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GET IT NOWIt’s cookie season, and I want you to meet my favorite almond flour cookies! After you try them, I think they might be yours, too. They’re buttery and sweet, a little soft, a little crunchy, and taste just like shortbread. They are wonderful around the holidays in particular, but honestly, I make them year-round. Whether you’re looking for a low carb dessert or heathy dessert, or just want that buttery texture with a nutty flavor, my almond flour cookie recipe is for you. Bake them with me and see why I love them so much!
Why You Need My Almond Flour Cookies
- Sweet and buttery, with a melt-in-your mouth texture – These turn out soft and slightly chewy, with a slightly crisp outside. The classic buttery taste and sweetness reminds me of the perfect shortbread cookie!
- Versatile base recipe – I’ve made many types of cookies with almond flour over the years, but this one is by far my favorite. I’ve been baking it for almost a decade, and still come back to it multiple times a year. In fact, it’s the base for most of my other almond flour cookie recipes — I’ve got variations for you below.
- Super easy to make – You need just 4 simple ingredients and one bowl, and you’ll be enjoying these almond flour cookies in around 20 minutes.
- Gluten-free, with no refined sugar – My recipe is grain-free, egg-free, and if you use my Besti sweetener, low carb and keto friendly. Much healthier than regular white flour cookies!
- Perfect for holidays – They are great for any occasion, but I especially love making these for holiday cookie trays. They always disappear fast!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my almond flour cookies recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Basic Almond Flour Cookies:
- Wholesome Yum Almond Flour – I use this one because it’s super finely ground and blanched, which gives the cookies the best texture. Many brands of almond flour, and especially almond meal, can make them grainy or gritty. If you need a nut-free version, make coconut flour shortbread cookies instead.
- Butter – I love this brand. I usually use salted for balance, or you can use unsalted and add a pinch of salt. Just make sure it’s softened before starting! If you need a dairy-free option, you can substitute coconut oil — I recommend butter flavored coconut oil to get a similar taste.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Along with sweetness, it prevents the cookies from turning out too dry. It also has 0 net carbs and no aftertaste. Notes on other options:
- Other granulated sweeteners – You can use another granulated sugar substitute by converting it using my sweetener conversion chart, but keep in mind the texture may vary and you might detect a bitter aftertaste.
- Sugar – White sugar or coconut sugar does work if it fits your lifestyle — just not mine.
- Liquid sweeteners – Avoid using liquid options like honey or maple syrup, as they’ll mess up the wet/dry ratio.
- Vanilla Extract – With just a few ingredients in these almond flour cookies, quality really matters. I like this brand.
Optional Chocolate Dip:
- Sugar-Free Chocolate – Any kind works, but I’m a big fan of this brand of sugar-free chocolate chips!
- Coconut Oil – It helps the chocolate harden nicely as it cools and gives it a beautiful, glossy finish.
- Chopped Nuts – I used pecans, but any other nuts will work.
How To Make Cookies With Almond Flour
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Basic Almond Flour Cookies:
- Cream the butter and sweetener. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter and Besti, until it’s fluffy and light in color.
- Beat in the other ingredients. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually add the almond flour, about half a cup at a time. The dough will be a bit crumbly — this is normal!
- Form the cookies. Use a cookie scoop to place rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto a lined cookie sheet. Flatten to about 1/3 inch thick—they won’t spread much, so make them as thin or thick as you like! Prick with a fork.
- Pop in the oven. Bake the almond flour cookies until golden. Cool completely before removing from pan, as they will be fragile at first.
Optional Chocolate Dipped Edges:
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil. You can do this in short spurts in the microwave at low power, or use a double boiler on the stove. Stir occasionally.
- Dip your almond cookies. Cover them halfway in chocolate, then place them on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Quickly sprinkle with chopped nuts while the chocolate is still wet, then chill in the fridge until the chocolate is set.
My Recipe Tips
- Start with butter that’s soft, but not too soft. If your softened butter is too warm, it won’t form air pockets when you beat it, but if it’s too cold, it won’t get fluffy at all. I cut the butter into small pieces to help it soften faster at room temperature. You can also take a shortcut by filling a stainless steel boil with boiling water, dry well, then invert over the butter on a plate — it’ll soften from the residual heat.
- Cream the butter correctly. I always start with my hand mixer at a lower speed, so that butter and sweetener don’t fly everywhere, then increase as it starts to incorporate. This method creates little pockets of air, which will give your almond flour cookies a more delicate tender crumb.
- Don’t over-beat the butter. If you go too long, the air breaks down. I’ve found that 5 minutes is just right. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s light and fluffy!
- Use blanched almond flour. I can’t emphasize this enough! It needs to be blanched almond flour to be the right texture for almond flour cookies.
- Don’t have quite enough almond flour? You can replace up to half of it with other ground nuts, like I did with my pistachio cookies! I wouldn’t replace all of it, though, because it’s finer than other types.
