The Best Almond Flour Sugar Cookies! Soft in the middle and crispy on the edges. Easy to roll out and perfect for cut-outs!
Hundreds of reviewers agree these cookies are the most delicious almond flour sugar cookie recipes around! This tried-and-true recipe was originally published in 2013 and is one of my #1 recipes today!
Original photo from 2013. I thought it was very cool with the bright pink background – ha!
Holiday baking just isn’t complete without making sugar cookies!
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is making Christmas cookies in all different holiday shapes and decorating them with colored icing and sprinkles. (But these cookies are equally great for any time of year. If you like to make cookies for Valentine’s Day or Halloween, this is the perfect cookie!)
I don’t use the term “the best” lightly. These cookies roll out like a dream and hold their shape really well during baking. They are crispy and buttery on the outside, and soft on the inside!
I originally published the recipe way back in 2013. It continues to be a reader (and family) favorite year after year!
Every holiday season thousands of people come back to this post to make this recipe! Be sure to check the comments if you have any questions about substitutions!
These are made with almond flour, which gives the cookies a delicious taste and keeps them soft. Soft is definitely a requirement when it comes to sugar cookies!
Almond flour cookies are awesome because they are soft, without being doughy. (One of the most popular recipes on my site is these almond flour chocolate chip cookies – always with great reviews!)
You also might like these amazing gluten-free sugar cookies and these gluten-free funfetti sugar cookies.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Soft interior + crisp and buttery edges
- Tender crumb
- Easy to work with
- Great for decorating for holiday
- Simple ingredients
For more almond flour baked goods, try these almond flour snickerdoodles, almond flour oatmeal cookies and almond flour blondies.
You also might like this collection of gluten-free dinner recipes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these amazing cookies!
- Almond flour: Be sure to use blanched almond flour rather than almond meal for the right consistency. Blanched almond flour is made from almonds with the skin/tough coating removed so it’s extra fine. Almond meal is made from the whole almond and won’t create the ideal results in baking.
- Coconut flour: Grain-free flour can be hard to work with, but coconut flour makes these cookies easier to roll out and helps them bake up nice and crisp!
- Sugar: I usually use organic cane sugar in these cookies. However many commenters have reported great results using coconut sugar! A liquid sweetener like maple syrup or honey won’t work.
- Baking soda: Baking soda helps rise and lift these perfect cookies.
- Salt: Fine sea salt balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of this gluten free cookie recipe.
- Vanilla: I always use real vanilla extract for my gluten free baking!
- Butter: You can use a dairy-free butter substitute such as Earth Balance buttery sticks to keep these cookies dairy-free. I don’t recommend using all coconut oil in place of the butter. Real butter or Earth Balance is important for the right texture.
- Coconut oil: I love using part butter and part coconut oil in cookies for a nice soft texture. I also use this trick in these favorite gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
- Eggs: Use room temperature large eggs to help bind the dough of these gluten free cookies.
- Almond extract: Almond extract compliments the slightly nutty flavor of the almond flour and takes these cookies to the next level of deliciousness!
Coconut Flour
I am not usually a fan of coconut flour, but it works wonderfully in this recipe. The addition of coconut flour makes these cookies easier to roll out and helps them bake up nice and crisp.
For more gluten-free Christmas cookies, be sure to try these gluten-free almond cookies, gluten-free almond biscotti, gluten-free molasses cookies and gluten-free coconut macaroons.
How to Make Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a large bowl and hand mixer) cream together the room temperature butter, coconut oil, and sugar.
- Add the eggs, almond and vanilla extract, mix until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, salt, almond flour, and coconut flour.
- With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Form the dough into a ball with your hands and place on a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle a clean, flat surface with coconut flour and roll the dough out until it is 1/4 thick. I like laying it on a piece for parchment paper and placing another sheet on top to roll it out. Or you may have to rub the rolling pin with coconut flour to do this. Make your cut-out cookies using your choice of cutters. Work somewhat quickly so the dough stays cold. Using a spatula, transfer the cut cookies to the baking sheets.
