almond cookies

Almond cookies with a crisp edge and soft center, made with 6 ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. Naturally gluten-free, no fancy equipment needed.

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Total Time 31

Servings: 18 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 95

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

cookie dough

2 cup almond flour
0.67 cup sugar
1 unit egg
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
0.25 teaspoon almond extract

for topping (optional)

18 unit whole almonds
2 tablespoon powdered sugar

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Trust me, almond cookies like to stick.
In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour and sugar with a fork—gets rid of lumps better than a spoon.
Crack in the egg, add melted butter (not hot, just liquid), vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until everything’s fully combined. The dough will look a bit sticky—that’s right.
Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and roll quickly into balls. Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. If you want that bakery look, gently press a whole almond on top of each.
Bake for 12–14 minutes, until edges are golden but centers look soft. Cooling firms them up, so don’t wait for them to harden in the oven.
Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer (gently—they're fragile when hot!) to a rack. Dust with powdered sugar once they’re just warm, if you like a little extra sweetness.

Notes

I bake these almond cookies when I want something quick that feels like a treat but doesn’t require a mixer or a trip to the store. They stay crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle even days later—rare for a gluten-free cookie.

My almond cookie tricks

I always mix almond flour and sugar with a fork, not a spoon—gets rid of those almond flour lumps faster. The dough is sticky, but don’t add more flour. A little stick means the centers stay soft. If your hands get messy shaping the dough, wet them just a little. Trust me, it makes rolling so much easier.

Don’t wait for these to brown all over. The bottoms should be golden, but the tops will look pale and soft straight from the oven. They firm up perfectly as they cool; I learned this the hard way by overbaking my first batch.

Substitutions and swaps

If you’re out of almond extract, use all vanilla—just know the classic almond bakery aroma won’t be there. Dairy-free? Swap butter for melted coconut oil, but the cookies will be a hint more crumbly and slightly coconutty. Don’t try these with coconut flour or oat flour: the texture just doesn’t work.

Storage and make-ahead notes

These almond cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze them in a zip bag (just as good defrosted, honestly). I’ve packed them for road trips and lunchboxes—their sturdiness is deceptive, especially after they’ve cooled.