Almond Honey Cookies: A Gluten-Free Recipe for Happiness
Almond Honey Cookies are a light, delicious cookie that is flourless, gluten-free, and vegetarian. These soft cookies are not only healthy and delicious but also perfect for anyone who suffers from allergies or intolerance. They are a perfect holiday treat!
I love this recipe for its simplicity. This is another one of the cookie recipes I learned to bake in Germany during the holiday season.
Anybody new to baking with almond flour or almond meal may have a few questions. Let’s cover a few of them really quickly.
Is Almond Meal The Same As Almond Flour?
No, they are different. Almond meal is made from raw, unpeeled almonds. Almond flour is made from blanched almonds. Flour typically has a smoother texture and is better for baking.
Can Almond Flour Be Substituted For Regular Flour?
No. Regular flour contains gluten and absorbs liquid. Almond flour has no gluten and absorbs no liquid. They are two very different flours that are not interchangeable.
Can You Use Almond Meal Instead Of Almond Flour?
Yes, you can. However, anything made with an almond meal will be a bit more coarse in texture.
About Honey Almond Cookies
This is an authentic German recipe. It is essentially a meringue cookie with ground almonds mixed in. They are soft and spongy, nutty, and slightly sweet. They are great for kids and adults alike. (Not for kids under 1 year of age due to the honey).
Originally, these cookies were made by spooning the cookie mixture onto “Oblaten”, which are paper-like, edible wafers. These Oblaten really don’t add any flavor to the cookies, but they do offer the benefit of a stable “foundation” for a cookie like this. You can find Oblaten all over Europe, and in European food markets here in the states. You can order them online as well from Amazon.com. You’ll find the link below. However, they are not critical if you line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
To make this recipe easy, I highly recommend using an electric mixer to beat the egg whites. You can also use a stand mixer, which will make the egg whites and then mix in the remaining ingredients as well. Just be sure to stir gently when adding to the egg whites. You want to keep as much air in them as possible.
Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
If gluten-free cookies are the only way you roll, these cookies will be perfect! I also have a few other gluten-free cookie recipes you might like to try. Check these out too!
Quote from a reader:
“I just had to share with you…..I made your almond cookies yesterday. My 18mo. old who still only has a few words – stood at the counter pointing to the cookies and kept saying “more, more, more”. A huge hit and I certainly didn’t mind giving her more “clean” cookies! For dessert, we all crumbled some cookies over fresh strawberries..yum!”
Recipe Additions
- Almond extract – While I have never added anything extra to this cookie recipe, some folks might enjoy a stronger almond flavor. These are nutty but mild. If that’s you, you can add a half teaspoon of almond extract to the dough.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract is another addition some people may enjoy. If you want to try it, you could add one half to one full teaspoons of pure vanilla extract to the batter.
- Whole Almonds – If you want to garnish your cookies, you can top them with whole almonds or slivered almonds just prior to baking. Simply lay a single almond or sliver of almond on the center of each cookie. This will leave a small indentation in the tops of your cookies, but it looks great!
Almond Honey Cookie Ingredients
(Print recipe from recipe card at the bottom of this post)
1½ cups ground almonds – While we ground our own almonds in Germany (and you can do the same in a food processor), either almond flour or almond meal will work here.
¾ cup honey – I prefer clover honey, but use whatever honey you have handy.
4 large egg whites – Save the yolks for something else.
How To Make Almond Honey Cookies
In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
In a second bowl mix almonds and honey.
Scoop nut mixture into the egg whites and fold until well mixed. do not over mix. The moment mixture is combined, stop mixing.
Using a regular teaspoon (not a measuring teaspoon), scoop small clumps onto round edible wafers, or directly onto prepared baking sheets.
Place the sheet pans in the oven on the lowest shelf at 350 F. for 10-15 minutes. Should be lightly brown when done.
Using a spatula, transfer to a wire rack for cooling.
How To Store Almond Honey Cookies
Keep these in an airtight container and store them in the fridge.
These do not freeze well.
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Almond Honey Cookies Recipe Card
Almond Honey Cookies
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- In a second bowl mix almonds and honey.
- Scoop nut mixture into the egg whites and fold until well mixed. do not over mix. The moment mixture is combined, stop mixing.
- Using a regular teaspoon (not a measuring teaspoon), scoop small clumps onto round edible wafers, or directly onto prepared baking sheets.
- Place in oven on lowest shelf at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Should be lightly brown when done.
Hi ~ I would love to try these but could you tell me the measurements in cups please ~ thanks so much and thanks for all the great info ~ I love this site!!!
Hi Dee,
The original recipe I had was in grams, which is why I posted it that way. But I will see if I can come up with some other measurements for you.
Tiffany
Do you just grind the almonds in a food processor? Also, If you are going to double the recipe do you suggest making each batch seperately or do you think it will be fine doubled?
Were you able to figure out the measurements in cups?
Thanks!
Lori,
No, I have not had the chance yet, but I have not forgotten!
Yes, you grind the nuts in the processor, and yes, you could just double the recipe. You don’t have to do it separately. I will do my best to get those measurements for you by the end of the week. We’re moving, so things are crazy. But I’ll do my best.
FYI: Anyone wanting a conversion from grams to cups see below:
1/2 cup = 50 grams
1 cup = 100 grams
Tom – Thanks. I thought I had added that, but I must have erased it somehow. Thanks for adding that.
Tiffany and Tom,
Doesn’t that vary with whatever is being weighed? eg a cup of water would weigh differently than a cup of honey? Or is that for the ingredients in this recipe?
