Vegan Almond Cookies! If you’re searching for the ultimate guilt-free treat, look no further than Mom’s favorite Whole Food Plant Based Cookies!
Packed with wholesome ingredients and bursting with flavor, these Vegan Almond Cookies prove that healthy doesn’t have to mean sacrificing taste. Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just looking to incorporate more plant-based goodies into your diet, you’ve got to give this recipe a try! They make for the perfect holiday cookie table, cookie exchanges, or for every day snacking.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Discover the magic of Mom’s favorite Whole Food Plant Based Cookies! Coming from a former professional cookie baker, her glowing endorsement speaks volumes about the deliciousness and wholesome goodness packed into each bite. These cookies are not just a treat; they’re a delightful blend of wholesome ingredients that prove you can indulge without the guilt.
You gotta give this one a try!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: These Vegan Almond Cookies have delicious and light almond flavor. They are lightly sweet and crispy on the edges yet soft and chewy in the middle. They make for the perfect holiday cookie table, cookie exchanges, or every day.
- Maple Sugar: We love maple sugar. It works perfectly for WFPB baked goods due to it light color and wonderful texture. Date sugar or coconut sugar (or any dried sugar) will also work well in this recipe: however, the color of the cookie will change accordingly (darker in color) based upon the color of the sugar used. Note that sometimes, depending on the brand selected, date sugar and coconut sugar can be more granular and drier than maple sugar. If the dough simply will not come together, add a teaspoon or two more plant milk.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup cannot be substituted for the maple sugar. Maple sugar is dry and maple syrup is liquid.
- Dough: The dough should be thick and stiff, but sticky; however, it should hold its shape easily when dropped from the cookie scoop.
- Drop versus Rolled Cookies: We preferred the look of rolled cookies versus simply dropping the dough onto the cookie sheet. Both methods work equally well. Rolled the cookie dough into a ball in your hands then very lightly flattened. The cookies will have smoother edges and look prettier. If making drop cookies, use a cookie scoop for uniform sizes, shapes, and edges. If you do not have a cookie scoop, then roll the cookie batter. Our photos show both rolled cookies and drop cookies from a cookie scoop and hand rolled for reference.
- Rolled Cookie Formation: Use a cookie scoop if you have one, scoop up the batter into the small cookie scoop and flatten it hard against the sides of the bowl. Scrape off any excess that has overflowed from the edges of the cookie scoop to ensure uniform sized cookies for even baking. Then place the dough in the palms of your hands and roll into a tight, smooth ball, then while the cookie ball is still in your hands, very slightly flatten the cookie ball. It should still be very thick, and place onto the cookie sheet. You may need several cookie sheets. The cookies do spread so space them about 3 inches apart.
- Pro Tip Almond Slices: For prettier cookies, select unbroken almond slices to top the cookies.
- Place the Almonds on the Cookies: Select 3 to 4 almond slices, then gently press them to the tops of the cookies. Do not press too hard as you do not want the cookies to spread very much by pressing too hard. Patience through this process will ensure beautiful cookies. It’s not a race to the finish line. It’s about patience and aesthetics that will pay off.
- Pro Tip Almonds After Baking: There will be a few cookies where the almonds spread far apart after baking. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place an almond slice (or two) over the gaps. Some may stick from the heat of the cookies, others may not, but it will look prettier.
- Baking Sheets: We used 2 large 14 x 20 baking sheets to ensure proper spacing of the cookies. If using two baking sheets, only bake one cookie sheet at a time in the oven using the center rack position. This ensures proper heat distribution and allows the cookies to brown evenly.
- Baking Shape: Initially the cookies will puff up in the oven, then in the last several minutes of the baking time, they will deflate and spread beautifully.
- Beautiful Cookies: This recipe results in very beautiful cookies, perfect for holiday cookie exchanges because they hold their shape and texture really well over time. We also suggest maple sugar if making for a special occasion. Maple sugar can be expensive, but it is worth it in our humble opinion as former professional cookie bakers. We used Nova Maple Sugar – Pure Grade-A Maple Sugar. However, feel free to use your favorite brand of maple sugar (or date sugar or coconut sugar).
- Almond Flour/Almond Butter Substitutions: This recipe was designed specifically to use almond flour and almond butter as that is the basis of the cookie (almond). There are no substitutions offered simply because it would change the cookie into something other than its original intent.
- Almond Extract: If you wish to enhance the almond flavor, feel free to use almond extract.
- Whole Food Plant Based Powdered Sugar: We used our Whole Food Plant Based Powdered Sugar Please feel free to use your favorite powdered sugar with this recipe or not use any at all, both with and without the powdered sugar makes for delicious cookies.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 7 days. Store in a covered container.
These cookies freeze well.
Pantry Products:
- Almond Butter: We used Artisana Organics Raw Vegan Almond Butter. Feel free to use your favorite raw almond butter in this recipe. Read the label, make sure the only ingredient is raw almonds. Do not use a salted or sweetened almond butter.
- Maple Sugar: We used Nova Maple Sugar. Feel free to use your favorite maple sugar.
- Date Sugar: If using date sugar, we have used Date Lady Date Sugar. We have not tested this recipe using date sugar; however, have found that substituting date sugar for maple sugar works well. Feel free to use your favorite date sugar.
- Coconut Sugar: If using coconut sugar, we have used Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Sugar. We have not tested this recipe with coconut sugar; however, we have found that substituting coconut sugar for maple sugar works well. Feel free to use your favorite coconut sugar.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Cookie sheet(s)
- Parchment paper (or silicone pads)
- Small cookie scoop (optional)
If you try these tasty treats, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Vegan Almond Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 12-13 Minutes
- Total Time: 18 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 33-36 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Packed with wholesome ingredients and bursting with flavor, these Vegan Almond Cookies prove that healthy doesn’t have to mean sacrificing taste.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups (7.3 oz.) almond flour
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup maple sugar (or coconut sugar or date sugar) *
- 2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Wet Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond butter *
- ¼ cup unsweetened plain plant milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ to 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Optional Toppings:
- 1/3 cup almond slices
- Whole Food Plant Based Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, middle rack.
- Line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper (or silicone pads), set aside.
- Place the all the Dry Ingredients into a mixing bowl, whisk to combine.
- Add all the Wet Ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a stiff spoon to incorporate all the ingredients. This may take a few moments as initially it will feel like the dough is too dry and won’t come together, keep pressing the dough with a stiff spoon until it comes together.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes to chill.
- Using a small-sized cookie scoop (approx. 1 tablespoon) and scoop up some cookie dough, place onto the cookie sheet as a drop cookie or roll it into a ball and press lightly to slightly flatten*. Continue until all the dough has been placed (or rolled and slightly flattened) on the cookie sheet. Space the cookies about 3 inches apart as they do spread.
- Take 3 to 4 sliced almonds and press them to the top of each cookie.
- Place in a 350 F preheated oven for 12 to 13 minutes until the cookies are set, the bottoms and edges are browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then remove and move them to a cooling rack. Allow to completely cool to room temperature, enjoy!
- Optional: Whole Food Plant Based Powdered Sugar, sprinkle the tops with a light dusting of Whole Food Plant Based Powdered Sugar once the cookies are completely cooled.
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Servings: 33 to 36 cookies
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