Healthy almond flour shortbread, made with 3 ingredients in under 30 minutes! They are also vegan, Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, and keto (with one ingredient swap).
It is 100 degrees outside, but I cannot help myself: I am ready for fall baking to begin!
School starts next Monday, so I am planning ahead, filling the freezer with quick and easy options I can add to lunches.
Confession: it’s mostly cookies. I’ll get around to savory options soon enough, but I need to be true to my cookie monster self :).
My 3 ingredient almond flour cookies continue to be a hit, so I decided it was time for more of a good thing. Specifically, 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread!
These cookies are tender, teatime-perfect shortbread heaven. They are also:
*Vegan
*Grain-free
*Gluten-free
*Paleo
*Keto (with one easy ingredient swap)
They are ridiculously easy, and almost foolproof, too. Simply mix together 1 cup of blanched almond flour (not almond meal), 2 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or a keto substitute), and 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt.
You read correctly: this shortbread cookie dough is made with MELTED coconut oil. No electric mixer required. A bowl, a spoon, and about 30 seconds of stirring are all that you need for the preparation.
Moreover, the dough does not need to chill before baking. Simply roll the dough into balls, place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and flatten halfway. I chose a fork for my flattening, but a cookie stamp, the flat bottom of a measuring cup, or fingertips will also do the trick.
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the centers no longer look wet. The cookies will still seem somewhat soft, but that is due to the high amount of fat (almond flour + coconut oil). They will become firm once completely cooled.
Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
That’s it! With minimal time and effort, a dozen delectable shortbread cookies are yours for the eating.
You can double or triple the recipe according to the needs of your household, or the occasion.
Like my other minimalist cookie recipes, the opportunities for flavor personalization are boundless. Some quick ideas to jumpstart your creativity include the following:
(1) Extracts: replace 1/2 teaspoon of the water with vanilla extract, or 1/4 teaspoon of the water with almond, orange or lemon extract;
2) Citrus: replace the water with an equal amount of freshly squeezed lemon, lime or orange juice and add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon, lime, or orange zest
(3) Spices: add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite spice (you can taste the dough to determine how much; begin with a little add more as needed). For example, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg.
(4) Chocolate: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons miniature chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (sugar-free, keto-friendly options for keto cookies). Cacao nibs are also an excellent choice (they have no sugar and are naturally keto).
Happy baking, and stay cool!
3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies {Keto Option, Vegan, Grain-Free, Paleo}
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 13 mins
- Total Time: 18 mins
- Yield: 12 shortbread cookies 1x
Description
Tender and decadent-tasting almond flour shortbread, made with 3 ingredients. The cookies are extremely simple to make, as well as vegan, Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, and keto (with one ingredient swap).
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- 2 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (see notes for keto)
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring to combine (be sure to break up any lumps in the flour and/or sugar).
- Shape dough into 12 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls. Space balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden (the cookies will seem somewhat soft while hot; they will firm up as they cool).
- Remove from oven and cool on sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
Notes
Storage: Because of their high fat content, the cookies are best stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks (or the freezer for up to 6 months).
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: 75; Carbs: 2 g; Sugars: 0.3 g.
Other Sugars: An equal amount of brown sugar or granulated sugar of your choice can be used in place of the coconut sugar.
Butter and other Fats: You can use melted butter or ghee in place of the coconut oil. Because butter has a higher water content than coconut oil, I suggest increasing the butter to 2 and 1/2 tablespoons and only adding 1-1/2 teaspoons of water.
- Category: Cookies, Dessert
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 24.2 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
Can vegetable shortening (coconut) be subbed for coconut oil , if so would ratio be the same?
I think that should work just fine, Karyn. Same amount. It might work better to cream the shortening with the almond flour rather than melt it. I am not as familiar with coconut shortening (assuming it is akin to other vegetable shortenings in texture)
Just made these. They are Awesome!!!
Whoohoo!
Would adding nuts add to the baking time?
Hi Sandy! I do not think so, except within the normal range for baking the cookies (e.g., +/1 a minute or so). I would just watch closely 🙂
These were delicious and they keep well. I will make them again!
★★★★★
Glad you like them, Rebecca!
Is there an oil free substitute for this recipe and any other cookies?
Hi Sue,
I have a number of other super simple almond flour cookies that are free of oil that I think will appeal. Here is the first, but I have a pumpkin, gingerbread, chocolate and banana version, too, all oil-free
https://powerhungry.com/2018/03/3-ingredient-almond-flour-cookies-vegan-grain-free-paleo/
Can I use butter instead of coconut oil? Thank you!
Hi Freya! My apologies, I meant to add a note about this in the recipe (I will do so now). Yes, you can –see my response to Anita (she asked shortly before you posted). CHeers.
Can I use butter in place of coconut oil?
Hi Anita,
Yes, thanks for asking! I will add that to the recipe. You can use melted butter or ghee. Because butter has a higher water content than coconut oil,suggest increasing the butter to 2 and 1/2 tablespoons and only adding 1-1/2 teaspoons of water.
I would like to go to your site for recipes, can I have your site please.
Hi Carmen,
Sorry if there is any confusion–but you are on the site (powerhungry.com). The recipes are at the bottom of each post 🙂
I just made this recipe with stevia. Not sure if i can have coconut sugar with lyme disease. I only got 1/2 dozen small cookies. Ill let u know how they turn out.
Hi Ellie–hope that they turned out well! Did you use a stevia for baking blend? I have not had a lot of success with regular stevia in baking.
I kept the balls to 1 inch to yield a full dozen cookies 🙂
Can you substitute butter for the coconut oil?
Hi Rocio,
Yes, you can! I am adding a note about doing so. Thanks for asking 🙂
Could you replace the coconut sugar with honey
Hi Brooks,
I have not tried it, but it should definitely work with a tiny bit of tweaking. Honey is a little bit sweeter than coconut sugar, so I suggest using 2 tablespoons (not 2 and 1/2). You may only need as little as 1/2 teaspoon additional water, if at all.
Could u use coconut flour instead of almond flour I have some I need to use up x
Hi Hannah,
N, coconut flour would not work as a swap in this particular recipe. But I have a number of other healthy, minimalist coconut flour cookies on my site! 🙂