These cookies are so delicious and so healthy it’s almost criminal.
They’re also incredibly easy to make.
Now that the Holiday Season is upon us, it’s fun to have a healthy, easy and extra delicious recipe in your repertoire to wow your friends at upcoming holiday gatherings.
This is one of my secret recipes that I reserve for such occasions. Let’s keep it between you, me and the internet. Mi casa es su casa.
And really, these cookies are amazing any time of year.
I use the recipe below when serving them at a party, and halve the amount of honey when I make them for an everyday snack. They remind me of traditional peanut butter cookies, without the guilt or bloating.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes 16 cookies
Use organic ingredients whenever possible.
Ingredients:
2 cups creamy almond butter, room temperature
2/3 cup raw honey (local if possible)
2 large eggs (free range if possible)
2 level teaspoons baking soda*
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.** Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix together on medium-high with a hand mixer for 60-90 seconds, or until the mixture comes together like a thick dough. It should be very thick and sticky.
Form the dough into ping pong sized balls, rolling them gently with wet hands to form. You’ll need to rinse and wet your hands every second or third cookie, as the dough is very sticky.
Place 8 dough balls on each parchment-lined cookie sheet spaced about 2 inches apart, making sure each ball is about the same size for even cooking time. Use the back of a fork to slightly flatten each cookie and make a crisscross pattern on the top (you may need to wet the fork in between each cookie if the dough is too sticky.)
Bake each sheet of cookies individually for 10-11 minutes, until lightly browned but not too dark on the bottoms. The bottoms will burn easily, so check the cookies at 10 minutes; slide the parchment paper with the cookies still on it right onto a cooling rack or other surface to prevent the cookies from continuing to cook on the cookie sheet. Let cool 5-10 minutes before eating. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days (but let’s be honest, they’ll never last that long).
* Look for all-natural, aluminum-free baking soda; you can find it online or at your natural grocer.
**Just a note that if you’re new to parchment paper, parchment paper and wax paper are two very different things. Be sure you’re using parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.** Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix together on medium-high with a hand mixer for 60-90 seconds, or until the mixture comes together like a thick dough. It should be very thick and sticky.
Form the dough into ping pong sized balls, rolling them gently with wet hands to form. You’ll need to rinse and wet your hands every second or third cookie, as the dough is very sticky.
Place 8 dough balls on each parchment-lined cookie sheet spaced about 2 inches apart, making sure each ball is about the same size for even cooking time. Use the back of a fork to slightly flatten each cookie and make a crisscross pattern on the top (you may need to wet the fork in between each cookie if the dough is too sticky.)
Bake each sheet of cookies individually for 10-11 minutes, until lightly browned but not too dark on the bottoms. The bottoms will burn easily, so check the cookies at 10 minutes; slide the parchment paper with the cookies still on it right onto a cooling rack or other surface to prevent the cookies from continuing to cook on the cookie sheet. Let cool 5-10 minutes before eating. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days (but let’s be honest, they’ll never last that long).
Notes
*Look for all-natural, aluminum-free baking soda; you can find it online or at your natural grocer.
**Just a note that if you’re new to parchment paper, parchment paper and wax paper are two very different things. Be sure you’re using parchment paper.
Did you use almond butter with no salt? My cookies turned out tasting very salty! My guess is that half the salt will be more than enough. I’ll try again.
I love the look of this recipe and will try it with half the honey like you said you do, thank you! 🙂 I have been reading that Honey should never be heated above 140F can you please tell me what you think about this?
I wanted to share that my friend and I baked a large batch of these cookies during the Christmas season. We baked one batch following your precise instructions with the addition of cinnamon sprinkled on top and for the other batch, we added a coconut glaze (made with coconut oil and organic maple syrup) for our guests who had more of a sweet tooth. They were a HUGE hit! Thank you for sharing your detailed recipe instructions, they are always so helpful!
I don’t usually leave comments on blogs, actually, I *never* leave comments… But I always look in the comments before trying a recipe to see if anyone else actually made whatever it is the post was about. So, since I tried your recipe, I wanted to let you (and whoever else is reading) know that they turned out really good. I didn’t quite have enough almond butter, so I used probably 1/4 c peanut butter. I also added 1 c quick cooking oats for texture, as well as about 3 oz finely chopped dark chocolate and maybe 3/4 c slivered raw almonds. Everything else in the recipe was just as written. The cookies turned out very soft and not too sweet. Very yummy recipe that I will definitely use again 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Oh, and I mixed by hand and they still turned out nicely.
