5-Ingredient Flourless Almond Butter Cookies

By Amanda Paa – Updated March 9, 2023
4.55 from 33 votes
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Made with just 5 ingredients, these flourless almond butter cookies are chewy and packed with nutty vanilla, goodness. It’s a one-bowl cookie recipe that everyone loves. They get a sprinkle of sea salt on the top, and are a delicious gluten free cookie!

Incredible, 5 Ingredient Almond Butter Cookies {gluten-free}

I know what you’re thinking, these are probably just like the standard flourless peanut butter cookies (1 egg, 1 cup pb, 1 cup sugar). I’ve tried those – they’re good, but not great. Average. And I’m not here for average when it comes to baked goods.

They always seem a bit dry and lacked a toothsome bite. Pushing down on them with a fork to make a criss-crossed pattern would cause the edges to crack (like this), which causes anxiety for a slight perfectionist.

One-Bowl Almond Butter Cookies

These almond butter cookies….. well, they’re the cookie of my dreams! And I do not say that lightly.

They’re soft and chewy, with nutty, vanilla of flavor.
Have a sturdy edge with a tender dome, making the perfect pillow for your teeth to sink into.
A sprinkle of salt to bring out the toasted notes of the almond butter, and beautiful rippled tops.

Even though there are only five ingredients to a recipe like this, little intricacies can make a big difference when there isn’t much to work with. I find that frequently with many gluten-free dessert recipes. That doesn’t equal difficulty, but more so the science of slightly changing ingredient quantities and technique to drastically change the outcome.

Incredible Flourless Almond Butter Cookies {heartbeet kitchen blog}

Making Flourless Almond Butter Cookies

Leave it to the Brooklyn bakeshop, Ovenly (as detailed by Smitten Kitchen), whose Salted Peanut Butter Cookies bring people in droves, to figure out the magic equation for an incredible flourless cookie like this.

  1. Less sugar and nut butter per egg, rather than the classic 1:1:1 ratio.
  2. The intense softness comes from using brown sugar (molasses adds moisture) instead of white. It adds a layer of caramel flavor too.
  3. That picture perfect height and pretty layers comes from using a cookie scoop (the one with a lever that pushes the dough out) to create the balls after freezing the dough for 15 minutes.

My adaptations were minimal, scaling down the recipe to make a small batch, one dozen cookies, because it’s just two of us, and using almond butter instead of peanut butter. I’m definitely not against peanut butter, in fact these gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are one of my favorites, but I love experimenting with the different textures and flavors of other nut butters.

Incredible Flourless Almond Butter Cookies {heartbeet kitchen blog}

How to Make Chewy Almond Butter Cookies:

  1. You’ll mix everything in one bowl, the important thing being the order, which is included in the recipe below. What at first seems like a giant blob, whisks into a sticky ball that slowly peels itself away from the edges and holds it shape.
  2. To get those pretty marks on the top and keep the tall height, pop the bowl of dough in the freezer for 15 minutes, covering lightly with a cloth.
  3. Bake for 18 minutes on middle rack, until lightly browned on the edges and glossy on top (if you use smaller scoop, bake about 15 minutes). When finished, cookies should be golden at edges.
Incredible Flourless Almond Butter Cookies {heartbeet kitchen blog}
5 Ingredient Flourless Almond Butter Cookies

Ingredients for Almond Butter Cookies

Five ingredients – one bowl – one dozen cookies that are nothing like the standard, in the very best of ways.

  • Brown sugar
  • Egg
  • Almond Butter
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Salt

The vanilla (quality counts!) and flaky salt are super important, so don’t leave them out.

