Almond Butter Cookies

These almond butter cookies have crumbly edges, tender middles, and a sweet, nutty flavor. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt takes them over the top!

Almond butter cookies recipe

This almond butter cookies recipe was a happy accident. The first time I made it, I had one of my I-need-a-cookie-and-I-need-it-now cravings, and I headed to the kitchen to see what I could do about it. I found all the ingredients to my vegan peanut butter cookie recipe – sugar, flour, baking powder, you know the drill. All the ingredients, that is, except for one: peanut butter! Would almond butter work in its place?

YES! As soon as I tried these cookies, I wondered, “Why haven’t I been making almond butter cookies all along?” They have crumbly edges, thick, tender middles, and a sweet and nutty flavor. If you’re looking for a last-minute holiday cookie recipe, I think this one would be perfect. It’s quick and easy to make (no chilling required!), and the cookies are absolutely delicious. But if you don’t get to them today, don’t worry. These almond butter cookies are a yummy anytime treat.

Almond butter cookies recipe ingredients

Almond Butter Cookies Recipe Ingredients

Ready to bake? Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Almond butter, of course! It fills the cookies with rich, nutty flavor. Be sure to use creamy – not crunchy – almond butter for this recipe.
  • Ground flaxseed and water – They replace an egg, helping the cookie dough bind. As a result, these almond butter cookies are totally vegan!
  • All-purpose flour – Make sure to spoon and level the flour for this recipe. This method yields a lighter cup of flour than one that’s scooped straight from the bag or jar. These cookies have a stiff dough, so a precise flour measurement is crucial. If your cups of flour are too heavy, the dough will be dry and difficult to work with.
  • Baking powder and baking soda – They help the cookies rise.
  • Coconut oil – For richness! Make sure your coconut oil is soft, but not melted, for this recipe.
  • Granulated sugar and brown sugar – They make the cookies lightly sweet.
  • Vanilla extract – It gives the almond butter cookies warm depth of flavor.
  • And sea salt – I add fine sea salt to the dough and sprinkle flaky sea salt on top. They make the cookies’ sweet, nutty flavor pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Wet ingredients in a mixing bowl

How to Make Almond Butter Cookies

This almond butter cookies recipe is super easy to make! Here’s how it goes:

First, make the flax egg. In a small bowl, stir together the flaxseed and water, and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken.

Meanwhile, combine the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and the wet ingredients in a large one. Stir the flaxseed mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients.

Pouring dry ingredients into wet ingredients

Then, pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients…

Almond butter cookies dough

…and stir to combine. The dough will be stiff! If it’s too dry and crumbly to work with, add water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until it’s just cohesive.

Balls of cookie dough on baking sheet

Then, shape the cookies. Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to portion the dough, and roll it into balls with your hands. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Hands using fork to create cross-hatch pattern on cookie dough

Press each ball down slightly. Then, use a fork to decorate each cookie with a cross-hatch pattern, flattening it more in the process.

Finally, bake! Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt (optional, but recommended), and bake for 12 to 13 minutes at 350°. After you remove them from the oven, let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Almond butter cookies on a baking sheet

Almond Butter Cookies Recipe Tips

  • Use smooth, runny almond butter. This recipe will not work if your almond butter is dry or stiff. Make sure that it’s well-stirred and that it doesn’t have any lumps or chunks. If you store your almond butter in the fridge, allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour before making this recipe. You want it to be as runny as possible!
  • Add water if you need to. If your cookie dough is on the dry side, don’t worry! That’s how it should be for this recipe. However, if it’s too dry to work with, don’t hesitate to moisten it. Add water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until it’s just cohesive and you’re able to shape it into cookies.
  • Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. If you’re anything like me, you’re going to want to devour these cookies as soon as they come out of the oven! But hold off if you can. They’re very delicate at first. As they cool on the baking sheet, they firm up and take on their yummy crumbly texture. Their flavor gets better too!
  • Freeze the extras (if you have any!). These almond butter cookies freeze perfectly! If you have any extras, pop them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 2 months. I love keeping a stash on hand for whenever a cookie craving strikes.

Almond butter cookies

More Favorite Cookie Recipes

If you love these almond butter cookies, try one of these yummy cookie recipes next:

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Almond Butter Cookies

rate this recipe:
4.75 from 20 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Serves 20
These almond butter cookies are a yummy anytime treat! For the best results, use really smooth, runny almond butter in this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil, soft but not melted
  • ½ cup cane sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup well-stirred creamy natural almond butter*
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Flaky sea salt, optional, for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed and water and set aside to thicken for 5 minutes.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the (spooned and leveled) flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil, cane sugar, brown sugar, almond butter, and vanilla. Stir in the flaxseed mixture and mix well.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. The dough should be on the dry side. If it’s too dry and crumbly to work with, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it comes together.
  • Scoop dough using a 2-inch cookie scoop and roll into balls with your hands. Flatten slightly and place on the baking sheet. Use a fork to make cross-hatch marks. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.
  • Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*Look for creamy almond butter with a smooth consistency to make this recipe, not the dry, stiff stuff that you might find at the bottom of a jar. Even when your nut butter is runny, this recipe makes a stiff cookie dough. If your almond butter is too dry, the dough may crack, and it will be difficult to form cohesive cookies. This recipe was tested with 365 natural creamy almond butter.
Tip: If you store your almond butter in the fridge, allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour before making this recipe.

