These are the best almond flour lemon cookies, and they actually taste like they came from a bakery. Trust me, I tested these many ways and discovered the soft, chewy bakery-style texture comes from a combination of almond flour and cassava flour. You would never guess they are completely gluten-free, grain-free, and made with better-for-you ingredients.
If you love baking with lemon this time of year, my almond flour lemon blueberry bread is another one worth adding to your list (grain-free and refined sugar-free).
Reasons to Love These Almond Flour Lemon Cookies
The older I get, the more I love lemon desserts, and I really wanted a healthier cookie that felt special enough to serve to anyone, regardless of whether they follow a gluten-free lifestyle. And these deliver on that completely.
These almond flour lemon cookies have the texture and lemony taste you'd expect with a lemon cookie, but made with simple, wholesome ingredients.
I'm loving these cookies because they are...
- Soft and chewy - I created the perfect combo of both almond flour and cassava flour to produce soft and chewy cookies.
- Vegan - I'm not vegan, but I found that these cookies actually turn out best without an egg, so vegan it is!
- Refined sugar-free - These are sweetened with pure maple syrup and there is an option for a refined sugar-free glaze as well!
- Made in one bowl - I'm all about ease and just like my oat flour chocolate chip cookies, you just need one mixing bowl.
After numerous rounds of testing, I finally created the perfect soft and chewy almond flour cookie. After testing with just almond flour, almond flour and tapioca starch and finally almond flour and cassava flour, I created the perfect mix of grain-free ingredients for these almond flour lemon cookies.
During testing, my neighbors, my girls, and my girls' friends tasted these cookies. While there were a few top contenders, this version I'm sharing here was definitely the winner!
This is one of those dessert recipes I'll be brining to spring and summer gatherings (and let's be honest... probably fall and winter ones, too)! These healthy oat flour brownies and better-for-you scotcheroo bars also make the top of the list for healthier dessert recipes to share with a crowd!
Fun fact: Each cookie contains 7 grams of protein. Not that I'm using these to reach my protein goals, but good to know these might help 🙂
Jump to:
Ingredients Notes
- Almond flour - You will want to use almond flour and not almond meal. Almond flour is more finely ground and works best in baking recipes. Try my grain-free almond flour biscuits if you have extra almond flour.
- Cassava flour - This is what helps create a chewy texture. Otto's cassava flour is my favorite. You can use this for my gluten-free thumbprint cookies, too.
- Coconut oil - Coconut oil, avocado oil, or extra-virgin olive oil can be used. I tested with both coconut oil and EVOO, and they both worked great.
- Powdered sugar - I got wild with this recipe and used a traditional powdered sugar glaze (I know, I know... so not like me to use refined sugar). BUT, don't worry - I have an option for a refined sugar-free glaze, too 🙂
🤍 Sara's clean food tips: I prefer organic almond flour to avoid common chemicals and pesticides and also to support more sustainable farming practices.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
Variations
- For a fully refined sugar-free cookie, you can top each cookie with coconut butter glaze instead of the powdered sugar glaze. This would also make them Paleo-compliant.
- Fold in some chopped fresh blueberries for blueberry lemon cookies. You could try raspberries too, I just don't think they'd incorporate into the batter as well as blueberries would.
- Make lemon poppy seed cookies by adding in 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds in with the dry ingredients.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Step 1: Whisk together the oil, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Step 2: Add the almond flour, cassava flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients until fully combined.
- Step 3: Using a 2-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop the cookie batter onto a prepared baking sheet. Evenly press each dough ball into ¼"-⅓" cookie shape. The dough will not spread when baked.
- Step 4: Bake at 325°F for 11-13 minutes or until centers are set and edges are lightly browned.
- Step 5: Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool. Then mix the glaze ingredients.
- Step 6: Once cookies have cooled, spread about a spoonful of glaze over each cookie. Allow glaze to set and store in an airtight container.
