These naturally Flourless Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are so tender that they melt in your mouth! These flavorful cookies take just 5 ingredients and are totally gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, and refined sugar-free.
Sometimes I don’t like saying a recipe is Paleo, and gluten-free, and refined sugar-free, because I feel like the people who don’t need or choose to follow those diets just dismiss them as not as good as the sugar-y stuff. And it’s wrong, I tell you!
These cookies are super secretly healthy (not that anyone would know from tasting them) and so easy to make (just five ingredients!!!) and so tender that they seriously just melt in your mouth. They’re moist and soft and just a little crumbly. My housemates devoured them, and we were all sad when these were gone off the cookie plate.
Now, about those 5 ingredients. Let’s talk about them and all their deliciousness, and what they can and can’t be replaced with, and all that fun stuff!
First: almond butter! This is important. I used this Espresso and Vanilla Barney Butter which added a bit of extra flavor, but any almond butter should work here. Just make sure any oils are fully incorporated into the almond butter or you’ll have oily cookies, and no one wants that. You could also absolutely substitute peanut butter, sunflower seed butter (perfect if your allergic to nuts), cashew butter, or any other kind of nut butter your heart desires.
Let’s talk sugar. I used coconut sugar because I’ve fallen in love with baking with it recently. It’s a low glycemic sweetener, so it doesn’t cause such big spikes in blood sugar like traditional sweeteners. But, more importantly, it performs so well in baked goods as a replacement for granulated sugar and lends such a delicious caramel flavor. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s cause they have it for under $4. That being said, if you don’t have coconut sugar and don’t want to buy any, you can most definitely use light brown sugar instead. You’ll still have a chewy and delicious cookie.
The egg and baking soda are pretty self-explanatory. So, chocolate. Obviously, if you’re trying to keep these 100% Paleo-friendly and refined sugar-free, skip the chocolate chips. If you’re a chocoholic, like me, add in 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips. I love the mini chocolate chips because you get a little chocolate in every bite! If you’re using regular chocolate chips, up the amount to 3/4 cup.
Once you have your ingredients, it’s as simple as stir and bake. I recommend waiting 15 minutes between the stirring and the baking to let the ingredients settle together. This isn’t mandatory, but I noticed that the cookies that came from the dough that sat for a little while baked up a bit thicker and smoother. The oils and sugars had a bit of a chance to mingle and react to each other and it made things even more delicious. So if you have the patience, wait it out (seriously, it’s only 15 minutes).
Make these, love them, and share them with your friends. They’ll love you for it. Enjoy!
- 1 cup smooth almond butter (I used Espresso and Vanilla Barney Butter)
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup mini dark chocolate chips*
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, almond butter, baking soda, and coconut sugar. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.
- Using a small cookie dough scoop, form tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let them cool for at least 15 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them carefully to a cooling rack. They will be crumbly if you try to move them too early, so be sure to let them set up.
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Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
You always make such fantastic cookies. Seriously I can’t believe these are so chewy and flourless.
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
I baked a similar cookie a couple weeks ago from Clean Eating magazine except that cookie called for sucanat. I’ll need to try them with coconut sugar next time. I also use the Whole Foods fresh ground almond butter (chunky). It was incredibly tasty and hard to believe it was devoid of flour. The texture is very similar to that of a cookies.
Annie+@Maebells says
Ohhh this is making me crave chocolate! I just got a new kind of almond butter that has espresso beans and vanilla in it. It is delicious! I bet it would be amazing in these cookies!
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says
These looks fantastic, Rachel. I’ve been experimenting with almond butter cookies but have yet to make one I actually like. Yours look delicious and perfect. I will be making these soon!
Abby says
Ooh, these cookies look wonderful, Rachel. Coconut sugar sounds amazing, and almond butter?! Yes, please! :)
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
I’m so intrigued by these being flourless – they look absolutely amazing!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
Ok Rachel, you are the paleo baking queen! These cookies sound amazing. And so easy! I just bought a bag of coconut sugar from Trader Joe’s and have been trying to think of what to use it in first. Looks like these cookies are it!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These cookies look incredible, Rachel! I love that their flourless! The almond butter and chocolate chip combo sound perfect!
marcie says
Rachel, these look amazing! I love using coconut sugar in my baking too — it’s got a much more subtle sweetness that I really like. I actually have a flourless almond butter cookie I’m working on, too, and I’m dying to make more now after seeing these! :)
Rachel Conners says
Isn’t coconut sugar the best?! Can’t wait to see your almond butter cookie :) Thanks, Marcie!
Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says
I just recently started baking with nut butters and love it. These cookies look delicious! Pinned!
Oana says
I can’t believe these are flourless, they look so scrumptious. Well done!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
These cookies look gorgeous, Rachel! I’m always in awe of ones that don’t have flour. And I love the addition of almond butter! These cuties look so thick and fluffy, love it!
Mandie | Mandie's Kitchen says
Ooh, Rachel, this kinds of recipe is right up my alley! And I can totally relate to people associating certain “labels” with low-quality taste, even when it’s the farthest thing from truth! I bet these taste amazing. I’ve definitely pinned them (to more than one board). I love your photography here!
Rachel Conners says
Thanks so much, Mandie! You’re too sweet.
Erica says
I totally agree with you about the whole labeling my food thing. I just like food, I don’t discriminate haha. But I do feel like people dismiss food with “too many labels”. But heck, I don’t care what these are called they look BOMB. Pinned!
Rachel Conners says
Thanks so much, Erica!!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
These cookies look delicious!! I have to be honest. I am one of those that see’s healthy and skim over it. I need to try the healthier stuff though. Think I will try with these. Looks perfect! Pinned. Have a wonderful weekend! ;)
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
Espresso and vanilla almond butter, YUM! I love all the different flavored nut butters there are out there! I’m 100% making these the next time I make cookies, my husband is a cookie nut, so I need to find ways to sneak a little bit of nutrition into that cookie diet of his!!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
These look like the perfect cookies! I am totally going to give them a try this weekend :)
Medha (Whisk and Shout) says
These look lovely I’m totally drooling :) Almond butter is the best, and the fact that these are flourless means they’re as chewy and rich as they look!
Lily Lau says
Fantastic recipe, love your cookies! Thanks for sharing them with us :)
Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel says
im starting to get into this whole paleo thing just by seeing how many amazing recipes there are. almond flour must be a great flour to use because its used frequently…havent tried it myself. these are phenomenal looking cookies btw!
Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen says
These look fabulous!
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
There is no way that these are flourless… they look beyond amazing and perfect! Who needs gluten when there are beauties like these around!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
I agree! I hate saying things are gluten-free, because personally I love gluten! LOL! But I love when delicious things just happen to be healthy! These cookies look really awesome!
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
I wholeheartedly agree – to dismiss these cookies would be just WRONG! Look at them! I want a dozen. Please???
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
These cookies look SERIOUSLY chewy and gooey! I want a dozen!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Hey Rachel! Your delicious cookies look so fabulous, chewy and with the perfect crumb! I’m loving all the ingredients, too. I have baked with coconut sugar before… I ran out though and haven’t picked up anymore. Time to put it on the list. I think I’d get attached to these… especially for a quick breakfast! Oh My!
Amanda says
Rachel, can you please post some pictures of your new place? I would love to see what such a creative mind can do for an apartment, which sounds absolutely lovely by the way. I could use some sunshine and brightness back here in dull Wisconsin!
Love the sweets as always.
~Amanda
Rachel says
Thanks so much Amanda!! Once I get settled in and have it decorated, I’ll definitely do an apartment update with photos! :)
jamie says
I am sorry but these are the most dry cookies i have ever made or eaten. I followed the recipe and mine don’t look like yours at all. Quite disappointed as the recipe looked really good.
Rachel says
Hi Jamie, I’m sorry you had trouble. Without being in the kitchen with you, it’s hard to know exactly what went wrong. Was your almond butter dry? It should be pretty runny and liquidy – not at all dry and chalky. Could that have been an issue? Over-baking at all could have also made them dry. If you can give me some more details, I can help you figure out what went wrong.
Erica says
I just made these exactly as the recipe says and I am in shock how chewy and delicious they are wow wow wow!!! True talent!!! But need to find paleo chocolate chips.
Rachel says
I’m so thrilled you’re enjoying them Erica!