Almond Cookies with Chocolate Chips
These vegan almond cookies with chocolate chips are soft, buttery little rounds made with almond flour, crushed roasted almonds, and dairy-free chocolate. They come together in one bowl, bake in about 15 to 18 minutes, and give you that classic chocolate-chip cookie feeling without any eggs or dairy. Bake a tray when a sweet tooth hits, eat one (or a few), and keep the rest in a jar for the week.
Cookies are among the best things on earth, and I think we can all agree on this one. They are perfect for those moments when you want something sweet but do not want to bake a whole cake just for yourself. Almonds happen to be one of my favorite types of nuts out there, so pairing them with chocolate chips was an easy call, and I could not be happier with how these turned out. In my opinion, baking your own cookies is always better than buying them.
What goes into these almond cookies
The ingredient list is short and the ingredients do most of the work for you. Here is what each one brings to the cookie:
- Almond flour is the base. It keeps the cookies tender and naturally gluten-free, and it carries that gentle almond flavor through every bite.
- Roasted crushed almonds add texture and a toasty crunch, so the cookies are not uniformly soft. If you only have raw almonds, toast them in a dry pan until fragrant before crushing.
- Vegan butter creamed with brown sugar gives you the richness and slight chew you expect from a good cookie. Use a firm block-style vegan butter rather than a soft tub spread for the best structure.
- Brown sugar adds moisture and a light caramel note, which is why these stay soft rather than crisp.
- A flaxseed “egg” (1 Tbsp flaxseed meal soaked in 3 Tbsp water) binds the dough in place of an egg. Let it sit until it turns gel-like before you add it.
- Corn starch and baking soda handle spread and lift, and a little salt sharpens the chocolate.
- Vegan chocolate chips are folded in last so they stay whole and melty.
Why the method works
Creaming the vegan butter and brown sugar first is the step that matters most. Beating them together works tiny air pockets into the fat, which is what gives the cookies their soft, even crumb rather than a dense, greasy one. Adding the flaxseed “egg” only after the butter and sugar are creamed lets it bind the dough without weighing it down. Folding the chocolate chips in at the very end, instead of mixing them through, keeps them intact so you get pockets of melted chocolate instead of a marbled dough.
Tips for getting them just right
- Do not skip the chill. Twenty minutes in the fridge firms up the vegan butter so the cookies hold their shape and do not spread into flat puddles.
- Roll even balls. Same-sized dough balls bake evenly, so no cookie is raw in the middle while another one browns too fast.
- Watch the edges, not the clock. Almond flour browns quickly, so pull the tray when the edges are set and lightly golden even if the centers still look soft. They firm up as they cool.
- Let them rest on the sheet. These are delicate straight out of the oven. Give them a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving them, or they may crumble.
What to serve them with
I love serving these in the morning, with a cup of coffee, and they hold their own next to one of these healthy coffee drinks or a glass of homemade nut milk. They also make a lovely addition to a spread of vegan snacks when friends drop by, or tucked into a lunchbox as one of my favorite vegan recipes for kids.
Storing and making ahead
Once fully cooled, keep the cookies in an airtight jar or container at room temperature, where they stay good for a couple of weeks. That is the beauty of a batch of cookies: you bake once and have a sweet snack ready whenever you want one. The dough also chills well, so you can make it ahead and bake the cookies fresh when you need them. I think they would work well even frozen, like ice cream sandwiches, though you would have to try that for yourself, as I have not tested it yet. If you love baking your own treats, you might also enjoy these vegan pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips or a bigger batch of vegan Christmas cookies for the holidays.
If you bake these, I would love to know how they turned out for you. Leave a star rating and drop a comment below with whether you chilled the dough the full twenty minutes or sneaked one warm off the tray. And I hope you manage to not eat them all at once. I might have failed at that.
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Almond Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
- 7 Tbsp vegan butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- ⅓ cup roasted almonds crushed
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pour 3 Tbsp of water over 1 Tbsp of flaxseed meal, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the flaxseed “egg” and vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips.
- When combined, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cool in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Form the dough into balls and bake on a lined baking sheet at 180 degrees C for 15-18 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. They are made with vegan butter, a flaxseed “egg” in place of a real egg, and vegan chocolate chips, so every ingredient is plant-based. Just double-check that your chocolate chips are labeled dairy-free, since some brands include milk solids.
The dough is built on almond flour, roasted almonds, and a small amount of corn starch, none of which contain gluten. Make sure your baking soda and chocolate chips are certified gluten-free if you need the cookies to be strictly gluten-free, as cross-contamination can happen with some brands.
Chilling the dough for 20 minutes firms up the vegan butter so the cookies keep their shape in the oven instead of spreading into flat, thin discs. It also lets the almond flour hydrate a little, which helps the cookies hold together. Do not skip this step if you want tidy, rounded cookies.
You can, but the texture will be slightly different. Almond flour is made from blanched, finely ground almonds and gives a smoother, more tender cookie, while almond meal is coarser and includes the skins, so your cookies will be a bit denser and more rustic. Both work in this recipe.
A flaxseed “egg” is a plant-based egg replacer that binds baked goods. For this recipe, stir 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal into 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for a few minutes until it thickens into a gel, then add it as you would an egg.
Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight jar or container at room temperature and they stay good for a couple of weeks. You can also make the dough ahead and refrigerate it, then bake the cookies fresh when you want them.
Great recipe and perfect texture! 🙂 Loved them!