Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (Perfect for Cut-Outs)

These almond flour sugar cookies roll out like classic cut-outs—soft in the center, lightly crisp on the edges, and never crumbly. They’re naturally gluten-free, made with simple ingredients, and perfect for icing + sprinkles for cozy holiday baking.

Soft cut-out almond flour sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

✅ Recipe Name: Almond Flour Sugar Cookies (Perfect for Cut-Outs)
🕒 Ready In: About 1 hour 30 minutes (includes chilling)
👪 Serves: Using 2.5–3 inch cutters, you’ll get ~20 cookies.
🍽 Calories: ~150 per cookie
🥣 Main Ingredients: Almond flour, coconut flour, butter, sugar, honey, egg, vanilla extract
📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free, grain-free, healthier classic sugar cookies
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Soft, easy-to-roll dough that’s perfect for cut-outs and holds its shape in the oven. Bakes up tender (not dry or crumbly) and is easy to decorate with icing and sprinkles—ideal for any holiday, including Christmas.

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I’ve tested a lot of sugar cookies over the years, and almond flour cut-outs are hands-down the trickiest—most doughs either crumble, spread, or taste a little too “healthified.” After a bunch of batches, this is the version I kept coming back to because it rolls out cleanly, holds its shape, and still tastes like a classic sugar cookie.

Almond flour is one of my most-tested ingredients on Healthful Blondie (I’ve baked with it for years), so if you love almond flour recipes too, try my Peanut Butter Almond Flour Cookies, Almond Flour Chocolate Cake, or Almond Flour Banana Muffins next.

This dough is specifically designed for cut-outs—the coconut flour provides structure, and the butter + coconut oil combination keeps it soft and workable so it doesn’t dry out. Make sure to try my Healthy Coconut Sugar Cookies and Healthier Lofthouse Cookies Recipe this Holiday season, too!

Jump to:

A Quick Look At The Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
Easy Substitutions & Variations
How to Make Almond Flour Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Step-by-Step)
Expert Baking Tips
Troubleshooting Guide
Storage, Freezing & Make-Ahead Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Healthy Cookie Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Perfect for cut-outs: The dough rolls out smoothly, cuts cleanly, and holds its shape in the oven.
Soft, classic texture: Tender and cookie-like—not dry, crumbly, or overly "healthy-tasting."
Easy to work with: Forgiving dough that stays manageable, even if it warms slightly.
Great for decorating: A sturdy base for icing, sprinkles, and festive designs.
Naturally gluten-free: Made with almond flour and coconut flour—no specialty blends needed.
Works for any season: Change up the icing colors and sprinkles to make these cookies for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthdays, or any celebration.

Ingredients You'll Need

All ingredients in almond flour sugar cookies in bowls labeled, including: almond flour, baking soda, salt, butter, coconut oil, vanilla extract, egg, honey, and sugar.

Almond flour: The base of these cookies. Use finely ground blanched almond flour for a smooth, classic sugar cookie texture (not almond meal, which can make cookies gritty).
Coconut flour: A small amount helps absorb moisture and gives the dough structure, so it rolls out easily and holds its shape for cut-outs. This is my secret ingredient.
Butter: I intentionally use both butter and coconut oil. The butter adds richness and that classic sugar cookie flavor. Make sure it's softened, not melted, for the best texture.
Coconut oil: Used alongside butter to keep the dough soft and workable. Use refined coconut oil to avoid any coconut flavor.
Sugar: Gives these cookies their classic sweetness and helps them brown properly.
Honey: Adds moisture and softness, keeping the cookies tender after baking. This is especially important when working with almond flour.
Egg: Binds everything together and gives the dough structure—key when baking with almond flour.
Vanilla extract: Adds warm, classic sugar cookie flavor.
Almond extract (optional): A small amount enhances the almond flavor and gives the cookies a bakery-style finish. I usually stick with vanilla, but my family prefers the classic almond flavor.
Baking soda: Helps the cookies puff slightly while keeping them soft.
Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances all flavors.

Scroll to recipe card for quantities!

Easy Substitutions & Variations

Make them dairy-free: Use dairy-free butter in place of regular butter for similar results. Just be sure to use a stick-style butter, not a spread. Also, check out my Vegan Lemon Sugar Cookie recipe!
Coconut oil: Refined coconut oil works best, so there's no coconut flavor. Keep it solid (not melted) to help the dough stay workable and prevent spreading.
Honey: I don't recommend swapping the honey if you can avoid it. I tested maple syrup, and it can work, but the dough will be softer. If you do make the swap, add 1–2 teaspoons of coconut flour to help balance the moisture.
Decorating ideas: These cookies are great plain, lightly iced, or decorated with sprinkles. You can also drizzle them with a simple glaze or use royal icing if you want sharper, more detailed designs. I love these fun Holiday sprinkles, and these winter-theme sprinkles!

Before you make substitutions, keep this in mind:

Don't replace the almond flour with almond meal or all-purpose flour—it's too coarse and will make the cookies gritty. Try these Gingerbread Sugar Cookies Without Molasses if you want to bake with all-purpose flour and Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies if you want to bake with whole wheat flour.
Don't swap the coconut flour for more almond flour. The dough will lose structure and won't hold clean cut-out shapes.

How to Make Almond Flour Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Step-by-Step)

Almond flour, baking soda, and salt whisked together without clumps in a bow.

Step 1: Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda until no clumps remain.

Beating sugar and honey with creamed butter and coconut oil.

