These five-ingredient gluten-free and vegan Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies are perfectly and naturally sweetened with dates. They are crispy around the edges, chewy in the middle, and they go from scratch to done in 20 minutes flat.
I know this is my second consecutive almond flour recipe, but what can I say? I love the stuff. And these absolutely gorgeous and gluten-free vegan Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies have made me love it even more.
I am not kidding -- not in the least -- when I say these are ready in 20 minutes. All you need are five ingredients. And better still, they come together in the food processor, so all you really need to do to make your cookie dough is bung everything into the bowl of the processor and press a button. It's minimal cleanup, minimal time and maximum deliciousness.
Because these cookies are sweetened with dates, they are also incredibly healthful. It's the kind of snack I love giving Jay because I know it's actually good for him, and the kind of snack he loves to eat because it's "really yummy, mom!"
It's a no-brainer, really. What are you waiting for?
Try these vegan cookie recipes next
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan and Gluten-Free Italian Amaretti Cookies
- Vegan Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, Naturally Sweetened
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
- Vegan Orange Almond Biscotti
Vegan Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies recipe
Vegan Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup super fine almond flour
- ½ cup deglet noor dates, about 12. Soak in water for 30 minutes and drain. (if you use Medjool dates, you might want to scale down to half the amount because they are sweeter)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon cardamon powder (from green cardamoms), optional but nice
- A pinch of sea salt or pink salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I start the oven before I begin making the cookies, because of how quickly they come together.
- Place the dates in the bowl of a food processor and puree until you have very small pieces.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and process until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each portion into a ball.
- Arrange the dough balls on a baking sheet, about an inch apart. Then, using the tines of a fork, press down on each ball once and then once again at a right angle, to make a crosshatch design.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 13-14 minutes or until they turn lightly golden on the sides and the top. Remove, and let the cookies cool on the sheet.
Prachi Gokhale
I just made the cookies, turned out really good. I had the dates and almond flour since long but had no idea how I can use them. I am glad, I could use the dates and almond flour in such a cute and healthy way! I am gonna make them more. thank you Vaishali.
Vaishali
Hi Prachi, so happy you loved the cookies.
KathyRae
These cookies turned out perfect for me… And exactly 12 dates… I thought surely it’s not going to really be 12 dates but it actually was!
I also used almond butter instead of the olive oil… And I will definitely make these again! Yum 😋
Sarah
Hi I’m using medjool dates to make this recipe. I took your advice and used half the portion; however I was only able to make 6 cookies. Is that what you meant?
Vaishali
Hi Sarah, you probably made the cookies bigger. These are meant to be pretty small. You would get fewer cookies with medjool dates, but not by half.
Sarah
Thanks for the response! I think by using half the medjool dates the cookie ended up drier and easier to fall apart. Should I add more oil to make it more moist?
Vaishali
You can add oil or try applesauce.
Vaishali
😀 Hi KathyRae, Yep, it works like magic! So happy you loved the cookies!
Jessica
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am pregnant and have been instructed by my midwife to eat dates daily to help with labor and delivery. I never thought I would find such a delicious and healthy way to do so. I am eating low carb as well so the almond flour is perfect for me!
Vaishali
Jessica, so happy to hear! And congratulations. ❤️
Anne
Hi! I was wondering if you could use date syrup instead of the soaked dates and if so, how much you’d suggest using. Thanks
Vaishali
Hi Anne, it's hard to suggest as I haven't used date syrup in these, but I'd say about a fourth of a cup, as it's more concentrated? Taste the dough and add more if you feel it's necessary.
Anne Valentino
I'm cutting out white flour and sugar to try to reduce inflammation in my joints and these cookies are a wonderful treat! The flavor reminded me of (much more complex to make) mamoul date cookies and they would be wonderful alongside a cup of coffee or tea.
Very quick and easy to make and could easily be adapted for variety with different flavorings, fruit, or nuts - this one is going in my recipe book. Thank you for the recipe!
Vaishali
Yay, so happy you loved them! And yes, they would work with many flavorings. 🙂
Danielle
This was surprisingly so delicious!! Word of warning to whoever cooks them in an air fryer though - bake them for around 8 minutes as they came out burnt for me (I'm talking brown/black haha) when I'd set the timer for 14 minutes. They still came out tasty and edible though - in fact they gave the cookies a nice crunch! Thank you for this recipe.
Vaishali
Hi Danielle, good tips about making these in the air fryer. So happy you loved them!
Kit
Can I omit the 3 tbsp olive oil or sub it with almond butter?
Thanks
Anonymous
I used almond butter and they were great! Will try aquafaba instead next time.
Vaishali
So happy to hear!
Kristine
How much almond butter ?
Vaishali
You can use almond butter but just be advised that the cookies might be a bit more dense and dryer.
Andrea
Absolutely amazing! Easy to make and felt healthy while Store being delicious and indulgent. I did use avocado oil instead of olive oil. I’m not sure if it was the substitution and oil, but I felt that I probably could’ve used a little less oil the next time. I will definitely be making these again!
Vaishali
Awesome! So happy to hear Andrea.
Camille
Just made with dried blueberries dried cranberries coconut flour, dash of lemon and cinnamon, great substitution details for great recipe
Vaishali
Sounds so delicious!
Victoria Bogdanos
Insanely easy and delicious! I just made them today and love the end result. Moist on the inside, slightly crunchy on the outside. I pressed a whole pecan in the center before baking...took the already great recipe up a notch. A++!
