These gluten-free Chocolate Almond Cookies are quickly and easily made and are bound to satisfy your sweet tooth. They contain just six ingredients and that includes the cherry on top! This will be one of the easiest cookie recipes that you have ever made, plus they are mixed in just one bowl!
Why we love this recipe:
We love the ease with which these cookies are made. As well, the mixture is made in just one bowl which reduces cleaning up – always good!
The Chocolate Almond Cookies are flourless, making them naturally gluten-free and therefore suitable for coeliacs or people with gluten intolerance.
Instead of flour these cookies contain almond meal which gives them great texture and flavour.
This is a great way to use up leftover egg whites. If you don’t have any, we list some recipes below which use just the egg yolks.
There are so many ways to enjoy these cookies. They are perfect with a tea or coffee, to enjoy as a snack, pack some in a lunchbox, take a platter to a friend or neighbour. They are lovely homemade gifts at Christmas time; put some in a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty ribbon. They will be gratefully received.
The Chocolate Almond Cookies have a great combination of textures; the exterior is crispy and the interior is slightly chewy.
Cookies or biscuits?
In Australia we more commonly use the British term “biscuit” for the sweet treat we enjoy with a tea or coffee. However, in the USA a biscuit is closer to what we call a scone and their sweet treat which may accompany tea, coffee or a glass of milk is a “cookie”.
So, whilst in Australia, we may say that a biscuit is a cookie, in the USA a cookie is not a biscuit. We aim to avoid confusion.
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 – The terms almond meal and almond flour are often used interchangeably. However, there are slight differences in different countries. One is made from blanched almonds and the other from the whole almond. They are both finely ground but my preference is for the blanched almond meal as its texture is finer.
Caster/superfine sugar – this is sugar which is more finely ground than granulated sugar. It dissolves easily making it ideal for baking recipes. You can, however, use regular granulated sugar.
Dutch processed cocoa – I use unsweetened cocoa powder. It gives a lovely rich, chocolatey colour and deep flavour.
Egg whites – Just the white of the egg is required in this recipe. I have included some ideas for how you can use the yolk further down in the post.
Vanilla essence/extract – known by different names in different countries, I like to use vanilla which is naturally extracted not one which is synthetically flavoured.
Glace/candied cherries – I like to use a halved cherry for garnish. You could leave the cookies plain if you prefer.
Step by Step Instructions:
You will need to start by lining your baking trays and pre-heating your oven.
- Place almond meal, caster sugar and sifted cocoa powder in a medium-size bowl.
- Whisk together to combine.
- Add egg whites and vanilla to the bowl. Using hand-held electric beaters, on low speed, combine the ingredients for a minute or two so they are well amalgamated.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or two teaspoons, place about a teaspoon of the cookie dough on the prepared baking trays, leaving space between each one as they spread.
- Place a halved cherry on the top of the cookies and bake in a 180 degrees C/350 F for 14 minutes.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
Tips for Success and FAQs:
Sometimes cocoa powder can form clumps, so sift it thoroughly before adding it to the almond meal and sugar.
I like to whisk the dry ingredients together to thoroughly combine them before adding the egg whites and vanilla.
The Chocolate Almond Cookies spread a lot so leave at least 5 cm (2 inches) space between them to prevent them running into each other.
Due to the sugar in the cookie, when cooked they tend to stick to the baking paper. Slide a fish slice firmly underneath to transfer them to a cooling rack.
For a crisper cookie I bake them for 14 minutes. If you prefer softer, bake for about 12 minutes. Please note, all ovens vary, so these times are approximate.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
Here are some more delicious gluten-free cookie/biscuit recipes for you to try:
Leftover egg yolks? Here are some ways to use them up:
- Classic Key Lime Pie
- Lemon Curd
- Blood Orange Curd
- Creamy Lemon Pie
- No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
- Or, make a custard or use as an egg wash on pastry!
