Almond Cocoa Cookies
If you love cookies with a pronounced almond flavor, look no further! Made with toasted almonds, almond extract, and some almond flour, these almond cocoa cookies make a wonderful treat that taste even better the longer they sit.
Love nuts? Try these hazelnut chocolate chip cookies.
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I’m a big fan of Aida Mollenkamp’s hazelnut tea cookies. Deliciously buttery and loaded with toasted hazelnuts and dusted with powdered sugar, they have become a sweet staple since I first made them around 2008 or 2009.
These cookies inspired me to create my own version of a nut-laden cookie, which eventually became these almond cocoa cookies. They’re made with a blend of all-purpose flour and almond flour, toasted almonds, and almond extract, and they contain cocoa powder because I wanted to turn them into a chocolate cookie.
The first time I made these cookies I used 100% almond flour, and they came out more delicate than fine china. With each new test, I replaced more of the almond flour with all-purpose flour until I got the desired consistency: a tender yet crispy cookie.
I hope you enjoy these scrumptious little treats as much as I do. I also hope they become something you bake for others, the kind that might make their way onto your Christmas baking list, even though they’re not, technically, Christmas cookies. Actually, they’re great for any occasion: birthdays, Mother’s Day, or any day.
Why You’ll Love These Almond Cocoa Cookies
- They’re easy to make: These cookies don’t require many ingredients and come together using just two bowls.
- They’re perfect for almond lovers: If almond-flavored treats are your thing, you’ll love the strong almond flavor of these cookies.
- They taste even better the longer they sit: This is true of many sweet treats, but the almond flavor becomes more robust as they sit for a day or two.
Key Ingredients
- Slivered Almonds: We’ll be toasting these, which is very important for tasting the nuts in these cookies.
- Almond Flour: A bit of almond flour along with AP flour will enhance the almond taste, so don’t skip this.
- Almond Extract: In case you haven’t guessed already, it’s all about the almonds here, and a splash of this extract really brings the almond flavor full circle.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make These Almond Cocoa Cookies
- Toast the almonds: Toast the almonds in a small pan on the stovetop until golden, stirring often, 5 to 10 minutes. Let them cool, place them in a Ziploc bag, and crush them with a mallet.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Mix the flours and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with a mixer until fluffy. Mix in the cocoa powder, some of the powdered sugar, and almond extract and whisk for about 1 minute.
- Add dry ingredients: Mix in half the toasted almonds followed by the dry ingredients. Stir in the remaining nuts when the dry ingredients are just about fully incorporated.
- Refrigerate: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes.
- Bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350F. Retrieve some batter with a 1-inch diameter cookie scoop. Dispense the batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten the scoop slightly with your hand. Repeat the process until you have 8 cookies per sheet pan. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until set and lightly golden around the bottom edges.
- Finish: Dust the cookies with sifted powdered sugar after they cool.
Pro Tips
- Add the cocoa powder to the creamed butter before adding the sugar: The butter will help the cocoa powder stick to it and prevent it from blowing around too much when you mix it. You can also press the cocoa powder into the butter first, before adding the sugar.
Suggestions for Variations and Substitutions
-Replace the almonds with any nut you like. If you do, you may want to replace the almond extract with vanilla extract and use all-purpose flour only.
-Omit dusting the cookies with powdered sugar if you prefer them plain.
Recipe FAQs
Did you refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes? Also, make sure you don’t flatten them too much. They should be about as thick as a double-stuffed Oreo.
Yes, you can prepare it and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If the batter is too hard, let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to soften. Just ensure it’s still cold when you roll the batter for baking. You can also make the batter and immediately freeze it for up to 1 month and defrost before baking.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezer
You can freeze these cookies for up to 2 months. Defrost them at room temperature, or pop them in the microwave for a bit.
More Chocolate Recipes
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Almond Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup slivered almonds toasted, crushed
- 1 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (Note 1)
- ¼ cup almond flour spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 and ¼ cups powdered sugar divided
- 2 teaspoons pure almond extract
Instructions
- Toast the almonds in a small pan until they turn golden brown and fragrant. Set aside and let cool, at least 15 minutes. Once cooled, empty them into a Ziploc bag, seal it, and crush the almonds with a mallet until they break into small pieces. Set aside.¾ cup slivered almonds
- Combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. 1 and ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup almond flour, ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Beat the softened butter in a large bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the cocoa powder, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and the almond extract and blend with the mixer on low until everything is well incorporated and the texture looks like chocolate mousse, about 1 minute. 2 sticks softened unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons almond extract
- Add half the toasted almonds and combine them into the batter with the mixer. Add the dry ingredients set aside earlier, and continue blending until they're fully incorporated into the butter mixture. The result should now look similar to chocolate ice cream.
- Add the remaining nuts just before everything is fully blended and continue mixing until the nuts are evenly dispersed throughout the batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Using a cookie scoop with a 1-inch diameter, scoop out some batter and place it onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Flatten the ball of batter slightly with the palm of your hand. Repeat the process, forming 8 cookies per sheet pan.
- Bake the cookies in the oven on the middle rack for about 12 minutes, until they're set and the undersides turn lightly golden.¼ cup sifted powdered sugar
- Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for at least 2 minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a rack. Once fully cooled, use a sifter to dust the cookies with the remaining ¼ cup of powdered sugar. Enjoy!
