Almond Flour Cookies Recipe

Chocolate chip cookies–but make them with almond flour so they’re gluten-free! Chewy cookies with crisp, browned edges and that classic buttery-sweet-vanilla taste all punctuated with chocolate chips. Get the glass of milk ready, we’re having cookies tonight! (Also dairy-free and paleo adaptions are mentioned below).

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BENEFITS OF ALMOND FLOUR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Almond recipes work well because many people do not like having to use all-purpose gluten-free flour, whether that’s because they’re avoiding rice (and rice is usually the main ingredient) or because they want a simpler recipe with a single grain flour. There are so many brands of all-purpose gluten-free flour out there, and so many of them differ and each are good for different types of recipes so it can get confusing. Almond flour is just almond flour and there’s no confusion in that. Another gluten-free treat that you can prepare for your family is my gluten-free biscuit. It is a perfect go-to snack that my kids love.

Almond flour also has good protein, and because of its high-fat content, these cookies stay moist longer and have a nice chewiness.

If you’ve never baked with almond flour before and wonder if the taste of almonds will be overpowering, it isn’t. I especially find that to be true by using butter in the recipe. To me, the rich butter taste is the first note I get, with the almond flour in the background.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED IN ALMOND FLOUR COOKIES:

• Unsalted Butter
• Light brown sugar
• Vanilla
• Eggs
• Baking soda
• Table salt
• Almond flour (not almond meal)
• Cornstarch
• Chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt to add on top, if desired

*See below for substitution options

DO I HAVE TO USE CORNSTARCH?

No, you do not. If you’re trying to make this grain-free, or paleo, you can omit the cornstarch. It will not break the recipe. I do like adding it because I think it helps the texture more. If you can have it, I recommend it.

CAN I MAKE THESE ALMOND COOKIES EGG-FREE?

The egg helps bind the cookie since there is no gluten. I would not recommend omitting it. I have not tried it with an egg replacer. My best guess would be Ener-G egg replacer. If you try it, be sure to comment below to help future readers.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT FLOUR?

If you’re looking for a gluten-free AND a nut-free chocolate chip cookie, I’d recommend one of my other gluten-free cookies. Hopefully, if you landed on this page it’s because you’re searching specifically for almond flour recipes. Almond flour is very specific and should not be replaced in this recipe.

WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED?

• Measuring cups and spoons (I prefer a digital kitchen scale for measuring flour if you have one)
• Large bowl for mixing (or stand mixer with paddle attachment)
• Cookie scooper
• Rimmed cookie sheet
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
• Wire cooling wrack
• Spatula

WHAT CHOCOLATE CHIPS DO I RECOMMEND?

I like to use Kirkland’s Semi Sweet chocolate chips because they are naturally dairy free and come in a large size to last a long while. These will help the cookie be dairy free and paleo. But, feel free to use whatever kind you have on hand. Enjoy Life is another great dairy free brand too.

I find that the cookies look prettiest if you not only stir in the chocolate chip cookies, but also dot the dough with some extra chocolate chips on top ensuring some show more once they’ve cooked.

WHAT TEXTURE WILL THESE ALMOND FLOUR COOKIES BE?

These cookies have a tender, chewy crumb, and depending on how long you bake them, a crispy edge. I find these do flatten a bit (worse if the butter isn’t chilled), so don’t expect super thick cookies.

HOW TO SHAPE THE ALMOND FLOUR COOKIES

I find one way to help the shape of them is after they’ve set for the five minutes on the baking sheet, IS to loosen the underneath with a spatula, then take a large glass (or other circular object that will fit around them) and set it along the outside of the cookie and gently wiggle the glass around in a circular shape. It can help round off the edges before they cool completely, helping them look more round and a little thicker. This is totally not required, just for those of us with OCD. The photo above is the exact same recipe, cooked the exact same way, from the same batch of dough. The one on the left was left alone, the second one used this technique to help make it more circular so you can see what a difference it is. I also added a few extra chocolate chips once they came out of the oven and were still hot, so that the tops looked better. Sometimes we get frustrated when we try a recipe on the internet because it doesn’t look the same, when really, you don’t realize that it is the same recipe, but the food blogger dolled it up a bit so it would look better for photographs.

WHAT KIND OF SUGAR SHOULD I USE?

I recommend light brown sugar, as it has moisture in it to help with the chewiness. If you need it to be paleo, you can sub for coconut sugar.

DO I HAVE OTHER GLUTEN-FREE COOKIES?

The answer is absolutely! Try out these other favorite gluten-free delights:

• White chocolate peppermint dipped cookies
• Double tree cookies
• Maple cookies
• Roll out sugar cookies
• Pumpkin chocolate chip
• Double chocolate cookies

IS ALMOND MEAL THE SAME AS ALMOND FLOUR?

No, almond meal is not the same as almond flour. You’ll want to use Superfine Blanched Almond Flour. I used Great Value’s brand, but any brand should do.

CAN I USE SOMETHING OTHER THAN CHOCOLATE CHIPS?

You can use any kind of mix-ins you would like, some fun ones might be:

• raisins
• dried cherries and white chocolate chips
• sprinkles
• dark chocolate chips
• a mix of dark and white chocolate chips
• walnuts
• almonds

Use whatever mix-in you would like!

WHAT KIND OF BUTTER SHOULD I USE

To me, a classic note of a chocolate chip cookie is that buttery taste, so I went with unsalted butter. If you need this to be dairy free, you can sub in coconut oil. 

I will note that the temperature of the butter is important so that the cookies blend well, but also don’t spread too much. I hate to be finicky, I try to make recipes as simple as possible, but dealing with gluten-free cookies and almond flour requires two extra steps:

• You need the butter to be soft enough to cream. If your butter isn’t already room temperature, I set mine in the microwave, and warm for only 5 seconds per side, turning each time (4 times total). This gets it just right for the recipe!
• Once the cookie dough is mixed, place the dough back in the fridge for 20 minutes. This helps the butter firm up enough to not melt all over the sheet.

TIPS FOR MAKING ALMOND FLOUR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

• Measure the almond flour appropriately by either using a kitchen scale (336 grams), or by spooning and leveling your measuring cup, instead of scooping it out (which can compact it too much.)
• Use softened butter
• Refrigerate the dough before baking
• Allow the cookies to cool on the warm pan out of the oven for 5 minutes. Due to how chewy they are, they’re too fragile to remove from the pan until they’ve had more time to set. 

HOW TO STORE ALMOND FLOUR COOKIES

To store these cookies, I recommend an air tight container (even a ziploc baggie will do) at room temperature for 3-4 days. After that, they can be frozen in the freezer in an air tight container for up to 4 months. Take them out, thaw and enjoy all over again!

DO I HAVE A VIDEO SHOWING HOW TO MAKE THESE?

Yes, I do! Watch the video to see how to make these cookies from start to finish. The video should auto populate, or if it doesn’t, it is embedded into the bottom of the recipe card. If that doesn’t work, you can always watch it on my YouTube Channel.

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