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!
Just made this. Taste divine! Thanks, Megan!
I made these cookies tonight and what can I say? We are in love! My husband especially! Tomorrow I will make another batch and add walnuts…his favorite. All around, a perfect cookie. Not too sweet and the almond flour gives it the perfect texture. Thank you, Meghan! I use your recipes all of the time!!
Question: how do you get these to stay in one piece? I followed the recipe but my cookies crumble when i try to pick them up. Super dry and powder-like in my mouth.
Are they totally cool when you’re trying to pick them up? They do firm up as they cool. What kind of almond butter did you use? Maybe that could affect things?
I did let them cool, but didn’t use almond butter (recipe says coconut oil so that’s what I used). Baked at 250 for 30 minutes, but they were still very soft so I baked a total of 45 minutes. Maybe I have to add slightly less almond meal to make the dough stickier… I’ll keep trying, Thanks for the reply!
These were delicious. I did not have blanched almond flour but I used whole almond flour and it worked great. Thanks for the recipe!
Hello
Quick question can i sub honey for the maple syrup?
I would think so! They might be a little sweeter when using honey.
I am allergic to coconut, will Extra virgin olive oil work in this recipe?
I am currently making these. I didn’t have apple cider vinegar and looked up alternatives and rice vinegar was listed, so that’s what I used. I didn’t have coconut oil so I used an olive oil/Mediterranean blend. My cookies are expanding! I didn’t expect that, I’m cooking at 250. I hope they taste good!
These cookies are amazing! It’s so rare to find a dessert recipe that doesn’t have eggs and isn’t loaded with sugar. These were easy to make and SO delicious, even without chocolate chips. Thanks so much!
WIll white distilled vinegar work in place of ACV? Traveling and forgot this ingredient! Thanks!
I’m stuck in the house with my family, practicing social distancing, and I have all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips. I do have cocoa powder though. Is there a way for me to transform these into a chocolate cookie?
I bet you could! Since this is an egg-free dough, I’d just start with 1-2 tablespoons of cacao powder, and add more to taste.
I added two tablespoons of cocoa powder and a small amount extra of maple syrup since sometimes you need a bit more sweetness with cocoa powder. It was the treat we needed during this lockdown! Thanks!
I have been using this recipe for a few years and never thought of reviewing them. These are the absolute BEST cookies in the whole entire world. Iʻm not vegan or on any type of special diet (other than trying to make better choices) and this recipe is friendly to anybody. I swear I could eat 6 at a time, though I do not recommend it. Anyways, you donʻt feel bad after eating two of them. These are chewy, gooey, and sweet.
Have been experimenting with this perfect healthier recipe since November. Usually press crushed pecans into the top prior to baking. Today made it with slightly more maple syrup, 2 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp almond flavor (forgot the vinegar). Added a piece of dried cherry on each; very nice with the almond flavoring. liked the other comment about applesauce. Will try that next.
Was dubious about mailing homemade cookies to my daughter and family due to coronavirus. We are 70 and seriously sheltering-in-place. Our daughter, NP midwife, said OK for us to mail to her rather than other way around!
Hi there! If I wanted to make a chocolate cookie could I just add some
Cocoa powder to this? If so, should I reduce the almond four by the amount I add in for Cocoa powder?
M first time I made these cookies I used all the exact ingredients that are listed. did not care for the coconut flavor however. so I made them again substituting butter for coconut oil. I didn’t have any sea salt so I use fine grain Himalayan pink salt. now they were perfectly amazing!!! I make them at least twice a week now… thank you for the recipe
My fave almond flour cookies so far! Usually I make two batches of cookies. One without refined sugar or flour for me and then regular cookies for the rest of the fam. These were so good everyone loved them! I never thought about baking at a lower temp for longer. These came out great. I did add 1/2 a cup of oats and an egg to hold it all together since I added another dry ingredient. Will definitely make these again. Thank you!
This recipe is so good. I made them for a family celebration as I wanted to something sweet to eat while everyone else was munching on their cake. I only ended up with one to eat, they had been gobbled up in a flash and afterwards I had people asking for the recipe.
Can I use Almond pulp (by product of almond milk)?
Hello, We tried this recipe with the kids today and it was easy to follow. We did make one substitution: unicorn candy chips in lieu of chocolate chips. The cookies turned out very well! They’re soft delicious- everyone loved them. Thank you!
I used olive oil and substituted 1/2 of the flour for regular all purpose… they came up delicious! Worth leaving them a bit longer at a low temperature on the oven.
Great recipe. I substituted vegan butter for the coconut oil. I cooked it on 250 for 40 min. They were delicious.
Just made these and they are delicious! My hubby and 2 year old enjoyed them too! I added a little Oat Flour because I ran out of Almond Flour and the cookies still baked perfectly!
I like these better than regular chocolate chip cookies. They aren’t so uber sweet and so much healthier. My daughter is GF & dairy-free and she loves these. I’ve made them as bar cookies and they turn out great that way too.