Jodi – It does depend on what’s being weighed. But with an amount this small, it’s close enough. I’ve used these measurements myself, and they work fine.
Since we have almond allergy in our house, I think I will try this with pistachios, which he can eat. These look yummy and also easy to make.
Also, these cookies (probably most cookies) get about half their calories from FAT! 2 grams of fat =18 kcal out of 39. 4 grams of sugar/carb=16 kcal; 1gm protein=4 kcal.
It’s “good” fat, but still counts in total calories for the day-not for unlimited consumption except for those still growing (vertically) or trying to gain weight.
Jodi – You’re right. All baked goods, no matter how clean, must be eaten in moderation. It’s completely possible to gain weight eating clean foods. So eat these wisely.
I’ve been looking for something to do with the almond pulp that’s left over after I make homemade almond milk. Do you think that would work in this recipe? Or is the almond pulp too different in texture from ground almonds?
Linda – I’m not sure. It sounds like it should work, but I can’t guarantee it. The recipe is small enough that a test batch wouldn’t waste a large amount of ingredients. So it’s definitely worth a shot!
Do you think the ground almonds could be substituted for almond flour or almond meal in this recipe?
Sarah – You could try, but I have serious doubts about it coming out the same. Though I believe almond meal is pretty close. So if you sub, that might actually get you the best results. I would avoid the flour though.
I just tried these today and they’re really good. Very tasty. I found that they worked better for me on the middle rack, though. When I tried the lowest rack, the bottoms got burned before the cookies were done.
Linda – Thanks for sharing that!! I think every oven bakes just a bit differently. So it’s good to know those things about your oven!
Glad you enjoyed them!
So I made these cookies today, and they were super delicious. Only problem is that they were not cookie-like at all! I don’t know if I over whipped my eggs or didn’t whip them enough, but they were flat and goopy even after they were brown on top (15 minutes in the oven). Any suggestions??? Thanks in advance!
Rayna – I would say it was definitely how you whipped the eggs. I can’t tell you if they were over whipped or under whipped, but they should have formed stiff peaks and you need to fold in the other ingredients VERY gently so you don’t lose too much air out of the eggs.
Glad they tasted good though!
Rayna – I would say it was definitely how you whipped the eggs. I can’t tell you if they were over whipped or under whipped, but they should have formed stiff peaks and you need to fold in the other ingredients VERY gently so you don’t lose too much air out of the eggs.
Glad they tasted good though!
Jenn – Thanks for the feedback! Less honey is always an option. But the topping idea sound pretty good too!
I just made these cookies and they are absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
melys8 – I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I just baked these and it went horribly wrong! I think my egg whites were all over the place because it was goopy and the honey seemed to separate and now they’re stuck to the baking paper. Sigh! Any advice on how to get the best egg white results? I’m determined to get this right…
Lequoise – Sounds like maybe the eggs were beaten too long or not long enough. This recipe really is all about the eggs.
It probably would.
I just tried these and have no clue what went wrong but I can’t get them off the parchment paper! The second set that went in the oven I decided to spray the parchment which almost helped, but they are still stuck. 🙁 Will try them again in the future and play around with it, but had hoped to take these for my family’s Christmas Eve. ;(
Oh no!!! Did you change anything at all? Maybe try them directly on the cookie sheet so you can get them up with a spatula?
Oh my gosh. These are dangerous. Dangerously amazing.
We had an issue with the first batch, too. Our oven isn’t very good and they burnt on the bottom and weren’t cooked properly. But you know that? They were still amazing. So good. Next ones we doubled the tray so they didn’t burn and turned the temp down a bit, and then we had a last batch that look okay that had the temp down properly. We set it to 150C (about 300F).
Ours stuck to the paper, too. I forced the burnt ones off and let them cool. The others we actually just let cool on the paper on a rack.
Fantastic recipe. So good. Definitely what we need for helping our sweet cravings while we start our clean eating journey.
I just had to tell you how good these were! My kids devoured them. I used a silpat mat which really helped with the sticking issue (as in I didn’t have any sticking issues).
Thank You!
Awesome! Glad you all enjoyed them! 🙂
These were wonderful! All 3 of my young ones (ages 5 and under) thoroughly enjoyed them. Mine did not resemble the picture, but instead looked like little vanilla wafers. I’m limited to the SCD and these were divine! Will make again for sure.
Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Just calculated the calories and they are about 75 calories each if you make 24 with the amount of ingredients. I could make them smaller and eat more!!!! Total calories for all the ingredients are 1893.
Awesome! 🙂
Hi,
I’ve just made these cookies. I bake and cook often so I know what I’m doing. These cookies did not turn out as the picture display. What could have happened? I followed the recipe, the egg whites were just the way they’re supposed to be. I put the honey/almond mixture into the egg white, gently folding it in, gently mixing. I’d like to make this a successful recipe, but this I came up with a new version of this recipe: Burnt Eating Almond Honey Cookies. Help!
Mary – Can you tell me how they burned? Was it the tops? Bottoms?
They taste fabulous, but mine are a mess! I’ve tried twice now and can’t get it right. They are super sticky, flat and don’t seem done. I know I botched the eggs the first time, but they seemed just right the second time. Should I cook them longer at a lesser temp like meringue cookies? Any hints? Love your blog!
April – It could certainly be a time issue, yes. Are you at a high elevation? Lower? Are you certain your oven is baking at the correct temperature? I’m not sure about baking them like meringues, but you could certainly try it. I’ll keep thinking on this one. I’m a bit baffled, but we’ll figure it out. 🙂