Almond Flour Cookies

These chocolate chip almond flour cookies are chewy, packed with rich, nutty almond flavor and studded with melty dark chocolate chips for an insanely delicious treat. Ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish, this recipe also happens to be naturally grain free, gluten free and vegan!

🍪 Why We Love This Recipe

• Packed with almond flavor: these delicious chocolate chip almond flour cookies contain four types of almonds: almond flour, almond butter, chopped almonds and almond extract!
• Easy to make: Just two mixing bowls, 12 ingredients (mostly pantry staples) and 15 minutes of hands on work (30 minutes total). No chilling or special equipment required!
• Soft, chewy, perfection: not to brag, but my neighbor ate these and texted me "I don't think I've ever had a cookie so delicious". So yeah, they're pretty good! 😜 They're chewy, soft, and not at all dry like some grain free/gluten free cookies. It's really hard to stop at just one!
• Naturally grain free, gluten free and vegan: we didn't set out intending to making these cookies fully grain and gluten free, but the almond flour alone worked so well that we didn't need any extra flours or starches! These cookies also don't use any eggs or dairy, so they're fully vegan. Such a great choice for those with dietary restrictions!
• Holiday or everyday cookie: these almond cookies always make me think of the holidays (we used to make almond cookies every year), but they're also great for any occasion. You can make an extra batch and throw some in the freezer for a night when you just need a little something sweet!

🥥 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these chocolate chip almond flour cookies:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Almond flour: be sure to use almond flour and NOT almond meal in these cookies. Almond flour is made from blanched almonds and has a light, fluffy texture that works well in baked goods, including cakes and cupcakes. Almond meal will result in cookies that are too dense. We love this super fine almond flour from Bob's Red Mill!
  • Storage tip: to keep your almond flour fresh, store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Due to its high fat content, it can go rancid if stored at room temperature for too long.
• Almond butter: smooth, unsweetened almond butter is best in this recipe. We prefer to use natural almond butter with no added ingredients – just be sure to stir well before adding to this recipe if the oil has separated a lot. Too much or too little oil may affect the texture of these cookies.
• Almond extract: technically optional, but we love the intense flavor it adds to these almond flour cookies. If you don't have any, you can sub with a bit more vanilla extract.
• Coconut: shredded coconut is best in these chocolate chip almond flour cookies. While it's technically optional, it adds great flavor and texture. You can use sweetened if that's all you have, but since these cookies already have enough sugar, we prefer using unsweetened. You can leave out altogether if you don't have any.
• Maple syrup: adds natural sweetness in addition to brown sugar. You can also substitute with agave syrup.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 350˚F / 180˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

(1) In a mixing bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

(2) In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth.

(3) Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until well incorporated, then stir in chocolate chips and chopped almonds.

(4) Using a cookie scoop, portion cookie dough into balls, then transfer to baking sheet. Use your hand or the back of a measuring cup to gently flatten each cookie – they won't spread much in the oven. 

Bake for 12-14 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool. 

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Don't overbake your cookies: these cookies may not look completely done when they come out of the oven, but they will continue to cook slightly as they cool. If you leave them in too long, they will be dry and dense.
• Thickness: these chocolate chip almond flour cookies don't spread much in the oven. We suggest slightly flattening the balls of cookie dough using either your hand of the flat side of a measuring cup before baking. See photos above for a visual guide on thickness.
• Chopping almonds: Feel free to use a food processor instead of chopping by hand if you want to speed up the process.
• Flavor variations:
  • Chocolate chips: as pictured here, chocolate chips are the easiest (and most delicious, IMO) addition to these almond flour cookies. You can also use white chocolate chips!
  • Raisins: fold in raisins or dried cherries (ideally along with the chocolate chips) for a twist on a classic cookie.
  • Leave them plain: for a super simple, soft cookie, leave out the chocolate chips and chopped almonds.
• Storage: store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to one week. You can store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
• Freezer storage: place the cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost to room temperature before enjoying.

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