It certainly doesn’t take much to sell someone on cookies. Toss in the notion that said cookies are on the healthy side? Few people will hear that beyond the headline: cookies!
It’s true though, these almond butter cookie recipes aren’t just healthier than other cookies of similar flavors. Through the power of almond butter, they offer lower sugar, less fat, and allergy-conscious options for bakers ready to experiment a little.
Almonds lower and control cholesterol while offering flavorful alternatives to sugars, butter, and peanuts. Outside of all that, for those with a gastronomical streak, leaning to balance the sugars and fats of novel ingredients can lead to exceptional results.
Almond Butter Cookie Recipes
What a time to be alive and baking! Not only do bakers have access to a robust pantry of new ingredients, but the new ingredients also benefit from blended flavor trends.
For the following recipes, you can take any of these almond butters for a spin and arrive at a tasty cookie. (The ginger cookies being the one place you’ll want to tread carefully.)
1. Chocolate Chip
It’s a classic chocolate chip cookie but free of flour and butter so vegan (with a substitution) and gluten-free.
Ingredients
-
- Eggs – 1 or 1 egg-substitute for binding
- Almond butter – 1 cup
- Brown Sugar – 1/2 cup, coconut sugar also works
- Baking Soda – 1 tsp (for rising)
- Chocolate Chips – 1 cup total, feel free to mix in multiple chip types/sizes
- Vanilla Extract – 1/2 – 1 tsp, rich vanilla goes a long way so modulate by quality
Process
Start by beating the egg until slightly frothy. It’s hard to overwhip eggs until sugars added.
Stir in the almond butter gently. You want it integrated but not mixed. Lumpy batter makes for fluffier cookies.
Next the sugar, vanilla, and baking soda go in all at once. Integrate without homogenizing.
Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips gently for an even distribution of chocolatey goodness.
Prepare baking sheets with either baking mats or parchment paper. Drop on one to one-and-a-half teaspoons of batter and form depressed domes. Wipe off any excess oil that rises to prevent over-browning.
Baking
Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Check and remove if done, go another 2 minutes for crispy flats.
Cool for 10 minutes before eating (chocolate burn is the pits!). Store for up to 7 days of two weeks if chilled.
2. Nut Butters (Almond)
Much like Band-Aid needs to stop being the default for adhesive strips, peanut butter cookies need to step down and let the generic title prevail. These nut butter cookies (featuring Almond!) are just like those popular ones but oh so different and oh so worth checking out.
Ingredients
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- Almond butter – 3/4 cup smooth and on the oily side (infused or plain, your call)
- Sugar- 1/2 brown (or coconut or agave), 1/2 cup cane or sugar substitute
- Coconut oil – 1/2 cup
- Flour – 1 1/2 cup, all-purpose or hearty (oat, rye, etc)
- Sea salt – 1/2 tsp
- Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp
- Baking Powder – 1/4 tsp
- Vanilla – 1 – 1 1/2 tsp (depending on quality)
- Water – 3 Tbsp
- Ground Flaxseed – 1 Tbsp
Process
Mix together the water and flaxseed in a separate bowl. This will thicken for up to 5 minutes.
In a secondary bowl mix the flour, baking bits (powder and soda), and sea salt.
In your main bowl mix the sugars, coconut oil, almond butter, and vanilla. Combine until smooth and then integrate the flaxseed mixture.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and fold. The batter should be just combined and dry. If it is so dry it doesn’t hold together, add a touch more water.
Prepare baking sheets with either baking mats or parchment paper. Make balls of dough roughly 2-inches in diameter and put them on a sheet. Flatten on the bottom to prevent rolling then add the traditional cross-hatching with a fork.
Add large-flake salt to the tops if desired.
Baking
Place in the oven at 350 F for 12 minutes. Check for a golden brown exterior. For dryer climates, cut cooking time by a minute. For moister climates, shorten by a minute.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before sampling the goods.
3. Haystacks
Sometimes you want cookies but you don’t want to bake them. That’s where the classic haystack-style no-bake cookie comes in. These easy almond butter cookies are best made outside the reach of children (and grabby spouses).
Ingredients
-
- Almond butter – 1/3 cup (chunky mix-ins and flavors excel here)
- Rolled Oats – 1 cup (gluten-free if desired)
- Sesame Seeds – 1/4 cup
- Coconut Sugar – 1/2 cup (or agave)
- Coconut Oil – 3 Tbsp (refined or vegan butter)
- Sunflower Seeds – 3 Tbsp, unsalted (or almond slivers)
- Almond Milk – 2 Tbsp (sub in soy, oat, or nut milk as desired)
- Vanilla – 1/2 – 1 tsp (always with that vanilla extract quality)
- Sea Salt – to taste
Process
Place coconut oil, coconut sugar, and almond milk into a saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a low boil.
With the above mixture bubbling (but not splattering) mix ingredients with a few swirls. You want ribbons of each and not a solid mixture of all three. Continue to boil for about a minute.
Remove the mixture from heat and add the almond butter, sesame and sunflower seeds, oats, and coconut flour. Stir everything thoroughly but not until smooth. Add the salt and vanilla and give another stir-through.
Set aside a baking sheet with the usual parchment or wax paper. Baking mats are a no-go here, they will get far too sticky (also, no baking). Spoon large tablespoons (1-3 based on want) of cookie mixture onto the sheets.
Let rest for 20 minutes or 12 in the refrigerator. Finished cookies will be solid but not hard and last for five-ish days refrigerated.
4. Salted Ginger
This final recipe is for those looking to bake with almond butter on a more routine basis. These cookies are cakey in texture but made of only a few ingredients.
Ingredients
-
- Almond Butter – 3/4 cup (chunky or smooth as preferred)
- Coconut Sugar – 1/2 cup (or brown sugar)
- Ground Ginger – 2 tsp (grated ginger works, but only if dried overnight)
- Salt – 1/2 tsp (dealers choice but large-flake is best)
- Egg – 1 or substitute
Process
Throw everything into a bowl and mix until well-combined. You want a nice glossy sheen to the batter.
Cover sought while still in the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes minimum, 4 hours is best.
Get your parchment-lined baking sheets ready. Drop tablespoons of dough on the sheet in small balls.
Baking
Bake at 350 F for 11 minutes. Check for a dark brown bottom and golden lift at the edges. Give another one to two minutes if not done.
Remove from oven, top with additional salt (not too heavy), and let cool for that agonizing 10 minutes.
Eat Your Fill!
There you have it. Four easy-to-make almond butter cookie recipes.
Compare these to traditional recipes and you’ll quickly see how easy it is to adjust other perennial favorite recipes to incorporate the flavors and power of almond butter.
Check back with us for more culinary precision and flavors that endure.
