Maple Almond Butter Cookies (vegan, 100% whole grain, dairy-free)
These almond butter maple cookies are soft, chewy, and full of rich, nutty flavor – all while being made with 100% whole grains and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. They’re the kind of cookie you can feel good about eating and sharing, whether you’re serving them at a casual get-together, packing them in lunchboxes, or just baking a small batch for yourself.
They’re also incredibly quick to make, with no mixer required and just a handful of wholesome ingredients.
- They’re made with wholesome ingredients like white whole wheat flour, natural almond butter, and pure maple syrup, making them a better-for-you treat without sacrificing flavor.
- The texture is perfectly soft and chewy, thanks to the combination of almond butter and just the right amount of coconut oil.
- They’re naturally dairy-free and refined sugar-free, making them a great option for those with dietary restrictions or anyone looking for cleaner desserts.
Ingredient Notes
Please scroll down for the full recipe! These are just notes on select ingredients.
- Almond butter – Make sure to use natural almond butter with just almonds and salt (or just almonds). It should be creamy and pourable. If yours is thick or dry, the dough may not come together properly.
- Maple syrup – Pure maple syrup only! Imitation syrup will affect both the taste and texture. Grade A or B both work well.
- White whole wheat flour – This gives a softer texture than traditional whole wheat but still provides all the whole grain goodness. You can use regular whole wheat flour, but the result will be a bit denser.
- Coconut oil – Refined coconut oil is best if you don’t want any coconut flavor. If using unrefined, just know there may be a hint of coconut taste.
- Vanilla extract – Helps round out the flavor and complements both the almond and maple beautifully. Use pure vanilla for the best taste.
- Make sure your almond butter is at room temperature and well stirred before using. If it’s too cold or too dry, it won’t mix as smoothly into the dough. A runny, natural almond butter works best here.
- Don’t overbake! The cookies will continue to cook a bit as they cool on the baking sheet. Pull them from the oven when they still look a little soft in the middle for the best texture.
- If you want to dress them up a bit, a drizzle of dark chocolate or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top after baking makes a great finishing touch. But they’re definitely flavorful enough on their own.
How to Make Ahead and Store
You can make the dough ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before scooping if it gets too firm.
The baked cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days. After that, the texture starts to dry out slightly, but they’re still tasty.
For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature or warm them briefly in the microwave before serving. You can also freeze the dough balls and bake them straight from frozen – just add a minute or two to the bake time.
Please share your feedback by leaving a ✍️review and ⭐ rating – it helps me and others! I so appreciate it. ❤️
Maple Almond Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 grams) almond butter
- 1/2 cup (160 grams) maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons refined coconut oil melted, or another neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon maple or almond extract
- 1 cup whole spelt or whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (72 grams) chopped almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, mix the almond butter, maple syrup, oil and extract until well blended.1/2 cup (125 grams) almond butter, 1/2 cup (160 grams) maple syrup, 3 tablespoons refined coconut oil, 1 teaspoon maple or almond extract
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.1 cup whole spelt or whole wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the almonds and stir just until combined. Let sit for five minutes.1/2 cup (72 grams) chopped almonds
- Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and place on Silpat or a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Flatten to about 1/3 of an inch.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- For the maple syrup, use Grade B instead of Grade A for a more pronounced maple flavor.
Do you think I could use normal unsalted butter in place of almond butter?
Unfortunately not. They’re not interchangeable. Sorry about that!
Great recipe, really good taste wise. The only issue I had is they didn’t seem to rise enough. Any suggestions to fix that? I love the spelt flour, but maybe mixing it with another type of flour would help with the rise, but I kind of like the idea of only using spelt but perhaps increasing the amount of baking soda or adding baking powder.
Hello! I’m sorry for just now seeing your comment. You could try adding 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. I think that’d probably work. :) They’re not really supposed to rise and be fluffy but I’ve never found them to be compact. So I’m wondering, did you make any changes at all to the recipe? That might explain the issue!