I wonder if I could make it a lemon thyme cookie by adding lemon juice in place of the vanilla extract and adding 1 teaspoon of zest and thyme. Should I take out the apple cider vinegar if I do this?
Dear Megan,
Came across your lovely website whilst searching on how to make almond flour!
About the cookie recipe:
Can I use coconut milk instead of oil, is it still dairy free if I use coconut milk?
Thank you for the easy to follow video and tips on how to make almond flour from real almonds.
Eli xx
Yes, it will still be dairy-free with coconut milk. I’m not sure how the texture will be, but I’d love to hear how it goes for you!
I love these cookies! This is my go-to when I am craving something sweet. I keep mine in the freezer. They are wonderful with tea or coffee.
These were absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for sharing the recipe. Even my boyfriend liked them and he’s not a lover of plant based things usually. I’m avoiding chocolate at the moment so I replaced the choc chips with sultanas which worked really well too. We’re taking the rest of the batch over to my bfs family. Love introducing people to tasty vegan food!
Thanks again! xx
OMG! Great recipe! I used my food processor and the dough came out sooo smooth and delicious. I had to check the ingredients again because you would never know SUGAR was not invited to the party. 😀
I couldn’t stop eating them!
Can we substitute honey for maple syrup?
Thank you 🙂
They taste great. I made them as is and I love them but I would like a good way to substitute the honey (I used this instead of maple syrup). I would like to make them a bit healthier. They are worth making.
Amazing. Simple. I don’t feel heavy after I eat them and most of all they’re delicious!
Thx for the recipe. I ran out of almond flour and had to use hazelnut flour. Didn’t think it would make a difference but they came out even better. Wetter batter – nicer consistency when baked – almost like an oatmeal cookie.
I made these and used butter instead of coconut oil, 1/4 cup of cacao nibs and 1/4 cup of toasted pecans. They turned out well. I agree that they taste best straight out of the freezer.
These are amazing. My kids love them…ages 7, 5 and 1. Just wow!!!
I’ve made these cookies twice now. I’ve used cacao nibs both times as I’ve not had non refined sugar chocolate chips in the house. They have turned out perfect each time. Even my 2 year old loves them. Tonight I only had 1C almond meal so I used 1C LSA mix to top up. They still taste just as good and the same texture!
I’m not on a special diet but as I wanted to bake sth for my sister who has celiac and is a vegan decided to bake these cookies. I was sceptical at first thinking they’ll taste like cardboard and won’t hold together but I was wrong. They are delicious, so easy to make and I’ll definitely be making them again. Thanks!
Amazing.the best ive ever had
How much xylitol or any other sweetener I can use instead of maple syrup.
I recently discovered an egg allergy and have been craving a good healthy cookie recipe when I stumbled upon this gem. I didn’t have any chocolate chips so I replaced with cacao nibs. These turned out amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I went into this a little skeptical but came away smiling!
these are great, didn’t stick to the paper, soft but held together nicely. a little grainy but delicious anyway
Very tasty and easy to make
We love these! Not overly sweet and they taste more like an original chocolate chip cookie than any I’ve tried to make. Simple and delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
This is my favorite cookie of all time. If you are not allergic to almonds this pretty much is a crowd pleaser for the auto immune, diabetic, paleo, vegan whatever preference.
I have made these numerous times. I am on a very specific medical diet with zero sugar. I made these with sugar free syrup and without chips for the first 3 months. Now I make them with chips as a treat, (still avoiding most chocolate.)
I recommend lakanto maple syrup and lankanto chocolate chips for a true keto or without chips for the candida version.
My family doesn’t eat eggs due to allergies.
I am telling you this is a crowd pleaser.
I prefer to eat plant based and eat well as a standard diet. With the special restrictions it has been tough but this is the highlight.
Giftable to my picky diabetic grandma.
I love this blog, I grow with it. I love playing in the kitchen with vegan creations of missed textures and flavor.
I am telling you. I may never go back to gf flour. These are THE BEST.
Someday I will eat dates again and make the brownie balls. They were my previous favorite.
We make these cookies roughly once a week now. They are so good. THe explanation of flour versus meal was very helpful to me. We sometimes also using hazelnut flour instead of almond flour. I like that even better. Tastes like Nutella 🙂 Thank you!!
You are right, these cookies are the best! They are so easy to make and taste amazing. I followed the exact instructions. Thank you, I will be making these again!
Hi Megan
I made these – delicious!!
Q: can I make the dough ahead and store it in the refrigerator until I bake them?
I used 1 c of almond flour and 1 c almond meal and sweetened with raw honey – they are amazing. I cooked them for 45 minutes at 250 and they are the perfect combination of chewy and crispy! Thank you so much for the recipe.
So good! Soft and chewy. Replaced oil with sweetened applesauce and omitted maple syrup. Also used Lily’s chocolate chips, that use alternative sweetner. Great recipe!!!
Best gluten free cookie EVER!
I didn’t have any apple cider vinegar so i used lemon juice instead and they were delicious!!!! i absolutely love them and so does my dad and family!!
My sisters and I loved it. Im going to make then again.