These Gluten-Free Almond Cookies are soft and chewy! With just 7 ingredients these easy almond cookies are also dairy-free and egg-free.
This sweet almond cookies recipe is gluten-free thanks to almond flour and tapioca starch.
The result is a soft and chewy cookie that no one will know is gluten-free.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Soft and chewy
- Simple ingredients
- Gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Many almond cookie recipes use almond paste for that chewy, sweet factor. This recipe uses a combination of maple syrup, almond extract, and tapioca starch to replicate the paste.
Tapioca starch - When baking gluten-free you often need starches mixed in with your flour of choice to achieve the perfect texture.
This egg-free recipe also acts as a binder instead of egg yolks or egg whites.
Almond flour - Great for giving that buttery flavor without butter, plus a tender crumb. (Perfect in these gluten-free scones!)
Organic cane sugar - This sugar creates the best texture coating and is vegan-friendly. Sugar cookies meet almond cookies!
Maple syrup - A sweet, warm flavor that pairs nicely with the other flavors.
Coconut oil - This vegan fat is perfect for holding these sparkly treats together since it's solid at room temperature. Vegan butter can be substituted.
Vanilla and almond extracts - For a more robust flavor, a ¼ teaspoon almond extract.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the tapioca starch slurry in a small bowl and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
Except for using a small cup or bowl to make a tapioca starch slurry, this is a one-bowl recipe. It whips up quite quickly, putting you closer to pure treat heaven.
Step 1: Whisk to combine ½ cup organic cane sugar, tapioca starch slurry, and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Whisk in the remaining wet ingredients.
Step 2: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir the flour mixture until dough forms.
Step 3: Place the remaining ¼ cup of organic cane sugar on a plate. Roll cookie dough balls in the sugar before placing them on the baking tray.
Using your palm, press each dough ball down about halfway.
Step 4: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until set on the outside. Let rest for about 4 minutes on the sheet before cooling on a rack.
Tips
- The dough may be a bit sticky, so slightly dampen your hands or use cooking spray when rolling the dough into a ball.
- They will spread but to get that great crackle, use your palm to press down slightly before baking.
- Allow gluten-free almond flour cookies to rest and cool for 4 to 5 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack.
FAQs
On its own or paired with other gluten-free flour, almond flour adds protein and buttery crumb to baked goods. It is a low-carb flour perfect for those on a paleo, Whole30, or gluten-free diet.
Almond flour is a versatile gluten-free flour. Almond flour cookies can be fragile while warm, which is why they need to rest on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.
Keep the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter and they will remain chewy for several days.
More Gluten-Free Cookies with Almond Flour
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch + 3 tablespoons water
- ½ cup (116g) organic cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ¼ cups (240g) almond flour not almond meal
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup organic cane sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the tapioca starch and water in a small bowl, stir to combine and allow to sit for a couple minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine ½ cup organic cane sugar, tapioca starch slurry, and maple syrup. Whisk to combine. Whisk in coconut oil, followed by vanilla and almond extract.
- Add the almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until ingredients are completely incorporated. If needed, use your hands to thoroughly combine ingredients into a cohesive cookie dough. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid ingredients.
- Place remaining ¼ cup organic cane sugar on a plate. The dough may be sticky, so dampen your hand with water or spray hands with cooking spray. Use a tablespoon to scoop out dough, then roll into a ball. Place ball on plate with sugar, roll to coat, then place on prepared baking sheet. Space cookie dough balls about 1 ½ inches apart. Repeat until cookie sheet is filled with even rows.
- Using your palm, press each dough ball down about halfway.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set on the outside. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 4-5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- The dough may be a bit sticky, so slightly dampen your hands or use cooking spray when rolling the dough into a ball.
- These cookies will spread but to get that great crackle, use your palm to press down slightly before baking.
- Allow the cookies to rest and cool for 4 to 5 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack.
Michelle
Great cookie even my husband that isn’t gluten free love this recipe!
