These vegan & gluten-free Almond Flour Cookies are only 4 ingredients (plus salt) and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. Quick & simple to make in under 30 minutes! Great for a healthier dessert or holiday enjoyment. (Oil-free.)
These 4-ingredient vegan Almond Flour Cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and are quick & easy to make. (Less than 30 minutes!)
They're slightly crispy around the edges, and chewy & tender on the inside. The taste is rich and buttery (without the butter) and so delicious.
Plus they are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free. They're a great option for a healthier dessert or holiday enjoyment.
Ingredients for Vegan Almond Cookies
For this recipe you will combine in a bowl:
- Almond flour: I use Bob's Red Mill super-fine natural almond flour (also called almond meal). Blanched almond flour works too. See more details below on almond flour.
- Pure maple syrup: This is a tasty natural sweetener, plus it helps bind the dough together.
- Ground cinnamon: I use Ceylon cinnamon. But if you don't care for cinnamon, you can simply omit it.
- Baking powder: I use Bob's Red Mill double acting baking powder with no added aluminum. Be sure yours is fresh and not expired for proper leavening (rising).
- Salt: I use fine-grain salt for this recipe.
A teaspoon vanilla extract can be added as well (or even a very small splash of almond extract).
Optional toppings: Gently press in some vegan chocolate chips or nuts on top of the cookie dough before baking in the oven if desired.
What is Almond Flour?
Almond flour is made from ground almonds. It's slightly sweeter and has a nuttier flavor than regular flour. It has a delightful buttery taste and texture.
You'll have two choices when purchasing almond flour. You can either buy unblanched or blanched:
- Unblanched, also called natural, uses the entire unpeeled almond including the skin. Unblanched almond flour is a brown color. I used this type in the photos which you'll notice gives the cookies a golden brown, speckled look.
- Blanched means that the almond skins have been peeled and removed. If you use this kind of flour, your cookies will be more of a white color.
Other recipes using almond flour: I also enjoy it in these Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles and Vegan Ricotta Cheese.
Preparing & Tips
Oil-free baking: Simply line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper (or Silpat mat) for easy non-stick baking.
Forming cookies: You will use a flat-bottomed glass to lightly press down each ball to form your cookie shapes. (I use a small piece of parchment paper in between the glass and cookie dough to prevent sticking.)
Preparing cookie dough in advance: You can also make the dough ahead of time and store the dough ball in the fridge until ready to bake.
Storing
Once they have fully cooled, store cookies in an airtight container on the counter. I find they keep for about 3-4 days (but they never seem to last that long!) You can also store them in the refrigerator for about 5-7 days.
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan dessert recipes or holiday recipes.
Vegan Almond Maple Cookies
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups almond flour*
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (or up to 1 tsp.)
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. fine grain salt
Wet ingredients:
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1-2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)
Toppings (optional):
- Vegan chocolate chips or nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a medium bowl, add all dry ingredients. Stir.
- Slowly add maple syrup (and optional vanilla), while stirring to combine. Stir well with a spatula until a sticky ball forms.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or Silpat).
- Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and form small balls about 1.25" in size. (Lightly wet hands to prevent sticking.) Place on baking sheet.
- Gently press down each ball with a flat-bottomed glass to flatten cookie to about 2" diameter. (I place a piece of parchment paper between the glass and cookie to prevent sticking.) Then press down chocolate chips or nuts on top (optional).
- Bake for 11-13 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to firm up. Then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
If you're enjoying this recipe for Vegan Almond Flour Maple Cookies with cinnamon, also check out:
- Vegan Chocolate Cookies
- Vegan Cookie Dough Bites
- Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Cookies
- Healthy Vegan Chocolate Milkshake
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May says
Dry. Flavorless. Waste of ingredients.
MC says
Can you use almond or maple extract?
Kaitlin says
Hello! Absolutely. I think that'd be a great addition - would love to hear if you give it a try!
MC says
I used one teaspoon vanilla extract and one maple extract. It turned out well. I would recommend it!
Kaitlin says
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Sarah says
Hi there! Forgive the silly questions, I'm new to vegan and gluten-free baking:
1. What's holding these together? Are they quite crumbly? Is that why you make them small? This is my preferred cookie size anyway so I'm not complaining.
2. How many cookies does this yield?
3. There seems to be far more flour-to-liquid ratio than I'd expect. Should I be expecting a really dry dough?
Thank you for all your guidance!
Kaitlin says
Hi Sarah! The sticky maple syrup combined with the natural oils in the almond flour is what helps bind these together. We don't find them to be very crumbly - more just chewy on the inside. The recipe yields about 18 small cookies (noted by the servings above the recipe) and I just happen to like smaller cookies as well. 🙂 I haven't tried forming them bigger, but that could work too I'm guessing. The dough isn't very dry, just thick and slightly sticky. I lightly wet my hands before rolling the balls to help prevent sticking. Let me know if you have any other questions, and hope you enjoy if you give them a try!
Ingrid Scott says
I made these today because I love something quick and easy. I used a scoop for measurement (before rolling them with wet hands), but it might have been too big, because I got only 13 cookies all together. I also didn't know how thin to make them when flattening with a glass. I will use a smaller scoop next time and also make them a little thinner. They taste great and will make them again. Thank you for this recipe!
Kaitlin says
Hi Ingrid! That's wonderful to hear. Thanks for sharing your helpful feedback, and so glad you enjoyed them! As far as the sizing, I scoop out a rounded tablespoon of dough when forming the balls (listed in step 5) and then press down until it's about 2 inches wide (step 6). So they are pretty small. However you can absolutely make them bigger or adjust to your own preference! 🙂
Prema says
Hi. How much would 2 cups of almond flour weigh in grams?
Kaitlin says
Hello, Prema! There's an option above the ingredients list to view measurements in metric if that helps. (My default is US Customary.) But 2 cups almond flour weighs approximately 224 grams. Hope you enjoy these if you give them a try!