This almond butter cookies recipe is simple, delicious, and needs just 3 ingredients! No flour needed, they take minutes to make and melt in your mouth!
Need a simple and delicious cookie recipe that you can make in your sleep?
You need these almond butter cookies.
Inspired by our popular peanut butter cookies, we switched out the peanut butter for the almond variety, and just between us, tastes so much better.
Why this recipe works
- 3 ingredients. All you need is almond butter, eggs, and brown sugar.
- No flour needed. Traditional cookies call for flour but these are completely flourless.
- Ready in 12 minutes. From prep to plate, these cookies take no time at all.
- No chill time. Most cookies call for at least an hour but not these ones!
Can we lament about how perfect the texture is? Soft, chewy, and crisp around the edges. The cookies themselves are sweet, and taste even better with some chocolate chips mixed through and a sprinkle of salt on top.
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for very simple ingredients that you’ll surely already have in your pantry. Here is what you’ll need:
- Almond butter. smooth almond butter, not the crunchy type. If you have a pack of raw almonds on hand, make your own!
- Eggs. room temperature eggs.
- Brown sugar. Keeps the cookies soft in the middle but crisp around the edges. You can also use coconut sugar or mix it with white sugar (for slightly firmer cookies).
- Chocolate chips. Optional, but take these cookies to another level.
Almond butter cookies are easy to make: the only thing to remember is to mix everything thoroughly, so the almond butter and sugar are well mixed. Here’s the basic idea to make cookies (or see the recipe below for specifics):
Step 1- Make the cookie dough
Start by adding the almond butter, eggs, and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix well. Fold through the chocolate chips, if using them.
Step 2- Shape into cookies
Next, using your hands, roll out balls of cookie dough and place them on a lined baking sheet. Lightly press down each ball of cookie dough into a thick cookie shape.
Step 3- Bake the cookies
Now, bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are firm to touch. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Always use smooth almond butter. This mixes easily and creates smooth and even cookies. Do not use crunchy or natural almond butter, as it will be too stiff.
- Room temperature eggs are a must. Refrigerated eggs firm up the almond butter, which will make it difficult to mix.
- Lightly wet hands before rolling into balls. This prevents bits of cookie dough from sticking to your fingers and helps you create a more uniform dough.
- Add baking soda. While unnecessary, this helps produce thicker cookies.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
Almond butter cookies are super forgiving and are easy to customize for various diets or eating styles. You can also try out some tested substitutions:
- Make them without eggs, by trying out an egg substitute.
- For keto almond butter cookies, swap the sugar for a keto brown sugar.
- Substitute the almond butter for cashew butter, peanut butter, or tahini.
- Chill the dough for an hour beforehand for extra thick and chewy cookies.
- Add mix-ins like raisins, dried fruit, nuts, or seeds.
Storage instructions
- To store: Leftover cookies can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to one week. If you’d like the cookies to keep longer, store them in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: Place the cooled cookies in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
- Keto chocolate chip cookies
- Vegan chocolate chip cookies
- Almond flour cookies
- Protein cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
Almond butter isn’t an accurate swap for butter in cookies or any dessert recipe. It’d be best to use a butter substitute instead.
Pre-make the cookie dough up to five days in advance and keep it refrigerated. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
While made with almond butter, these cookies don’t have an overpowering flavor at all and taste like any good cookie recipe.
Almond Butter Cookies (3 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter
- 2/3 cup brown sugar * See notes
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all your ingredients until completely mixed. If using chocolate chips, fold through at the end.
- Form 12 balls of cookie dough and place on the lined tray/cookie sheet. Place balls of dough 2 inches apart. Press down on each ball into a cookie shape. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just golden on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the cookie sheet.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hello Arman, this recipe seems wonderful. I have a suggestion however, you should totally write to ads baking soda+ refrigerate in the directions as well: most of us want thick cookies especially when the cookies in your pictures are those you made and love: thick and big. Thanks!
Great recipe. Made these and love them. Used 1/2 Cup granulated Stevia for sweetener instead of 2/3 C because Stevia is so sweet, and added the baking soda. Made them nice and fluffy. Next time I’ll use a little less soda. I also use a silpat, which made it as easy as could be.
Amazing, only 4 ingredients and no mixer! These are a “do again”.
Fabulous- Thank you for the feedback, Kathleen!
How much baking soda did you add?
Hi add 1/2 teaspoon 🙂
How many chocolate chips should I fold in?
Hi Maggie! Start with 1/2 cup but add more as desired 🙂
Hi, can dates be substituted for the sweetener? If so how many?
Not that I’ve tried.
Can you just replace the almond butter with peanut butter or would that change the recipe?
That works perfectly fine.
These turned out really well, in spite of the changes I made. I used peanut butter, extra chia seed (because my estimate at 3 TBS produced too much), and baked them about 14 minutes (because they still looked so wet at 12 minutes). I also added the baking soda, but I don’t really know if it made any difference or not.
They DID set up perfectly as they cooled! So, next time I will only cook them a max of 12 minutes. Also, I will only use 3 TBS of ground chia, and will add about 1/4 tsp of salt and a scoop of pure monk fruit to make them sweeter. Mine were not sweet at all.
Thanks for a really great recipe!! I should have stuck closer to it as written!
I followed the recipe as written, using 1 tsp of baking soda to help rise – but my cookies just crumbled! 😭 What could I have done wrong?!
Probably used too thick of an almond butter- this is a very simple recipe so it shouldn’t crumble, so it comes down to an ingredient used 🙂
Arman~ seriously, your recipes are some of the absolute best I’ve ever tried! I think maybe we tend to overcomplicate things sometimes, when the simplest of ingredients & techniques will do- and do much better, often =) Very grateful to have found your website, & am in process of working my way through your recipes. this is definitely your calling, & the way you explain- w/a little humor at times- perfect! Thank you Arman, & may all your efforts be blessed ~Samantha in AZ
You are too sweet! 🙂
Can I use tahini instead ? I’m allergic to nuts unfort
Absolutely, be sure that it is smooth and drippy 🙂
Hi, I see only 3 ingredients. Is that correct?
That is correct.
Thanks!
The recipe made 17 cookies for me using my cookie scoop. Baked 12 minutes. Turned oven off and left in 1 more minute.
28 grams of Lily’s chips added to recipe. I also added 1/2 t baking soda.
Not sure where to post photo of them.
Don’t forget: Do not remove from sheet until cooled as very mushy and soft.
I made these cookies last night and they were a huge hit with my family! I love these few ingredient recipes. I’m hoping to make a double batch and freeze half. Would that effect the outcome of the recipe? Thanks!
Nope, not at all.
Awesome always looking for a great low carb/keto treats. Husband loved and so did my son who are both on Keto too.