These almond flour sugar cookies roll out like classic cut-outs and hold their shape in the oven. They're soft in the center, lightly crisp at the edges, and naturally gluten-free and grain-free. Perfect for decorating with icing and sprinkles for Christmas or any holiday.
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies At A Glance
- ✅ Recipe Name: Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (Soft Cut-Outs)
- 🕒 Ready In: ~2 hours (includes chilling)
- 👪 Serves: ~20 cookies with 2.5 to 3-inch cutters
- 🍽 Calories: ~181 per cookie
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Almond flour, coconut flour, butter, coconut oil, sugar, honey, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract (optional)
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian, can be made dairy-free with stick-style dairy-free butter
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Soft, easy-to-roll dough that holds its shape in the oven. The cookies bake up tender with lightly crisp edges and make a sturdy base for icing and sprinkles at Christmas or any holiday.
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The Almond Flour Cut-Out Cookie I Kept Coming Back To
I've tested a lot of sugar cookies over the years, and almond flour cut-outs are hands-down the trickiest. Most of my early batches crumbled the second I tried to roll them, spread into blobs in the oven, or tasted a little too "healthified." Not exactly what you want on a Christmas cookie platter!
Almond flour is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with (it's the base of my almond flour chocolate cake, too), so I wasn't giving up. The game changer was adding a little coconut flour and chilling the dough twice. Now it rolls out cleanly between parchment, the shapes hold in the oven, and they still taste like a classic sugar cookie.
My family likes them best with a splash of almond extract, and they're always on our holiday cookie platter right next to my orange chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and healthy walnut chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.
Jump to:
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies At A Glance
- The Almond Flour Cut-Out Cookie I Kept Coming Back To
- Why These Almond Flour Cut-Outs Hold Their Shape
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Swaps I Tested (and What I Don't Recommend)
- How to Make Almond Flour Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Step-by-Step)
- Recipe Video
- How to Decorate Almond Flour Christmas Cookies
- Tips for Soft Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
- Troubleshooting Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
- Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies FAQs
- More Almond Flour Dessert Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why These Almond Flour Cut-Outs Hold Their Shape
Almond flour has no gluten, so on its own the dough spreads. Here's what keeps these shapes sharp:
- Coconut flour: My secret ingredient! A little gives the dough structure.
- Solid fats: Butter adds flavor, and solid (not melted) coconut oil keeps the dough workable.
- Honey: Keeps the cookies tender instead of dry.
- A quick rest: 3 minutes lets the coconut flour absorb moisture, so the dough is easy to roll.
- Chilling twice: Once before rolling and once after. Warm dough is what makes cookies spread!
Ingredients You'll Need
These cookies use blanched almond flour and a little coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour. Here's what each ingredient does, so you know what you can (and can't) swap.
- Almond flour: The base of these cookies. Use super-fine blanched almond flour (I use Bob's Red Mill), not almond meal, which makes cookies gritty. It's the same flour I use in my baked banana bread donuts.
- Coconut flour: My secret ingredient! A small amount absorbs moisture and gives the dough structure, so it rolls out easily and holds its shape.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies puff slightly while staying soft.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out all the flavors.
- Sugar: Gives the cookies their classic sweetness and helps them brown.
- Honey: Keeps the cookies tender after baking, which is especially important with almond flour.
- Butter: Adds richness and that classic sugar cookie flavor. Make sure it's softened, not melted.
- Coconut oil: Keeps the dough soft and workable. Use refined coconut oil so there's no coconut flavor, and keep it solid.
- Egg: Binds everything together and gives the dough structure. Use it at room temperature so it mixes in smoothly.
- Vanilla extract: Adds that warm, classic sugar cookie flavor.
- Almond extract (optional): Brings out the almond flavor for a bakery-style finish. I usually stick with vanilla, but my family loves the almond version!
- Icing: Just powdered sugar and water, plus vanilla and food coloring if you'd like.
Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements!
Swaps I Tested (and What I Don't Recommend)
- Make them dairy-free: Use stick-style dairy-free butter (not a spread) instead of regular butter for similar results.
