My Almond Cookies are an easy and delicious recipe to make, and best of all, they are both gluten-free and dairy-free.
Jump to:
This is one of the easiest recipes we will share on the blog. The cookies are very simple to make; to the degree that I believe they are foolproof.
Both the experienced cook and the novice will enjoy how easy it is to make these Almond Cookies.
Containing just 5 ingredients they will take about 10 minutes to mix and another 15 minutes to bake.
You will be enjoying these with a cup of tea or coffee in roughly 30 minutes.
There’s no creaming of butter and sugar; the dough is easily stirred together by hand in just a couple of minutes.
Just mix the almond meal, caster sugar, almond essence and egg whites in a bowl.
Roll the dough into small balls, roll the balls in flaked almonds and then bake. That’s it! They’re so simple.
Inspiration for this recipe:
This recipe was given to me by a dear Italian friend. It has been in her family for many years. Some years ago, I made these biscuits for a shop I was working in at the time.
At that time, more and more people were discovering they couldn’t tolerate gluten, and the biscuits sold out on a daily basis.
I am so happy to be sharing this recipe with you today, so more people can continue to enjoy it. Even if you do not need to eat a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, I am sure you will appreciate these cookies just as much.
Further, this is a great way to use egg whites which are leftover from recipes which require egg yolks only.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
This is a great way to use egg whites which may be leftover from recipes which require egg yolks only.
My Almond Cookies are quickly and easily made. They are so simple to make that I believe they are foolproof.
They are ideal for those who have baking experience. Additionally, if you lack experience these will be a great confidence booster.
Being both gluten-free and dairy-free they are suitable for many people with specific dietary requirements.
You can freeze the Almond Cookies both prior to baking and after. This is a great advantage around the festive season. You can freeze them for one month.
If freezing those which are baked, ensure that you freeze them on a baking tray, covered with cling wrap so they don’t dry out.
Ensure that they are not touching each other and when frozen transfer them to an airtight, freezer container.
Similarly, if you have rolled them you can freeze them individually, on a baking tray and covered with cling wrap, before storing in an airtight, freezer container.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Almond Meal/Flour – The terms almond meal and almond flour are often used interchangeably. The meal/flour can be made from whole or blanched almonds. Almond meal/flour is not actually “flour” but finely ground almonds. When ground from whole almonds the texture will be slightly more coarse than when ground from blanched.
Caster/Superfine Sugar – this sugar dissolves more readily than granulated sugar. If you don’t have any it is easy to make your own. Use a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse a few times until the sugar grains are smaller in size.
Egg Whites – Egg Whites are a fantastic ingredient to have on hand – if you have leftover whites, you can store them in the freezer in an airtight container. See below for some ways to use up the egg yolk! If you are looking for an egg free option, try my Vegan Almond Cookies.
Flaked Almonds – adds great texture to the outside of the Almond Cookies.
Almond Essence/Extract – use a pure version for the best flavour.
Step by Step Instructions:
I start by preheating my oven and preparing my baking tray.
Next, I prepare a flat bowl or plate with my flaked almonds.
In a bowl, combine the almond meal, sugar and almond essence. Add the lightly beaten egg whites, and combine well.
Roll small balls of the mixture and coat in the flaked almonds.
Place on a baking tray, and lightly press down to flatten.
Bake until the cookies are lightly browned. Allow to cool, and enjoy!
Tips for Success:
If you are just venturing into the world of gluten-free baking, these Gluten and Dairy Free Almond Cookies are a good place to start.
It can be a minefield when beginning to eat gluten-free. There are so many labels to check as gluten is an ingredient in many foods.
The biscuits contain almond meal which is a great substitute for flour. Almond flour is high in healthy fats, protein and fibre, and adds a sweet, nutty flavour to baking.
When you bite through the crunchy exterior of these biscuits you will discover a rich, chewy interior. The dense texture that the almond meal provides is deeply satisfying.
A good biscuit recipe is a must-have in your repertoire and you will find this one a keeper.
Yes! You can freeze the Almond Cookies both prior to baking, and after! I have tried both methods and they are delicious either way.
