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Learn how to make the best healthy almond butter cookies from scratch with this easy recipe! They’re perfectly soft and chewy with a sweet and comforting nutty almond flavor. Simple to make any day of the week with just one bowl and a handful of pantry ingredients — and easily customized to whatever you happen to have on hand! A recipe anyone can make… And everyone will love!
While organizing my blog’s archives recently, I noticed that I’ve shared a lot of peanut butter cookie recipes over the years. (← They’re all right there!)
There’s just something so comforting about peanut butter cookies. Their sweet flavor, chewy texture, irresistible nutty flavor… It feels nearly impossible not to smile while biting into one and letting its taste linger on your tongue.
And yet…
I’ve only published a few almond butter cookie recipes.
I shook my head as that realization sunk in. It felt like a massive oversight on my part… My family eats a lot more almond butter than peanut butter — anywhere from five to ten times as much!
Since all of the almond butter cookie recipes I’ve shared on my blog contain some form of chocolate, I wanted to create a recipe that didn’t. Something that was simple, easy to make, and perfect all on its own — yet could still be “dressed up” by mixing in nuts, dried fruit, or sprinkling a little pinch of flaky sea salt on top for a sophisticated finishing touch.
I also wanted to use common, everyday pantry ingredients so you could easily whip up a batch whenever you felt a cookie craving coming on (even midweek!), without making a special trip to the grocery store.
After some testing and tweaking, I’m excited to share the recipe for these ultimate healthy almond butter cookies with you! They’re deliciously soft and chewy, full of almond flavor, and simple to make. You just need one bowl!
QUICK OVERVIEW — THE ULTIMATE HEALTHY ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES
Difficulty: Easy! Even beginner bakers can make these cookies.
Taste: Sweet and comforting, with lots of nutty almond flavor permeating throughout every bite.
Texture: Very soft, moist, and chewy. In other words… Perfect!
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES
Let’s talk about the ingredients you’ll need to make these ultimate healthy almond butter cookies. There are only a handful, and I bet you already have most of them in your kitchen! I’m assuming you own baking staples like baking soda, vanilla, and salt… So let’s cover the more important and interesting ones.
Almond butter. It’d be impossible to make almond butter cookies without it! Because this provides all of the fat content (no regular butter or oil in these almond butter cookies!) and the almond flavor, it’s important to use a high-quality almond butter with a great texture and taste.
Personally, I use my homemade creamy almond butter. It’s super easy to make — you just need 10 minutes! It’s perfectly smooth and great for baking recipes, along with spreading on toast, sandwiches, apple slices… Or just eating straight from the jar with a spoon. Not that I’d know from personal experience or anything.
If you’d rather buy almond butter to make these cookies, then the best store-bought almond butter would be the natural “drippy-style” kind that only contains almonds and salt. (A little oil is okay too, but nothing more than that!) I really like Trader Joe’s and Open Nature. Target’s own Good & Gather brand is good too, and my mom enjoys Justin’s.
When you see the jars on the shelves at the store, you’ll often notice a layer of oil at the top. That’s normal and perfectly fine! Just thoroughly stir that back into the almond butter before using the almond butter to make these cookies.
Hint: Do not substitute crunchy almond butter — whether homemade or store-bought. Your cookies will be cakier and possibly dry or crumbly if you do.
Unsweetened almond milk. The almond milk replaces the eggs in this recipe, so your healthy almond butter cookies are naturally vegan and dairy free! Since we’re making almond butter cookies, almond milk seemed like the perfect choice… But any milk will work, so just use whatever you normally keep on hand!
Sweetener. Light brown sugar and coconut sugar are the two best sweeteners for these cookies. If you haven’t heard of coconut sugar before, it’s exactly what it sounds like… A sweetener that comes from coconuts! However, it does not actually taste like coconuts. It has a rich caramel-like flavor, similar to brown sugar. You can often find it on the baking aisle right next to the regular granulated and brown sugars!
Hint: Coconut sugar is considered an unrefined sweetener, so if you use that, then your almond butter cookies will have no refined sugar.
Flour. I’ve used multiple different types of flour to make these cookies, and they’ve turned out delicious every time! But to make them as easy as possible to whip up, I decided to call for oat flour in the recipe for these almond butter cookies. Oat flour is really just finely ground oats… But “powdered oats” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. 😉
Therefore, I wasn’t sure whether to call these “flourless” or “practically flourless” — but regardless, these healthy almond butter cookies are soft, chewy, and delicious!
Tip: For store-bought oat flour, I really like Bob’s Red Mill (both their regular version and gluten free version) because it has such a fine powdery consistency with no stray chunks. I also have a DIY homemade oat flour tutorial, if you’d prefer to make your own!