Vaishali
Yay! Thanks Victoria and so glad you enjoyed the cookies.
Kate
Hi there. Very excited to make these! If I'm using only 6 medjool dates instead of 12, do I halve all of the other ingredients as well? Thanks!
Vaishali
No since medjool dates are sweeter they should be enough. You might want to add a dash of applesauce if the cookies don't hold together.
Anonymous
Made using 5 medjool dates, coconut oil, 1 t lemon extract and 1/2 t vanilla extract....and added some unsweetened coconut that I pulsed finely into food processor before doing dates! Amazing this way and amazing using the original recipe. Thanks for providing a great starting point...now I can play around with flavors!
Vaishali
Sounds delicious!
Anonymous
I made these with soaked and Unsoaked dates and I preferred the unsoaked dates actually; they were more chewy and easier to roll into balls. Awesome recipe. Have been recommending it to everyone!
Vaishali
So happy to hear, and thanks!
Anonymous
Wow these were amazing. I used virgin coconut oil instead of olive and topped each cookie with 3 slivered almonds before baking. Fulfilled my craving for something sweet!
Vaishali
Yep, they just hit the spot don't they? So happy you loved them.
Hiral
These are delicious! I've made them a few times now with the original flavor and love them. But today I made couple of changes since not everyone in my family is a fan of cardamom like I am, I used half almond flour and half coconut flour and instead of cardamom, I used orange zest! They came out yummy! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Vaishali
Yay, so happy you loved them Hiral!
Raf
I am not a fan or cardamom can I use something else for flavour? Would chocolate nibbs work?
Vaishali
Yes!
Anonymous
I just discovered it. This cookie recipe is great. I cannot stop eating them. Thanks.
Vaishali
So happy you like it!
Edith Tsacle
This sounds wonderful. I would like to use regular flour instead of GF. What changes would I have to make to the recipe?
Thank you.
J Moss
what can I use in place of the oil? We do not use oil of any kind.
Vaishali
You can sub an equal quantity of applesauce.
fam
Hey Vaishali. I'd like to thank you for posting this wonderful recipe! Ive been up seaching for a sugar free, sweetener free, gluten free, wheat free and dairy free cookie or biscuit. They're for my mumm who can't have any of what I've just mentioned, its extremely hard of find the perfect recipe as every receptive searched or store-bought contains one or another of the mentioned list. Im completely ecstatic and cannot wait to show her, tea time is getting more interesting now. Id love to know, do you by any chance have more of these recipes you'd like to share? something that shell be able to dunk in tea, she loves it. Once again, thanks so much for sharing.
Nitza
Thanks for sharing your recipe, they look delicious, I can't wait to prepare them.
I love to use Ghee in my cooking. Would the recipe still work if I substitute Olive Oil with Ghee?
Many thanks! ????
Renu
Hi v,
I'm new to the vegan world. Both my son's, who are twins, have turned vegan, and it breaks my Indian mom heart that ghee, dahi and paneer are no longer on their list. I make almond milk for them and am left with a whole lot of almond pulp..
How do I modify the recipe to incorporate almond pulp instead of almond meal? And yet get crisp cookies?
CJ
You can dehydrate the almond pulp, then give it a whizz in the blender to turn it into almond flour. You may need to add extra liquid to your recipe, as I find it to be drier than regular almond flour. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use your oven on a very low setting.
Jenn
Do you think it would be possible to use maple syrup instead of the dates? Thanks!
Vaishali
Yes!
Mathangi
Hi Vaishali,
Your cookies look so delectable. Would it work if I substitute coconut oil instead of the extra virgin olive oil?
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Vaishali
Coconut oil would be fine!
Deepa
Hi Vaishali-
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I tried them for Christmas however the cookies came out really soft rather than crunchy. They were more like ladoos, no matter how much i baked them, the only thing that changed was color and not texture. I want to try them again but not sure what i should do differently. I used 12 mejdool dates - shall i try with 6 as you mentioned to reduce the quantity if using Mejdool dates? I really love the fact that these are naturally sweetened with the goodness of dates so I don't want to give up yet.
Thanks again!
-Deepa
Vaishali
Hi Deepa, these have the texture of shortbread so they are supposed to be crumbly, not crunchy. They should get slightly crispy around the edges and should remain soft but crumbly in the center.
MG
Thank you for the excellent recipe ! I made these for my 22 month old grandkid since the recipe has no sugar in it . Her mom and dad are adamant about not giving any sugar other than in its natural form so I am so glad I found this recipe. Hope the baby will like it when I give it to her tomorrow. Thanks again !
Vaishali
MG, so happy you made these!
Gloria
Not everyone has a food processor. Please share both ways- with and without food processor. Thank you gloria noto
Vaishali
Gloria, see recipe notes.
JN
I made these yesterday as I was craving for sweet BUT healthy and also because the recipe looked so simple. These are GREAT! I had to stop myself from eating more. Thank you for posting a recipe that needs so few ingredients and so easy to make. Cannot get over the flavor!!!
Vaishali
JN, The flavor is pretty awesome with those dates and cardamom. So glad you tried. Thanks for your feedback!
Sarah
Hi Vaishali, I marched into the kitchen the minute your recipe dropped in my email and made these. They are so good, I swear I would have eaten the whole thing if not for my kids beating me to it. Thank you for another amazing recipe.
Vaishali
Sarah, that's lovely to know. So happy you tried the cookies!