Add blanched or whole almonds to a blender or food processor and pulse in short bursts until you have the texture of sand. Stir occasionally. If you take it too far you will have almond butter.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
Recipes to use your leftover egg yolks in:
Don’t let those egg yolks go to waste! Here are some great ways to use them up:
- Classic Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Curd
- Creamy Lemon Pie
- No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
- Or, make a custard or use as an egg wash on pastry!
More delicious biscuit and cookie recipes for you to try:
- Gluten-Free Caramel Cookies
- Pecan Puffs
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chewy Amaretti Cookies
- Jam Shortbreads
- Toffee Crisps
- Coffee Almond Cookies
I would love to know your thoughts when you try my delicious Gluten Free and Dairy Free Almond Cookies.
Be sure to leave a comment below!
Alex xx
Gluten-Free Almond Cookies
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (300 g) almond meal or flour – spooned into the cup, loosely packed See Note 1
- 1 cup (220 g) caster/superfine sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon almond essence or to taste
- 3 large (105 g) egg whites
- 1 cup flaked almonds
- icing sugar to dust optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 Degrees C (360 F).Place non-stick baking paper onto oven trays.
- Put almond flakes into a flat bowl or onto a plate.
- Combine almond meal, sugar and almond essence in a large bowl. Add the lightly beaten egg whites and stir until the mixture forms a firm paste.
- Roll small balls of the mixture, about 3 cm (or 1 ¼ inch) in diameter in the flaked almonds.
- Place the balls onto baking paper-lined oven trays and gently flatten them a little.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly browned.
- Cool on racks.Store in an airtight container for up to a week. The cookies can also be frozen – see Note 3.
Video
Notes
-
Almond meal and almond flour are similar ingredients. Both are made from finely ground almonds but one is made from blanched almonds which have had the skins removed and one from the whole almond. Blanched almond meal has a fine texture, the one made from the whole almond has a coarser texture and darker colour due to the skin. Often, the one made from blanched almonds will be labelled almond flour but this is not always the case. The names are often used interchangeably. I recommend that you select the product by whether they are blanched or unblanched rather than by meal or flour.
Both are able to be used in this recipe, but the colour will vary if you use the whole almond variety. - All ovens vary in temperature slightly, and as such we have provided a time range for doneness on this recipe.
- The Almond Cookies freeze well – once baked, allow them to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to three months. If you prefer to freeze them raw, once the cookies are shaped, don’t roll them in almond flakes. Put them in an airtight container, and when ready to bake, allow them to defrost, then roll in almond flakes and bake.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one cookie. Please note, the nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Sue H.
Fabulous recipe – quickly mixed and baked. Perfect gift for our gluten free/dairy free neighbor with a bottle of ‘baby’ Vin Santo wine as the evening ‘dessert treat’. The folks that didn’t need gluten/dairy free were also gobbling down these delicious cookies. Everyone adored them. Perfect combo with the wine. 😍 Definitely making these again !!! Thank you SO much for posting the recipe !!!
Alexandra Cook
Hello Sue,
Thank you so much for your comment! Oh… enjoying the cookies with Vin Santo sounds like absolute perfection!
Thanks for sharing! Alex xo
Moss
Turned out perfectly! Added 100g dark choc chips too which worked really well
Alexandra Cook
Thanks, Moss! 🙂
I’m just about to share a version with chocolate chips on the blog too – it’s such a delicious combination, isn’t it?!
Alex xo
Barbara
I made these delicious cookies for the first time yesterday and my husband tried one this morning. His first taste prompted “interesting, maybe add some dates, and would be good with something to drink.” He did say he liked them. I am looking forward to serving the cookies with coffee or milk at our after-church gathering today!
Alexandra Cook
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for trying this recipe!
Some dates sound like a delicious addition – you’ll have to let me know if you give that a try! I recently made some with some chocolate chips that were very nice 🙂
Enjoy! Alex xo
Barbara
The cookies were a hit at the coffee hour and since the recipe made about 3 dozen, I shared extras with those who complimented me. Thank you for the recipe! Well done!
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much for the kind words, Barbara 🙂
I really appreciate them!
Lynne Huet
I made these almond gluten free cookies today.
They were very successful.
Absolutely delicious, not too sweet and nice and crispy on the outside.
