Almond Butter Blossom Cookies
Posted Dec 15, 2016, Updated Jul 13, 2024
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These almond butter blossom cookies are a delicious, paleo Christmas cookie that’s easy to make! They’re gluten & dairy free, and a great alternative to peanut butter blossoms for those with peanut allergies!
These paleo almond butter blossom cookies are a delicious holiday cookie, and a perfect addition to your cookie trays!
Peanut butter blossoms are my favorite Christmas cookies (along with these Sugar Cookies and these Snickerdoodles), so I created these almond butter blossoms for my friends dietary sensitivities or allergies like peanuts, gluten, etc.
These almond butter blossom cookies are the perfect treat to bring to a cookie exchange where you know there will be people with food allergies because they are paleo, vegan, peanut-free, gluten & grain free.
How to Make Almond Butter Blossoms
Make the Chocolate Kisses
If you would like to make your own chocolate – follow these instructions.
First, melt together the unsweetened chocolate and coconut butter.
Then, add the salt and maple syrup and stir until smooth.
Next, fill a piping bag with the chocolate and make kiss shapes on wax paper. Then put the chocolate candy into the freezer, where it’s kept until the very last step.
Using Store-Bought chocolate
You can also melt your favorite healthy chocolate chips or bars if you don’t feel like making your own chocolate. Here are some suggestions:
Make the Almond Butter Blossom Cookies
While the chocolate is freezing, make the cookies. Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Next, whisk the wet ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
Then, add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until it forms a ball.
Use a small cookie scoop or 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon to measure out the dough for each cookie. Then roll them into balls and place them on a baking sheet.
Bake
Bake the cookies for 5 to 7 minutes to bake until they’re just set.
Once they have finished baking, press the frozen chocolate kisses into the center of each almond butter blossom cookie.
Then, let them cool on the baking pan for 10 minute before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve
Serve them at room temperature with your favorite holiday cookies!
Store
Store these almond butter blossom cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Serve them room temperature so the chocolate is soft enough to bite through easily.
Almond Butter Blossoms Recipe FAQs
You can store baked cookies in the freezer, but I prefer to freeze the dough. To do this:
Form dough into balls.
Place cookie dough balls on a non-stick cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.
Transfer to an airtight, freezer-friendly container (I recommend either a glass storage container or a freezer-friendly ziplock bag).
Freeze for up to 1 month.
To bake: remove dough from the freezer and let it come to slightly cooler than room temperature. Then bake according the the recipe instructions.
Yes, double the ingredients and bake on two baking sheets.
Here are some options, but Hu Kitchen gems are my favorite!
Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems. This is my favorite paleo chocolate. These gems are delicious and easy to toss into cookies (no bar chopping required).
Hu Kitchen Dark Chocolate Bars. You can also buy dark chocolate bars and chop them up to toss into these paleo chocolate chip cookies.
Lily’s Dark Chocolate. They make chips and bars that are stevia sweetened, low carb, keto, etc.
Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate Chips are a good option that are vegan, dairy-free but not fully paleo.
Almond Butter Cookies: Ingredients/Substitutions
Here are a few notes on the ingredients and possible substitutions in this vegan almond butter cookie recipe!
- Almond flour. Please do not change this ingredient. Paleo baking is an art and the flour chosen is very important.
- Almond butter. Cashew butter also works well in this recipe to ensure that it remains paleo, vegan and delicious.
- Coconut oil. grass-fed butter or ghee can be used in place of coconut oil.
- Coconut Sugar. evaporated cane sugar can be used in place of coconut sugar, however it is not paleo!
- Maple Syrup. Honey is a great substitute for maple syrup, but it is not generally eaten by those who follow the vegan diet.
- Almond milk. Any non-dairy milk works great in this recipe.
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Almond Butter Blossom Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 2 Tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate drops:
- 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (¼ cup)
- 2 Tablespoons raw cocoa butter (grated)
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (or honey)
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
Make Chocolate Drops:
- Line a small baking sheet with wax paper, set aside.
- Melt together chocolate and cocoa butter and stir until smooth.
- Add maple syrup and sea salt (optional) and stir to combine.
- Transfer chocolate mixture to a piping bag fit with a circular tip and pipe onto your prepared baking sheet into the shapes you want.
- Transfer to the freezer to set. Keep frozen until they are added to the cookies.
Make the Cookies
- Preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together almond flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and coconut sugar. Set aside.
- Add almond butter, coconut oil and maple syrup to a large microwave safe bowl or medium saucepan.
- Melt ingredients in the microwave or on the stovetop, then stir until completely combined.
- Add almond milk and vanilla and stir until combined.
- Add dry ingredients and mix until combine and there are no lumps in the batter.
- Scoop the dough into 1 Tablespoons portions, roll into balls and place on your prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until the cookies look set and just began to crackle.
Assemble & Cool
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press one chocolate drop into the middle of each one.
- Let cookies with chocolate in the center sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool!
Video
Notes
- Almond flour. Please do not change this ingredient. Paleo baking is an art and the flour chosen is very important.
- Almond butter. Cashew butter also works well in this recipe to ensure that it remains paleo, vegan and delicious.
- Coconut oil. grass-fed butter or ghee can be used in place of coconut oil.
- Coconut Sugar. evaporated cane sugar can be used in place of coconut sugar, however it is not paleo!
- Maple Syrup. Honey is a great substitute for maple syrup, but it is not generally eaten by those who follow the vegan diet.
- Almond milk. Any non-dairy milk works great in this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi I’m trying to make these Keto friendly so want to substitute the maple syrup for Swerve or Stevia, or something along those lines. Do you know how you’d recommended doing this?
Hey Jen! Unfortunately I don’t use zero calorie sweeteners! So I couldn’t advise you in that way! I’d recommend using a liquid sweetener if you are replacing maple syrup!
Hi! Do these freeze well? I’m thinking of making this ahead of time for my little guy’s birthday next weekend! They look delish!
Hello! Did you happen to try freezing them? I was hoping to make and freeze the dough today and bake them in a few days! Would love to know if it worked for you!
Hey Jill! I haven’t tried freezing the dough! I’d recommend maybe making it the day before and refrigerating it if you wanted to prepare it ahead of time!
I omit chocolate because I’m allergic to it but instead make little thumb prints bake for half the time then fill will a homemade paleo strawberry chia jam and finish baking…. pb&j cookies paleo style ❤️
Cane sugar isn’t paleo? Neither is coconut sugar or maple syrup!
Maple syrup, honey and coconut sugar are all Paleo approved sweeteners. Cane sugar is not, but works well in this recipe for people looking for a grain free cookie but who don’t follow the Paleo diet.
What can I substitute for cacao butter?
My daughter is allergic to coconut, so I’ll be using ghee & cane sugar. I’m curious if I could replace the maple syrup & toss in some ground ginger, for a molasses ginger cookie.
Just made these for a client of mine on a low grain diet! They came out perfectly! Thanks for the awesome recipe 🙂
Do you cool the chocolate for the centers before piping them? Mine seems awfully thin…..
My chocolate + cocoa butter for the kisses is also very thin…I’m hoping you’re right and it will thicken as it cools.
Hey Ladies! Sorry for the delayed response! Yes! It does thicken as it cools! I will make a note of that in the recipe!
I made these and they are so delicious! My sister is gluten free and wheat free and I am vegan, so finding good holiday cookies is hard for the both of us, and these hit the spot! I made it exactly the way it is laid out and it was good, I subbed pb for almond butter and coconut sugar for sucanat (cane juice) and it was good!
Is cocoa butter and cacao butter the same thing?
Hello Kathleen! Yes they are they same thing!