Vegan Almond Flour Cookies are the perfect gluten-free treat, made with protein-rich almond flour. They’re crispy on the outside, and buttery-tender on the inside, almost like a shortbread cookie!
Why You’ll Love Them
- No raw eggs in the dough. That means you can taste-test as much raw cookie dough as you’d like to!
- Simple ingredients. The only specialty ingredient here is almond flour, which is simply made from ground almonds. There’s no need to use multiple flours or starches, the way some other gluten-free cookie recipes require.
- Gluten-free & dairy-free. These cookies are made without butter and are perfect for those on a gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, or vegan diet.
- Naturally Sweetened. All you need is 100% pure maple syrup to sweeten the cookie dough. If you’d like to avoid the refined sugar from chocolate chips, you could use crunchy cacao nibs, or find a brand that uses natural sweeteners, like Hu brand.
- Higher in protein. Each small cookie has 3 grams of plant-based protein, to help keep you feeling satisfied.
Every time I make these cookies, my family declares them their favorite! And trust me, they’ve tasted a lot of cookie recipes over the years.
Tips for Working with Almond Flour
- Use blanched almond flour. Blanched almond flour is made from blanched almonds (almonds with their skins removed) while almond meal is made from whole almonds, which includes their skins. Using almond meal will result in a soft and cake-like cookie, while blanched almond flour will result in a crispier and more buttery cookie, similar to shortbread.
- Don’t make substitutions. Do not be tempted to use coconut flour, oat flour, or any other type of flour in its place. I’ve got you covered with coconut flour cookies, oat flour cookies, and buckwheat cookies if you need other gluten-free options.
- Flatten the cookies. Since these cookies are egg-free, they won’t spread like traditional cookie dough. Be sure to use your hands to flatten the dough before baking! (If you get your hands slightly damp, the dough won’t stick to them as much.)
- Use recipes that call for almond flour. As a general rule of thumb, don’t expect to be able to use almond flour in recipes that call for all-purpose flour. Almond flour is less dense and has more fat compared to grain flours so it’s best to work with recipes that specifically call for it, like my Almond Flour Banana Bread or Almond Flour Biscotti.
Be sure to check out all of my almond flour recipes for more ideas!
Concerned about Acrylamide?
If you have a copy of my first cookbook, you may already know that heating certain nuts, including almonds, at a lower temperature may help to prevent acrylamide formation. (A potential cancer-causing substance, according to the FDA.)
I’m often too impatient these days to bake cookies for a longer time, and I don’t consider home-cooked food to be a huge acrylamide risk in the grand scheme of things. (Smoking is substantially worse than any food source, FYI.) A review of 15 epidemiologic studies couldn’t find any consistent evidence suggesting that dietary exposure increases the cancer risk in humans.
With that being said, if you’d like to lower your risk of acrylamide exposure, just to be on the safe side, you can bake these cookies at 250ºF for 30 minutes. Keep in mind, the cookies will not be lightly golden when you bake them at this temperature– they will remain very pale in color, which is the point, since browning is a sign of acrylamide formation.
For an extra-crispy cookie, you can even extend the baking time to 45 minutes at 250ºF.
Where else can you find acrylamide? It’s also found in coffee and some coffee substitutes, and other certain foods, like potatoes and grains. It’s not typically found in raw foods or foods that have been cooked by steaming or boiling. (Hence, why I also love pressure cooking so much.)
Vegan Almond Flour Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup (at room temperature*)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add in the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and vinegar, and mix again, until the dough looks uniform, with no clumps.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, then use a tablespoon or 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the prepared pan. You will get roughly 18 small cookies from this batch, so you may need to use 2 pans, or cook 2 separate batches.
- Use your hands to flatten the cookies then bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes, or until the edges look lightly golden.
- Let them cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving; they will firm up as they cool. Serve warm, or at room temperature. Almond flour cookies get softer if you store them at room temperature overnight, so I recommend serving these the day you make them, or keep them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for the firmest texture. They are extra-crispy if you serve them straight from the freezer.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try these Vegan Almond Flour Cookies, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! If you make a substitution, I’d also love to hear how it works for you. We can all benefit from your experience!
Can I use wholewheat flour instead of almond flour??
Wow so awesome.even hubby loved them
Hi. I tried the recipe. Delicious. I just used honey instead of maple syrup, and landed up adding an extra 1/4 cup of coconut oil. I used the almond pulp that i had dehydrated and ground up after having made almond milk. Maybe it was dryer than normal almond flour or meal.
Wow! These are delicious. I made them today but added unsweetened coconut, unsalted sunflower seeds, unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds, and thompson raisins to the batter. Put in in mini muffin pans almost to the top. Baked at 250 for approx 12 minutes. A mini muffin full of goodness. Definitely making these again. My only suggestion would be to chop your seeds and raisins into small pieces.
