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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
Eleanor
0Hey!!!!! I couldn’t believe I could bake such amazing cookies. Thank you so much for the very precise recipe and instructions. Your website is my go to for all my keto recipes. Thank you so very much. The cookies taste anytime better than any cookies I have eaten… So yummmmmmmmmmmy!
BETTY HENDRICKSON
0Hi Maya:
These cookies are truly delicious. My husband, who is diabetic, loves them, especially dipped in dark chocolate with pecan bits. I added a 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum, just to make sure they held together well. When cooled they were nice and crispy and I keep them in a tin can so they stay crispy.
I make regular shortbread cookies, with many different “add-ins”. To my taste, they don’t taste like traditional shortbread, but they are none-the-less, excellent in their own right. I used 1/3 cup monkfruit/erythritol and did not have the cooling taste you often have with stevia/erythritol. I think, next time, I will try orange flavouring instead of vanilla. Orange and chocolate are great together.
Thank you again, I love your recipes and use many.
Vani
0This was the first time I tried baking anything keto and they came out ok. I don’t like the cool aftertaste of erythritol – and found it a bit too sweet. I live in Europe, so, unfortunately, allulose is not available for purchase or import… but I would at least like to try making it less sweet – would it harm the outcome if I were to use say 1/4 cup of sweetener instead?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Vani, Yes, I think the recipe will still work if you reduce the sweetener. Best wishes!
April Leger
0I made these for the first time this weekend and they turned out amazing! They had a great crisp, crumbly texture. I used a monk fruit/erythritol blend sweetener because it was all I had and they had just the right amount of sweetness. Also, instead of dipping halfway, I just dipped the tops of half the cookies in sugar free chocolate and added a few sprinkles. The second half I drizzled with the sugar free chocolate. My diabetic husband loved them so I will definitely be making these again.
Dora
0These cookies are just fabulous! I made them, strictly as written, for our Easter “treat” and we were not disappointed! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe – I look forward to trying more of your recipes as we continue our low-carb adventure. The only issue I had was my husband tried to eat one before they cooled – don’t do it!! It will crumble in your hand! Let them cool and then savor every crispy bite!
Laurel
0These are great tastes just like Royal Dansk butter cookies. Thank you!
Susan
0I’ve made these shortbread cookies about 8 or 9 times now! These are the best cookies! I use almond extract instead of vanilla.
Kathy
0Can you use butter instead of coconut oil for the chocolate dip?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kathy, Butter won’t set hard like coconut oil will. These cookies will need to be stored in the fridge if you use butter.
Shannon Miller
0Yum! I added .5 cup toasted pecans to the dough and flattened some into cookies and left some as balls to resemble weddding cookies. I then rolled the baked hot cookies in powdered mink fruit sugar substitute and finished with a little sprinkle of cinnamon. Mmmm.
Kathleen
0I was in serious need of a dessert so I doubled the recipe! These hit the spot! I halved the sweetener and used Truvia, added a teaspoon of almond extract and dipped them in dark chocolate with a sprinkling of coarse salt. The texture is great and they are so satisfying! Thanks for the great recipe. Next-PB cookies!
Maria de Babcock
0Everything is awesome! Except for the amounts of ingredients I could never find them in this recipe.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Maria, The recipe card is located about halfway down the page. If you cannot see it, your browser’s ‘Reader Mode’ may be on. Turn it off in your settings to be able to view the recipe card with specific ingredient amounts.
Charles
0Simple easy recipe.
This is the first time I have used erythritol and in my opinion, the recipe calls for way too much. I think at a minimum it should be three quarters that amount or even half. All I can taste for one hour or more after is the icy sweet mouth feel. I will try again at half the amount and report back. I realise this recipe is for the American hyper sweet palate but it’s way too much for me.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Charles, Some people are particularly sensitive to the cooling sensation of erythritol. If you are still sensitive to the sweetener next time around, you may want to look into using allulose instead, which does not cause that cooling sensation.
Manya
0Very nice. Mixed butter cocoa stevia for a spread
Sandra
0Hello: Just curious here. I see that you poked holes into the cookies. Is there a reason for this, or was that a decorative touch?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sandra, The holes are a traditional mark for shortbread recipes, they don’t have function.
Kathy
0I think this is my very favorite recipe for cookies. I want to try the chocolate-dipped variety, but I dip my cookies into sugar-free lemonade powder before I bake them. If you like lemon this is delicious.
Janae
0How about giving us the option of printing just the recipe! There is no “Print” link anywhere that I could find. I don’t want to print 15-20 pages of comments, tips, suggestions, and unnecessary how-tos! I just want the recipe! I’m an experienced cook and baker and do not need all that extraneous information. Besides, it’s a waste of paper, and very non-ecological!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Janae, There is a ‘Print it’ button to the right of the recipe. I hope this helps.
Kelley
0I just made these…So, SO good!! I’ve been keto for 4 years, and need something sweet every so often. These hit it perfectly! I added 3 Tbsp of butter, for good measure, as my dough was a bit loose. It made them better I think! I also love how filling they are…In my past, I’d eat the entire batch (half, before cooking even!) but these are so wholesome on the tummy, I can only handle a couple. Great recipe!! I’ll be making more!
Paula
0This is a wonderful recipe. I served to people not dieting, and everyone loved them. The second time I made them, I used half almond meal (almond flour where the skins were left on) and half blanched almond flour. They were even better, with a slightly richer color and a more nutty taste.
Raine
0Love your shortbread cookie recipe! They taste like real shortbread cookies, buttery with a nice “bite”. Delicious. These are the first keto cookies that I am happy with as a suitable substitute for the flour version. I’m learning! Cook them long enough! The first batch came out ok… Wasn’t super happy, they didn’t seem done. I put the second half of the dough in the frig to see if I could roll them out and use cookie cutters. Success! I let them cook longer, about 15 mins in 2min+ intervals, until the edges browned – I know, that’s what the directions say! but I’m new to keto baking, and I don’t like crispy cookies. That’s when I noticed that after the 12mins (in my oven) they puffed up. Ah! my first batch was undercooked. So I put them back in and browned them up too! I feel that I have finally found a keto baking recipe that I just like the original version after 10+ tries at other keto baking recipes.
Staci
0did you CHANGE this recipe?? I could’ve sworn it said “1/2 c erythritol” and NOT anything about allulose!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Staci, Yes, the recipe has been updated with a different sweetener. As the recipe has been made and re-tested it was found that allulose provided a softer, more pleasing texture overall. Of course, if you prefer to continue to use erythritol, that is completely fine too.