28 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Leslie T Sarji
    06.17.2023

    I have a jar of crunchy almond butter I need to use up. Will it work for this recipe but just have crunchy bits of almond, or is there something fundamentally different about crunchy other than the bits of nuts?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.19.2023

      Hi Leslie, it might be ok if it’s natural peanut butter that’s otherwise smooth and on the runny side. If it’s too thick and chunky, the batter will be too dry.

  2. Bonnie
    03.13.2023

    2 stars
    I followed the recipe. The coconut oil overwhelms the almond flavor. I love almond butter, so next time I will eliminate the coconut oil and replace with more almond butter and regular butter.

  3. Amy Thomas
    12.19.2022

    In the ”80s I remember a cookie trend where you put a chocolate kiss in the center of a ball of peanut butter cookie dough. It may have been baked in a mini muffin tin. I don’t know.
    Anyway I plan to make this recipe using egg and oil and regular flour. I am putting kisses with almonds in the center. I am really excited about this idea!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      12.22.2022

      I hope you enjoy the cookies!

  4. Desiree
    08.24.2022

    I made these today with oat flour, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil and just the brown sugar (no white) and they turned out perfect!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.26.2022

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  5. Renata
    07.02.2022

    5 stars
    Made these today with about 3 tablespoons less sugar, a regular egg and 1/2 cup spelt flour. Delicious!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.02.2022

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them!

  6. Bekki
    01.15.2022

    5 stars
    seriously the best cookies I’ve ever had!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.16.2022

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  7. Che
    12.20.2021

    5 stars
    Sending you oceans of joy for sharing the makings of my new signature cookie.

  8. Rosie
    12.16.2021

    5 stars
    My son and I made these cookies tonight! We used the exact ingredients, but made 12 large cookies instead of 20. Baked them for 13 min at 350° and the turned out perfectly: crispy and chewy!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.17.2021

      Hi Rosie, I’m so glad you both enjoyed them!

  9. Yvonne
    12.09.2021

    4 stars
    Beautifully creamy nutty flavor with soft(ish) inside and crisp edges. After reading the comments I was careful with the amount of coconut oil and also just used 1/4 (instead of 1/2) cup. It was the perfect consistency and should not be any oilier! Thank you for pointing that out.

  10. Cyndi
    11.28.2021

    4 stars
    My experience with the recipe is they’re delicious, but way too much oil. I think there may be a typo with the oil, but it’s possible my almond butter was more oily than the 365 brand. There was grease everywhere from these cookies and they spread out so much from the oil that they all flattened out and merged together on the pan. Would you verify the oil measurement was correct? I wondered if maybe it was supposed to be a 1/4 cup. But otherwise, very tasty! I added carob chips. 😋

  11. Kyoko Yamada
    08.25.2021

    5 stars
    So delicious! Made them using Trader Joe’s almond butter. Had to add 1 Tb of water and left them pretty thick but small (I used a 1 Tb spoon to scoop) since they do crack when you’re flattening the balls. Definitely will be a staple!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.26.2021

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  12. Natalie
    03.01.2021

    Can coconut or almond flour be substituted for the all purpose flour?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.02.2021

      Hi Natalie, no it can’t, those flours aren’t a 1:1 substitute.

  13. Mindy
    12.26.2020

    Love your cookbooks!
    Do you think the flour can be substituted with a GF flour? I’ve been wanting to try some baking but am gluten-sensitive. Thanks!!!

  14. Jo
    12.25.2020

    Can I use an egg in place of flaxseed? I don’t use it & don’t want to buy for just one recipe & I want to make this recipe.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.26.2020

      Hi Jo, I haven’t tested this recipe with an egg.

      • Julia
        01.06.2022

        Alas, I just realized my flaxseed expired.
        I totally understand that this recipe was not tested with an egg(s) and thus no results are guaranteed, but given the amount (1 tbsp ground flaxseed/3 tbsps water) called for, how many eggs was that intended to “replace” and/or how many fresh eggs would you recommend trying instead? Many thanks!

        • Jeanine Donofrio
          01.08.2022

          Hi Julia, you could try replacing it with 1 egg. If the dough ends up too wet, chill it in the fridge for a little bit before rolling. Can you let me know how it goes?

  15. Bruce
    12.24.2020

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. With the next couple of days of being off for the holidays, we will give these a try over the weekend. Have a great day and Happy Holidays.

  16. Debbie
    12.24.2020

    What is a substitute for ground flax seed? I want to make these but can’t find ground flax seed – thanks so much!

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.