These soft gluten free almond cookies with chocolate may be your new favorite breakfast item. They almost remind me of a muffin top. Refined sugar free, a handful of pantry staple ingredients and one bowl to have these delicious cookies on hand!
Baking with almond flour isn't something that we did when growing up, it wasn't until later in life that I began experimenting with different flours and also often times minimizing the amount of sweets and breads I eat (don't worry, I still eat all of those things). As I get older, I do try and be mindful of the amount of sugar I take in and try to find other ways to enjoy treats.
These soft almond cookies happen to be gluten free and sweetened just slightly with honey - they are protein packed from almond flour and almond butter. Of course a hint of sweetness from the dark chocolate as well. You won't be surprised when you make these weekly and enjoy 3 or 4 at a time!
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Almond Flour vs Almond Meal?
Before we jump into the recipe and you go out looking for ingredients - let's talk about the elephant in the room - the difference between Almond Flour and Almond Meal.
- Almond Flour is made from blanched (peeled) almonds. It has a finer texture and lighter in color (almost white).
- Almond Meal is made from raw (unpeeled) almonds which tends to have a slightly coarser texture and flecks of brown from the skins.
Both are fine to use and can be used interchangeably 1:1. For this recipe, I used almond flour so the results you see and photos will reflect that.
Ingredients
If you have never baked with almond flour it's a great alternative to all-purpose but can't always be subbed 1:1 - you really need to make sure you are using the proper recipe that calls for almond flour. The biggest difference I notice when using almond flour is a softer texture - you really won't achieve a chewy cookie.
- Almond Flour - Almond flour is used as the base for our recipe, you can use almond meal if you have that on hand instead.
- Coconut Oil - I love using coconut oil in this recipe because you can actually taste hints of coconut in the cookie and it gives it almond joy vibes! You can certainly substuitue if you don't care for coconut flavor.
- Egg - 1 whole egg to bind our cookies
- Vanilla Extract - Adding a hint of vanilla
- Almond Butter - Not only are we using almond flour but also almond butter to get that extra boost of protein and flavor.
- Honey - A bit of honey for our sweetener.
- Baking Soda - Our leavening agent
- Dark Chocolate - I love chopping my own dark chocolate and adding big chunks in these cookies vs chips. If you are using chips - I'd go with mini. If you want to keep dairy free try, Enjoy Life brand.
- Salt + Flake Salt
- *Cinnamon optional
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Combine your wet ingredients and baking soda into a large bowl and mix until combined.
Add your egg and mix again.
Fold in your almond flour and chocolate chunks.
Fold until a cohesive dough forms.
Scoop your cookie dough and place about 2" apart on a parchment lined sheet pan. Top with additional chocolate chunks.
Bake for 9-10 minutes until golden brown. Immediately top with flake salt.
Hint: If not measuring ingredients with scale, after warming your oil, use the same measuring cup to pour your honey and almond butter. Or simply spray your measuring cup with cooking spray. This will allow the nut butter and honey to slide out with ease and nothing left in measuring cup.
Substitutions and Variations
Some common substitutions to keep the cookies more allergy friendly:
- Maple Syrup - If you're looking to keep the cookie vegan, try using maple syrup in place of honey.
- Flax Egg - I have not try this recipe specifially with a flax egg but I imagine it would work nicely with the ingredients. To make a flax egg simply combine
- 1 Tablespoon ground flax (flax meal) and 2.5 Tablespoons water.
- Allow to sit for 5 minutes then use as you would an egg
- Nut Flours - You can substitute another nut flour in place of almond flour: hazelnut flour, walnut flour, etc.
- Nut Butters - You can substitute your favorite nut butter in this recipe.
- Cinnamon - Add a dash of cinnamon for an extra flavor boost or cardamom.
- Coconut Oil - The coconut oil is noticeable in this cookie, it really gives the cookie an almond joy taste. If you are not a fan of coconut, feel free to sub another oil in its place: canola, vegetable, grapeseed, avocado or olive oil for a more neutral flavor.
Equipment
This is a very easy one bowl recipe that doesn't require many tools but there are a few favorite baking tools I recommend in every kitchen!
- Kitchen Scale - If you don't already own a kitchen scale, I highly recommend it. It's much more accurate and will give you the results intended for baking. I do include both weight and cup measurements but err on the side of weight, especially when working with nut flours. You can grab one on Amazon for less than $10.
- Parchment Sheets - GAME CHANGER - I LOVE these parchment sheets! They make cleanup so easy and really do give more even consistent baking.
