These Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies are made with only 3 ingredients! They are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, and eggless! Easy, simple, and outrageously good!
If you are looking for more almond flour cookie recipes, then try my almond flour lemon cookies or the almond flour peanut butter cookies next!
Why You'll Love These Almond Flour Cookies
These almond flour shortbreads are made with just 3 simple ingredients—ground almonds, coconut oil, and brown sugar, making them incredibly easy to whip up. They’re naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and eggless, so they’re a great option for a variety of dietary needs. There’s also no chill time—simply mix the dough, shape the cookies, and bake! The finished cookies are crispy, crunchy, and perfectly sweet, with a light, satisfying texture and delicious brown sugar flavor.
If you’re looking for more delicious ways to use almond flour, be sure to check out my other almond flour dessert recipes!
-maria doss
★★★★★
"Made a batch yesterday and are gone. Making more today with a little bit less sugar and little bit of Bailey’s and cocoa"
-CARLOS
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Tips for Success
- Coconut oil: Don't use hot coconut oil. If your coconut oil is solid, then melt it in the microwave and cool it to lukewarm before using.
- Color: Bake until they develop a deep golden brown color.
- Thickness: Flattening them to ½-inch will result in a crispier cookie.
- Storage: Store them in a sealed container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days. They tend to lose some of the crispness after the first day of baking, but still delicious!
More Almond Flour Cookies To Try
Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups super fine almond flour
- ¼ cup golden brown sugar packed
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil not hot
- 2 tablespoons water
- 15 sliced almonds optional
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 340° F (or 171°C), and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. Add the almond flour, brown sugar, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine, breaking up any lumps as you go.2 cups almond flour, ¼ cup packed brown sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Finish dough. Add the coconut oil and water, then stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture comes together. Use your hands to gently knead the dough until it feels smooth and uniform.5 tablespoon melted coconut oil, 2 tablespoon water👉 Do a quick test: Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball, then flatten it. If it cracks or feels dry and crumbly, mix in another ½ to 1 teaspoon of water until the dough holds together easily.
- Shape: Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of dough and gently roll it between your palms into a smooth ball. Flatten each ball to about ½-inch thick and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie.👉 Optional: Place a sliced almond in the center of each cookie and gently press it into the dough. This helps keep the almond in place while the cookies bake.
- Bake: Bake for 16 to 21 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cookies are a deep golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely.👉 For the best crisp, don’t take them out when they’re still pale golden. Let them develop a deeper golden color, but keep a close eye on them so they don’t turn dark brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Almond Flour Cookie FAQS
Almond flour cookies can be more delicate than traditional cookies because almond flour doesn’t contain gluten, which normally helps give baked goods structure. That said, they shouldn’t fall apart once they’ve cooled. Here are the most common reasons—and how to fix them:
1. Removing them while hot: Freshly baked almond flour cookies are very fragile. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them so they have time to firm up.
2. Taking them out too early: Pale cookies are more likely to be soft and fragile. For this recipe, bake until they’re a deep golden color for the best structure and crispness.
3. Not enough moisture: Almond flour cookies need enough moisture for the dough to hold together. If the dough feels dry or cracks when flattened, add a little more water, ½ to 1 teaspoon at a time. Follow the recipe measurements closely.
4. Using almond meal: Coarse almond meal doesn’t bind and bake the same way as super-fine almond flour. For the best texture and structure, use finely ground almond flour.
5. Expecting them to behave like regular cookies: These cookies are naturally more delicate than wheat-flour cookies. Handle them gently, especially while warm. Once completely cooled, they should be crisp and sturdy enough to pick up easily.
One thing I love about this recipe is that you don’t need eggs or xanthan gum to hold the cookies together. The brown sugar adds some moisture and stickiness to the dough, while the right amount of water helps everything come together.
I don’t recommend substituting coconut sugar in this recipe. While coconut sugar has a lovely caramel-like flavor, it doesn’t provide the same moisture or rich molasses flavor as brown sugar.
The moisture in brown sugar is especially important here because these cookies don’t contain eggs or another traditional binder. It helps the dough hold together and gives the finished cookies their crisp, tender texture.
You really don’t need it! The combination of nutty almond flour, coconut oil, and brown sugar already creates a rich, delicious flavor, so I prefer to keep these cookies simple.
That said, if you’d like to add another layer of flavor, you can stir in a little vanilla or almond extract. Both work beautifully with the almond flour and are an easy way to customize the cookies.
Almond flour cookies naturally have a more tender texture because almond flour contains no gluten and is naturally higher in fat than wheat flour. Without gluten to create structure, almond flour cookies won’t have quite the same firm, crisp texture as traditional flour-based cookies.