Step 2: In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and solid (not melted) coconut oil until smooth and creamy, about 2–4 minutes. Add the sugar and honey, then beat on high speed for 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Beating in the egg and vanilla to the creamed butter and sugar.

Step 3: Add the room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Beat on medium-high for another minute, until fully incorporated and smooth.

Almond flour sugar cookie dough in mixing bowl.

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until a dough forms. Let the dough rest for 3 minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb moisture.

Almond flour sugar cookie dough wrapped in cling wrap to chill.

Step 5: Form the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Rolling out almond flour sugar cookie dough between two pieces of parchment paper so the dough doesn't stick.

Step 6: Place one chilled dough disk between two sheets of parchment paper and roll evenly to about ¼-inch thick (or slightly thicker).

Chilling and cutting shapes out of almond flour cookie dough.

Step 7: For the cleanest cut-outs, transfer the rolled dough (still on parchment) to a baking sheet and chill for another 20–30 minutes. Then cut into fun shapes.

Almond flour sugar cookie dough cut outs on a baking sheet before baking.

Step 8: Evenly space out the cookies on a baking sheet.

Golden, puffed-up cut out almond flour sugar cooking on a baking pan.

Step 9: Bake at 350°F for 6–8 minutes (up to 10 minutes for larger cookies), until puffed and lightly golden on the bottom.

Whisking royal icing together to decorate the sugar cookies.

Step 10: Whisk the icing ingredients together, adding a tiny splash of water as needed until it's thin enough to pipe but not runny.

Decorating baking almond flour cut out sugar cookies with royal icing and sprinkles.

Step 11: Let the cookies cool completely before icing. Finish by adding sprinkles while the icing is still wet.

Expert Baking Tips

Use finely ground blanched almond flour. This makes a big difference. Almond meal or coarse flour will make the dough gritty and harder to roll out.
Keep the coconut oil solid. If it's melted, the dough will be too soft and more likely to spread. Solid coconut oil helps the cookies hold their shape.
Don't skip the dough rest. Letting the dough sit for a few minutes after mixing allows the coconut flour to absorb moisture, which makes the dough easier to handle and roll out. This is the same technique I use when baking with oat flour, like in my Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Chill twice for the best cut-outs. Chilling the dough before and after rolling yields the cleanest edges and prevents spreading in the oven.
Roll slightly thicker than you think. About ¼-inch thick (or a touch more) gives you soft centers and cookies that don't break when decorating.
Bake until just set. These cookies don't brown much on top. Look for lightly golden bottoms and set edges—overbaking will dry them out.
Let them cool completely before icing. Warm cookies will melt the icing and make decorating messy.

Troubleshooting Guide

I've tested this recipe more times than I can count, and these are the most common issues that come up when making almond flour cut-out sugar cookies—plus exactly how to fix them.

My dough feels too soft or sticky. This usually means the coconut flour hasn't fully absorbed moisture yet, or the dough is warm. Let the dough rest for a few minutes, then chill it. If needed, lightly dust with coconut flour when rolling.
The dough is cracking when I roll it out. This can happen if the dough is too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes, then try rolling it again between pieces of parchment paper.
My cookies spread in the oven. Make sure the coconut oil is solid (not melted) and that the rolled dough is chilled before cutting. Spreading almost always comes from warm dough.
The cookies turned out dry. They were likely overbaked. These cookies don't brown much on top—pull them when the bottoms are lightly golden, and the centers look just set.
The cookies broke while decorating. Try rolling the dough slightly thicker next time (a little over ¼-inch). Thicker cookies hold up better once iced.
The icing is too runny or too thick. If it's runny, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add water one teaspoon at a time until it pipes smoothly.

Gluten-free cut out sugar cookies made with almond flour.

Storage, Freezing & Make-Ahead Tips

To Store: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let the iced cookies fully set before stacking.
To freeze baked cookies: Once completely cooled (and iced, if decorating), freeze cookies in a single layer until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
To freeze the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then roll, cut, and bake as directed.
Make-ahead tip: You can prepare the dough up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it until ready to roll and bake. This is especially helpful for holiday and Christmas baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I roll the almond flour dough scraps and re-cut the cookies?

Yes. You can gently re-roll the dough scraps once or twice. If the dough feels too soft, chill it briefly before cutting again for cleaner edges.

Do almond flour sugar cookies spread in the oven?

When made as written, these cookies hold their shape well. Ensure the coconut oil is solid (not melted), and chill the dough before cutting for the cleanest edges.

Are these almond flour sugar cookies soft or crispy?

These almond flour sugar cookies bake up soft and tender. They won't be crispy unless they're overbaked.

Can I make almond flour sugar cookie dough ahead of time?

Yes. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours before rolling and baking, or freeze it for longer storage (see the storage section above).

Why use both butter and coconut oil in these almond flour sugar cookies?

Using both butter and coconut oil gives the cookies the best balance of flavor and texture. The butter adds that classic sugar cookie taste, while the coconut oil helps keep the dough soft and easy to roll out. Almond flour can dry out or crumble more easily, and this combination helps prevent that while also keeping the cookies sturdy enough for clean cut-outs.

Why does the almond flour dough feel soft even after chilling?

That's normal. Almond flour doughs are naturally softer than traditional wheat-based doughs. As long as the dough is chilled and rolls cleanly between parchment, it's ready to use.

Christmas almond four sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles.

If you loved these almond flour cut-out sugar cookies, here are a few more recipes to try next:

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don't forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!