- Gather the remaining scraps back up into a ball and roll out again. Repeat rolling and cutting out cookies until you use all the dough. If the dough gets too warm while you work with it you may need to chill it again.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown. These cookies need to bake longer than a traditional sugar cookie recipe. They will stay soft and just get a little crispy, which is just what you want! Cool on a cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. Enjoy these traditional sugar cookies!
Storage Instructions
These cookies stay good for a few days! You can store these cookies (frosted or unfrosted) in an airtight container (in the refrigerator or at room temperature) for up to five days. You can also store these cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- I highly recommend using Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour Super Fine Grind or Wellbee’s Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour for this recipe. I’ve also used Costco’s almond flour with great results. Be sure to use blanched almond flour rather than almond meal for the right consistency.
- To make sure these cookies turn out, scoop and kind of pack the almond flour down when measuring it.
- Chilling the dough is very key so you’re able to work with it!
- When rolling and cutting the dough, work quickly so the dough stays cold.
- I like rolling it out in-between sheets of parchment paper dusted with coconut flour.If you have trouble cutting them out, try rolling out the dough then placing it in the freezer for 10 minutes before cutting the shapes out.
- Finally – DO NOT substitute the coconut flour for more almond flour. The dough really needs to coconut flour to hold together.
What type of almond flour?
Be sure to use blanched almond flour rather than almond meal for the right consistency. Blanched almond flour is made from almonds with the skin/tough coating removed so it’s extra fine. Almond meal is made from the whole almond and won’t create the ideal results in baking.
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I hope you enjoy these almond flour sugar cookies as much as we do! If you try this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
The Best Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter ghee, or palm shortening, softened
- 1/4 cup coconut oil softened, not melted
- 3/4 cup sugar*
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour scoop and slightly pack it down when you measure it
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, coconut oil, and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract, mix until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, salt, almond flour, and coconut flour. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Form the dough into a ball with your hands and place on a piece of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle a clean, flat surface with coconut flour and roll the dough out until it is 1/4 thick. I like laying it on a piece for parchment paper and placing another sheet on top to roll it out. Or you may have to rub the rolling pin with coconut flour to do this. Cut out the cookies using your choice of cutters. Work somewhat quickly so the dough stays cold. Using a spatula, transfer the cut cookies to the baking sheets.
- Gather the remaining scraps back up into a ball and roll out again. Repeat rolling and cutting out cookies until you use all the dough. If the dough gets too warm while you work with it you may need to chill it again.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, until lightly golden. These cookies need to bake longer than typical sugar cookies. They will stay soft and just get a little crispy, which is just what you want! Cool on a baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting. Enjoy!
Notes
- I highly recommend using Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour Super Fine Grind or Wellbee’s Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour for this recipe. I’ve also used Costco’s almond flour with great results. Be sure to use blanched almond flour rather than almond meal for the right consistency.
- To make sure these cookies turn out, scoop and kind of pack the almond flour down when measuring it.
- Chilling the dough is very key so you’re able to work with it!
- When rolling and cutting the dough, work quickly so the dough stays cold.
- I like rolling it out in-between sheets of parchment paper dusted with coconut flour.If you have trouble cutting them out, try rolling out the dough then placing it in the freezer for 10 minutes before cutting the shapes out.
- Finally – DO NOT substitute the coconut flour for more almond flour. The dough really needs to coconut flour to hold together.
Holy cow! These were unbelievably easy to work with! After the initial refrigeration, I could roll, cut, roll, and cut time and time again without ever returning to the fridge. I’m so excited to enjoy Christmas cookies again! You’re a magician.
What would the amount of almond flour and coconut flour be in grams?
I made these and they are great! Any idea how many carbs and sugars are in them?
Can I sub the coconut oil with the same amount of butter? Or vegetable oil?