Incredible Flourless Almond Butter Cookies {heartbeet kitchen blog}
Incredible Flourless Almond Butter Cookies {heartbeet kitchen blog}

More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes:

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5-Ingredient Flourless Almond Butter Cookies

These flourless almond butter cookies are easy to make in one bowl, no mixer needed! Crisp edges with a dense chewy center and nutty, vanilla flavor.
4.55 from 33 votes
Prep Time :10 minutes
Cook Time :17 minutes
Yield: 10 cookies
Author: Amanda Paa

SCALE:

Ingredients

  • 180 grams brown sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 210 grams unsweetened almond butter (I use a brand that has one ingredient, dry roasted almonds.)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt + additional flaky salt for sprinkling

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 330°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet (make sure it is not a super dark sheet) with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and egg until sugar starts dissolve, it becomes lighter in color, and frothy, about 1 minute.
  • Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt until combined. Then switch to a spatula and add the almond butter, stirring vigorously for at least one minute, until the dough becomes firmer and shinier, and pulls away from the sides of bowl. It is a scoopable dough.
  • To get those pretty marks on the top, pop the bowl of dough in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, covering lightly with a cloth. (Make sure it's in a ball so the edges don't freeze way before the middle) After the rest, scoop dough with this cookie scooper (holds 1 1/3 oz) onto baking sheet. Sprinkle the dough balls with flaky salt (if desired) just before baking. (They will all fit on one sheet pan.)
  • Bake for 17 minutes on middle rack, turning baking sheet halfway through. When you turn the cookie sheet, use a flat spatula to press down on top of the cookies to make them flatter. You're going to think they aren't doing anything, but just trust the bake.
  • The cookies are done when they just barely start to get a brown edge. (You can press them down once more at this point.) Do not overbake. They will continue to set as they cool. Remove sheet from oven and place sheet on a cooling rack. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring them a cooling rack. Store in covered container and enjoy!

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June 17, 2016

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54 comments

  1. Jjen

    5 stars
    These are really good! They stay together after baking and are fantastically chewy. In my case for whatever reason) I would cook them about a minute longer or so. I was afraid to over bake the first time.

    • Amanda Paa

      So glad you enjoyed them! They are better underbaked rather than over; and now you know about how far to bake to get the texture you like!

  2. Francesca

    5 stars
    Can these be made with a.vbo of erythritol, brown sugar & molasses?

    • Amanda Paa

      hello! i have not tested this recipe with those substitutions.

  3. Gina

    Would these work for cut out cookies?

  4. Lauren Smith

    I love these cookies! But I have a question, is the 1/4 teaspoon salt for the sprinkling? Or is it supposed to be added into the batter? Because it doesn’t say anywhere where to add that 1/4. And then next to it there is the sprinkling salt..

    • Amanda Paa

      hi lauren! you’ll add 1/4 teaspoon regular salt to the batter, and then flaky salt to the top.

  5. Nandhini

    Hi,
    Tried baking these and they didnt spread out as much as yours and remained in somewhat of a macaroon kinda texture😞 any ideas why that would be?

    • amandapaa

      hmmm…. did you stir the batter really well, until it was sticky like play-doh?

  6. Sudha

    Can I add egg substitute like apple sauce for this recipe ? I don’t eat eggs 😊

    • amandapaa

      Hi Sudha! I’m afraid the egg is key to the recipe, and cannot be substituted.

  7. Cassie Thuvan Tran

    What an amazing recipe! I love using almond butter in baking, and cookies with nut butter as a base are one of my favorite kinds of cookies! Can you use a flax egg for this recipe? I wonder if it will work with a vegan alternative!

    • amandapaa

      Hi Cassie!
      I’m not sure if they would work with a flax egg, unfortunately.

  8. Kerrie

    These are incredible…. my husband wants me to make them all the time now.

    • amandapaa

      Yay! So glad you’re house is enjoying the recipe.

  9. R.McClure

    Good recipe. Followed exactly. Great cookies. Really enjoy the salt atop the cookies.
    Thanks.

    • amandapaa

      so glad you liked the recipe! xo

  10. Molly

    Thank you for getting back to me so quickly I will go on that website and find out have a good day

  11. Molly

    Got the munchies last night tried this recipe for the first time they are delicious. I would just like to know how many calories are there in each cookie thank you

  12. Helen

    Made it quickly last night for a late nite snack ;D
    Loooved it. not too sweet n perfectly chewy
    i used palm sugar instead of brown sugar

    • amandapaa

      I’m so glad you liked the cookies! And good to know that palm sugar works too.