- Maple syrup instead of honey: It works, but the dough is softer. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of extra coconut flour to balance it out.
- Less refined sugar: Want a sugar cookie with less refined sugar? Try my healthy coconut sugar cookies instead.
What I don't recommend:
- Almond meal or all-purpose flour: Almond meal is too coarse and makes the cookies gritty, and all-purpose flour won't work in this ratio.
- Skipping the coconut flour: Without it, the dough loses its structure and won't hold clean cut-out shapes.
- Egg substitutes: I haven't tested a flax egg here. Since almond flour relies on the egg for structure, I'd stick with a real egg.
How to Make Almond Flour Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Step-by-Step)
Mix the dough, let it rest, chill it, roll it out, chill again, then cut and bake at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Step 1: Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda until no clumps remain.
- Step 2: Cream the fats. In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and solid coconut oil until creamy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and honey and beat on high for 1 minute.
- Step 3: Add egg and extracts. Add the room-temperature egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Beat on medium-high for 1 minute until smooth.
- Step 4: Make the dough. Mix in the dry ingredients on low just until a dough forms. Let it rest for 3 minutes so the coconut flour absorbs moisture.
- Step 5: Chill. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, and wrap tightly. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Step 6: Roll it out. Roll one disk between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼ inch thick.
- Step 7: Chill again, then cut. Slide the rolled dough (still on parchment) onto a baking sheet and chill for 20 to 30 minutes. Then cut out your shapes right on the parchment.
- Step 8: Remove the scraps. Peel away the dough around the shapes and space the cookies out evenly on the parchment. Re-roll the scraps and repeat.
- Step 9: Bake. Bake at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes (up to 10 for larger cookies), until puffed and lightly golden on the bottom.
- Step 10: Make the icing. Whisk the powdered sugar with a tiny splash of water until it's thick enough to pipe but not runny.
- Step 11: Cool and decorate. Let the cookies cool completely before icing. Add sprinkles while the icing is still wet.
Tati's Tip: The secret to almond flour cut-outs that hold their shape is cold dough. Chill it before rolling, chill it again after rolling, and cut your shapes right on the parchment. If the dough ever feels sticky, back in the fridge it goes!
Recipe Video
How to Decorate Almond Flour Christmas Cookies
These cookies are sturdy enough to decorate however you like, from a simple glaze to piped designs.
- Get the icing consistency right: Drizzle a little icing back over itself. If it melts back in within about 10 seconds, it's perfect for piping and flooding.
- Pick your Christmas shapes: Stars, hearts, trees, and snowflakes all hold their edges well with this dough.
- Go festive with sprinkles: I love these holiday sprinkles and winter-theme sprinkles. Just add them while the icing is still wet, so they stick.
Making a full cookie platter? My gingerbread sugar cookies without molasses use the same cut-out method and look so festive next to these! Short on time? My chewy chocolate chip cookies made without brown sugar need no chilling and are ready in about 25 minutes.
Tips for Soft Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
I've made these cookies about 100 times, and these little things make the biggest difference:
- Spoon and level the flours: Don't scoop straight from the bag! Too much coconut flour makes the cookies dry. This matters with any alternative flour, including in my oat flour chocolate chip cookies.
- Roll a little thicker than you think: About ¼ inch, or a touch more, gives you soft centers and cookies that won't break when you decorate.
- Cut right on the parchment: That way you never have to lift a soft cookie, and the shapes stay sharp.
- Re-chill if the dough gets soft: If it starts sticking, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes. Trust me, it's worth the wait!
- Bake until just set: The tops won't brown much, so check for lightly golden bottoms. Overbaking is what dries them out.
Troubleshooting Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
Here are the most common issues I've run into, and how to fix them:
- Dough is too soft or sticky: Let it rest a few more minutes, then chill it. Lightly dust with coconut flour when rolling if needed.
- Dough cracks when rolling: It's too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, then try again.
- Cookies spread in the oven: The dough got too warm. Make sure the coconut oil is solid and chill the rolled dough before cutting.
