Indulge in the perfect treat with our Soft Almond Cookies! These vegan delights are gluten-free, eggless, and made with wholesome almond flour. Enjoy the soft and chewy goodness in every bite.
This is the best vegan version of Ricciarelli, a traditional Italian cookie that is famous for its soft and chewy texture. These almond cookies are a delightful twist on the traditional Italian treat.
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Ingredients you need
To make this soft almond cookies recipe you need
- Sugar: Any kind of sugar white, brown, raw, granulated sugar, or even jaggery will work for this recipe.
- Vegan Butter: Choose a tasteless, unsalted high-quality vegan butter substitute. Ensure it's completely melted and at room temperature for smooth incorporation into the recipe. To make this recipe even more healthy you can try almond butter or peanut butter.
- Flax Seed Meal Egg: To make a flax meal egg, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal with 2.5 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for a few minutes until it becomes gel-like. This serves as a vegan egg substitute and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Almond Essence: Almond essence or almond extract is a concentrated flavoring derived from almonds. Use it sparingly, as it's potent. A small amount adds a delightful almond flavor to your recipe.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour is made from finely ground blanched almonds. It's a common ingredient in gluten-free and grain-free baking, providing a rich, nutty flavor and moist and soft texture.
- Gluten-Free Flour: This will help to keep cookies held together. I am using this gluten-free flour blend for this recipe. Different blends may contain various ingredients like rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, and xanthan gum to mimic the properties of wheat flour.
- Baking Powder: Ensure it's fresh and not expired for optimal results.
- Cinnamon Powder: Cinnamon powder adds warmth and a touch of spice to your cookies.
- Icing Sugar: Icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar, is used for making that crinkle-top effect on almond flour cookies.
How to Make Soft Almond Cookies
Prepare the Flaxseed Meal Egg
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal with 2.5 tablespoons of water.
- Allow it to sit for a few minutes until it thickens and becomes gel-like. This will serve as your egg substitute.
Combine Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, mix melted vegan butter and sugar. Next, add flax meal egg, and almond extract. Mix well until sugar is dissolved and well combined.
Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients
- Next sift almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients until a sticky cookie dough forms. It should hold together.
Chill the Dough
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes. Chilling the dough helps it firm up, making it easier to handle.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape the Cookies
- Take the chilled dough and scoop out small portions. Roll them into balls, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter.
Roll In Icing Sugar
- Roll each dough ball in icing sugar until it's well coated. This will create the crinkle effect as the cookies bake.
- Arrange the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie.
Bake
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, your soft almond cookies are ready to enjoy! They should have a delightful crinkled appearance and a rich almond flavor.
Storage
To store almond soft cookies properly and maintain their freshness, it's essential to follow a few simple steps.
- First, ensure that the cookies have completely cooled to room temperature after baking.
- Next, choose an airtight container or cookie tin with a tight-fitting lid to store them.
- If you plan to stack the cookies, place a layer of parchment paper between them to prevent sticking.
- Store the container in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
Freeze
Almond flour cookies are typically best stored at room temperature. If you're storing different types of cookies together, be sure to separate them to avoid flavor transfer. For longer-term storage, you can freeze almond flour cookies in an airtight container with layers separated by parchment paper.
With these precautions, your almond flour cookies can stay fresh and delightful for days or even months.
Soft Almond Cookies Variations
Almond soft cookies are versatile and can be customized in various ways to create delightful flavor variations. Here are some ideas for almond flour cookie variations:
- Chocolate Chip Soft Almond Cookies: Add dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks to the cookie dough for a classic chocolate chip cookie variation. The combination of almond flour and chocolate is heavenly.
- Almond Butter Cookies: Incorporate almond butter into the cookie dough for a double dose of almond flavor. These cookies will have a rich, nutty taste.
- Coconut Almond Cookies: Mix in shredded coconut to the cookie dough for a tropical twist. You can also add a touch of coconut extract for extra flavor.
- Lemon Almond Cookies: Add lemon zest and a splash of fresh lemon juice to the dough for bright and zesty almond lemon cookies. Dust them with powdered sugar for a finishing touch.
- Cherry Almond Cookies: Fold in dried cherries or chopped dried cranberries for a sweet and tart contrast to the almond flavor.
- Matcha Almond Cookies: Mix in matcha green tea powder for a unique and slightly earthy flavor. These cookies will have a lovely green hue.
- Almond Thumbprint Cookies: Create thumbprint cookies by making an indentation in each cookie and filling it with your favorite jam or fruit preserve for a burst of fruity goodness.
Feel free to get creative and experiment with your favorite flavors and ingredients. Almond flour is a versatile base for cookies, and these variations can add excitement to your baking endeavors.
More Cookies Recipes
- Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies
- Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
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Soft Almond Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- ½ Cup Vegan butter (melted)
- 1 Tbs Ground flaxseed
- 1 Tsp Almond Essence
- 1½ Cup Almond Flour
- ⅓ Cup Gluten-free flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon powder
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ½ Cup Icing Sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Mix and set aside for at least 5 to 10 minutes.
- In another bowl, add sugar and melted vegan butter and stir with a silicone spatula until well combined. Next add the ground flax seed mixture, and almond essence, and mix well.
- In another, medium-sized bowl, Sift in the almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours to let the mixture get firm. You can also leave it overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place icing sugar in a small bowl.
- Once the dough is chilled and firm, roll it into 1 tbsp balls and then roll in the icing sugar, making sure to coat the balls generously. Make sure you cover all sides. The more powdered sugar, the better the crinkling pattern on the cookies.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. They will appear slightly undercooked but will get firm once cooled down. Make sure you don’t overbake them! If you leave them in the oven too long, they will end up dry inside.
- Once cooled down you will get a crispy outside with a fudge-like center.
- Cool on the baking sheet for at least 7 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Store any extra cookies in an airtight container for a week.
Notes
- Use canola oil or coconut oil If you can't find any vegan butter option.
- Make sure you leave the dough for at least 3 to 4 hours to get a firm consistency to roll into a ball.
- You can make this dough ahead of time and leave it overnight.
- Use oil on your hands for rolling the dough so it won't stick to your hands.
Julia says
These cookies are DELICIOUS! At least double the batch if you want them to last more than a day 🙂
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