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3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies (vegan, Paleo, keto option)

Healthy 3-ingredient almond flour shortbread, ready to eat in under 30 minutes! They are also vegan, Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, and keto (with one ingredient swap).
3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies that are Vegan, Paleo, Grain-Free & Keto Option

Super Easy Almond Flour Shortbread

It is 100 degrees outside, but I cannot help myself: I am ready for fall baking to begin!

School starts next Monday, so I am planning ahead, filling the freezer with quick and easy options I can add to lunches.

Confession: it’s mostly cookies. I’ll get around to savory options soon enough, but I need to be true to my cookie monster self :).

My 3 ingredient almond flour cookies continue to be a hit, so I decided it was time for more of a good thing. Specifically, 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread!
3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies that are Vegan, Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free and have a Keto Option
These cookies are tender, teatime-perfect shortbread heaven. They are also:

  • Vegan
  • Grain-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Paleo
  • Keto (with one easy ingredient swap)

Fast , Easy & Foolproof Grain-Free Shortbread

They are ridiculously easy, and almost foolproof, too. Simply mix together 1 cup of blanched almond flour (not almond meal), 2 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or a keto substitute), and 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt. 
3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies that are Vegan, Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free and have a Keto Option

No Electric Mixer and No Chilling Required

You read correctly: this shortbread cookie dough is made with MELTED  coconut oil. No electric mixer required. A bowl, a spoon, and about 30 seconds of stirring are all that you need for the preparation.

Moreover, the dough does not need to chill before baking.

Roll & Bake the Cookies

Simply roll the dough into balls, place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and flatten halfway down (so that they are about 1 cm thick). I chose a fork for my flattening, but a cookie stamp, the flat bottom of a measuring cup, or fingertips will also do the trick.
3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies that are Vegan, Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free and have a Keto Option
Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the centers no longer look wet. The cookies will still seem somewhat soft, but that is due to the high amount of fat (almond flour + coconut oil). They will become firm once completely cooled.

Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies that are Vegan, Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free and have a Keto Option

That’s it! With minimal time and effort, a dozen delectable shortbread cookies are yours for the eating.

You can double or triple the recipe according to the needs of your household, or the occasion.

3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies that are Vegan, Paleo, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free and have a Keto Option

Like my other minimalist cookie recipes, the opportunities for flavor personalization are boundless. Some quick ideas to jumpstart your creativity include the following:

(1) Extracts: replace 1/2 teaspoon of the water with vanilla extract, or 1/4 teaspoon of the water with almond, orange or lemon extract;

2) Citrus: replace the water with an equal amount of freshly squeezed lemon, lime or orange juice and add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon, lime, or orange zest

(3) Spices: add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite spice (you can taste the dough to determine how much; begin with a little add more as needed). For example, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg.

(4) Chocolate: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons miniature chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (sugar-free, keto-friendly options for keto cookies). Cacao nibs are also an excellent choice (they have no sugar and are naturally keto).

Happy baking, and stay cool!

More Grain-Free & Vegan Almond Flour Cookies to Try:

  1. 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Cookies
  2. 3-Ingredient Banana Almond Flour Cookies
  3. 4-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies
  4. Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies
  5. Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies
  6. Sweet Potato Almond Flour Cookies
  7. 3-Ingredient Fresh Apple Almond Flour Cookies
almond flour shortbread on a black cooling rack

3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies (vegan, gf)

Yield: 12 cookies
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes

Tender and decadent-tasting almond flour shortbread, made with 3 ingredients. The cookies are extremely simple to make, as well as vegan, Paleo, grain-free, gluten-free, and keto (with one ingredient swap).

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (112 g) blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
  • 2 and 1/2 tablespoons (30 g) coconut sugar (see notes for keto)
  • 2 tablespoons (30 mL) virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tablespoon (15 mL) water
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional/ adjustable)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring to combine (be sure to break up any lumps in the flour and/or sugar).
  3. Shape dough into twelve 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls (I use my small cookie scoop). Space balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Flatten to about 1 cm thickness (e.g., with a fork, cookie stamp, the flat bottom of a measuring cup, or fingertips).
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden (the cookies will seem somewhat soft while hot; they will firm up as they cool).
  5. Remove from oven and cool on sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Notes

Storage: Because of their high fat content, the cookies are best stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks (or the freezer for up to 6 months).