- Cookie Scoop - Love my cookie scoop, I use it for meatballs too!
- Half Sheet Pan - I use these for cookies, potatoes, chicken, whatever I possibly can! Workhorse in the kitchen - good to have multiple!
Storage
These cookies are great stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze them in a sealed bag or container for 3 months.
Expert Tip
Adding the baking soda to the wet ingredients allows it to blend in without clumping or creating a metallic taste. Be sure to add egg after your coconut oil is mixed with your other ingredients to make sure the egg isn't cooked with the warm oil.
FAQ for Almond Cookies
I have not tested these cookies using all purpose flour, since it was created with the idea of a gluten free, nut based flour I would not recommend. But you can certainly sub for another nut flour.
The cookies spread slightly when baking but mostly puff up. I still like to leave room on my sheet pan and place about 8 at a time.
I find that when baking cookies I like to bake 1 tray at at time for the most even baking rather than swapping trays halfway. This allows the most even baking and superior results.
Sure, feel free to sub out some of the chocolate or all of it for chopped almonds - I would give them a quick toast before adding to enhance the flavor. Or do half chocolate and half almonds.
I stray away from using words like, "healthy" in food. They are grain free, gluten free, could be vegan and refined sugar free - so for a cookie, they do have some great added healthy benefits. I would totally eat them for breakfast - and I have!
I personally love the texture and how chopped chocolate melts in cookies - you get a completely different texture and feel than straight chocolate chips which tend to have additives which don't allow them to fully melt. Grab a good quality chocolate bar -Lindt is a great choice. My favorite is the large One Pounder Dark Chocolate blocks from Trader Joe's. I keep them in my baking pantry and chop what I need. I aim for 60-78% dark chocolate for the best flavor.
I hope you enjoy these Soft Gluten Free Almond Cookies with Chocolate as much my family does - feel free to adjust and make your own!
If you make Soft Gluten Free Almond Cookies with Chocolate, please let me know by leaving a rating and review below!
As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media #cosetteskitchen which lets me know what is working for you! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter , Tiktok and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
xoxo,
Cosette
Soft Gluten Free Almond Cookies
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 19 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Cookies
Description
These Soft Almond Cookies are naturally gluten free, refined sugar free and just a DELIGHT! They are soft and taste almost like a tender muffin top!
Ingredients
- 2 heaping Tablespoons of coconut oil, melted (54 grams)*
- ¼ cup almond butter (76 grams)
- 4 Tablespoons honey (78 grams)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 whole large egg
- 2 cups almond flour, or almond meal (189 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt - if your almond butter is unsalted
- 3-4 ounces chopped dark chocolate (60-72%) + additional for topping
- Flake salt, optional but highly recommended
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and set your oven rack to the center position.
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt your coconut oil.
- 2 heaping Tablespoons of coconut oil, melted (54 grams)
- Add in your almond butter, honey, vanilla extract and baking soda and mix until smooth and combined.
- ¼ cup almond butter (76 grams)
- 4 Tablespoons honey (78 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Add your egg and mix once again.
- 1 whole large egg
- Add your almond flour + salt + chopped chocolate, fold in to combine and create a cohesive dough.
- 2 cups almond flour, or almond meal (189 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt - if your almond butter is unsalted
- 3.5 ounces chopped dark chocolate
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop about 2 Tablespoons worth of dough (about 35 grams) onto your prepared pan. I usually fit 8-10 leaving about 1.5-2" of space. These cookies won't spread much, but they will poof up. Top with additional chopped chocolate.
- Bake for 9 minutes until golden brown. Immediately top with flake salt, Maldon is my favorite.
- Repeat for the remaining cookies. Enjoy warm!
Notes
- The coconut oil definitely is noticeable in the cookie and gives a coconut flavor - if you are sensitive to that, use an oil of your choice (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, avocado or olive oil)
- Check your almond butter label to see if the ingredients contain salt, if they don't add salt to your batter.
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to your mix for a little extra flavor boost.
- I HIGHLY recommend chopping your own chocolate vs chocolate chips - you'll get a much more chocolatey and gooier cookie. A dark chocolate bar is usually about 3.5oz and should be enough for your dough + topping.
- I only bake 1 tray at a time to ensure the most even baking.
Keywords: gluten free almond cookies, healthy cookies, breakfast cookies, protein packed cookies, almond cookies, soft almond cookies, chocolate almond cookies
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