There are a number of bits and bobs going into these cookies to make sure they taste great – almond flour, almond butter, caramel-like date sugar, and (of course) more chocolate than you probably need. This is my go-to for gluten free cookies and I think they’re just as good as my rye chocolate chip cookies.
As you can see in the recipe video, everything is mixed in one bowl, for less mess and more fun. And while I’m not averse to tossing an egg in my cookie dough, these really don’t need it. I love how easy these cookies are.
Right now is cookie baking season, I know, but chocolate chip cookies are good year round and this recipe isn’t holiday specific anyway. (But if you’re looking, here’s a collection of healthy Christmas cookies.)
If you have lots of almond flour to use, try gluten-free almond flour brownies, blueberry almond muffins, and a springtime rhubarb almond cake.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Almond flour: while flour is best, almond meal will work too. Hazelnut meal can be used in place of almond. Pictured is ‘natural’ almond meal, which has the fine grind but doesn’t use blanched nuts.
- Milk: use any non-dairy milk you like. I always use oat milk and water can be subbed in a pinch.
- Date sugar: while the deep, dark flavour of date sugar is fantastic in these cookies, coconut sugar is a great substitution. You might be able to get away with maple sugar but I haven’t tried that.
- Almond butter: substitute another nut butter, like hazelnut or peanut, if preferred.
- Coconut oil: use refined coconut oil to avoid any slight coconut flavour. Other oils can be used, but something that’s solid at room temperature is best.
Almond Flour in Cookies
Nuts are the secret weapon of any excellent vegan cookie – they add richness, a buttery flavour, and an improved texture. These cookies use both almond flour and almond butter for what amounts to the best gluten free and vegan cookie around.
A mix of almond flour, oat flour, and a little arrowroot form the base here, giving a subtly nutty flavour and truly excellent texture, chewy and just slightly crisp around the edges. You’re not going to get the same cookie as with a butter/eggs/sugar base, but it’s very good as is.
A finer almond flour, rather than almond meal, is preferable in these cookies for the best texture. I made my own oat flour in a mill, but a good food processor does the trick, or just buy oat flour. Arrowroot is a big part of what holds these cookies together, a bit like an egg normally would.
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Recipe Notes
Add a bit more milk to the recipe if needed, especially if your dough is looking dry before forming the cookies. It should be the same texture as a standard chocolate chip cookie dough.
Please note that I use standard European baking sheets, which are typically double-thickness (there’s a pocket of air between two layers of metal) and larger than might be usual in North America. If your baking sheets are very thin, you may want to stack them to imitate this double-layer type.
How to Store
Storage: these will keep for a few days in a sealed container at room temperature, but I find that they tend to soften a bit over time, especially in summer.
Freezing: place cooled cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month.
Expert Tips
- Use runny almond butter: the dry stuff from the bottom of a jar is going to result in dry, crumbly cookies, so be sure to use a fresh jar if needed.
- Don’t make flour substitutions: these have only been tested with oat flour as the secondary flour. Another GF flour, like coconut, cannot be subbed 1:1, and it would require further testing.
- Keep the sugar: the sugar can’t be reduced for this recipe, or you’ll end up with dry, dense hockey pucks.
More Gluten-Free Cookies
Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
Flourless Chocolate Tahini Cookies
Double Chocolate Chickpea Flour Cookies
Ultimate Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
If you make these Gluten-Free Almond Cookies or any other cookies recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.
Almond Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 60 grams almond flour
- 60 grams oat flour
- 90 grams date sugar*
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 150 grams runny almond butter
- 4 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons softened coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 70 grams dark chocolate chopped, or chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, sugar, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda.60 grams almond flour, 60 grams oat flour, 90 grams date sugar*, 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Add the almond butter, milk, oil, and vanilla to the bowl. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix until a dough forms.150 grams runny almond butter, 4 tablespoons non-dairy milk, 2 tablespoons softened coconut oil, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Place the chocolate into the bowl and use a spoon to fold it in, making sure it’s incorporated throughout.70 grams dark chocolate
- Form 12 cookies, rolling the dough into balls and flattening slightly on the prepared baking sheet. Leave about 5 cm (2 inches) between each cookie.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until very slightly harder on the edges and still soft in the centre. It will be difficult to tell if they’ve browned as the dough is dark, so go by feel.
- Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before moving the cookies to a rack to cool fully. These keep well for a couple of days at room temperature and freeze well in an airtight container for up to a month.
Video
Notes
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Sue Murray says
I just made these and they turned out perfectly. I must have made them a little smaller because I got 17 cookies. Easy and would make again.
Sam says
Oh, also, they burned/got very dark brown and crunchy on the bottom both times, even when cooking only 10 minutes, but I have never had an issue with my oven temp or anything before, so I don’t think it’s that.
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Sam, I want to make sure first that you’ve added the milk to the recipe – that’s key, along with the coconut oil, in making the cookies spread enough. I’ve made this recipe so many times (last week!) and have never seen the problems you’ve described. The only other thing I can think of is baking sheet thickness. Are you using a fan-forced oven or is it without a fan? You can try reducing the temperature a bit and/or double stack your baking sheets if they’re cooking on the bottom too quickly. My baking sheets are the ones that come with ovens in Germany and they’re quite thick. Hope this helps!
Sam says
Hi! I’m REALLY excited about this recipe, as I have never been able to make a date sugar cookie before. I tried it twice (weighed all the ingredients), but they didn’t spread at all, like in the photo. I used runny almond butter and coconut oil. I pressed the balls down slightly, as stated in the recipe. Instead of flattening out, they were thick, heavy, and cardboard like and pretty dry. I’d love to get the results that you got, any idea what could be different? Your photo looks like almond meal, rather than almond flour (which is hulled almonds/light/white powder), but I don’t think that would make the difference. I’d appreciate any ideas!!
Yum says
These cookies are AMAZING!! The best healthy chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. I substituted vanilla extract with vanilla bean paste and it enhanced the flavor of the cookies!
I initially made it with vanilla extract then I made it with the vanilla bean paste and definitely noticed a yummy difference! The texture is perfect! Thank you for sharing your recipe.