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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
Tina Waldrep
2Super good cookies— as they used to say “I bet you can’t eat just one!”
Easy to make and I never make less than two batches because they are gone in a heartbeat. Here’s a tip for pressing them out. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the baking sheet pan of the rolled balls and then press them out with a glass or whatever. I was having problems with them sticking to the bottom of the glass but not after I tried this trick. You can press out the whole pan very quickly.
Sheri Earle
0Such a great idea, why didn’t I think of that!! I also had some issues with sticking to the bottom of the glass I used to flatten them.
PHILLIPA
1I made these with allulose, and added a handful of white and milk choc chips, I had to bake them on lower heat a little longer as my edges browned but the center stayed wet. Even after cooling completely. But a delicious recipe thank you!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Phillipa, I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor! I appreciate you sharing your tweaks! 🙂
Lisa
1These were a great GF option for my Christmas Cookie Tackle/Bento Box that I took to an event. Plus, the keto benefits were appreciated by quite a few – actually had a cookie they could eat! I did add pecans to the batter, felt like I was eating a pecan sandie cookie and tasted great.
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds so fun, Lisa, I love the idea of a Christmas Cookie Tackle/Bento Box! I’m thrilled these worked as a gluten-free and keto-friendly option for your event, and the pecan addition sounds absolutely perfect. Thanks for sharing how you made them your own!
Bryan
1BEST COOKIES EVER!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Bryan!
Michele S.
1The cookies were easy to make, but seemed a bit dry
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear yours turned out dry, Michelle! Did you by chance use a different sweetener brand? Many sugar alternatives can make these cookies dry, but Besti won’t unless you over-bake them.
PATT EBEL
1These cookies are GREAT. I also crushed them to make a sugar-free pistachio torte. A good go to instead of graham cracker curst.
Linda Leone
0The butter to flour ratio seems off. Not enough butter.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, I’ve made these dozens of times and the ratio is correct. Are you basing your comment on the final result or just looking at the dough before baking? Did you use the same brands of ingredients? For example, a different sweetener can make the cookie dough more dry.
Jenn
0I don’t know if you have answered this before or not but I was curious if you could roll this dough out and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes for kids?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jenn, Yes, absolutely! Most of the time it works fine for this. If it feels a little too sticky depending on your kitchen temp, you can refrigerate the dough first. Enjoy!
Cindy Clendenning
0This was easy and delicious! Using Wholsome yum sweetener made this taste just like the ones I used to make with sugar. Yum!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so happy to hear that, Cindy! That’s exactly what I love about the Besti sweetener, no weird aftertaste and still tastes just like the classic version. Yum is right!
Amanda
0I was not a fan of these cookies. I wanted to be. I used all the ingredients listed, but I didn’t dip them in chocolate. Maybe they would have been better if I did. They tasted very nutty, I could really just taste the almonds. They were very crumbly, plus I could really taste the aftertaste and cooling in the sweetener. There might not be anything that can be done about that. Oh well, I’ll just try another recipe and continue my search for the perfect keto cookie recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Amanda, Sorry to hear your cookies didn’t turn out as expected. Unfortunately, based on your description, you used the wrong sweetener and did not make the recipe as written. Besti does not have an aftertaste or cooling effect, and prevents the cookies from being dry and crumbly. Using other sweeteners will cause these issues. However, these are almond flour cookies, so yes, it’s normal for them to taste nutty. If you still have any left, I do think dipping in chocolate will still help a bit!
Sarah Rose Hammond
0These were the most DELICIOUS cookies ever. Not to sweet JUST PERFECT !!!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so happy you thought they were perfect, Sarah! That balance of just-sweet-enough is what I was going for, thanks for trying them!
Lorraine Strazza
0These were amazing cookies!! For years I have been baking regular butter cookies and I know what they should taste like and these were a terrific alternative. Definitely worth trying!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so thrilled you liked them, Lorraine! That means a lot coming from someone who’s been baking butter cookies for years. I’m really glad these lived up to the standard, thank you for the kind words!
Sara P
0I’ve tried it exactly to your recipe – delicious. I made them again using lemon essence, very nice. I’ve just taken a batch out of the oven, I added 2 dessert spoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice and a dash of nutmeg, I also added a dribble of coconut milk to moisten the dough. They are pretty good too, but may try a bit less cinnamon. Thank you for the inspiration 😁
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Sara! I love how creative you got with the flavors, lemon essence sounds lovely, and that spiced version with coconut milk sounds super cozy. Let me know which version ends up being your favorite! 😊
sarah
0Can you add minced nuts to these (inside the cookies rather than on top?) my mom is diabetic and really loves brazil nuts, I’m wondering if I could add minced pieces?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Hi Sarah, Yes, absolutely. Sounds delicious!
Sandy
0We love these cookies! We recently started eating Keto, and miss all of the snacks that we used to enjoy. Being able to satisfy our sweet tooth with a healthy, low-carb choice has made having dessert and snacks again enjoyable. I want to make the cream cheese cookies next, and the coconut cream pie, and the pecan bars….you get the idea!! Thank you, Maya, for sharing your recipes with us.
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so happy to hear that, Sandy! It means a lot that my recipes are helping you enjoy dessert again on your keto journey. I think you’re going to love the cream cheese cookies and coconut cream pie too, can’t wait for you to try them!
Hannah Kline
0I’m planning to make these for my family during the holidays, my mom eats gluten free but isn’t keto, if i substitute the monk fruit for natural cane sugar, is there anything else that I should adjust to compensate?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Hannah, Yes, you can use cane sugar and don’t have to make any other changes. Please let me know what you and your family think of them!
Linda
0Hi Maya! Sometimes shortbread is pressed into a pan and cut into rectangles after baking. Can you make a recommendation on how to do this with your recipe? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, I haven’t done that with these almond flour cookies, but I’ve done something similar with almond flour crackers, so I think you can use a similar method of scoring before baking and then break/cut after baking. Hope this helps!
Ron
0Could I roll this into a log, refrigerate, then slice off cookies?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ron, Yes, you can do that if you like! As long as the log is cold, you should be able to slice it.
Shawn
0I tried these today and they are very good. Only change i made was adding an egg. Didn’t have to worry about them being crumbly.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked these, Shawn! I personally like the texture better without the egg (more shortbread-like), but you’re right that adding the egg makes them more sturdy.
Barbara Newman
0Loved the cookies!!! Though I admit I felt like this that and the other and hence changed it quite a bit. I doubled the recipe, omitted the sugar substitute all together, added:
1 egg
Replaced 1 cup almond flower with 1 cup coconut granola
Added a tiny bit of baking powder
Lemmon zest, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, a bit of milk, 1/2 cup desiccated coconut.
And, 5 hours later my husband ate a third of the cookies 😉
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad to hear that, Barbara! Not sure they were really the same cookies anymore, haha, but they sound delicious.