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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)
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.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
© 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.
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563 Comments
Leigh
0I love the idea of so few ingredients. What would the ratio be to use coconut flour for part of the almond flour? (have a bag I’m trying to use up) Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Leigh, In general, coconut flour and almond flour are not interchangeable. However, you could possibly try replacing part of the almond flour in this recipe in a 1:4 ratio (1/4 of the coconut flour per amount of almond flour). I wouldn’t recommend doing that with the whole amount, because you’d end up with much fewer cookies and they’d be too sweet then, but you could try it with maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the almond flour in the recipe.
SUSAN BIGGAR
0OMG these are to die for! Made a batch on the weekend and refrained from tasting them until this morning. Guilt free cookie for breakfast yay! They were very soft straight out of the oven but firmed up nicely on cooling, will definitely make again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am happy you liked the cookies, Susan! Thanks for stopping by!
Zo
0OMFG thank you thank you thank you thank you for these cookies. I’m craving sweets and these are just perfect. Omfg thank you so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cookies! Thank you!
Marian
0These were fabulous. Finally something for breakfast without eggs, sweet, crumbly and satisfying. Yay!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Marian! Have a great day!
Verity
0Brilliant recipe, great to make and store in the freezer so I can do some slice and bake when I need a quick treat.
The texture was perfect even though my almond flour wasn’t very fine.
I think my oven was a bit hot as they were a bit soft in the middle.
I wish I’d tried the orange zest or other flavour as they have the cooling aftertaste from the sweetener.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cookies! Have a great day!
Verity
0I substituted vanilla for lemon juice and zest. I wrapped the dough into baking paper like a sausage and chilled it in the fridge for 10min before slicing and baking. Lowered the temperature and left them longer in the oven.
This recipe is so good. Whipping the butter and sweetener is such a great trick. Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cookies! Have a great day!
Kim
0Wow! These are really good!! I was testing recipes to find one to decorate with keto royal icing. I will look not further!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Kim! Thank you!
Kassandra S Hunt
0I was craving something sweet and simple and these cookies hit their mark! Fabulous!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cookies, Kassandra! Have a great day!
Sharon
0Oh my goodness, I just made these, just ate two of them. They are so good. Simple and delicious. Perfect with afternoon tea. I’m so glad to find a low carb cookie I can eat and enjoy! And such a simple recipe that they’ll be easy to keep around. I followed your recipe exactly, with all your tips, and baking them for 12 minutes exactly was perfect. I let them cool before touching them or trying to remove them from the cookie sheet and they are firm and crispy. Thank you so much! This is going to be a staple in our house.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cookies, Sharon! Have a great day!
Kristin Lohin
0I just made these but added the orange zest from one orange – HOLY CRAP ARE THEY GOOD! I can’t believe something so simple and healthy could be so good! Thanks for this recipe!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Kristin! Orange ones sound delish!
Wholesome Yum A
0I made these with coconut sugar instead of erythritol. I also smushed some in cacao nibs, which are delicious. Great simple recipe, thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Amanda! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Carole
0Made these cookies today. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for all your recipes.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so glad you liked them, Carole! Have a great day!
Duane Sattre
0I want to tell you thank you very much for all your helpful recipes. I made these low carb shortbread cookies today and they are so good! I have also made the blue berry muffins and the blue berry scones several times. They are so good! My wife and I have been eating low carb for a year now and your recipes allow us to have the taste and textures we need from time to time so we can continue to eat a healthy diet.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am happy to hear that, Duane! Thanks for stopping by!
Meagan
0These are delicious! I was out of vanilla, so I used almond extract and a 1/2 cup of Swerve. They tasted so much like the spritz cookies I used to make with my grandma every Christmas.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cookies, Meagan! Thanks for stopping by! Have a nice day!
Jen
0These cookies were awesome! So easy, so tasty, these will make being on keto that much easier! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Jen! Thanks for stopping by!
Jill
0I tried this recipe and thought that 1/2 cup Stevia sounded like waaay too much since it’s quite concentrated. I ised 1/8 cup and the dough seemed sweet enough. I added Ghiradelli chocolate chips b/c I’m not a big fan of the Stevia after taste. Thanks for the recipe. Next time if you could focus on the recipe more and write less, that would be appreciated.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jill, This recipe calls for 1/2 cup erythritol, not 1/2 cup stevia. That much stevia would definitely be way too much. You can check my sweetener conversion chart if you are using an alternate sweetener, though sometimes using something much more concentrated does affect the end result. I actually write all my posts to give people helpful tips on making the recipe, but you are absolutely welcome to scroll past what isn’t important to you.
Gorana
0Hi Maya,
I made those today but used metric units, not US. It was too dry so I had to add more oil as I ran out of butter.
When I use your converter, the recipe requires 280g of almond flour, while on Internet I found it should be around 180g, which is a big difference. This is not the first recipe I am struggling with.
Where do you get the ratios?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Gorana, Sorry to hear you had issues with he cookies. The cookie dough tends to be pretty dry until it mixes well. The metric measurements are correct and come from the USDA Food Database. 1/4 cup of almond flour is 28g, so 2 1/2 cups is 280g, not 180g. Did you use all the same ingredients? Is your almond flour defatted by chance – I’ve seen this in some European countries and the one called for in this recipe is not, so that could be the issue.
Alex
0Awesome recipe, I used almond flour and truvia with chocolate chips and they turned out AWESOME!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Alex! Please come back again soon!
Bobbie
0These were the some of the best sugar-free cookies I have tried! I expected them to fall apart, but they didn’t! And, best of all, our friends, who have never liked my sugar-free desserts, loved them! Thank you for a simple and delicious recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Bobbie! Thanks for stopping by!
Tracie Horsley
0I just made these and they are so yummy! I added cinnamon to some and also topped others with some stevia only chocolate chunks. I made mine with xylitol (Xyla) — and only used 1/3 cup — still sweet enough and totally hits the spot when I’m having a sweet tooth. Thanks so much for the simple and yummy recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0You are welcome, Tracie! Have a great day!
Angela Hite
0They tasted AMAZING but they also crumbled when I picked them up.
..me licking up the crumbs..
Laura
0My dough was so crumbly, when I tried to press down with the fork they crumbled. I’m not a Baker so I always try the easiest of recipes. Don’t know what I did wrong. I used ghee instead of butter and monk fruit. I did see in a comment I could have used an egg, now if I was a baker I would have known that 🙁
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Laura, You need to press down with the palm of your hand (or the bottom of a cup if you’d like), but not a fork. You’re right that the dough is too crumbly to use a fork. You can add an egg next time if you want to, but the texture is much more shortbread-like and crispy if you omit it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Angela, I’m glad you liked the taste. Did you wait for them to cool before picking them up? That could have been the cause.