When the urge for a sweet treat strikes unexpectedly, these Chocolate Almond Cookies can be ready to eat in a half hour. Make yourself a batch, put the kettle on and sit back and enjoy.
Alex xx
Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) almond meal See Note 1
- 1 cup (220 g) caster/superfine sugar See Note 2
- 6 tsp (1 1/2 tbsp) Dutch processed cocoa powder See Note 3
- 2 egg whites (from large eggs)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence See Note 4
- 18 glace/candied cherries – cut in half See Note 5
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees C (350 F).
- Prepare two baking trays by lining them with non-stick baking paper – see Note 6
- Add almond meal, sugar and cocoa to a medium-size bowl.
- Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla to the bowl. Using hand-held electric beaters, mix the ingredients together for about 2 minutes to ensure they are well blended.Stand the mixture aside for about 5 minutes.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the mixture on the trays. Mine is about 3 cm (1 ¼ inch) diameter. Allow about 5cm (2 inches) between the cookies as they spread.
- Add a halved cherry to the top of each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes, turning the trays around halfway to bake evenly.Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for about 10 minutes.
- Firmly slide a fish slice under the cookies and transfer them to wire racks. They may stick to the baking paper.Store the cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- Almond meal is also known as almond flour. I prefer to use blanched almond meal, it has a finer texture.
- You can use regular granulated sugar if you prefer.
- In Australia, the tablespoon is 20 ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons. In this recipe I have used the equivalent of 6 teaspoons, that is, 2 x 15 ml tablespoons.
- Use good quality vanilla which has been naturally extracted from vanilla beans. Avoid vanilla which is artificially flavoured.
- The number of cherries that you require will depend on the number of cookies/biscuits that you make. I made 36.
- Depending on the size of your trays, you may not get all the cookies on two trays so may need another or wait for one to cool.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one cookie.
Nutrition
Was I supposed to do anything with the egg whites before adding them to the other ingredients.? My cookies where oh hum tiny blobs and never enough mixture to make anywhere close to 36 🤷🏻♀️ 😔
Hi Jana!
No, you don’t need to do anything with the egg whites before adding them – but as noted in the recipe, you do need to beat the mixture for two minutes after adding them and then allow the mixture to stand.
The cookies should spread once they are cooked, and we have tested this recipe over 15 times and gotten about 36 cookies each time – but, it obviously depends on the size of the cookie in the first place.
We note the size of the ice cream scoop we use in the post to get an even amount of cookies, and if you look at the process photos in the blog post you can see they start out quite small, and then spread when cooking.
From your comment, I am not sure if you had cooked them yet?
Please feel free to reach out to me with any further queries.
Kind regards, Alex
You had me at mixed in one bowl. Because they contain almonds i can’t send them to school, so I’ll have to eat them all! 🤣
Oh no, Kylie 😉 I guess it is a sacrifice we sometimes have to make! 😀
I’m always looking for ways to use up left over egg whites after making ice cream, now I can whip up a batch of these biscuits! Love that they are gluten free to 🙂
Oh yes, these are perfect for those left over egg whites! Enjoy! 😀
Delicious – so much so that batch number 2 is in the oven as I write this!
Hi Gavin! That is fantastic – thank you so much!
I hope you enjoy the second batch as much as the first 🙂
Yum yum these are so delicious. i am not a person that needs to eat gluten free but these are so good!
Thank you, Tania!
Love the chocolate and cherry flavour combination – it’s one of my favourites. These cookies are the perfect afternoon pick me up. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Courtney! I am glad you enjoyed the cookies so much 🙂
These cookies couldn’t be easier to make and so delicious – perfect with a cup of coffee!
Thank you so much, Jacquie! I am so happy you enjoyed the cookies 🙂
I can’t believe how easy these cookies were to make!
They’re delicious – a nice crisp texture and the perfect balance of sweet.
Hi Phoebe! Thanks so much for stopping by – I am really glad you enjoyed the cookies!
I love baking with almond meal, especially when it involves chocolate too!
We do too, Robyn! Thanks so much 🙂