Sugar cookies have always been one of my favorite desserts, so I knew I had to figure out how to make a delicious, gluten-free recipe with almond flour. This isn’t the first almond flour cookie recipe I’ve made, so I know how tricky it can be to get a crispy edge and a tender center.
Luckily, I don’t mind testing cookies over and over again.
After a few rounds of experiments, I’ve landed on an ingredient ratio that is easy to roll out for cut-out cookies and has a fantastic flavor, even without frosting. As a bonus, these cookies are egg-free and vegan-friendly, in case you’re baking for those with special dietary needs.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review “Holy smokes these cookies are AMAZING! They make the perfect cut out cookies with no running, and they taste even better than I expected! Once again, your recipes are always so incredibly tasty, easy, and efficient. Thank you!” – Kara
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Blanched Almond Flour. Almond flour is made from finely ground almonds, but starting with blanched almonds (with the almond skins removed) will give you the best results.
- Arrowroot starch. Adding starch to this recipe helps make a cookie that tastes like it was made with all-purpose flour. This also acts as an egg substitute! You can use cornstarch or tapioca starch if you keep one of those on hand, instead.
- Maple Syrup. This natural sweetener helps bind the dough and add sweetness.
- Coconut Oil. Acts as an alternative to butter for a dairy-free cookie. Use expeller-pressed or refined coconut oil if you’d like your cookies to have zero coconut flavor.
- Vanilla & Almond Extract. These flavorings give the sugar cookies the perfect hint of flavor.
- Salt. Never skip the salt in a dessert recipe; it makes the overall flavor pop!
How to Make Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
Step 1:
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, starch, maple syrup, coconut oil, baking powder, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Stir well until the dough looks thick and slightly sticky.
Place the dough in the fridge for 1 hour, or the freezer for 30 minutes, to help it firm up. This step will make it easier to work with if you plan to make cut-out cookies. (You can skip this if you want to flatten dough mounds with your hands directly on the pan.)
Step 2:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You will probably need two baking sheets if you want to bake all the cookies at the same time, but you can easily bake half the batch at a time if you only want to use one baking sheet.
Once the cookie dough has been chilled, place it in the center of a large piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough, then roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness with a rolling pin.
Use cookie cutters to cut out several cookies, and wiggle the cutter to release the dough when you’re done. Depending on the size of the cookie cutter you use, you should get roughly 12 to 14 cookies from a single batch. (Or more, if you use small cookie cutters.)
Carefully transfer the cut-outs to the parchment-lined baking sheet, and then roll out the remaining dough again and repeat the process until you’ve created shapes out of the entire batch.
Step 3:
Bake the cookies in the middle rack of your oven at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes. The shorter the cook time, the softer the center of the cookies will be. For crispier cookies, you can bake them for 10 to 12 minutes.
Let the cookies cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes to firm up. Then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Decorate the cookies with your favorite icing (see recipes below) and enjoy them at room temperature. You can store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipes
If you want to frost these cookies, try one of the frosting options below, or check out my other healthier frosting recipes here on my website.
Honey Sweetened Icing:
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, like Miyokos, or soft coconut oil (not melted)
- 2 tablespoons creamed honey (thick, light colored honey)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
Stir those 4 ingredients together, and you’ll have a light-colored frosting that looks similar to powdered sugar frosting. This frosting will totally melt if you put it on a hot cookie, and it will NOT harden the way a frosting made with powdered sugar does.
Pink Frosting:
- 1 tablespoon strawberry puree (see notes below)
- 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
To make a strawberry puree, add a handful of fresh strawberries (about 4 ounces) to the blender and add two tablespoons of water, only as much as you need to blend smoothly. Save the rest of the pureed strawberries for a smoothie later.
Add a tablespoon of strawberry puree to a small bowl with the powdered sugar and extract. Stir well until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. You can add more powdered sugar for a thicker texture, and more strawberry puree for a thinner texture.
Classic Powdered Sugar Frosting:
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar (organic = vegan friendly)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 to 4 teaspoons water, as needed
Stir the ingredients together in a medium bowl, starting with only 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of water. Add more slowly, only as needed. You want this frosting to be on the thicker side, rather than too runny, so the top will eventually harden.
IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x
- 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot starch, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, baking powder, almond extract, and salt. Stir well, until a thick, slightly sticky batter is created.
- If you want to make cut-out cookies, store the cookie dough in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill. (Or stick it in the fridge for a few hours, if you’re not in a hurry.)
- Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop, drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the dough with your fingers, as these will not spread significantly when baked. (They will expand slightly.) Alternatively, you can roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper, and use a cookie cutter to make cut-out shapes.
