Vegan Almond Flour Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Soft, chewy, and delicious vegan almond flour cookies with chocolate chips that are easy and quick to make (you can have them ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes!).

They're eggless, dairy-free, gluten-free, and grain-free and they're also the perfect treat to prepare on the weekend to enjoy throughout the week.

My chocolate chip cookie recipe collection has grown once again! But can you have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes in your collection? The answer is no, you cannot! More to choose from is a good thing.

I used my vegan gluten-free chocolate chip cookies recipe as inspiration for this recipe (you can browse to see all of my other chocolate chip cookie recipes!).

The latest addition is these simple vegan almond flour cookies with chocolate chips and I hope you love them as much as they are loved here.

They're made with almond flour, so they're rich, buttery, and delicious with a soft inside filled with chocolate chips. They're crispy on the outside on the first day, but after they're stored, they soften, and if possible, they become even more delicious.

So let's go through everything you need to know so you can make these almond flour chocolate chip cookies, too! But before you get started, if you don't already have a go-to vegan chocolate chip brand that you keep on hand, read through my article: "Are Chocolate Chips Vegan" to find one.

Ingredients You'll Need

You'll just need a handful of simple ingredients for these cookies. As always, I recommend sticking with the recipe the way it's written for the best results, but I've included a few notes below about each ingredient and what you can and cannot substitute.

Ingredient and Substitution Notes

Super Fine Almond Flour - You will need blanched almond flour (superfine), NOT almond meal, for this recipe. For the best and intended results, make sure to use super fine almond flour (see the "Recipe FAQ" section below for more info on the difference between almond flour and almond meal).

NOTE: When baking, measuring your flour accurately is so important to get the best results, even when using almond flour. Check out my article about how to measure flour correctly before you start.

Vegan Butter - I have not made these cookies with coconut oil, vegetable oil, or any oil replacements, so I cannot give specific directions on how to substitute it, I would stick with vegan butter (the type that comes in sticks) for this recipe. Use butter that is slightly softened. Butter that is too soft, too warm, or melted will make your cookies spread too much while baking.

Sugars - You'll need both light brown sugar and granulated cane or white sugar. I tested this recipe many times to figure out the correct ratio and the amount called for is perfect, so don't adjust it (baking is truly a science!). I have not tried making this recipe with liquid sugar (such as maple syrup or agave) or any alternative sweeteners.

I tested a batch of these cookies without brown sugar and used coconut sugar in its place and while the cookies did taste delicious, the texture was way too soft. The cookies were not crisp on the outside when they finished and after they were stored, they softened even more and fell apart when picked up. So stick with the same sugars and measurements for the best results.

Flax Egg – Since this recipe is made without eggs, the flax egg acts as the binder. If you can’t have flax, use ground chia seeds as a replacement for the ground flax seeds.

Baking Soda - Don't leave this ingredient out, it helps the cookies rise a little, brown slightly, have a little crispness on the outside, and it also helps to give them the overall perfect texture. It cannot be replaced with baking powder.

Salt and Vanilla Extract - Two essential ingredients in any chocolate chip cookie recipe that both work to enhance the flavour.

Chocolate Chips - I always use vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, use your favourite vegan chocolate chips.

TIP: Because almond flour contains natural oils, it can go rancid quickly if stored incorrectly. Store your bag of almond flour in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator or freezer to extend its shelf time.

How to Make Them

(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make vegan almond flour cookies here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions at the end of this post.)

1. The first step is to beat the butter and sugars together, then add the flax egg and vanilla and beat again.

2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until a sticky cookie dough has formed.

4. Add the chocolate chips. (I give a range to use in the recipe, use the lower range if you want a regular amount of chocolate chips, and use the higher range if you love lots of chocolate chips in your cookies.)

5. Stir the chocolate chips in until they have incorporated evenly into the cookie dough.

6. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (or a tablespoon) scoop the dough and place each cookie dough ball onto your cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies and when they have finished, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for at least 5 minutes before removing them and placing them on a cooling rack.

They will appear puffy, dome-shaped, and be very soft right after they come out of the oven, that's how they're supposed to be, they will flatten and firm up as they cool.

The perfect bake time for my oven is 10 minutes for soft centers, a crisp outside, golden bottoms and crispy edges, but depending on your oven, you may need a minute less or a minute more since all ovens are slightly different.

Variations

If you want to change things up a bit, here are a couple of ideas:

• Add a little crunch by mixing some chopped walnuts into the cookie dough.
• Sprinkle some sea salt flakes (such as Maldon brand, don't use regular salt!) on top of each cookie immediately after they come out of the oven.
• Replace a small amount of the vanilla extract with almond extract to give some almond flavour. Remember that a little almond extract goes a long way!

What's the Texture Like?

Right after they have cooled, the outside of the cookies will be crisp and the inside will have a soft and chewy texture. When they're still warm, the inside will also be gooey because of all the melty chocolate chips.

After you store them, they will soften and the crispness will no longer be there. The cookie will become soft and chewy, both inside and out after the first day.

Freezing Baked Cookies

Freeze your cookies in single layers in a freezer bag or airtight container, with parchment paper separating each layer, for up to 2 months.

When you're ready, thaw them in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Are you new to vegan gluten-free baking? If so, be sure to read all of my vegan gluten-free baking tips!

Tips for Success

This recipe was texted extensively, here are my tips to make these delicious cookies perfectly the first time and every single time after that:

• Use almond flour, NOT almond meal. (See the Recipe FAQ section below for more info on the difference between the two). I use Bob's Red Mill Superfine Almond Flour.
• Measure your almond flour correctly. Too much almond flour in this recipe will make your cookie dough too dry and very crumbly. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly. This tip also applies to all other ingredients, make sure to measure them accurately to get the best results. I highly recommend using a scale (this is one I have (Amazon Link) and my weight measurements.
• Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smooth, quick, and easy. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
• Make sure your butter is softened but still cool to the touch before starting. Softened butter will blend better and easier with the sugars. Make sure that it's not TOO soft (or melted!) or your cookies will spread too much while baking. To make sure your butter is at the right temperature, lightly press your finger into the butter. If it leaves a shallow indent, your butter is at the perfect temperature. If your finger sinks into the butter with barely any effort, your butter is too soft. Refrigerate it until it has firmed up.
• If your butter was too soft when you started. After you've made the cookie dough, before scooping it onto the cookie sheet, place the dough in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to cool it down so they don't overspread when baking.
• Use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough. This will result in uniform-sized cookies so they all bake evenly. Using a scoop also makes this step quicker and easier.
• Don't overbake. These cookies can overbake very quickly, so remove them from the oven as soon as they're done. They don't brown a lot, so don't be tempted to leave them in until they "look" done. They don't look done when they are actually done, so go by the baking time, not how they look.
• Don't skip the resting time after you've removed them from the oven. You must wait for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack since they are very soft and fragile right after baking. They continue to cook as they rest and will firm up as they cool.
• Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve included a lot of tips and tricks so you get things right. Also read through the actual recipe before getting started.
• Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.