Delicious!! The second time I made these, I omitted the baking soda and vinegar and just ate the dough raw. Heaven…
Best cookies ever!!
And so easy to make!
The best, I’m Vegan and this recipe is the best so far I make them all the time, , thank you! Just made them today and switched It up, using oatmeal flour, and Earth Balance.
I just made these – so good! I used a bit less maple syrup and they were still delish. Oh and i added flaxseeds – turned out perfect!
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
-Cristina
I just made a half batch of these without the chocolate chips and they’re just what I’ve been craving on my new grain free dairy free diet. Thank you!!
Omg these were so freakin good. Well done. You made a delicious recipe that even a person that can’t bake to save her life was able to master. Good stuff!!
These cookies are amazing!! Can’t wait to make them again.
Love your recipes. I consider myself a 80% dairy-free almost vegetarian… a work in progress. My son’s girlfriend is vegan, so I have been experimenting with lots of new recipes lately. Found your website and I love it! The kids devoured my entire recipe of the Vegan Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, and my son isn’t even vegan. I’d like to know your recommendation for a substitute for maple syrup in your baking recipes. My husband and I don’t care for the flavor of maple.
This recipe is amazing and just what I have been looking for. Love the consistency. I added a little bit of Bobs red mill xantham gum just to play with the texture. It worked out great. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!
This is the second time I’ve made these cookies, They are so good, Even my hubby likes them. So than you Rose
Soft and chewy. These cookies have the most amazing flavor but mine came out crunchy almost like chips ahoy crunchie. Should they have been chewier?
These cookies are by far my favorite vegan chocolate chip cookies! They are perfectly soft and almost taste like cookie dough!
Tried making them twice and they were boring and tasteless. I really wanted to love these.
Would I be able to substitute sugar free syrup for the maple syrup?
Probably! Let us know if you try it.
I’d love to try these, however I only have baking powder. Can I use double the baking powder for this recipe and take out the vinegar? HELP!
Hello,
I tried making these cookies with the almond meal flour. I don’t know what I did wrong unless I should have used only one cup of the flour instead of 2 as it did not turn into a “‘dough” cookie. Or do we use the almond meal without drying it into the flour? In order to save the cookies I added water to make it into a dough like texture. The cookies tasted good once baked. Not sure what the left over ones will be like tho.
I followed this recipe to the letter. I did not get anything even remotely close to this. I’m not sure why, but I had a dry powder. Not sure what I should have added or substituted to get what you got. I am very disappointed!
Love all your recipes! Trying to make a giant cookie for my daughters birthday. Has anyone used this recipe for a giant cookie? Any suggestions for alterations because of the size?
Hi, if I am making almond milk and have almond meal left over, do you have any suggestions on how to use this in your recipe (ie. does it need to dry first, etc?)
Thank you!
Almond pulp leftover from making almond milk has significantly less fat in it, so I’m not sure how it would work in a recipe like this one made with almond flour. I would look for a recipe that calls for almond pulp instead, like my Almond Pulp Hummus or Almond Pulp Crackers– both of which call for the wet pulp, so you don’t have to do anything before using it! https://detoxinista.com/?s=almond+pulp
Hi Megan! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. These bite-sized treats are so tasty and much simpler to put together than most of the other vegan/paleo recipes I’ve tried. I’ve recently been experimenting with making my own almond butter and have loved incorporating that into my baking. I love the distinct nutty, slightly salty flavour it adds as well as the slightly denser texture it creates. Do you think it would work in this recipe – not as a substitute for anything but more of an addition. I’m hoping to achieve a soft, chewy yet dense texture on the inside with slightly crispy edges. I hope that’s not asking for too much! I’d love to hear what you think. Once again, thanks for sharing!
Can i excluded the chocolate chips and add in matcha powder to make matcha cookies?
Hi Megan,
Tried this recipe for my son who has been asked to follow vegan diet for few months. And he has been to told not to eat and drink his favourite food 🙁
So today I was really down and was frantically searching for vegan recipes so I could make something for my son. And I found your recipe for cookies. And he loved them. Thank you so much. Feeling a little better now. Happy hr can eat cookies. Will definitely try your other recipes for him.
Wishing you all the success.
This is my favorite nista recipe. I love how naturally delish they are so simple to make. I use 85% dark chocolate pieces and out a few walnut pieces on each which makes them even more irresistible. I try them as round and thin as possible and bake them for the max 45 so they have that cookie crunch. Love love!