Keto Variation: Replace the coconut sugar with an equal amount of keto-friendly brown sugar replacement (e.g., Sukrin Gold, Swerve). Keto Version Macros per Cookie: Calories: 75; Total Carbs: 2 g; Net Carb: 1 g; Sugars: 0.3 g.

Other Sugars: An equal amount of brown sugar or granulated sugar of your choice can be used in place of the coconut sugar.

Butter and other Fats: If not following a vegan diet, you can use melted butter or ghee in place of the coconut oil. Because butter has a higher water content than coconut oil, I suggest increasing the butter to 2 and 1/2 tablespoons and only adding 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of water.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving Calories 85Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 2.5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 24.2mgCarbohydrates 4.6gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 2g

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Jasmine Neveles

Monday 4th of March 2024

I added fresh lavender seeds to mine and it turned out delightful

Camilla

Tuesday 5th of March 2024

That sounds heavenly, Jasmine--I love lavender in baked goods, brilliant :)

Sabrina

Sunday 14th of January 2024

Hi, I read through the comments but didn't see if anyone tried oat flour. Will that work? What about combining almond and oat flour?

Camilla

Tuesday 16th of January 2024

Hi Sabrina!

I do not think that these will work with all oat flour. Part of what makes the recipe "work" is that almond flour is high in natural fats, so they are moist and tender without the addition of any other fats. You might be able to replace a few tablespoons of almond flour with oat flour, for a slightly crisper cookie (perhaps flatten the cookies for an especially crispy result?). Even as I type, I am thinking I might night to experiment with this myself. But if you try it before me, I would love to hear how it goes :)

Charlotte Craven

Thursday 30th of November 2023

Hi lovely can I use mayple syrup instead of coconut sugar? How much Syrup would you reccomend? Thank you

Camilla

Thursday 30th of November 2023

Hi Charlotte! Yes, you can. Use an equal amount of maple syrup (2 and 1/2 tablespoons). Do not add the 1 tablespoon of water right away. Stir the dough to combine, adding a few drops of water, only as needed, to form a cohesive dough.

Amanda

Tuesday 15th of August 2023

I've made this a couple times with my own adjustments and finally getting it right. I'm not on any special diet other than that I try to avoid gluten where possible and was looking for an easy recipe to be made from almond flour and in the air fryer.

I did try it with coconut oil but I much prefer it with butter. I also added vanilla, reduced the sugar, used mascabado sugar, and used 1T raw agave syrup instead of water. I did a half batch and this left me with 4 medium sized cookies - perfect just for me.

I cooked them in the air fryer (Ninja foodi) at 350° and they were done after about 6 ish minutes. I sprinkled some of the mascabado sugar on the top for texture while they were still hot.

They are crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Delicious with a chai or spiced black tea.

I will definitely be making these again!

Amanda

Saturday 2nd of September 2023

Update: Have made these multiple times in the air fryer - it took a couple tries to get it down but now it is my go-to recipe for a quick treat. I just use butter, sugar, and almond flour ????????‍♀️ tonight I steeped earl grey tea in the water before adding to the dough, was good but could have been a bit stronger! Another variation I want to try is adding fresh orange juice + zest to the cookie then dipping in chocolate ???? these cookies are chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside - quick and easy to throw together, and healthy (depending how you make them ????) Came back to comment on my original review because I've made them many times since and I'll make them many more times! Easy, versatile, and delicious!!

Camilla

Wednesday 16th of August 2023

Amanda, I am so pleased to read how you have made adjustments to the recipe to make the cookies exactly to your liking! And thank you for sharing your method, too, especially for baking in the Ninja (I know more and more people are using smaller baking appliances). ????

Heather

Tuesday 4th of July 2023

Hi - Is it possible to substitute another vegan oil for the coconut oil?

Camilla

Tuesday 4th of July 2023

Hi Heather! a mild olive oil, or avocado oil, should work :) You may need to chill them after baking (coconut oil becomes solid at room temp, except when it is hot weather, which helps hold the cookies together at room temp).

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