These Almond Christmas Cookies are cute tree-shaped almond flour cookies filled with crunchy sliced almonds and with a chewy, buttery texture. Their crispy outer shell and lovely golden color will make your Christmas cookie platter shine and your guests will love that these cookies are naturally gluten-free, egg-free, and easy to make with just 5 ingredients.
I am a huge fan of cookies and in particular cookies made with almond flour. I’ve made a huge variety of them in the past, like my 2-Ingredient Almond Flour Banana Cookies, Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies, or Almond Flour Chocolate Chips Cookies.
But with Christmas approaching fast, I wanted to make a special recipe that I could add to my Cookie boxes or cookie platters. These Christmas cookies are shaped like Christmas and taste like Christmas with their typical marzipan-like flavors!
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need four base ingredient for these cookies:
- Almond Flour – The key ingredient that provides a rich nutty flavor and a smooth texture. Using almond meal will result in darker, grainier cookies.
- Sugar – Sugar sweetens the cookies and helps create the crispy exterior. Swap for unrefined cane sugar, coconut sugar, or sugar-free erythritol, keeping in mind the color might darken. Liquid sweeteners won’t work here.
- Dairy-Free Butter – Plant-based butter acts as the fat base, creating a soft and chewy texture while aiding in binding. Melted coconut oil or light olive oil are suitable substitutes, but may result in paler cookies.
- Sliced Almonds – Almonds add a crunch to contrast the chewiness of the cookie. Feel free to mix in slivered almonds or chopped nuts for variety.
- Almond Extract (Optional) – Almond extract boosts the nutty flavor, giving the cookies a marzipan-like touch. Substitute with vanilla extract or skip for a more neutral taste.
How to Make Almond Christmas Cookies
These cookies are really easy to make. Here’s how in pictures (scroll further down for the printable recipe!)
Pour all the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the dough with a silicone spatula until it becomes sticky.
Incorporate the sliced almond if you want them.
Roll the entire dough into small balls of the same size.
Place all the almond Christmas cookie dough balls on a baking sheet.
Oil your hand and pick up each dough ball and shape them.
Place them in your fingers to form a triangle and put them back on the baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Carine’s Baking Tips
I have a few more tips for you to make the best ever Christmas cookies:
- Shape Control – The dough spreads in the oven. After baking, you can reshape the cookies while warm. For round cookies, use a larger cookie cutter to refine edges. For tree-shaped cookies, use two spoons or your fingers (careful, it’s hot!).
- Handle Dough with Care – The dough should be soft and slightly sticky but hold its shape. Adjust its consistency by adding extra melted butter if dry or a sprinkle of almond flour if wet.
- Avoid Overbaking – Bake until the edges are just golden. The cookies firm up as they cool. Overbaking will make them overly crispy.
- Reshape Immediately After Baking – While the cookies are still warm, use utensils or cookie cutters to adjust their shape if necessary.
- Cool Completely – Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack. They’re delicate and need time to set.
- Dust for Decoration – Add powdered sugar on top for a snowy Christmas effect before serving.
- Use Plant-Based Butter for Best Results – While coconut oil works, it produces paler cookies with a slightly different texture.
Flavor Variations
These cookies are easy to transform to many flavors and textures.
- Vanilla-Almond Blend – Replace half the almond extract with vanilla extract for a milder flavor.
- Nutty Mix-Ins – Incorporate chopped hazelnuts or pecans alongside the sliced almonds.
- Chocolate Touch – Drizzle with melted dark chocolate or dip edges for a festive flair.
These cookies are not just delicious but also visually stunning, making them an ideal addition to your holiday cookie platter!
Storage Tips
Refrigeration – Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezing – Place the cookies in a sealed container or bag, and freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
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Almond Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond Flour - (note 1)
- ½ cup Sugar - (note 2)
- 6 tablespoons Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted) - melted (note 3)
- ⅓ cup Sliced Almonds
Optional
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract - (note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, stir almond flour, sugar, melted plant-based butter, and almond extract, if used. Stir with a rubber spatula until the cookie dough is sticky and consistent.
- Fold in sliced almonds and stir to incorporate evenly.
- Generously oil your hands to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers.
- Grab a tablespoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball, then press between the palms of your hands to flatten them into a 1/3-inch thick cookie (1 cm). Keep it round if you like or use your finger tips to form a triangle Christmas tree shape as seen in my pictures.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving two thumbs of space between each because they spread in the oven.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until the sides are lightly golden brown.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. The cookies are still very soft and that's normal. They might lose their shape as they expand in the oven, and that's okay. Use a spoon to pat/push the spread sides back into the shape you created. If you made a round shape, simply jiggle a larger round cookie cutter around the cookie to form a nice circle.
- Let the cookies cool down on the cookie sheet completely, at room temperature, for about 30 minutes. They firm up as they cool down.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
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