  13. Heather

    These are AMAZING! My picky son with food allergies loved them too!!!

    • amandapaa

      Yay, thanks for sharing your results! and so glad they were son approved. :)

  14. Mel

    Think you could throw chocolate chunks in here or would that mess with the consistency somehow?

    • amandapaa

      i haven’t tested these cookies with chocolate chip/chunks. if you do, let me know how it goes!

  15. Patti

    Wow, these were just amazing! I was skeptical but so yummy and easy! Kinda tasted chewy like they had coconut in them. Hmmm….

    • amandapaa

      Great, so glad you liked the recipe!

  16. Desiree

    I don’t have parchment paper. Is it a problem, can i just put them straight on the baking sheet?

    • amandapaa

      You should butter or grease the sheet pan then, to make sure they don’t stick. I would also bake one lever higher up in your oven than your normally do.

  17. Kris O

    I made these tonight and really enjoyed them. Thank you!

    • amandapaa

      Yay! So glad you liked them. Thanks for sharing your experience. xo

  18. Laura Dembowski

    I love that you adjusted the ratio to achieve a better cookie! Flourless cookies are some of my faves!

    • amandapaa

      Just made them again last week, can’t keep them around long enough! Their texture is so chewy and good.

  19. Katharine Rzepecki

    These cookies were so easy to make and 10x better than I had expected them to be! Very easy to scoop out after 15 minutes in the freezer. One of the best/easiest gluten-free cookie recipes I have tried!

  20. Gracie Saye

    Is there any substitute for the sugar? Honey, maple syrupt, stevia (not liquid), or coconut sugar?

    • amandapaa

      Hi Gracie! The brown sugar is a must because of the moisture it adds, and the chemical reaction to the egg to keep them very soft. I haven’t tested the recipe with the others you mentioned.

      • Stacey

        I did in fact substitute the brown sugar for coconut palm sugar and it turn out spectacularly.

        • amandapaa

          wonderful, thanks for letting me know!

        • Rubina

          I like the idea of using coconut sugar. Should I use 1 cup or less?
          Thank you
          Rubina

  21. danielle // rooting the sun

    Amanda, I’m quite smitten with the five ingredient feature – it appeals greatly to the minimalistic part of my brain – and it’s a beautiful way to dive right into the kitchen with no delay or excuse! I love the idea of flourless cookies – almond butter is divine. xo

  22. Cassie

    The thing about some flourless cookies is that they’re a bit too crunchy for my liking! Sometimes they’re really hard to bite into as well–yikes! I really think you nailed the recipe on the head. These almond butter cookies look fabulous!

  23. Mo

    Is there any substitute you recommend for this recipe but without egg?

    • amandapaa

      Hello! Unfortunately the egg is a must for this recipe because of it’s molecular properties that combine with the other ingredients in just the right way to make these turn out.

  24. Sara @ Cake Over Steak

    These sound like perfection!!! I’ve NEVER been a fan of the standard peanut butter cookie. Boring and dry with a bad texture – NO THANK YOU. But these look absolutely amazing and I would love to try them out. Well done!!

  25. christine desroches

    These look amazing. I love the sweet and salty mix in my cookies and I’m in total agreement that the classic 1:1:1 isn’t spectacular. These on the other hand… so so so good. I bet these would also make delicious ice cream sandwiches!

  26. Erica D.

    Look at that salt on top! A real beauty!

  27. Maria

    Flourless cookies are my favorite!

    • amandapaa

      I usually always have these ingredients on hands so makes it easy to make a quick batch! And no overnight “chill” which is a win in my books. :)

    • Debbie

      Love how you titled these delicious cookies. I made them and wish that I had doubled the recipe because they are so darn good. Couldn’t be any easier with just five ingredients+one bowl=1 dozen scrummy cookies that are soft, chewy and the almond butter flavour totally stands out. Thank you so much for sharing such a fabulous recipe.

      • amandapaa

        Thank you for leaving your experience! I’m so glad you liked the cookies. xo