Hint: If you use certified gluten free oat flour (or certified gluten free oats to make your own oat flour!), then your healthy almond butter cookies will be gluten free — plus dairy free, egg free, and vegan too!
Another Tip: If you don’t want to use oat flour, I’ve shared a LOT of other options in the Notes section of the recipe. I bet you have at least one of those alternatives, if not more!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES
Now that you’ve got the ingredients ready, let’s talk about how to make the best healthy almond butter cookies imaginable! This recipe is simple and straightforward, but I still have some tips that will ensure your cookies turn out perfectly.
Room temperature ingredients. It’s much easier to mix everything together when all of your ingredients are at room temperature, especially the almond butter and milk! Since both of those are usually stored in the fridge, plan ahead if you can — or, in a pinch, use a microwave-safe bowl so you can quickly bring them up to room temperature. (That’s what I often do!)
One bowl. That’s right! You only need one bowl to make these healthy almond butter cookies. Well… One bowl and a fork. (Bonus points if both are dishwasher-safe!)
Why a fork? And not a stand mixer, hand-held mixer, or wooden spoon?
Because of the milk, I’ve found that mixers often make more of a mess than when I just use a fork. They make the milk splash right out of the bowl!
Then unlike a spoon, where its surface is entirely flat, the empty space between the tines of the fork allow for ingredients to pass through and mix more efficiently. (This really helps prevent over-mixing, especially in things like cake and cupcake batters!)
Follow the instructions exactly. Especially when to add ingredients and stir them in! The order of additions (and mixing!) matters a lot in a one-bowl recipe like this. If you mix ingredients in too soon or too late, then the cookie dough won’t come together properly. I know it seems like a minor thing, but it makes a huge difference!
Two key things to note…
It’ll take some patience to stir together the almond butter and milk. The mixture will look a little funky initially, but with enough stirring, those two ingredients will come together into a smooth, hom*ogenous mixture. I promise!
When it’s time to add the baking soda, sprinkle it over the oat flour. Don’t just dump it into the bowl! Sprinkling helps prevent clumps, which then creates the best soft and chewy texture in your healthy almond butter cookies.
Briefly chill. When you first make the cookie dough, it should look pretty soft and a little wet or sticky. Chilling helps stiffen the cookie dough and makes it easier to work with.
Flatten the cookie dough. These cookies barely spread, if at all, so you must flatten the cookie dough before baking. I like to use this mini spatula to flatten the cookie dough and smooth out the edges to make the cookies as round as possible. (Isn’t it cute??)
Hint: One of the most common questions I’m asked is “How do you make your cookies so perfectly round?” It’s the mini spatula! I don’t use a cookie scoop or any special equipment. Just that mini spatula, a careful eye, and a little patience. 😉
Don’t overbake! Your cookies are done baking when the centers still feel a little soft and underdone. You might be tempted to slide them back in for another minute or two — but don’t!!
You’ll leave your cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack (or your mouth — no judgments here!), and the heat from the baking sheet will continue to cook the centers all the way through. If you popped them back in the oven and baked them until the centers felt firm, the heat from the baking sheet would overbake them while you waited to transfer them to the wire racks… Thus making your cookies cakey or maybe even dry. Not good!
So that’s my #1 tip for the best soft and chewy cookies — almond butter and other flavors! Pull them out slightly early, and let the warm baking sheet do the last bit of work for you.
FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES
Are these ultimate healthy almond butter cookies gluten free, dairy free, egg free, or vegan?
Yes! To all of the above. They’re practically flourless too!
What’s the best almond butter for baking and making cookies?
I’m a little biased, but I think my homemade creamy almond butter is the best! For store-bought options, look for jars that contain nothing but almonds and salt. (A tiny bit of oil is okay too.) Avoid any jars that say “no stir” or contain added sugar or other ingredients. See the “almond butter” header in my blog post above for more information!
Whatever kind you choose, make sure it’s creamy! Crunchy almond butter will make the cookie dough stiffer and drier, and your cookies won’t be as soft or chewy.
Can I make my own oat flour?
Yes! Just follow my DIY homemade oat flour tutorial.
What if I don’t have oat flour?
See the Notes section of the recipe! (It’s underneath the Instructions.) I’ve shared a LOT of different alternatives there. Like I mentioned earlier, I wanted this recipe to be as easy as possible to whip up using whatever ingredients you have on hand, so I included many different flour options for you too.
Can I add chocolate chips, almonds, or other mix-ins?
Yes! I love adding a few tablespoons of mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough (I’m a huge chocoholic!). Sliced or finely chopped almonds will also work, along with other nuts, shredded coconut, or dried fruit.
