Almond Butter Cookies

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My Almond Butter Cookies are a fantastic addition to your recipe repertoire, whether you’re an experienced baker or are brand new to the game. With a blissfully short list of ingredients and a foolproof, easy-to-follow method, you’ll have a batch of irresistible nut butter cookies ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes.

These sweet-n-salty treats offer a subtle twist on my classic peanut butter cookie recipe. Combining the yummy flavor of almond butter with a tender-crumbed, chewy interior and a satisfyingly crispy exterior, they also have the hash-marked top that makes the cookies so darn charming.

If you find yourself with an abundance of almond butter — perhaps from that giant value-sized container sitting in your pantry? This almond butter cookie recipe is an ideal way to put it to delicious use. Boasting the toasty nuttiness of almonds, molasses-y brown sugar, and flecked with just the right amount of saltiness, these cookies with almond butter are the grab-n-go treat that’ll perk up any packed lunch or mid-day coffee break. So, next time you feel that sweet tooth, whip up a batch of these easy almond butter cookies — you won’t regret it!

For more delicious nut butter cookie recipes, see my peanut butter oatmeal cookies, peanut butter blossoms recipe, and my no bake cookies recipe.

What You Need To Make This Recipe

Ingredients needed to make almond butter cookies.

All-Purpose Flour — plain white flour is all you need! All-purpose flour makes tender cookies with just enough crispness to crave.

Leavening/Raising Agents — this recipe calls for both baking soda & baking powder to give them the perfect amount of lift and a tender crumb. If you’re not sure if they’re active, you can easily test them using vinegar and hot water!

Almond Butter — feel free to use any smooth, natural almond butter you happen to have on hand. For best results, use a no-stir almond butter.

Sugars — as it turns out, brown sugar and white sugar have different chemical properties, so you’ll want to use both. I prefer the lighter molasses flavor of light brown sugar in these butter almond cookies, but taste is subjective. You should also be able to get away with using dark brown sugar, or a less refined alternative like muscovado sugar.

Egg — used for binding the cookie dough and adding some protein for structure. Let the egg come to room temperature before adding to the dough to make it easier to incorporate without over-mixing.

Vanilla Extract — For adding the rich warmth and complexity that’s a hallmark of cookies everywhere! Feel free to swap in an equal amount of vanilla paste or vanilla powder.

How To Make Almond Butter Cookies

Set of two photos showing dry ingredients whisked together and added to a mixing bowl.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond butter and sugars on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Set of two photos showing vanilla extract added to the mixing bowl and completed crumbly dough.

3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.

4. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once during mixing. (The dough will be crumbly but will hold together when pressed together in your hand.)

Set of two photos showing dough rolled into balls and pressed down on with a fork.

5. Scoop the dough into 12 heaping 1½-tablespoon-sized balls, and shape into 2-inch balls between your palms.

6. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Flatten by pressing the top down with fork tines in a criss-cross pattern. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until the tops of cookies are dry and slightly puffed. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

A platter with almond butter cookies with a glass of milk on the side.

Pro Tips For Making This Recipe

Mix well. Make sure your nut butter is well-stirred with no visible streaks of oil. If yours needs stirring, an immersion blender is the easiest method I’ve found — plus, it fits in the top of larger nut butter containers perfectly!
Define the hatching. For a more pronounced tine pattern on top of the cookies, gently press them with a fork again shortly after they come out of the oven.
Weigh your ingredients. When it comes to baking, ratios are EVERYTHING! If you haven’t yet invested in a kitchen scale, make sure you’re using the proper spoon-and-sweep method of measuring flour.
Crumbly is okay! Please note that the almond butter cookie dough will look quite crumbly when you’re done mixing it up. That’s totally normal! It should come together easily with a gentle squeeze. If for some reason
Freeze your dough balls. Make Future You super happy by freezing your cookie dough for later. I suggest rolling it into balls, pressing them out with the tines of your fork, freezing them on a parchment-lined plate, then popping them in a labeled freezer-safe container or zip-top bag when they’re frozen solid. They should keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months. Whenever you get the itch for something sweet, pop however many cookie discs you want in the oven (straight from frozen!) and bake, adding a few minutes on the cook time as needed. Cookies on demand? Brilliant!
The “best almond cookie recipe” moniker is totally subjective, so you should feel empowered to make this one your own. While you shouldn’t mess with the overall ratios of the dough, there are plenty more ways to customize them. Try adding a sprinkle of flaky Maldon salt over the top as soon as they come out of the oven for added saltiness and crunch. Or, consider stirring in some mix-ins like finely chopped toasted almonds or mini chocolate chips for added texture. If you come up with a brilliant variation the world should know about, make sure to let me know in the comments below or by tagging me in your social post (@preppykitchen) so I can cheer you on!

A stack of four almond butter cookies with one cookie leaning on the stack.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best substitute?

Pretty much any nut or seed butter that you can think of will make a great almond butter substitute, including but not limited to peanut butter, cashew butter, mixed nut butter, or even sunflower seed butter.

Are these cookies healthy?

Since I’m not a registered nutrition professional, I try to avoid deeming foods “healthy” or not. What I will say is these tasty little treats definitely fall under the “almond butter dessert” heading, so they should be consumed in moderation. That said, they’re also homemade and chock full of love, so they’re definitely preferable to store-bought cookies!

What should I do if I don’t have enough almond butter? Can I mix in peanut butter?

Absolutely! Almond peanut butter cookies sound stellar.

Can you make peanut butter cookies with almond butter?

Yep! They’re essentially interchangeable when it comes to baking.

If you love this recipe try these out!

If you’ve tried this Almond Butter Cookies recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!