- Bake at 350ºF until the cookies have puffed up, about 8 to 10 minutes. After 8 minutes the cookies will have a soft center, but leave them in longer for a more firm, crisp cookie. These cookies will feel soft and fragile when you take them out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool on the pan.
- Decorate the cooled cookies as desired. (Frosting recipes are included in the full post.) They will keep well at room temperature for up to 3 days, or you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition information is for 1 of 16 cookies. You may get more or less, depending on the size of your cookie cutters. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
- If you don’t want to use arrowroot starch, you can also make this recipe with 2 full cups of almond flour instead. In that case, you may need to use 2 more tablespoons of coconut oil, to help the dough come together.
- This recipe can also be made with 1/4 cup of honey, instead of maple syrup, if you don’t need the recipe to be vegan. Butter can also be swapped for coconut oil.
- This recipe was updated in December 2022 to swap the baking soda for baking powder, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies with Almond Flour
- Snickerdoodles with Almond Flour
- Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (Dairy-Free!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot starch, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, baking powder, almond extract, and salt. Stir well, until a thick, slightly sticky batter is created.
- If you want to make cut-out cookies, store the cookie dough in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill. (Or stick it in the fridge for a few hours, if you’re not in a hurry.)
- Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop, drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the dough with your fingers, as these will not spread significantly when baked. (They will expand slightly.) Alternatively, you can roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper, and use a cookie cutter to make cut-out shapes.
- Bake at 350ºF until the cookies have puffed up, about 8 to 10 minutes. After 8 minutes the cookies will have a soft center, but leave them in longer for a more firm, crisp cookie. These cookies will feel soft and fragile when you take them out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool on the pan.
- Decorate the cooled cookies as desired. (Frosting recipes are included in the full post.) They will keep well at room temperature for up to 3 days, or you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition information is for 1 of 16 cookies. You may get more or less, depending on the size of your cookie cutters. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
- If you don’t want to use arrowroot starch, you can also make this recipe with 2 full cups of almond flour instead. In that case, you may need to use 2 more tablespoons of coconut oil, to help the dough come together.
- This recipe can also be made with 1/4 cup of honey, instead of maple syrup, if you don’t need the recipe to be vegan. Butter can also be swapped for coconut oil.
- This recipe was updated in December 2022 to swap the baking soda for baking powder, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
Nutrition
https://detoxinista.com/almond-flour-frosted-sugar-cookies/
Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies are filled with your favorite jam for an easy gluten-free cookie. They couldn’t be easier to make!
Why You’ll Love Them
They’re easy to prepare. This recipe calls for just one type of flour, and you can stir the cookie dough together in one bowl. They will be baking in the oven before you know it!
You can make multiple flavors. If you love variety, you can use a mix of jam flavors to make several different options. Try apricot jam, strawberry or raspberry jam, or you could even use melted chocolate in the center for a non-fruit Christmas cookie.
They’re gluten-free & vegan. If you need a dairy-free, egg-free, or grain-free option to serve during the holiday season, this recipe checks all of those boxes!
They taste amazing. The combination of tender almond cookies and tart jam make this dessert just as delicious as the traditional version made with white flour.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These gluten-free thumbprint cookies are made with blanched almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and baking powder. The cookie dough can be stirred together in minutes!
To keep this recipe naturally sweetened, use homemade chia seed jam . For convenience, you can also use your favorite store-bought option.
Raspberry jam and orange marmalade pair perfectly with the added almond flavor!
Make Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Stir well until the dough looks thick and slightly sticky.
Use a tablespoon or 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop the dough, and roll each between your hands. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 to 2 inches apart.
Press your thumb into the center of each ball, creating an indentation for the jam to go into.
- Add a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of jam into the center of each cookie.
Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges look golden brown.
When you remove the paleo thumbprint cookies from the oven, they will be very soft, but they will firm up as they cool.
Let them cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. They will have a slightly crisp outside and a soft, tender texture in the center under the jam.
Once the cookies are cool, serve them at room temperature, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Looking for more almond flour cookie recipes? Try Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies , Vegan Gingerbread Cookies , and Almond Flour Sugar Cookies .
IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric1x2x3x
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons jam of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, almond extract, baking powder, and salt. Stir well, until the dough looks thick and slightly sticky.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop the dough then roll it between your hands to form a ball. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough forming 18 balls. Arrange them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Press your thumb into the center of each ball, creating an indentation. Add a ½ teaspoon of jam into the center of each cookie. Bake at 350ºF for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottom edges of the cookie start to look golden.
- The cookies will feel very soft to the touch when you remove them from the oven, but they will firm up as they cool on the pan. Let them cool on the pan for at least 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Serve the cookies right away, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
