Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (Vegan & Paleo)
User Reviews
4.9
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (Vegan & Paleo)
Description
These Almond Flour Sugar Cookies are made by mixing almond meal and arrowroot starch with melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, almond extract, baking soda, and a pinch of sea salt, forming a sticky dough. The dough can be portioned and flattened directly on a lined baking sheet or chilled and rolled for cut-out shapes. Baking occurs at 350°F until edges begin to set.
The cookies develop a soft, tender crumb and only spread slightly, allowing control over shape and thickness. The dual vanilla and almond extracts add complexity to the flavor, enhanced by the natural sweetness of the maple syrup.
Optionally, a honey buttercream made with red palm oil shortening, coconut oil, arrowroot starch, raw honey, and vanilla or almond extract can be prepared to frost the cooled cookies, adding richness and a contrasting texture.
The recipe notes recommend making larger rolls of dough to slice for uniform cookies, suitable for storage in the fridge or freezer for convenience. Frozen dough slices bake into consistent cookies on demand. Alternative shaping and baking methods suit different textural preferences.
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal
- 1/4 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- sea salt pinch
Honey Buttercream:
- 1 tablespoon red palm oil shortening Nutiva brand
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (not melted)
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons raw honey thick
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl stir together the almond meal and tapioca starch, then add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir well until a sticky, uniform dough is formed.
- At this point, you can drop the dough by tablespoons onto the pan and flatten them with your fingers. (The dough is very sticky, so you might want to wet your hands with water to easily press the dough.) These cookies spread just a little bit, not a lot, so try to shape them into the size you want them to turn out.
- Alternatively, you can freeze the dough for 30 minutes and then roll it out on parchment paper to create cookie-cutter shapes. Sprinkle the dough with extra arrowroot to help prevent sticking to your rolling pin, and dip the cookie cutters in arrowroot, too. Roll the dough into 1/4-inch thickness for cookies that are firm on the outside and soft in the middle. The thicker your dough, the softer the cookie will be in the center.
- Bake the cookies at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are dry to the touch. The browner the edges get, the crispier the cookies will be, so I pull mine out before the edges brown at all. (But, I like mine pretty soft in the center.) You can play around with your baking time to get your desired texture, but keep in mind that these cookies will firm up even more as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan completely before frosting, at least 30 minutes.
- To make the Honey Buttercream, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and squish them together with a spatula. This frosting will not harden like traditional sugar cookie icing, but it should spread easily and not melt at room temperature, thanks to the use of shortening and arrowroot. Spread the frosting on the cooled cookies, or use an icing bag with a decorating tip to pipe it around the edges. I also used a few naturally-dyed red sprinkles (this company uses beet juice for coloring!) to bring these festive cookies to a holiday party last night. They were a total hit!
Notes
- Prepare dough log in advance and chill for slice-and-bake cookies with even thickness.
- Dough can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen up to six months for later baking.
- Use arrowroot starch to prevent sticking when rolling and for cookie cutter edges.
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 14 minutes or until set on edges for soft centers.
- Honey buttercream topping provides additional sweetness and texture but is optional.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 168 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 168kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 39mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 3mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 1000IU | 20% |
| Calcium | 80mg | 8% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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