I’m going to try the other recipes that you have mentioned.
Thank you,
Lynne
Alexandra Cook
Thank you, Lynne! 🙂
I hope you’ll find lots of other recipes to try on the blog, and please feel free to reach out if you’re ever looking for something in particular 🙂
Alex xo
Owl Baker
These were honestly so good! Even the members of my family who can eat gluten absolutely loved these!
Alexandra Cook
Thank you very much 🙂
So pleased to hear this! Alex xo
Michelle
Really easy to make, I made the almond cookie and gluten free for the office and my colleagues loved them. I did reduce the sugar quantity since it is too sweet for me.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you, Michelle! 🙂
So happy you found this recipe easy and was able to adapt it to your taste.
I appreciate your comment! Alex xo
Dominica
The cookies were delicious!
I didn’t have enough almond flakes to roll all the cookies in, so I experimented with one whole almond on the top or sea salt flakes, and all of them turned out incredibly yummy!
The recipe was also very easy to follow, and the pictures were very helpful to make sure I had the right consistency.
Alexandra Cook
Hello Dominica,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, and also for sharing your feedback 🙂
I am so happy you found the cookies delicious! Alex xo
dominica
As I didn’t have almond extract, I added the zest of one lemon, and the cookies tasted amazing!
Alexandra Cook
Thank you for sharing, Dominica 🙂
The lemon is a lovely addition! Alex xo
Judie Robertson
This is a perfect base recipe, I omitted the almond essence and added the zest of an orange. Just superb, next time will try lemon zest. Crispy shell with chewy delicious centre. I rolled in icing sugar instead of almonds. Will be keeping this one!
Alexandra Cook
Thrilled to hear this, Judie 🙂
I do love to add citrus zest sometimes too – it works so well with the almond.
So happy you’ll be making them again! Alex xo
Janice Lee
Wondering if I could use liquid egg whites like Egg Beaters given the price of eggs at the moment. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Alexandra Cook
Hello Janice,
Thank you for your question!
I personally haven’t tried this before, but would think it would work just fine, assuming it is just pure egg white etc.
Let me know how you get on 🙂 Alex xo
Debra
I used liquid egg whites equivalent and it worked fine but I did need to cook longer so I think maybe less liquid egg white.
Linda
Love these cookies! I am gluten and dairy free due to allergies so this recipe is perfect. Plus they’re easy to make and are also loved by my friends and family who are not gluten free. I love almond so do add more almond extract. I do need to find a way to use the egg yolks.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much, Linda 🙂
I am so happy you enjoy this recipe!
Perhaps with the leftover egg yolks, you could make some dairy free custard or lemon curd?
Alex xo
Duna Abou Jaoude
I want to try this and have a question: Why use only the egg white and not whole egg?
Alexandra Cook
Hello Duna,
This is a traditional style Italian cookie – the egg white gives a great texture, and a lovely chewy interior.
We have some ideas for how to use the leftover egg yolks in the post.
Let me know if you give the recipe a try!
Sabrina
Delicious!
I did add more almond extract, as well as some with dried cherries and others with raisins. I shaped into balls and rolled in icing sugar, pressed a whole almond in (I didn’t have any almond slivers on hand, so had to improvise!), and added a tiny bit of flakey sea salt.
Thank you for such a wonderful, customizable recipe!
Alexandra Cook
Sounds lovely, Sabrina! 🙂
Your improvisations sound wonderful – I need to try with the dried cherries! We do something similar with the almonds with our Amaretti Cookies.
Thank you so much for your comment.
Alex xo
Tanya Rozin
Easy to make this delicious almond cookies 😋
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much, Tanya!
Alex xo
Marlene Westley
Tonight I baked a batch of these delicious almond biscuits. Very easy to make. I highly recommend this recipe. These biscuits are perfect for any occasion and sure to impress.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much, Marlene!
I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Alex xo
Kristina Engel
Made these cookies and they were much easier than I thought. They came out great. Thank you😃
Alexandra Cook
So happy to hear this, Kristina!
Thank you for sharing 🙂 Alex xo
Jenny
Absolutely delicious and very easy to make.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much, Jenny!
Alex xo