How should I store these almond butter cookies? And how long do they keep?
Store your healthy almond butter cookies in an airtight container. They’ll keep for at least four days if stored like that at room temperature, or they’ll keep for closer to a week (if not longer!) if stored in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze these almond butter cookies?
Absolutely! They freeze really well. I like to thaw individual cookies in the microwave on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through. They almost taste freshly baked when thawed like that!
Now all that’s missing is a glass of cold (almond) milk… And maybe a second cookie! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your ultimate healthy almond butter cookies!
The Ultimate Healthy Almond Butter Cookies
© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 8 minutes mins
Inactive Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 58 minutes mins
These almond butter cookies are perfectly soft and chewy with a sweet and comforting nutty flavor. They’re simple to make any day of the week with just one bowl and a handful of pantry ingredients — and easily customized to whatever you happen to have on hand! A recipe anyone can make… And everyone will love! Leftovers will keep for about one week (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They freeze really well too!
4.50 from 6 votes
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup (64g) homemade creamy almond butter, room temperature (see Notes!)
- 3 ½ tbsp (53mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (96g) coconut sugar
- 1 cup (120g) oat flour (gluten free if necessary and measured like this – see Notes!)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Instructions
In a medium bowl, stir together the almond butter, milk, vanilla, and salt with a fork (be patient!). Stir in the coconut sugar. Add the flour, and sprinkle the baking soda over the flour (to prevent clumps!). Stir in the flour and baking soda just until incorporated. Chill the cookie dough for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet withparchment paperor asilicone baking mat.
Drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a spoon and a spatula. Flatten to ¼” thick using a spatula, and smooth out the edges to make them round, if desired. (The cookies don’t spread much, if at all!) Bake at 350°F for 8-11 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Be very careful and measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much oat flour will make your cookies turn out cakey or dry, instead of soft and chewy.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: The cookies are ready to come out of the oven when the centers still looks and feel a little soft and underdone. (This is my #1 tip for the best soft and chewy cookies!) The heat from the pan continues to cook the centers while they cool. If you leave the cookies in the oven until the centers feel firm, they’ll often turn out cakey and/or dry.
ALMOND BUTTER NOTES: This is my homemade creamy almond butter recipe. It’s so easy to make. You just need 10 minutes!
If you prefer using store-bought creamy almond butter, use the natural drippy-style kind where the only ingredients are almonds and salt. (A little oil is okay too.) I really like Trader Joe’s and Open Nature. Target’s own Good & Gather brand is also good, and my family also likes Justin’s. If there’s a layer of oil on top of your jar, thoroughly stir that into the almond butter before using it in this recipe.
I don’t recommend using “no stir” almond butter or almond butter with other added ingredients (like sugar, flavorings, etc).
Do not substitute crunchy almond butter. Your cookie dough will be stiffer and drier, and your cookies may turn out cakey and/or dry.
Using room temperature almond butter (instead of cold, straight from the fridge!) will make it much easier to incorporate the milk and other ingredients.
MILK NOTE + ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Make sure it’s at room temperature! It’ll be easier to mix together the cookie dough when your ingredients are at room temperature.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVE: Light brown sugar may be substituted for the coconut sugar.
OAT FLOUR NOTES: I really like Bob’s Red Mill’s oat flour (and their gluten-free version!). I also have DIY homemade oat flour tutorial here.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour may all be substituted for the oat flour. (Along with oat flour, white whole wheat flour is what I use most often when making these cookies!
GLUTEN FREE VERSION: Use certified gluten free oat flour (I really like Bob’s Red Mill) or certified gluten free oats (again, I really like Bob’s Red Mill!) to make your own oat flour.
For a non-oat-flour gluten-free option, I recommend the following: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 3 tablespoons (21g) coconut flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one by Bob’s Red Mill!) will work as well, if measured like this.
DAIRY FREE, EGG FREE + VEGAN VERSION: No modifications needed!
DOUBLING: This recipe is easily doubled!
HOW TO STORE: Store cookies in an airtight container. They’ll keep for at least four days at room temperature or close to one week (if not longer!) in the refrigerator.
FREEZING AND THAWING: These cookies freeze really well! I like to thaw individual cookies in the microwave on 30% power until they’re warmed all the way through. They almost taste freshly baked when thawed like that!
{gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡Healthy Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies
♡Healthy Almond Butter Cookie Bars with Chocolate Frosting
♡Healthy Almond Butter Monster Cookies
♡Healthy Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡Healthy Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookie Bars
♡Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
♡…and the rest of Amy’s healthy cookie recipes!
