Buttery soft, vegan almond flour cookies are a salty-sweet, melt-in-your-mouth, burst of absolute deliciousness. It’s hard to believe these delightful cookies only require a few ingredients and they’re ready in under 20 minutes.
This recipe was originally published in December 2019. It has been updated for content, photos, and video.
This recipe for almond cookies will quickly become a family favourite! Add it to your list of vegan Christmas cookies, (or anytime cookies)!
Or for an extra nutty cookie, try our almond peanut butter cookies!
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Reader Feedback:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ They came out great! So rich and the texture has a perfect chewy/crunchy ratio. I baked them for 15 mins and I added a ¼ teaspoon organic almond extract to make it extra almondy.😆 I didn’t change anything else, and 2 tablespoon of maple syrup was perfect! Using the fork also made the mixing super easy! I can’t wait to get more creative with this recipe! Merci!!! – Francesca
Why you’ll love these
- These vegan almond flour cookies are truly perfect. They’re soft and chewy in texture, buttery (without butter), and incredibly satisfying and delicious!
- Plus, they are naturally grain-free and gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free (unlike the traditional Italian amaretti version).
- Easy to make! Truly so simple that you can even get your little ones to help. Just a few ingredients are needed, under 20 minutes, and no stand mixer.
- Healthier than store-bought cookies with all-natural ingredients.
- Oil-free (yes even coconut oil) and butter-free, although you’d never guess from their fantastic texture.
- Perfect for a small batch, but also easily double or tripled if needed.
Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s everything you’ll need for our delicious vegan almond flour cookies.
- Almond flour: I prefer superfine blanched almond flour. However, the recipe also works with unblanched or homemade options. I’ve tried these each way. Blanched flour produces fluffier and lighter cookies, while unblanched results in slightly darker cookies, but still 100% delicious.
- Homemade usually turns out coarser than store-bought flour so you’ll need extra liquid to compensate. Start with 1-2 tablespoons of plant milk to help hold your batter together and increase, only if needed.
- Sugar: My preference is unrefined coconut sugar to keep these cookies refined sugar-free. However, you may use dark brown sugar if you prefer with similar results.
- Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh and active, or the cookies may not spread. Baking powder that has been left open for 6+ months in the pantry may start to lose its effectiveness.
- Salt: The salt is optional, but I really love the salty/sweet flavour so I recommend including it if possible. If you’re watching your sodium intake, you may halve or omit the salt.
- Pure maple syrup: The emphasis is on pure that has no other ingredients added. You may also use date syrup if you’d like.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Then add the maple syrup and mix very well until combined.
NOTE: Use a fork to help combine the ingredients to get a somewhat sticky batter. If you weigh your flour using a kitchen scale and use superfine blanched almond flour, you should not need any additional liquid.
Roll the batter into half-inch balls, or use a small cookie scoop and arrange them on your prepared baking sheet with plenty of space in between each one. Bake your vegan almond flour cookies until lightly golden around the edges, without overbaking.
Then remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the pan for AT LEAST 10 minutes before handling and transferring them to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
NOTE: If the cookies aren’t spreading in the oven by the 8-10 minute mark due to inactive baking powder, elevation, or other reasons, give them a gentle squish with the back of a spoon to help them spread.
Variations
This versatile cookie recipe has almost endless options!
- Almond flour chocolate chip cookies: Add ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips to your batter.
- Dried fruit: Add ¼ cup of raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit to the cookie mixture.
- Thumbprint cookies: Gently press the center of each cookie ball down and add fig preserves or your favourite jam to the middle before baking. (This makes them even more festive for holidays like Christmas.)
- Vanilla: Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to make vanilla almond cookies.
- Nutty: Add ¼ cup of chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, or pistachios to amp up the nutty flavours.
- Chocolate dipped: Melt some dark chocolate chips and dip each cookie halfway into the mixture and set it down to dry. OR drizzle the melted chocolate on top.
Storage
While these vegan almond flour cookies taste best on the same day they’re made, they will keep at room temperature in a sealed container for 2-3 days. Or you may refrigerate them for up to 1 week.
Alternatively, store them in a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze them for up to 6 months. Make sure they are completely cooled to room temperature before storing.
Expert Tips
- Weigh your flour for the best results. Scooping into a measuring cup can compact the flour and you may end up with more than needed.
- Use slightly wet hands to roll your cookie dough if the batter is sticking to your hands.
- Make sure to use active baking powder in order for these cookies to spread. If you have baking powder that’s been open in the pantry for several months, it may lose its effectiveness. If the cookies are not spreading in the oven after 8-10 minutes, press them down gently with a fork or the back of a spoon.
More amazing vegan cookie recipes
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 grams almond flour approx. 1 scant cup (not almond meal)
- 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup start with 2 and increase if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the almond flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Then add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and mix well. Use a fork to help get the syrup combined and keep mixing until you have a slightly sticky batter. If needed, add another tablespoon of maple syrup. (If you weigh the flour, 2 tablespoons should do it.)
- Roll the batter into half-inch balls and place them onto your baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. You should get 9-10 cookies.
- Bake until the edges are lightly golden, approx. 13-15 minutes and remove them from the oven. Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
Almond flour is moister than wheat flour and doesn’t bind the same way that wheat does. So in many instances, a 1:1 swap doesn’t work. You may need to add a little extra almond flour and/or a binding agent, depending on the other ingredients already included in the cookies.
Since almond flour does not have gluten (a binding agent found in wheat flour), it can be trickier to work with. This is why it’s important to always follow a quality-tested recipe. Weigh your flour with a kitchen scale to prevent using too much of it. Scooping from a bag can result in too much flour being used, making your cookies crumbly.
Almond flour goods tend to bake a little faster compared to wheat flour. So make sure to follow the recipe, and be careful not to overbake goods with almond flour.
Elaine Falzon
Can this be done in an air fryer please?
Rosa
I have not tried these in the air fryer, but I have this air fryer cookie recipe that’s also made with almond flour if you’d like to try instead. 🙂
Priya
Is there a substitute for maple syrup? Thanks
Rosa
Hi Priya, any liquid sweetener would be fine. Enjoy.
Robert Barbarino
Very happy ..followed recipe to the T..& weighed flour as suggested .rolled in 1tsp balls . this made 12 . baked for 16 min on parchment paper . I thought they needed a bit more as no ring around , Let cool completely . Thank You so much these were Fantastic . oh I added 1/4 cp of golden raisins also . Ill be making these again . the raisins baked in fine . maybe that’s why I needed the xtra min .
Rosa
Thrilled you enjoyed Robert! Thanks very much for sharing your process with us. 🙂