Tessa
Thank you, Michelle! I love hearing that! :)
Liz
These look soooo yummy!
Tessa
Thanks, Liz!
penelope andrade
Hi tessa,
I haven't tried baking these cookies yet, but I am wondering if you know
the carb content?
Thank you
Tessa
Hi Penelope! I've updated the recipe with nutrition information including carbs. :) Thanks!
Francine
Here's an update to my messages on 12/11 and 12/25: I made the cookies again but this time I did NOT press the balls down on the cookie sheet. Although they still spread a bit, I FINALLY got round cookies with crackles. Yay!
Tessa
Great!! Thanks, Francine!
Francine
Thanks, Tessa, for your reply. So…I made the cookies again. Referring to my message on 12/11/20, this time the almond flour was at room temperature and I melted the coconut oil (as there were some slightly hardened pieces), let the oil slightly cool…and the cookies STILL spread out on the pan! Not as bad as the first time on 12/11 but they were all spread out flat, touching each other, and hardly a crackle to be seen. Can’t figure out what went wrong. Maybe next time I’ll bake them as balls without pressing them down with my palm halfway to see if that helps.
Despite my results not being pretty…they’re sooo delish (can’t stop eating them!). Also…they freeze beautifully. They’re just as good eating them directly from the freezer as thawed out – crunchy, soft, and chewy all at the same time. Yum.
Francine
Hi Tessa. How many cookies are in each batch? Thank you! Francine
Tessa
Hi Francine! This recipe makes about 22-24 cookies. :)
Francine
Well...my cookie dough balls spread into each other resulting in ONE thin cookie the size of the cookie sheet! I realize what I did wrong: I added COLD almond flour (it had been stored in the freezer) to the liquid coconut oil resulting in the oil hardening into solid chunks throughout the batter. I attempted to soften the hardened oil but nothing worked. So I had no choice but to roll the dough into balls, hardened oil and all, and bake them that way. I would assume that is why the cookies spread as they did.
The only deviation I made was using corn starch instead of tapioca starch. Also, I did not “melt” the oil as it was already in liquid form (having stored it outside of the fridge). It’s not necessary to heat the oil if it’s already liquefied, right?
Despite the cookies "looking" terrible, they were DELICIOUS! I will certainly make them again and will update you with the results :-)
Tessa
Hi Francine! Yes, I do think the cold almond flour caused the coconut oil to harden. That would also make sense why they ended up spreading. I think the corn starch should be just fine as a sub. If your coconut oil is already completely liquid that should be okay too. But, of there are still a bit of solid pieces, I would go ahead and melt completely. Hope that helps! :)
Francine
Hi Tessa. How many cookies are in a batch? Thank you! Francine
Nathalie Siegel
Hi! Any alternatives for cane sugar?
Tessa
Hi Nathalie! You could use coconut sugar here, but it would change the color and sweetness of the cookies. I think it would still be yummy, just a bit different than the original recipe.
Nydia
Hello Tessa,
I notices that I do not have tapioca starch for now, do you know if I can replace it with corn starch?
Tessa
Hi Nydia - I think cornstarch should work fine here in place of the tapioca starch. It may slightly change texture, but very minimally! :)
Pat Marino
can you replace the coconut oil
in this recipe. if yes what is a good
substitute. thank you. pat
Tessa
Hi Pat - You should be able to sub the coconut oil with vegan butter just fine. If you are trying to avoid the hint of coconut, you can use refined coconut oil.
Lesley
I’m not one to comment on baking recipes. BUT THESE COOKIES. I didn’t know I needed these in my life. I just happened to have all the ingredients.
They are perfect. I can’t stop eating them. I’m eating one right now.
Tessa
That is so great. Yay! Thank you, Lesley!!
Ray
I’m not adverse to gluten. Can I follow your recipe exactly except use regular flour and granulated sugar instead?
Tessa
Hi Ray - I'm afraid the taste and texture would not be the same for this particular recipe.