In the actual instructions, it says “brown sugar” but in the recipe ingredient list it says “sugar.” I assumed you just forgot to clarify what type of sugar and used brown sugar. Will this affect my cookies?
I can’t believe I didn’t catch this until now! Thanks for pointing this out. This recipe is forgiving and brown or white sugar will work. I usually use white organic cane sugar.
Would it work to substitute the what sugar with coconut sugar? Also instead of rolling the dough out would it work to just do a drop cookie?
Great GF recipe! How long do these cookies keep at room temperature? TIA
They are best fresh but also good covered at room temperature for 2 days!
Hi – like these cookies a lot – shared your site with 4 friends who were at our ‘cookie decorating’ party. Many of the are gluten intolerant & are looking forward to checking out you site (if they haven’t already!) .
Thanks again.
Ula
I’m so glad you all liked them! Thanks for sharing my blog 🙂
I love that these are as you say soft but I’m looking for a cookie that will hold up to a bunch of 4 year olds decorating them during a tea party. Are they stiff enough to hold up you think?
Yes! I would definitely say these should hold up for kids frosting. They are soft, but not crumbly.
I made this dough ahead of time and froze the dough till I planned to make them. I didnt roll them out, I just sliced them, and I didnt cook them more than 10 minutes. I was really surprised how great they came out. They tasted fantastic for a grain free cookie. I plan to make them again for sure. Hope I can find a great sugar free icing that will compliment them. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these last Christmas and they were DELISH!
Everyone loved the, kids adults, even Santa LOL
I’ve made them three or four times since and they always come out great!
My usual sugar cookies always harden, but these stay super soft!
Will be making again today! THbaks for sharing this great recipe!
Happy Holidays!
I love that they stay soft too! So glad you like them!
I just wanted to share that we made these this week. I was a little leery because of all the GF flours I don’t like coconut flour much as it’s super absorbent & can be easy to dry things out with, but.. it worked wonderfully in these.
It’s been years since I’ve indulged in making cut-out cookies with my kids at this time of year due to dairy, gluten, & egg allergies. We made these egg free by merely subbing the called for eggs with boxed egg replacer. We also subbed the butter with Nutalex, a dairy free margarine. I also subbed the almond extract for anise seed oil. Growing up we always made our cut-outs with anise seed at this time of year!
True confession time, I was so nervous about rolling these things out, & then life happened that the dough sat in the fridge for 3 days & there were {thankfully} no ill effects on it. Phew!
I have a slab of marble in my kitchen for rolling pies & things out on that I rarely every use, but thought it would be perfect for this to help keep the dough colder longer. I still used baking paper to roll out on, but just laid that atop my marble. Instead of coconut flour for dusting, however, I used Arrowroot flour.
It’s a smoother flour & can be easier to brush off if you use excess, & is often my go-to GF choice for things like that. Anyway, they worked beautifully & I had to squirrel away what the kids didn’t eat to have a few left to ice later this week for Christmas! 🙂
Thanks for the tips! Arrowroot flour is a great idea!
Do you have a recipe for the frosting that you used for the sugar cookies?? Possibly one that is paleo 🙂
I usually just make a buttercream frosting with powdered sugar so that isn’t paleo! Sorry about that!
Hello! Would using all coconut flour work for this? I’m baking for people who are allergic to almost everything it feels like (especially during Christmas Cookie time, AHH!) and almond flour doesn’t agree with them, but coconut flour does. Would it work without the almond flour you think? Thank you!
Unfortunately this wouldn’t work at all with all coconut flour. I wish I had a cookie that was all coconut flour for you! Sorry about that!
I made these last night and was so happy with how they came out! The dough was easier to work with than the traditional batch I made (b/c of lack of gluten) and as long as I kept it cold, it rolled and cut wonderfully! I increased the almond extract slightly b/c I love it, and I only baked 12-13 minutes.
5 stars. I recommended this recipe to my friends on FB. Will be using again!
Thanks so much Marie! Glad you liked the cookies!