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!
Table of Contents
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.
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.
Recipe FAQs
Here are some answers to some frequently asked recipe questions. You can also search the comments for more substitute recommendations!
Unfortunately no. Coconut flour and almond flour have very different properties. The dough really needs to coconut flour to hold together. The cookies will not turn out properly without it.
No. If you’re looking to substitute the butter, use Earth Balance buttery sticks. Do not use more coconut oil in place of the butter or you won’t get the right consistency.
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. I like keeping them in the fridge! You can also store these cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months.
This recipe is specifically designed to use almond flour. You can try these gluten-free sugar cookies (they’re SO good too!) if you want a recipe that uses gluten-free 1:1 baking flour or gluten-free all purpose flour.
Almond Flour in General FAQs
Almond flour can be used to make sugar cookies, but I don’t recommend doing a 1:1 swap in a regular sugar cookie recipe. Instead, it’s best to use a recipe that is specifically made using almond flour (like this recipe!)
Almond flour adds texture and flavor to gluten-free sugar cookies. It also keeps the cookies soft and gives them a great chew, which is essential for a delicious sugar cookie!
Almond flour needs a leavening agent in order for it to rise. This recipe uses baking soda to help the dough rise and achieve a light and tender crumb.
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.
Can you use more almond flour instead of coconut flour if you don’t have any?
Unfortunately that will not work! Coconut flour has very different properties and it won’t turn out the same.
Is the coconut flour required?
It is! Unfortunately the recipe won’t turn out without it.
These are absolutely delicious. Can’t stop eating them!
Oh wow these are sooo much better than regular-flour sugar cookies!!! I made the dough yesterday and baked one dozen cookies today and put the rest of the dough back in the fridge. I read somewhere in the comments that it is good for 24 hours in the fridge. Should I throw it out then? Will it make us sick? I was going to bake the rest tomorrow.
So you said you used evaporated cane juice? But it said powdered sugar…? A bit confused!
Are the baked cookies soft or crisp?
So I just made these and they are SO tasty. I was looking for a low-carb buttery cookie recipe and this is the base I used. I did not use the almond extract and used all vanilla again. I used Sola Low Calorie Sweetener– it’s granulated and works just like sugar. The taste was really great, but they were spongy and didn’t harden even after 1/2 hour of cooling, so I might need to cook them longer next time. And they had a coconut flavor which I would either want to intensify with coconut extract next time, or eliminate. Or both and have two separate recipes for yummy cookies.
Fist I’m going to try to eliminate the coconut flavor, so next time I make them I am going to use all butter. And instead of the Bob’s Red Mill coconut powder I am going to try the Cookoo for Coconuts brand from Amazon which reportedly doesn’t transfer a coconut flavor to baked goods.
And then I’ll try a batch with coconut extract added and try to figure out if I can add some toasted unsweetened coconut to them.
The dough is in the fridge. This dough is too runny for cut outs. I will use as drop cookies.
I used a mixture of Ghee & shortening for the half cup of fat. In retrospect there’s no need for the coconut oil, which i did add as per your recipe. The flavour is there but I’m disappointed.
Did you use coconut flour? This can happen when people substitute it for all almond flour. Sorry they didn’t turn out to your liking!
Can I substitute more butter for the coconut oil? I don’t like the coconut taste
Just made these tonight and they are so good. They’re soft and delicious. Everyone in the house loves them.
The good:
1. This recipe is yummy.
2.You really can’t tell they’re gluten free.
3. My husband thinks I’m awesome
The not so good:
1. They are ridiculously hard to move to the baking sheet. Like very stressful. I had no problems rolling them out using the parchment paper but it got ugly from there. I ended up just using a lot of parchment paper and rolling them out on the parchment paper and then transferring the paper to the baking sheet. It was absolutely the only way.
2. It is hard to get the dough out from between the cutouts. It sort of smears or smushes as you try to get it out.
The takeaway:
I might make these again, maybe, because they do taste wonderful. But for others considering making them using cookie cutters here are some tips 1. This is an adult project. I would not attempt this with children. I can say this because I tried with children at first. After feeling the dough before refrigerating overnight, I anticipated having some challenges so I also had some regular dough waiting to go for the kids. 2. Divide the dough in half and work with one at a time putting it back in the fridge after each roll. 3. Stick with simpler shapes – stars, hearts, basic bells, maybe simple trees. 4. Transfer the cutouts to the baking sheet on the piece of parchment paper that you rolled them out on. Then enjoy the gf deliciousness.
Excellent cookies!!! My favorite! My co workers love them!
Tried this recipe for the first time. Ever since I was diagnosed with celiac, I haven’t made sugar cookies. I just couldn’t imagine them made with anything but wheat flour. I’m happy to say that these cookies are very close to the original. I followed the recipe except for the almond extract. I didn’t have any so I used the same amount in vanilla extract. I put the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours. I just took out 1/2 of the dough at a time. I did use coconut flour on the surface and on my rolling pin. Worked fine. Used cookie cutters and they worked good. I was able to transfer to the cookie sheet easily. I baked the first batch for 14 minutes. It was too long. The other batches I baked for 12 minutes. They didn’t look dinner, but they were. I did use my regular butter cream frosting. I want making these as a healthy treat. It worked great. The only comment I would make is to refrigerate the dough overnight. I think this would make it colder throughout and easier to roll. It probably made about 50 cookies or so. Hard to tell. I do eat some as I frost them. My niece are some and said they were better than regular sugar cookies.
I would stay far away from this recipe. I don’t know how it got 5 stars. The dough keeps breaking and won’t stay together. I even put it in rhe freezer for 15 minutes and it still fell apart. It’s like it needs more flour or maybe more coconut oil to help it to stay together. The dough tastes great!
Sorry it didn’t work out for you Julie! What kind of almond flour did you use? Did you follow the recipe just as written?
Best cookies ever! taste delicious. I couldn’t find an icing recipe in your post, and used a vegan icing recipe [1 cup macadamia nuts, 2 cups shredded coconut, and 3-4 tbsp powder. Delicious!