- Add the almond flour gradually. If you dump it in in at once, it won’t mix as well and you’ll end up mixing it too long, affecting the final texture.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl. Do it while you’re creaming the butter and again after adding the almond flour. Skipping this step can leave some spots denser than others.
- Gently pack the dough into the cookie scoop. If it’s too loose, it won’t hold together when released. But worst case, if your cookies crumble when you flatten them, you can press them back together.
- Keep an eye on your baking time. Lots of factors can affect it, so check after 10 minutes and every couple of minutes after. Use your oven light or just crack the door slightly to avoid losing heat.
- Be patient after baking. These almond flour cookies will be super soft and crumbly right out of the oven. Let them cool completely to firm up.
More Almond Flour Cookie Recipes
Like I mentioned above, I’ve used these almond flour cookies as a base for so many of my other cookie recipes using almond flour! Here are some variations you can try:
- Chocolate chip – Just fold the chocolate chips into the dough before baking, instead of dipping. If you’re craving a more classic chocolate chip cookie, I’ve got keto chocolate chip cookies already, and a new version of almond flour chocolate chip cookies coming soon!
- Thumbprint – Press a thumbprint into the dough before baking and fill it with your favorite jam. I love this brand, or sometimes I make my own sugar-free chia jam! I’ve also filled the prints with dried fruit and nuts, like my rugelach recipe.
- Extracts – Instead of vanilla, you can try almond extract (the almond flavor in these cookies is pretty mild without it), or go with other favorites like lemon, orange, or hazelnut. 1/2 teaspoon is a good amount.
- Cream cheese – My keto cream cheese cookies are a variation of these almond flour cookies, except with cream cheese added.
- Spices – Try my keto gingerbread cookies with warming spices, keto pumpkin cookies with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, or simple sugar-free snickerdoodles.
- Oats – My healthy oatmeal cookies use almond flour as a binder instead of white flour.
- Cookie dough – Since it doesn’t contain any eggs, feel free to sneak some dough while you’re making these! I also have a keto cookie dough recipe that’s very similar.
Tools I Use For This Recipe
- Cookie Sheet – I used this size for baking the cookies and this smaller one for cooling them in the fridge after dipping them in chocolate. As you can tell, I love these pans—I have them in every size!
- Mixer – I love my hand mixer with built-in storage. A stand mixer works, too.
- Cookie Scoop – I’ve had this one for as long as I’ve been making these almond flour cookies, and it’s still like new! It releases cleanly and makes your cookies all the same size.
- Double Broiler – Convenient for melting the chocolate without the risk of burning.
Almond Flour Cookies (4-Ingredient Recipe)
By
My almond flour cookies recipe makes buttery shortbread cookies, with 4 ingredients and no refined sugar. A gluten-free, healthy dessert!
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Basic Almond Flour Cookies
Optional Chocolate Dip
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Basic Almond Flour Cookies
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the butter and Besti, until it's fluffy and light in color.
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Beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the almond flour, 1/2 cup (64 g) at a time. (The dough will be dense and a little crumbly, but should stick when pressed together.)
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Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet (I use this cookie scoop). Flatten each cookie to about 1/3 in (.8 cm) thick. (You can make them thicker or thinner to your liking. Keep in mind they will not spread or thin out during baking, so make them as thin as you want them when done.)
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Bake for about 12 minutes, until the edges are golden. Allow to cool completely in the pan before handling (cookies will harden as they cool).
Optional Chocolate Dip
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Allow almond flour cookies to cool and harden completely before dipping in chocolate. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper (one that will fit in your fridge).
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Melt sugar-free chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler. Once melted, dip the cookies halfway into the chocolate and place onto the lined pan. Immediately sprinkle with chopped nuts before the chocolate sets.
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Chill in the refrigerator before handling, until the chocolate is firm.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cookie
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the perfect texture in your almond flour cookies!
- Variations: Want to make these chocolate chip, fall flavored, as thumbprints, or in other ways? I’ve got lots of variations here!
- Store: These almond flour cookies will last a few days on the counter in an airtight container, or you can keep them in the fridge for over a week. I find that the chocolate-dipped ones keep better refrigerated.
- Freeze the dough: You can freeze the dough for up to 6 months, either in a ball wrapped in plastic wrap, or after forming the cookies. For formed ones, just place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. Once solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Thaw on the counter before baking.
- Freeze the cookies: Pop them in a zip lock bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. I line parchment paper between them to prevent sticking, or flash freeze on a baking sheet before placing in the bag.
- Note on nutrition info: The optional chocolate dip and pecans are not included in the nutrition facts below.
- Want to make these with coconut flour? Make my coconut flour cookies instead.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Low Carb Holiday Cookbook and Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Almond Flour Cookies
Gratitude Moment
I’ve been baking these almond flour cookies for so many years, but in 2020 when I created my Besti sweeteners and Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour, they were a total gamechanger for me. They made this recipe and so many other sweet baked goods so much better, because they improve the flavor and texture, without the aftertaste that so many sweeteners have.
Here I am with these cookies and my 3 Bestis, as well as my almond flour biscuits I make with the same flour. I’m so grateful to have these products to make recipes with! I hope you’ll give them a try and let me know what you think.