For this recipe, I’ve found that the cookies are crispiest on the first day and can soften over time as they absorb moisture from the air. If left uncovered overnight, they can lose much of their crunch.
For the best texture, let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Keeping moisture out is key to maintaining that crisp, crunchy texture.
How to make cookies with almond flour?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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Recipe FAQs
While coconut sugar offers its own unique qualities, such as subtle caramel notes, it does not impart the same level of moisture and rich molasses flavor as brown sugar. Thus resulting color and texture might differ from those achieved with brown sugar.
The pairing of almonds and coconut oil creates a sensational flavor combination that requires no additional flavorings. However, feel free to add vanilla or almond extract to the healthy cookies.
More almond flour cookie recipes
If you’re loving the wholesome, nutty flavor and naturally gluten-free texture ground almond brings to baking, here are some more delicious cookie recipes to explore—
- For a healthy, no-bake treat, try this Almond Flour Cookie Dough—it’s made with just a few wholesome ingredients, totally safe to eat raw and perfect for satisfying sweet cravings without turning on the oven.
- Bright and buttery, these Almond Flour Lemon Cookies are crisp around the edges, soft in the center, and finished with a vibrant lemon glaze that makes them look bakery-worthy.
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies are thick, chewy, and loaded with chocolate chips—an easy, protein-packed option for when you want something indulgent yet simple.
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie for One is the perfect small-batch treat—crisp on the outside, soft in the middle, and just sweet enough.
- With only four ingredients, Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies are a minimalist’s dream—tender, nutty, and filled with jam for a festive touch.
- For a classic twist, Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies feature crisp edges, a soft, cakey center, and are generously packed with gooey chocolate chips—perfect with a glass of milk or coffee.
- Healthy Black Sesame Seed Cookies with Almond Flour are nutty packed with toasted black sesame seeds.
MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💚 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love to hear your feedback! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Facebook.
Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
Carlos
Made a batch yesterday and are gone. Making more today with little bit less sugar and little bit of Bailey’s and cocoa. Let see.
Maria Doss
Hi Carlos, Bailey's and cocoa addition sounds absolutely delicious:)
Sandra R
Found the extra two tbsps of coconut oil unnecessary. Just by removing that it was not as greasy but still moist and flavourful. Very strong coconut flavour.
Maria Doss
Hi Sandra, I'm glad that you were able to modify the recipe to your liking, Maria
Baker
Followed the instructions exactly but turned out too dry. Don’t like it at all.
Maria Doss
Hi Baker, I'm so sorry that it didn't work for you. It could be that the almond flour was a little excess. Our sincere apologies again, Maria
Debbie Kuhn
I was unable to roll into a ball. Shaped it as best I could with my fingertips. Dough felt almost greasy, so I might try leaving the two tablespoons out next time. I like the taste of them. I don't like real sweet things, so these are good.
Maria Doss
Hi Debbie, Just a touch of more water will help with binding the dough, Maria
Ghazal
Love this recipe, would I be able to substitute the sugar with maple syrup?
Maria Doss
Hi Ghazal, Unfortunately the answer is NO! Addition of maple syrup tends to make the cookie batter not as thick, which in turns makes them flat. Sorry, Maria
Gitanjali Ramamurthy
Can I substitute coconut oil for any other oil like vegetable oil?
Maria Doss
Hi Gitanjali,
You could replace coconut oil with melted butter (cooled to lukewarm) and a touch a vanilla extract. Both butter and coconut oil adds flavor and richness to the cookie, that vegetable oil will not! That being said, you could use vegetable oil, however we will suggest adding a touch of vanilla extract and reducing the oil to 1/4 cup and remaining water. Hope it helps, Maria
Bou Baker
Maria,
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it's solid.
*I was looking for something to use CBD infused coconut oil and this did very well.
The dosing seems to work out nicely for a single cookie. 🙂
Almond Milk was substituted for the water (to improve flavor) and, I doubled the salt to mellow the strong "herb" flavor.
I LOVE almond flour brownies and so was eager to see what kind of cookie it would make.
My thought is that the cookies, just like the brownies, will not harden too much when stored for longer periods of time.
So far, so good!
Maria Doss
Glad you liked the cookies, have a wonderful weekend - Maria
Long Live The Princess 39
Hmmm iss anyone else encountering probems wioth the
picturs on this blog loading? I'm trying tto find ouut iff its a problem on my
eend oor if it's thhe blog. Anny sugggestions would bbe greatly appreciated.
Jill
Can brown sugar be substituted with something like monk fruit or coconut sugar? Thank you 🙂
Maria Doss
Hi Jill, You can use coconut sugar, but keep in mind it's drier than brown sugar. To compensate, I recommend adding a splash of milk and gently kneading the dough with your hands until it reaches a smooth, uniform consistency - Maria