Your go-to, any occasion cookie: my 3-ingredient almond flour cookies! They are vegan, grain-free, paleo, and have a keto option, too.
The Best and Easiest Almond Flour Cookies
These are the cookies I want, and I am pretty certain you will want them, too.
Because they are perfect.
And ridiculously easy. The dough takes roughly 1 minute to prepare (that’s averaging up) with the help of nothing more than a medium-size bowl and a spoon.
The texture? Tender and crisp-chewy, similar to a macaron, but more substantial. The sweetness? Spot on (not too much, nor too little). And buttery? Very buttery, in fact, despite having no butter, or added oil of any kind.
These cookies are not ersatz, health-food imposters. Anything but that. Serve them to gourmet friends, traditionalist cookie aficionados, children (big and small), significant others, friends, neighbors, health-conscious acquaintances, and co-workers.
They will love them.
Vegan, Paleo, and Keto Almond Flour Cookies
All of that, and I have not mentioned several key features that makes these cookies all the more extraordinary. They are:
Made with just 3 ingredients (not counting water & salt)
Vegan (dairy -free & egg-free)
Grain-free
Gluten-free
Oil-free
Paleo-friendly
Keto (with one simple substitution)
All you need is almond flour, baking powder, and a bit of coconut sugar (or the granulated sweetener of your choice), along with a pinch of salt and a splash of water. That’s it.
Use Blanched Almond Flour to Make the Cookies
It’s very important to use blanched almond flour, not almond meal (which is more coarse, and is ground with the skins still on). The cookies will be greasy and heavy, plus they will not rise very high. I know, it is a little bit pricey, but it is 100% worth it for these cookies. In addition, 1 cup of flour yields 10 generous-sized cookies, which is pretty frugal in the long run.
Vary the Cookies in Multiple Ways
Here’s another reason to love these cookies: versatility. With one basic recipe, you have a wealth of cookie options at the ready, depending on what flavorings (e.g., vanilla and other extracts, spices, citrus zest) and/or stir-ins (e.g., chocolate chips or chunks, dried fruit, nuts, seeds) you want to incorporate.
You can even make jam thumbprints or use the dough as the base (in an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan) for bar cookies. Pretty neat!
How to Make 3-Ingredient Vegan Almond Flour Cookies
Making these cookies keto-friendly is a snap. Simply replace the coconut sugar with an equal amount of keto-friendly brown sugar replacement (e.g., Sukrin Gold, Swerve). Done! This reduce the carbohydrates to 2.5 grams per cookies (sugars 0.4 grams).
I specifically scaled this recipe small (10 cookies at a time) for anytime (now!) cookie baking, but the recipe can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled without a problem, in case you need to serve a crowd.
Make Keto Almond Flour Cookies
If you wish to make keto almond flour cookies, I have the solution for you: swap the coconut sugar for an equal amount of keto-friendly brown sugar substitute (use a variety that can be used measure for measure to coconut sugar or brown sugar).
Happy baking, everyone!
More Grain-Free & Vegan Almond Flour Cookies to Try
Irresistible almond cookies that taste rich and buttery, despite being free of oil, eggs, butter and dairy. They are naturally grain-free, gluten-free & vegan, plus, they can be made keto-friendly with 1 substitution.
Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder and (optional) salt (breaking up all lumps in the flour). Add the water and stir until blended.
Drop by scant tablespoons (I use a small cookie scoop, which is just shy of a tablespoon) on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 16 minutes until golden brown and set at the centers.
Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days (in a cool room; if it is hot, store in the refrigerator), the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to months.
Tip: I strongly recommend weighing the almond flour for best results. If using cups to measure, be sure to very lightly spoon the almond flour when measuring (do not scoop up the flour or tamp into the cup).
Sugar Options: An equal amount of brown sugar (light or dark) can be used in place of the coconut sugar.
Keto Variation: Replace the coconut sugar with an equal amount of keto-friendly brown sugar replacement (e.g., Sukrin Gold, Swerve). Keto Version Macros per Cookie: Calories: 64; Carbs: 2.5 g; Sugars: 0.4 g.
Variations:Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips to dough.
Thumbprints:Maake an indentation int the top of each unbaked cookie mound and fill with 1/4 teaspoon of jam or preserves before baking.
Dried Fruit Cookies: Add 1/3 cup very finely chopped dried fruit to dough.