563 Comments
Amy
0These cookies are great! I used unbleached almond flour and they were great. I also used both vanilla and almond extract. Thanks so much for sharing!
Georgiana
0Hi! One question: so only one cookie has 124 calories?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0HI Georgiana, Yes, the nutrition info is as stated on the recipe card above.
Sophia
0Very easy to make and really yummy. I only did the basic cookie without the chocolate dipping. Still delicious.
Kelly
0Will these work with cookie cutters?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kelly, Yes! It’s a little more fragile, but will work if they aren’t too big.
Shel
0Amazing cookies. So yummy and easy to make.
Beth Re
0I made these last night and they turned out great! I topped them with the melted chocolate–Lily’s dark chocolate chips melted with coconut oil–and then sprinkled them with shredded coconut. They’re very sweet, so I wanted the bitterness of the dark chocolate to balance that out. They are delicious, beautiful, and a hit with my family and guests, including the non-keto people. I will experiment with other toppings in the future.
Deborah King
0Good even without the chocolate.
Shaunna R Cooney
0To be perfectly honest I create specialty cheesecakes. And I work with alternative ingredients from time to time. I’ve recently made my strawberry shortcake cheesecake minus the 22g of sugar in a pound of strawberries I use in my batter. Completely sugarfree. Using a different sugar-free shortbread cookie. But the carbs still really don’t help. I make a homemade vanilla sugar out of monkfruit sweetener and cream my cheese and cream together. Honestly I’ve brought them to different groups and you cannot tell theyr÷ sugarfree. I’m excited to see how they pair and will leave a review
Bob
0In the comments someone brought up “keto chips made from the unusual veg rutabaga” That sounds intriguing, I searched for rutabaga recipes and keto chips. I was unable to find the recipe. Can you guide me to it? Thanks, and have a Blessed Day.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bob, I don’t have a recipe to make chips from rutabaga, but I do have one for rutabaga fries
Karen Varbalow
0The recipe was good but lacked the umph I was looking for. I made it again with almond extract and my own “candied” almond pieces and it was fabulous. I chop whole almonds, melt a little butter and add Swerve brown sugar (sorry, I don’t have amounts because I just approximate based on how much I’m cooking. Since I don’t like them too sweet I add just a little Swerve.) I use these “candied” almonds, or any other nut for that matter, in salads, on vegetables, mixed in with my low carb cottage cheese, or just with a piece of cheese.
Ari
0Just tried this recipe and the shortbread cookies are so tasty. Reminded me of a low carb version of kaju katli (an Indian dessert). Thank you!
Granee
0Sooo good. My favorite cookies now. Mine were done baking in 10 min. I left them to cool and then frosted and sprinkled them with walnut pieces. I did add1/4 tsp. Besti powdered sugar to my choc. Next time I will add lemon extract in place of vanilla for a change up. Really good. Thank you
Granee
0I am not a fan of dark sugar free chocolate. Would it work to add some Besti powdered sugar ? Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Granee, That would probably work to make the chocolate a little sweeter. You also could use sugar free milk chocolate chips.
S Coffey
0I am not sure what I did wrong, but when I followed the recipe the dough did not stick together at all. I ended up adding more butter, I started with two tablespoons more butter, softened, beat to light and added the mix to it, about a 1/4 cup at a time. Still didn’t stick together, so I added four more tablespoons in the same way and the dough held together. I put the dough on the cookie sheets and the cookie sheets in the fridge for a couple of minutes, then into the oven. I had to bake them more than the 12 minutes, but they came out okay.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear you had issues with it. Did you use a different sweetener or different almond flour brand? That may have an impact.
Audrey
0Nice texture but a little to sweet. I used 1/2 a cup of lakanto sugar, next time i will use 1/3. Thank you for the recipe
Linda
0This is my go-to recipe for keto/THM cookies. I use 2 1/2 Tbs of Truvia. I divide up the dough and add Chopped almonds or some peanut butter and chopped peanuts, some molasses and sugar free chocolate chips. Love them!
Janet Young
0Can I turn this recipe for the almond flour short bread cookies into a chocolate chip recipe for a diabetic and use date paste to replace the sugar?
Maya | Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Janet, Sorry, I don’t think date paste would work, as it would change the texture a lot. Also, it’s not really diabetic friendly anyway. I recommend using Besti as written, which is diabetic friendly.
Dorota
0Delightful, just what I was looking for, Thank you!
Caroline
0These are the best cookies ever! They’ve become a regular afternoon tea treat for us. My husband is panicking when the tin is running low :). Over several iterations (all of which were great), I ended up with adding 1/2 tsp half/half salt for extra potassium, and approximately 150 g of whole macadamia nuts. The latter gives them an amazingly decadent taste. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Olivia
0Love it!
Marilyn Daley
0Best cookies ever! Thank you so much for sharing. Also truly appreciate your Besti monk fruit sweetener.
Ellie
0So moreish, delicious and easy to make. Win win.