and refined sugar free!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups blanched fine almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓–½ cup maple syrup or honey (sugar free syrup works fine)- see notes
- ¼ cup creamy no stir nut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (pinch) of coarse sea salt
- ⅓ cup vegan chocolate chips or mix-in of choice. Ex: nuts, dried fruit, dark chocolate, etc.
- Raw sugar (optional) or baking stevia in the raw to coat dough.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, maple syrup, and nut butter. Mix with wooden spoon or blend with hand mixer until batter is thick and ingredients are combined.
- Add sea salt and any other mix-ins of choice. i.e chocolate chips, nuts, etc. Optional but recommended: For best results, chill batter for 30 minutes in fridge.
- Scoop cookie dough using a medium cookie dough scoop. Roll into a ball then roll each dough ball in pure raw cane sugar or sugar free sugar, if desired.
- Press down with hand or back of flat bottomed measuring cup (greased so it won’t stick). Once flattened, repeat the process until you have about 9-10 cookies.
Place in oven on center rack and bake for 9-12 minutes. Edges will become golden and a little crispy around 11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving. - Store in airtight container in fridge or room temp for up to a week. Cookie dough batter and/or baked cookies also freezer friendly for up to 6 weeks.
Notes
- These cookies are more chewy than crispy if you bake for 9-10 minutes versus 12-13 minutes. If baking at altitude, they may take closer to 12 minutes and won’t rise as much.
- Start with adding ⅓ cup maple syrup, if the dough is too dry add 2 tablespoons more.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 141
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 54.4 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: almond flour, vegan, cookies, paleo cookies, chocolate chip cookies, dessert, gluten free, egg free
Alright my friends, enjoy your week with a side of almond flour cookies and non dairy milk. Also, if you have ANY questions about almond flour, feel free to shoot them my way!!
Cheers!
LC
Oh my gosh – these are SO good!
I didn’t flatten them before baking because I was curious what would happen 😬 and ended up using a small offset spatula to lightly flatten after baking about 7 minutes in. Amazingly, they came out looking almost like normal chocolate chip cookies!! And they almost taste like normal ones, too.
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I spent the entire holiday trying different “healthy” recipes but was disappointed that they still had at least one unhealthy ingredient. And some were total flops.
I am needing no/low-cholesterol, lower calorie, delicious recipes — this is the only one that has fit the bill.
★★★★★
Love it! i just eat the dough haha!
In our household we have Paleo and Vegan eaters. I love having a recipe that works for both! I made this recipe and the cookie dough was very loose. I’m wondering if the ratio of almond flour to maple syrup is correct.
★★★
I’m so sorry to hear that. I’ll be sure to retest this. Was the batter too dry? You might try my other vegan cookies.
https://www.cottercrunch.com/vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies/
https://www.cottercrunch.com/?s=vegan+cookies
https://www.cottercrunch.com/raspberry-thumbprint-cookies-vegan/
Gooood
★★★★★
Yummy. Followed to a tee. Delish
★★★★★
So glad that you enjoyed it!
My cookies did not rise. Tasted good but were pancake flat. Any advice?
★★★★
I’ve made these cookies so many times, I’m obsessed. They’re so delicious!
★★★★★
This is what I love to hear! <3
The flavor is amazing. However, it’s very chewy. I baked it for 15 mins.i spread it very thin as well.
★★★
oh interesting. Did you use date paste or other sugar?
I used maple syrup as the recipe said. What is date paste? Maybe I should try that.
You could! These are meant to be a little chewier if you bake them 9-11 minutes. 12-13 will result in crispies. ALso, you could try my other almond flour cookies with coconut flour added. These are the crispy version! LMK! https://www.cottercrunch.com/vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies/
These were super easy and tasty! I had already finished mixing everything and then noticed it didn’t include the vanilla extract anywhere in the directions so I just added it afterwards. I was using up expired almond flour and peanut butter and they still tasted great. 😅 Thanks for the recipe!!
★★★★★
Can I use eggs instead of the nut butter to keep the fat content down?
you might try these instead. They use eggs! https://www.cottercrunch.com/paleo-sugar-cookies/
Unfortunately these didn’t work for me. They have too much maple syrup and therefore, do not hold their shape. The inside stayed raw and the outside is too dry.
★
Oh no! Thats odd. We make these almost weekly. Did you check your baking soda? It’s is expired? Is your oven heating correctly? What brand of almond flour did you use? Hopefully we can remedy this for ya!
yes it really does work thank you for that suggestion
★★★★★
i love these cookies an i use monkfruit sweetner and you get no after taste and it work pretty well
OH wonderful! glad it worked out. Thanks for the sugar tip Niki!
Bloody amazing and very simple.
★★★★★
I just realized that I bought almond meal, not flour.
Can I use my high speed blender, or a nutriBullet to cut it down more?
I’m thinking dried cranberries, and chocolate chips. Then, I kinda want to make a glaze that hardens, and dip half the cookie.
Obviously, I am in need of an intervention. 🙂
I think that would still work! Try processing until ground and very fine, like almond flour. 🙂
Use monkfruit sugar instead of raw sugar or stevia. No weird taste and aftertaste.
★★★★
true! love monkfruit but I know not everyone can find it in their grocery. but amazon for sure!
My family loved these! I love how simple they are to make!
★★★★★
wonderful! So glad! Thanks suzy!
These are a new favorite cookie recipe at my kitchen right now! So delish!
★★★★★
I have almond flour in my freezer and these with be the perfect surprise for my gluten free girlfriend!!
★★★★★
I can already tell I’m going to be addicted to these!
★★★★★
I have tons of almond flour and these cookies just caught my eyes! I have to try this soon – they look and sound so delicious ♥
★★★★★
The perfect solution to missing delicious baked goods. Thank you for the almond flour tips!
★★★★★
My pleasure my friend!