These look fabulous! Can’t wait to make these over the weekend. I wonder if I could use a little almond flour to help with the stickiness? Maybe a dusting? Thanks Elizabeth!
I haven’t ever tried this recipe with an egg substitute, but you can try mixing 1 tablespoon chia seeds with one tablespoon water and letting it sit on the counter for an hour to gelatinize. That might work. Let us know if you try it!
Eating fat doesn’t make you fat…and it has been researched that natural fats such as nuts and seeds are not absorbed the same as foods high in fat. The body utilizes these fats very efficiently and can lead to muscle and tissue growth.
The Health Habit can help anyone create healthier, realistic habits for lasting results. It's the best health + lifestyle book I've read in a long time!
Just made these the other night! What a wonderful snack where I don’t feel like I’m cheating.
Hi, I made these cookies (flourless almond). I love the recipe.
I was wondering if you can recommend something to serve them up with for adults (ie creme fraiche, vanilla ice cream?).
Do they have to be crunchy or soft?
Did you use almond butter with no salt? My cookies turned out tasting very salty! My guess is that half the salt will be more than enough. I’ll try again.
could i replace the 2 eggs with flax eggs to make it vegan?? and replace the honey with agave?
“Whoops moment”: Forgot the eggs. Very crumbly at first, but cooled to be crunchy. Still tasted great, but yeah…whoops!
I love the look of this recipe and will try it with half the honey like you said you do, thank you! 🙂 I have been reading that Honey should never be heated above 140F can you please tell me what you think about this?
No need for crushed nuts? How does it maintain a cookie texture (haven’t tried this yet)?
They just do. Give the recipe a whirl and you’ll see. 🙂
I wanted to share that my friend and I baked a large batch of these cookies during the Christmas season. We baked one batch following your precise instructions with the addition of cinnamon sprinkled on top and for the other batch, we added a coconut glaze (made with coconut oil and organic maple syrup) for our guests who had more of a sweet tooth. They were a HUGE hit! Thank you for sharing your detailed recipe instructions, they are always so helpful!
Awesome! So glad.
I don’t usually leave comments on blogs, actually, I *never* leave comments… But I always look in the comments before trying a recipe to see if anyone else actually made whatever it is the post was about. So, since I tried your recipe, I wanted to let you (and whoever else is reading) know that they turned out really good. I didn’t quite have enough almond butter, so I used probably 1/4 c peanut butter. I also added 1 c quick cooking oats for texture, as well as about 3 oz finely chopped dark chocolate and maybe 3/4 c slivered raw almonds. Everything else in the recipe was just as written. The cookies turned out very soft and not too sweet. Very yummy recipe that I will definitely use again 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Oh, and I mixed by hand and they still turned out nicely.
Thanks for sharing your tips and substitutions to help everyone out. We’re glad you stopped by to comment 🙂
These look fabulous! Can’t wait to make these over the weekend. I wonder if I could use a little almond flour to help with the stickiness? Maybe a dusting? Thanks Elizabeth!
Yes, I think that would work great. Let us know how they turn out! 🙂
Is it possible to replace the almond butter with peanut butter?
Haven’t ever tried, but I think it might work.
I am allergic to eggs. Is there a good substitute for the eggs? Thanks!
I haven’t ever tried this recipe with an egg substitute, but you can try mixing 1 tablespoon chia seeds with one tablespoon water and letting it sit on the counter for an hour to gelatinize. That might work. Let us know if you try it!
i am sure u cant eat many of them as the fat content is high 😉 🙂
Agreed. They fill you up fast – high protein and high fat, so one (maybe 2!) is enough 🙂
OK. I will be def making them this weekend 😉
lol more like 20 for me
Eating fat doesn’t make you fat…and it has been researched that natural fats such as nuts and seeds are not absorbed the same as foods high in fat. The body utilizes these fats very efficiently and can lead to muscle and tissue growth.