This recipe is for gluten-free, super soft sugar shape healthy almond flour cookies.  We cut down on sugar in the base of these cookies using only a few spoons of brown sugar and a spoon of maple or date syrup.  

What better way to show someone you love how much you care than baking a healthy, adorable Valentine’s treat?  Imagine you are working with fancy laces and trims as you ice in your favorite shades of pink, purple, and red.

Our younger daughter Ava was born 4 days before Valentine’s.  I’ll never forget the gorgeous pink long stems waiting for us when we got home from the hospital the day she was born.  I had natural childbirth so I was home the same day.  Bob’s grandma sent them for us.  From that day forward my heart beats extra pink for Ava and for this time of year.  Baby Ava turns 18 tomorrow.  We had the best time decorating these cookies together.  

What makes these cookies healthy?

• low in sugar – only 3 spoons of sugar and one spoon of maple or date syrup (plus the sugar in the piping if you choose to decorate them)
• gluten-free made with almond flour
• small-batch recipe helps with portion control

You may be wondering, how can these cookies taste sweet with so little added sugar?  Almond flour is sweeter tasting by nature.  Vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste, my preference) enhances flavors and sweetness.  Sometimes we’ll even add a couple of drops of almond extract for extra nutty deliciousness.

Working with almond flour takes some patience.  Using it as a base for cookies produces a very moist, wet dough. 

Tips for working with almond flour:

• keep dough cold – refrigerate for a minimum of 1-hour working
• roll out in small batches keeping the remaining dough cold
• roll out on a non-stick surface such as parchment paper or wax paper with a light dusting of gluten-free flour;  dust rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking

Use spray oil on a non-stick baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

This recipe makes about 16 large cookies or about 28 small shape cookies.  I like making smaller batches of cookies however if you are making these to share, double the recipe.

Baking is essentially crafting in the kitchen.    Remember making Valentine’s for all your friends in school?  Decorating heart shape cookies feels like making pretty cards.

Although this recipe is meant to be low-sugar and healthy, for special occasions we will add just a touch of powder sugar-sweetened icing to pipe designs on top.

Piping tip – use a small sandwich bag in the place of a pastry bag.  Simply snip a small bit of an end corner of the bag with sharp scissors to create a tiny whole.  Sit down and have fun piping!

we make our own icing bags using sandwich bags and sharp scissors to carefully snip a small slit in the bottom corner of the bag for piping

For an easy, foolproof icing recipe, click HERE (Basic Icing).  Icing tips follow:  be sure to allow butter to soften or stick in the microwave for about 12 to 15 seconds (do not melt completely).  Blend the confectioner’s sugar, softened butter, and milk with a fork.  Add more milk or water very gradually dripping it in until the icing reaches the desired thickness.  Thicken icing by adding more powdered sugar as needed.  Get creative with coloring – strawberry, raspberry, or beet juice works wonders to create pretty pink hues.

Hope you have fun making and sharing these healthy almond flour cookies.  Share in the comments or send me a message with how you like them.  I love hearing from the Oven hugging community.

Try these other Oven Hug gluten-free recipes:

Flourless Almond Cake

Persian Walnut Cookies

Chocolate Nut Butter Protein Cookies

Pin for later:

If you love these sweet cookies, be sure to also check out Honey Lavender Blueberry Muffins and Healthy Pumpkin Scones!

Yield: 16 cookies

Healthy Almond Flour Cookies

Print

This recipe is for gluten-free, super soft sugar shape cookies.  We cut down on sugar in the base of these cookies using only a few spoons of brown sugar and a spoon of maple or date syrup.  

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon maple or date syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• sprinkles of gluten-free flour for rolling surface and rolling pin

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream the butter with the brown sugar and syrup in a bowl until smooth and creamy using a hand mixer until smooth and creamy
3. Add vanilla and egg and beat for another 20 to 30 seconds
4. Whisk salt into the almond flour in a medium-sized bowl
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture and stir until all is moistened and incorporated
6. Form a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator
7. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
8. Tape down parchment paper on your work surface and lightly powder it with flour
9. Roll chilled dough out with a floured rolling pin
10. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies
11. Place cookies slightly separated on the lined baking sheet
12. Bake about 8 minutes for small cookies, 10 minutes for larger cookies
13. Allow cookies to cool
14. Prepare the icing
15. Decorate using the icing
16. Let the icing set before stacking cookies

Notes

Tips for working with almond flour:

• keep dough cold - refrigerate for a minimum of 1-hour working
• roll out in small batches keeping the remaining dough cold
• roll out on a non-stick surface such as parchment paper or wax paper with a light dusting of gluten-free flour;  dust rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking

Piping tip - use a small sandwich bag in the place of a pastry bag.  Simply snip a small bit of an end corner of the bag with sharp scissors to create a tiny whole.  Sit down and have fun piping!

For an easy, foolproof icing recipe, click HERE.  Icing tips follow:  be sure to allow butter to soften or stick in the microwave for about 12 to 15 seconds (do not melt completely).  Blend the confectioner's sugar, softened butter, and milk with a fork.  Add more milk or water very gradually dripping it in until the icing reaches the desired thickness.  Thicken icing by adding more powdered sugar as needed.  Get creative with coloring - strawberry, raspberry, or beet juice works wonders to create pretty pink hues.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 57mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g

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