Sara's Tips for the Best Almond Flour Lemon Cookies
- Spoon and level the almond flour and cassava flour into the measuring cup to measure. This ensures you don't end up with too much flour. I also provide measurements in grams. The best way to measure is using a kitchen scale.
- Zest your lemon before juicing it. Much easier to zest the lemon whole!
- Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop to transfer the dough to the cookie sheet. This helps with both shaping cookies and getting evenly sized cookies.
- To flatten cookie dough, wet the bottom of a measuring cup and push the dough into a cookie shape, and then get your hands slightly wet (this will prevent the dough from sticking) to form smooth edges around the cookies.
- The cookies will not spread while baking, so shape the dough to your desired thickness. I like mine to be about ⅓"-¼" thick for the perfect soft and chewy texture.
💡Did you know almond flour should be stored in the refrigerator? That's right! After you open the bag, store the almond flour in the fridge. Due to the high fat content, almond flour will spoil more quickly when kept at room temperature.
Try my almond flour donuts and blackberry almond flour muffins if you're looking for more ways to use up your almond flour.
Almond Flour Lemon Cookies Recipe FAQs
No, you cannot. Almond flour reacts very differently than all-purpose flour in baking and these two flours cannot be used interchangeably.
Finely ground almond flour works best for soft, tender cookies. Almond meal (which means the almonds were ground with the skin on) is coarser and doesn't bake up as well for cookies.
Yes! Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze. Let dough thaw at room temperature and then bake following the directions.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Allow the glaze to fully set before storing. Once glaze has set, store in an airtight container, placing parchment paper between layers of cookies. They will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days, although I find them best when enjoyed within 24 hours.
Freezing: Allow cookies to cool and glaze to fully set, then store in a freezer-safe container, preferable a zip-top bag (Stasher bags are my favorite) so you can squeeze out as much air as possible. Place parchment paper between cookies if storing in layers. They will stay fresh for up to 2 months when frozen.
Freezing Dough Balls: You can also freeze the cookie dough for later. Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe container (I recommend a zip-top bag). When ready, let the dough thaw at room temperature before baking as directed.
More Lemon Inspired Recipes to Try!
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Almond Flour Lemon Cookies (soft & chewy)
Save This Recipe For Later!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later. Plus, enjoy weekly clean eating recipes as a bonus.
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup (room temp)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon packed lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
- 1 ½ cups (150g) almond flour
- ½ cup (65g) cassava flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Ingredients for the Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons water, milk, or lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, or parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, ¼ cup pure maple syrup (room temp), 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon packed lemon zest, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Add the almond flour, cassava flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix until fully combined.1 ½ cups (150g) almond flour, ½ cup (65g) cassava flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Using a 2-tablespoon spring-loaded cookie scoop (or spoon), scoop 2 heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet for each cookie, spacing 2 inches apart. Get your hands slightly damp and press each dough ball down into a round cookie shape (I like mine to be ¼"-⅓" thick). The cookies won't spread as they bake (see notes).
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the centers are set and the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to slightly cool and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
How to Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and liquid (milk, water, or lemon juice), one tablespoon at a time until thick, but pourable.½ cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons water, milk, or lemon juice
- Spread an even amount of glaze over each cookie (I like to use the back of a spoon to spread to the edges of the cookie, but you could also drizzle the glaze on top). Allow glaze to set before storing cookies.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- One large lemon should be enough for the zest and juice.
- A kitchen scale is preferred for measuring the almond flour and cassava flour. If you don't have a kitchen scale, spoon and level the flour into the measuring cups (don't pack in).
- To flatten cookie dough, wet the bottom of a measuring cup and push the dough into a cookie shape, and then get your hands slightly wet (this will prevent the dough from sticking) to form smooth edges around the cookies.
- I use organic powdered sugar for the glaze.
- For a refined sugar-free glaze, you can use a coconut butter glaze (this would make them Paleo compliant).
Nutrition
Save This Recipe For Later!
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later. Plus, enjoy weekly clean eating recipes as a bonus.
Sara says
Made these for a neighborhood cookout and they were a huge hit!