MEGAN!!! How did you do it?? These cookies taste so buttery and perfectly sweet, just like the real deal. These are amazing! I packed some in my husband’s lunch and he was so sad when he got home from work and the rest were gone. Back to the kitchen to make more 😀
What is the apple cider vinegar for? Can I replace it?
The acid reacts with the baking soda to help the cookies rise. You don’t need an acid in recipes that call for eggs. You could use baking powder instead (but use more of it– Google the proper ratio for substitutions) or another acid instead of the vinegar.
Tried it really good every one loved it
Amazing my peaky family love them and so good for you. Thank you
I pressed this into a slice tin lined with foil. (Substituted maple with coconut sugar) Once cooled topped it with a thin glaze of melted chocolate and coconut ghee and sprinkled with crushed walnuts. Cooked a little longer and very low for a slightly crisper biscuity slice. Mmmmm 👍
These are fantastic! I actually love these more than typical cookies. They’re simple yet complex in flavor. Thanks for sharing!
This is a wonderful recipe! I just ate one while still warm out of the oven, it was soft and appealing and not too sweet. To avoid the sugar in the chocolate chips, I substituted chopped dark cherries, cacao nibs , and frozen wild blueberries (Wyman’s has this blend in the freezer section, I just took out the plums.) This worked great- bits of juicy cherries and the background chocolate flavor from the nibs were delicious complements to the almonds. The dough was a bit wetter due to the fruit, but this did not have the result – I love the soft and chewy texture, and they browned on the bottoms. Thank you for this recipe!
I’m baking these now. The batter alone is good. I used applesauce instead of coconut oil, ~10 stevia drops instead of maple syrup, and added raisins to the top and deleted the choc chips. I also added 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend and 1/8 tsp cardamom powders.
Can you make this into a akillet?
Yes, I would think so! In another skillet cookie recipe I use, I bake it for 20 minutes at 350ºF.
Just made these and they are so good I am eating out of pan (and burning mouth!).
Made a few subs. Only had 1 cup of almond flour so other cup was tapioca flour. A tad crumbly but delish. Also used some palm shortening and totally great.
Baked longer so more golden…like 16 – 17 mins.
Can you replace honey for maple syrup?
Yes, I would think so!
Replaced coconut oil with butter, added 3 tbsp of brown sugar for a little extra sweetness, and threw in some white chocolate chips as well. They taste like heaven in the mouth! Thank you for this recipe!
These are amazing!
I prepped these as instructed, but found that baking at 250 for 45 minutes wasn’t enough. I baked them for at least an hour. They still weren’t as crispy as I like, but the edges have a nice crust. Also, refrigerating them makes them less soft.
I’m making these at least every month to satisfy my sweet tooth. Thank you for this recipe!!!
I did not know about high heat and almonds. What temp is best when roasting a tray of almonds?
Oh. My. Word. Little bit of salty, little bit of chewy, whole lotta YUM! Easy recipe that I’ll be making again soon. As in a few minutes since these are about gone!
Great recipe! Cookies were s hit!
Great recipe! Cookies were a hit!
Can you substitute honey for the maple syrup in these cookies
holy moly these were literally delicious… hands down one of the best vegan gf recipes out there. thanks so much! so easy too!!!
I love the seas salt. Necessary addition that makes these just perfect!
Can I ask which brand of dark chocolate chips you use that are vegan? I love how big the chunks look.
Enjoy life brand makes the dark chocolate chunks!
I loved how easy these were. I substituted melted butter for the coconut oil. And I left out the chocolate chips. They are the perfect cookie to enjoy with a cup of coffee. Not too sweet.
Unless I missed it, I didn’t see how many cookies the recipe is supposed to make, so that would be good to add.
I found this recipe a year or two ago, and it’s seriously changed my baking habits to the point that I don’t even keep flour or sugar in the house anymore, and I almost always have almond flour on hand. We usually make them with butter instead of coconut oil. There’s no way to improve these though because they are perfect and everyone who I share them with loves them. Thank you for this brilliant recipe and with the helpful information on the correct baking temperature.
I made substitutions due to a coconut oil allergy and sugar intolerance. But these still turned out to be the best almond flour cookies I’ve had! I used melted ghee in lieu of coconut oil and 1.5 tsp of vanilla flavored liquid stevia (omitted the vanilla). I then realized I was out of baking soda (!!) so I used 1.5 tsp baking powder and omitted the salt. I had to add about 1/4 cup water to compensate for no maple syrup or vanilla. There were too many chocolate chips for me, wouldn’t stay in the dough. Next time I’ll try 1/3 cup chips and chill the dough first. Definitely will be a next time. Thank you for providing an excellent egg and grain free cookie that tastes and feels like a cookie! So yummy!