Sesame Almond Cookies: Add 1/8 teaspoon almond extract to dough.Sprinkle tops of cookie dough with sesame seeds before baking.
Toasted Almond Cookies: Add 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1/3 cup toasted sliced almond, coarsely crushed, to dough.
Simple yet delicious ! Thanks for the easy no brainer recipe Camilla :)
Have made these twice so far. The first time overpacked the scoop - so clearly the 2tbsp wasn’t enough.
Today , I made sure to lightly pack the scoop, however it still took me about 7 tbsps water and 3 tbsps vanilla essence for a 2 cup measure of flour. It wasn’t free falling. It was a moist dough, that I made into small balls and flattened out by hand.
Garnished some with sesame seeds and some with shredded coconut and sesame seeds ...
32 bite size cookies gobbled in a jiffy by 2 kids and 2 adults :)
One question- do the cookies remain the same size even after baking? Or are they supposed to increase in size like regular white flour cookies ?
Yuliya
Saturday 20th of March 2021
Amazing!!!!!
Madison
Monday 15th of March 2021
I followed this recipe exactly and it only made 6 cookies. Not sure what happened, I spooned the flour into the cup and everything. I also pressed some chocolate chips on top before putting them in the oven. The taste is good I just wish it made more cookies considering I had to use a whole cup of almond flour, which is expensive.
Camilla
Tuesday 16th of March 2021
Hi Madison,
I am glad that you liked the cookies. I am sorry that you only got 6 cookies. It is almost certainly due to portioning. As noted, I use a small cookie scoop to portion the cookies, which yields 10 cookies
Des
Saturday 13th of March 2021
Pretty Good
Lola
Saturday 6th of March 2021
I have made these cookies every week for the past month when I found the recipe. My dough did not flatten at all and I also followed the recipe to a T. I used Bobs Red Mill and although I now have to flatten every time I make them (they don't even last an hour in the house) they are still an absolutely delicious. I flatten them halfway and the edges get really crispy! I can eat the whole batch but limit myself to 2 (maybe 4 at the most, LOL) with a cup of tea or my morning coffee! SOOOO GOOOOD! Thanks for a fantastic recipe! I made some for a couple of friends and their also obsessed! : )
I’m Camilla, food writer, author, runner, and spin instructor. PowerHungry® is where I share my easy, minimalist, plant-based recipes, designed for living a healthy, delicious, empowered life.
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Soosh
Monday 5th of April 2021
Simple yet delicious ! Thanks for the easy no brainer recipe Camilla :) Have made these twice so far. The first time overpacked the scoop - so clearly the 2tbsp wasn’t enough. Today , I made sure to lightly pack the scoop, however it still took me about 7 tbsps water and 3 tbsps vanilla essence for a 2 cup measure of flour. It wasn’t free falling. It was a moist dough, that I made into small balls and flattened out by hand. Garnished some with sesame seeds and some with shredded coconut and sesame seeds ... 32 bite size cookies gobbled in a jiffy by 2 kids and 2 adults :) One question- do the cookies remain the same size even after baking? Or are they supposed to increase in size like regular white flour cookies ?
Yuliya
Saturday 20th of March 2021
Amazing!!!!!
Madison
Monday 15th of March 2021
I followed this recipe exactly and it only made 6 cookies. Not sure what happened, I spooned the flour into the cup and everything. I also pressed some chocolate chips on top before putting them in the oven. The taste is good I just wish it made more cookies considering I had to use a whole cup of almond flour, which is expensive.
Camilla
Tuesday 16th of March 2021
Hi Madison, I am glad that you liked the cookies. I am sorry that you only got 6 cookies. It is almost certainly due to portioning. As noted, I use a small cookie scoop to portion the cookies, which yields 10 cookies
Des
Saturday 13th of March 2021
Pretty Good
Lola
Saturday 6th of March 2021
I have made these cookies every week for the past month when I found the recipe. My dough did not flatten at all and I also followed the recipe to a T. I used Bobs Red Mill and although I now have to flatten every time I make them (they don't even last an hour in the house) they are still an absolutely delicious. I flatten them halfway and the edges get really crispy! I can eat the whole batch but limit myself to 2 (maybe 4 at the most, LOL) with a cup of tea or my morning coffee! SOOOO GOOOOD! Thanks for a fantastic recipe! I made some for a couple of friends and their also obsessed! : )