Almond Flour Cookies

These soft, chewy almond flour cookies are a healthy yet scrumptious treat, made without any refined sugar, dairy, eggs or gluten. Quick and easy to mix up with almond flour, ground flaxseeds, pure maple syrup and coconut sugar, fragrant almond extract, plus a drizzle of olive oil for richness, this almond flour cookie recipe is a freshly-baked goody you can actually feel good about indulging in!

Almond Flour Cookies with a Soft, Chewy Middle

Friends, I love to enjoy homemade baked desserts just as much as anyone else, but as I get older (and hopefully, a bit wiser!), I'm looking for healthier options that I can actually feel good about enjoying.

While I pretty much enjoy all foods in moderation, lately I've been trying to cut back a little on the refined sugars, the gluten and the dairy (though, please don't ask me to give up my beloved cheese!), just as many folks are.

The way I see it, if I can make some healthier swaps and still have terrific texture and flavor, then I'm all in!

Unfortunately, often times, cookies with a healthier slant just don't quite cut it for me. They can be dry, a bit flavorless or simply lacking in that “oomph” I'm looking for when I crave a cookie.

But, friends, let me tell you I've come up with a truly delicious cookie in this almond flour cookies recipe. And, it's even hubby approved!

Plus, these soft, chewy-centered, aromatic almond flour cookies are so easy and quick to prepare.

And when I'm craving something chocolatey?

I'll drizzle a few of the cooled almond flour cookies with a touch of melted dark chocolate, and voila, chocolate craving satisfied.

So if you love soft, chewy-in-the-middle cookies that have fantastic, sweet almond flavor, then this almond flour cookie recipe is one for your recipe tin.

And the best part? You can actually feel really good about enjoying 'em!

My Recipe For Almond Flour Cookies

In full disclosure, these almond flour cookies have been on repeat at our home for a while now...

As I mentioned above, they are so easy to put together, with really just a small handful of ingredients. This makes them pretty darned irresistible to bake up when I get a little sweet tooth, even in the middle of the week!

Here's the scoop on what they're made up of: almond flour in place of traditional white, all-purpose flour, a scoop of ground flaxseeds (providing fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acids), a bit of maple syrup and coconut sugar to replace traditional sugar, which contribute flavor and texture to these cookies (and happen to be lower glycemic index options).

Plus, I drizzle in a small amount of olive oil for richness and fat, as well as aromatic almond and vanilla extract.

This combination of ingredients makes for almond flour cookies which have a soft texture and slightly chewy middle, plus a bit of added crunch from the toasted, slivered almonds I add to the top of each before baking.

Here's a glance at my almond flour cookies recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I whisk together my dry ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Next, in a separate bowl, I whisk together my wet ingredients, then add my dry ingredients into the wet, mixing with a spatula until combined.
3. I then chill my almond flour cookie dough for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Next, using a 1 tablespoon-size scoop, I scoop out 14 cookie portions, gently press to lightly flatten, and add a few slivered almonds to the tops.
5. I bake the almond flour cookies for 14 minutes, then let cool and enjoy ‘em just as they are, or with a drizzle of dark chocolate!

Recipe

Almond Flour Cookies

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These soft and chewy almond flour cookies are a scrumptious sweet treat, made without refined sugar, eggs, dairy or gluten!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 14 cookies

Nutrition Info: 122 calories per cookie

Prep Time: 10 minutes (does not include chill time)
Cook time: 14 minutes
Total time: 24 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup golden maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure almond extract
• ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup roasted slivered almonds, for tops
• ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate or semi-sweet chips, melted, for drizzling (optional topping)

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To a medium bowl, add the almond flour, the ground flaxseeds, and the salt, and whisk together to blend.
3. In a larger bowl, add the golden maple syrup, the coconut sugar, the olive oil, the water, and the almond and vanilla extracts, and whisk to blend well.
4. Then, add the dry ingredients (the almond flour mixture) into these wet ingredients, and using a small rubber spatula, fold and mix together the cookie dough ingredients until well combined and blended. (The dough should be quite sticky and moist, with a similar consistency to almond paste or marzipan.)
5. Chill the almond flour cookie dough for 15 to 20 minutes, and preheat your oven to 350°, then line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Once the cookie dough is chilled, use a 1 tablespoon-size scoop to portion out cookie dough balls (you should have 14 cookies), placing them onto your prepared baking sheet.
7. Very gently give each cookie a light press to ever-so-slightly flatten it a bit, then sprinkle over each about 1 teaspoon worth of the slivered almonds, gently pressing them into the cookies.
8. Bake the cookies for 14 minutes, rotating your baking sheet halfway through the baking. Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for 3 to 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then move onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Enjoy room temp or completely cool, as is, or drizzled with dark chocolate. (If using chocolate, allow that to set before enjoying cookies.)

Tips & Tidbits for my Almond Flour Cookies recipe:

• Use almond flour, not almond meal: Almond flour is more finely ground, so opt for this. You can find almond flour in the baking section of your market, in the section next to traditional flour where they have flour alternatives.
• Pure almond extract for that sweet, amaretto-like flavor: Pure almond extract is absolutely delicious, lending a sweet, amaretto note to these almond flour cookies—so aromatic and delicious!
• Golden maple syrup for milder flavor: I have tried preparing these almond flour cookies using traditional dark maple syrup, and while they were quite tasty, we enjoyed the lighter golden maple syrup flavor a bit better—it was more mild and subtle.
• Coconut sugar for color and texture: Coconut sugar adds a bit of texture and deeper flavor to these cookies, similar to brown sugar. You can find coconut sugar near the traditional sugar, where sugar alternatives are found.
• Toasted slivered almonds for crunch, or sliced almonds: I've tried both sliced and slivered almonds as toppers, and I enjoy the toasted slivered almonds a bit more. I love the flavor, and the crunch of the slivered almonds is a little more satisfying!

Craving more sweet treats? Check out these Chocolate Chip Cookies with Roasted Hazelnuts, these Oatmeal Scotchies with Chocolate Chips, these Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies, or this Chocolate Bark!