- Cookies are dry: They were overbaked. Pull them when the bottoms are lightly golden, even if the tops look pale.
- Cookies break when decorating: Roll them a little thicker next time, just over ¼ inch.
- Icing is too runny or too thick: Add more powdered sugar if it's runny, or water 1 teaspoon at a time if it's thick.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
- Make ahead: Make the dough up to 24 hours ahead and keep it wrapped in the fridge.
- Store: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let iced cookies set before stacking.
- Freeze the dough: Wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
- Freeze baked cookies: Freeze in a single layer until firm, then store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies FAQs
Yes! But you can't swap almond flour 1:1 into a regular sugar cookie recipe. Almond flour has no gluten, so the dough spreads and crumbles without help. This recipe adds a little coconut flour and an egg for structure, so the cookies hold their shape.
Both! They're soft in the center with lightly crisp edges. For softer cookies, roll them a little thicker and pull them as soon as the bottoms are lightly golden.
Yes, they're naturally gluten-free and grain-free. If you're baking for someone with celiac disease, look for almond flour and coconut flour labeled certified gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination.
A little! Each cookie has 4g of protein and 2g of fiber from the almond flour, which is more than a typical flour-based sugar cookie. They're still a treat, though, with about 10g of sugar per cookie.
Yes! Gather the scraps, press them into a disk, and roll them out again. If the dough feels soft or sticky, chill it for a few minutes first.
More Almond Flour Dessert Recipes You'll Love
If you loved these almond flour cut-out sugar cookies, here are a few more recipes to try next:
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📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (Soft Cut-Outs)
Video
Ingredients
The Cookies:
- 2 ½ cups super-fine almond flour, spooned and leveled (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- ⅓ cup coconut flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup butter, softened NOT melted
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, solid (not melted)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional
Easy Powdered Sugar Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ to 1 tablespoon water, added gradually
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- Food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. Break up any clumps of almond flour with the whisk or your fingers.
- Beat the butter and coconut oil: Add the softened butter and solid coconut oil to a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2 to 4 minutes, until smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Add the sugar and honey: Add the sugar and honey. Beat on high for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula so everything mixes evenly.
- Add the egg and extracts: Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Beat on medium-high for 1 minute, until the mixture looks smooth.
- Make the dough: Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms and you don't see any dry flour. Don't overmix.
- Let the dough rest: Let the dough sit in the bowl for 3 minutes. This gives the coconut flour time to soak up moisture. The dough will still feel soft, and that's normal!
- Shape and chill: Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball, flatten it into a disk about 1 inch thick, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Roll out the dough: Place one disk between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out evenly until it's about ¼ inch thick. Keep the other disk in the fridge until you need it.
- Chill again: Slide the rolled dough, still between the parchment, onto a baking sheet. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes. This second chill keeps your shapes from spreading.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F while the dough chills.
- Cut out the cookies: Peel off the top sheet of parchment. Cut out your shapes right on the bottom sheet, then peel away the extra dough around them. Space the cookies about 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps into a ball and chill them to roll out again.
- Bake: Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (up to 10 for larger cookies). They're done when they look puffed and the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops will still look pale, so don't wait for them to brown.
- Cool completely: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack. Make sure they're completely cool before icing, or the icing will melt.
- Make the icing: Whisk the powdered sugar with ½ tablespoon of water. Add more water a few drops at a time until the icing is smooth and thick but still pipeable. To test it, drizzle a little back into the bowl. If the line disappears in about 10 seconds, it's ready.
- Decorate: Spread or pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies. Add sprinkles right away, while the icing is still wet, so they stick.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe tested and developed by Tati Chermayeff, creator of Healthful Blondie. A former Division I rower, Ironman triathlete, and recipe developer based in Austin, TX, Tati creates high-protein and healthy recipes that actually taste like the real thing.
Tati Chermayeff says
My new favorite sugar cookie recipe! I love that it uses almond flour but is still super soft. These cookies hold their shape which is rare with almond flour recipes! Love!