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Sugar & Spice Almond Flour Cookies

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Cinnamon Sugar Almond Flour Cookies are the perfect grain free cookie for the holidays. These “sugar and spice” cookies are made with healthy fats, natural sugars, cinnamon, and almond flour. They taste like Chinese almond cookies! Simple to make, this recipe makes Christmas cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt! Paleo and low carb recipe options, too.

cookies on sheet pan

All right. Here we go, it’s cookies season! Are you ready? *Raises Hand*

We started off the week with a festive appetizer, but now it’s time to bring back and oldie but goodie festive recipe.  I say WE because I’m imagining you sitting there nodding because you remember these cookies from the Cotter Crunch archive. Except now they have been upgraded (with ease).  Yep, bring on the simplicity!

Also, these cinnamon sugar (sugar and spice) almond flour cookies are quite healthy, so you get bonus points!

cookies on sheet pan

Are these crispy almond flour cookies?

The texture of these cookies is somewhere between crispy and chewy. They are slightly soft. To soften them even more, wrap them in a moist paper towel and microwave them for 10 to 15 seconds. As a result, you will have super soft and WARM cinnamon spiced almond flour cookies!

close up of cookies, sugar cookie

We wanted to make these these almond flour cookies more festive, similar to Christmas sugar cookies. So we gave them a them a little glitter. Sugar glitter.

Roll the batter into balls then roll in cane sugar or sparkling sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. If you want to skip the sugar or use a sugar substitute, that’s fine too! We put ideas to do so in the recipe notes. 😉

Flour Substitutes

Instead of almond flour, you can make cinnamon spiced almond flour cookies using cassava flour. As a result, they’ll still be grain free cookies, but not your traditional Paleo coconut flour or low carb almond flour cookies. Although that could still work but the texture might be a little too dry.

With cassava flour, these cookies actually have a good source of healthy grain free carbs. This is because cassava is a root vegetable. You know what that means? Healthy carbs, healthy fats, and spices for antioxidants EQUALS a paleo cookie recipe that makes an excellent post workout snack. I use cassava flour to make this naan bread. SO good!

NOTE: Cassava flour is a gluten-free flour that can be substituted for a 1:1 ratio for other grain flours. That means you can use your favorite multi -purpose GF flour, regular flour, or oat flour as a substitute. Although I personally think Cassava flour is the best to use when baking brownies or in a cake.

But in all honestly, I was surprised at how delicious these almond flour cookies turned out, even with minimal ingredients. Tried and tested by about 10 to 15 people who aren’t even Paleo or gluten-free. Which means they are legit, am I right?

Recipe Q&A: Cinnamon Sugar Almond Flour Cookies

Can the dough be made ahead of time?

Yes! Unbaked dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for about a week. Or, you can scoop the dough and freeze it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. After the dough is frozen, transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bags. The frozen dough will keep well for 2 to 3 months.

Will I have to thaw the dough before baking?

No. You don’t need to completely thaw the frozen dough. However, the frozen dough for cinnamon spiced almond flour cookies will take a few minutes longer to bake. Alternately, you can place the dough on a baking sheet while you wait for the oven to preheat.

Other Christmas cookies to make:

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cookies on sheet pan

Cinnamon Spiced Almond Flour Cookies

★★★★★

4.9 from 15 reviews
  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Cook Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 2 dozen 1x
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Description

Cinnamon Spiced Almond Flour Cookies are the perfect grain free cookie for the holidays. These deliciously sweet cookies are made with healthy fats, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and almond flour. They taste like Chinese almond cookies! Paleo and low carb options shown in recipe notes.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cup Almond flour or a paleo flour blend (see notes)
  • 1 tbsp Arrowroot or Tapioca flour (oat flour may be substituted)
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 pinch Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup Butter or refined coconut butter/oil, softened, not liquid. (if batter is too dry, add 2–3 tbsp more)
  • 1 cup Coconut sugar (Erythritol or monk fruit sugar for low sugar / low carb option)
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • optional – sparkling cane sugar or almond slivers for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, sift together almond flour (or paleo blend), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
  2. In another bowl, soften your butter/oil but do not let it melt. Combine in mixing bowl with sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
  3. Beat on low until creamy.
  4. Keep mixer on low and slowly add in your flour mixture. NOTE – If you are using almond flour, mix in 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or tapioca starch here as well.
  5. Beat or mix until smooth and then place batter in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
  6. Roll batter into balls then roll in cane sugar or sparkling sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. If you want to skip the sugar, see notes.
  7. Bake for 12 or 15 minutes (altitude will take longer) or until cookies are golden brown. Check progress at 10 minutes
  8. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 15 minutes.

Notes

  • You can sub a gluten free 1:1 flour if need be (non paleo). Cooking times will vary though.
  •  If you want to skip rolling the dough in sugar –> roll dough and place on cookie sheet. Press a few slivered almonds on top of each rolled dough and sprinkle with cinnamon
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Christmas cookies, cinnamon spiced almond flour cookies, grain free, gluten free, low carb, paleo

 

So… who wants a cinnamon sugar almond flour cookie?

Cheers,
LC

 

 

Related Posts

Photo of Lindsay Cotter of Cotter CrunchHi, I’m Lindsay!  Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of Nourishing Superfood Bowls, and meal plan guru! I’d love to know you more! Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and drop a comment below.

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  2. Michele @ paleorunningmomma says

    I talked a little about jumping the gun with pumpkin in my post today! I can’t stay away though, when I see it all around me I just dive in. That said, by October I’m ready for a pumpkin break to build back up for T-day 🙂 These cookies are just about perfect for me – I haven’t tried Cassava flour yet, where have I been?

    Reply

  5. Jennifer F says

    I love that you did all the tweaking for me! I’m totally making these! Also, hello — did you buy ALL the pumpkin at the 4points HEB because literally NON yesterday.

    Reply

  8. Leah @ Grain Changer says

    Totally with you on the “no pumpkin til October” thing!! These cookies look SO delicious! The perfect Friday treat for sure 🙂

    Reply

  26. Sarah says

    I searched for a recipe for coconut flour cinnamon cookies, and your recipe came up first. Sweet! I said. I have all those ingredients, so I began mixing according to your instructions. Little did I know, due to my own failure to read the entire blog and see that you didn’t even use coconut flour, my cookies would turn out to be dry and lifeless. Like I said, all my fault, but gosh why did your recipe get first on the list when it’s not even made with coconut flour?!

    Reply

      • Sarah says

        I searched coconut flour cinnamon cookies. It’s ok though, they taste amazing so I’m going to use them as a crumble to top ice cream. And to be honest, I pretty much suck at baking! I’ll try again sometime though!

        Reply

  28. Lauren Kelly says

    I have been looking for a healthier sugar cookie and I am so happy I found this recipe! Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  33. Suzy says

    Made a batch of these over the weekend and they were perfect! Loved the used of almond flour here!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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