5-Ingredient Flourless Almond Butter Cookies
By Amanda Paa – Last updated: March 9, 2023
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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!
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.
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.
- Less sugar and nut butter per egg, rather than the classic 1:1:1 ratio.
- The intense softness comes from using brown sugar (molasses adds moisture) instead of white. It adds a layer of caramel flavor too.
- 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.
How to Make Chewy Almond Butter Cookies:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes:
- My Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Big, Chewy Gluten-Free Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cookies
Yield: 10 cookies
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
Equipment
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!
Did you make this?
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June 17, 2016
Can these be made with a.vbo of erythritol, brown sugar & molasses?
hello! i have not tested this recipe with those substitutions.
Would these work for cut out cookies?
They would not. But I do have a recipe for gluten-free cut out cookies.
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..
hi lauren! you’ll add 1/4 teaspoon regular salt to the batter, and then flaky salt to the top.
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?
hmmm…. did you stir the batter really well, until it was sticky like play-doh?
Can I add egg substitute like apple sauce for this recipe ? I don’t eat eggs 😊
Hi Sudha! I’m afraid the egg is key to the recipe, and cannot be substituted.
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!
Hi Cassie!
I’m not sure if they would work with a flax egg, unfortunately.
These are incredible…. my husband wants me to make them all the time now.
Yay! So glad you’re house is enjoying the recipe.
Good recipe. Followed exactly. Great cookies. Really enjoy the salt atop the cookies.
Thanks.
so glad you liked the recipe! xo
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly I will go on that website and find out have a good day
Can’t seem to find your rhubarb raspberry Tarts recipe I can’t pinpoint it on the phone thank you
Here you are! https://heartbeetkitchen.com/2015/recipes/type/dessert/raspberry-rhubarb-crumble-bars-gluten-free-vegan/
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
Wonderful! So glad you liked the recipe. I do not do calorie configuration, but you would be able to enter the ingredients into this: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594, with a serving size of 12.
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
I’m so glad you liked the cookies! And good to know that palm sugar works too.
These are AMAZING! My picky son with food allergies loved them too!!!
Yay, thanks for sharing your results! and so glad they were son approved. :)
Think you could throw chocolate chunks in here or would that mess with the consistency somehow?
i haven’t tested these cookies with chocolate chip/chunks. if you do, let me know how it goes!
Wow, these were just amazing! I was skeptical but so yummy and easy! Kinda tasted chewy like they had coconut in them. Hmmm….
Great, so glad you liked the recipe!
I don’t have parchment paper. Is it a problem, can i just put them straight on the baking sheet?
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.
I made these tonight and really enjoyed them. Thank you!
Yay! So glad you liked them. Thanks for sharing your experience. xo
I love that you adjusted the ratio to achieve a better cookie! Flourless cookies are some of my faves!
Just made them again last week, can’t keep them around long enough! Their texture is so chewy and good.
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!
Is there any substitute for the sugar? Honey, maple syrupt, stevia (not liquid), or coconut sugar?
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.
I did in fact substitute the brown sugar for coconut palm sugar and it turn out spectacularly.
wonderful, thanks for letting me know!
I like the idea of using coconut sugar. Should I use 1 cup or less?
Thank you
Rubina
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
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!
Is there any substitute you recommend for this recipe but without egg?
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.
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!!
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!
Look at that salt on top! A real beauty!
Flourless cookies are my favorite!
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. :)
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.
Thank you for leaving your experience! I’m so glad you liked the cookies. xo