This has been my favorite recipe for years! It turns out perfectly every time. My whole family loves the cookies. They have a great flavor and texture. Thanks so much for the recipe, Erin!
You’re welcome! I’m glad that you like them so much. Thanks for your feedback (and sorry for my slow reply!).
Delish! I just made these, but I used butter in stead of canola oil b/c I didn’t have the oil. Very moist and I’m definitely making these again! Great with coffee too:)
I’m glad that you enjoyed them! It’s good to know that butter works well. :) Thanks for your comment!
This might just be the cookie we could have in this restricted diet period, if we could sub a non-wheat/spelt flour! Do you think oat, rice, millet, quinoa, or buckwheat flour would work? Or a combo of them? I’ll experiment but thought I’d draw on your experimental expertise in case you’ve already tried.
Hey there! :) The flours you listed aren’t interchangeable with wheat or spelt. It could work, but like you said, it would require some experimenting which I haven’t done. Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you!
I don’t have whole wheat flour… I see that you don’t recommend coconut flour … what about almond flour or just regular white baking flour?
Unfortunately, nuts flours aren’t interchangeable with non-nut flours. Regular all-purpose flour would work well, though. :)
and I didn’t use any extracts..just added a little bit of cinammon.smelled so good
Mmm! That sounds delicious. I’ll have to try that!
I haven’t made many healthy cookies but this must be the best healthy cookie ever.it was so delicious even before baking it, I couldn’t stop eating unbaked dough!
I used honey because I can’t find maple syrup where I live(I love to know how it’s taste is).and put a few chocolate chips on top..just incredibly amazing.thanks for recipe
I’m so happy that they came out well for you! Honey sounds like a nice change. :) And so are chocolate chips. Thanks so much for the feedback and sorry for my slow reply!
These cookies were literally amazing! My boyfriend was visiting from out of town and I was looking for a simple dessert with maple syrup (he’s Canadian haha) and this was perfect! He raved about them for days :) Thank you!
Haha. I love that you made him something maple flavored so he would feel at home. ;) I’m so happy you all liked them and thanks a ton for your feedback!
Thanks for the great recipe! I came across it a few months ago, and have made it twice. I did add an egg, and in the last batch, about 2/3 tsp. of cinnamon. Rather than rolling balls, I used a small scoop–a more uniform solution for me. My husband says they’re the best cookies I’ve ever made.
I’ll have to try these with an egg! It sounds great, especially with the added cinnamon. I’m so happy that you and your husband enjoyed the cookies so much! Thanks for the feedback. :)
I made these, exactly as written, a few years ago and I have been hooked on this blog ever since. These are delicious.
Thank you for coming back to leave feedback on a recipe that you made a few years ago. I certainly appreciate it! And I’m happy to read that you’re hooked on the blog. I guess I’m doing my job! ;)
hey, erin!
your recipe’s just great!!!
replaced the almond butter with peanut and the almonds with dark chocolate buds, turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever baked (according to my dad)
looking forward to try some of your other posts as well..
keep up the good work ;)
Wow, that sounds great. :) I’ve been meaning to try these with peanut butter for ages! I’m happy you and your dad liked them and thanks so much for the feedback. :)
I have been looking for a long time to find a tasty and healthy cookie recipe and I have found it.
I am thrilled to bake without sugar and I shall try some of the other recipes on the website.
Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m so happy that you liked the cookies! I hope you’ll enjoy the other recipes you try. :) Thanks for the feedback!
What can I use instead of Canola oil? Don’t like the fact that it is so unhealthy for the body…
/Love
Btw they look awesome :)
You could use olive oil but if you use extra-virgin, you’ll be able to taste it. Someone in the comments used coconut oil and said that it worked out, so you could try that! I haven’t tried it myself though, so I can’t guarantee anything. Good luck! :)
All right I will try that. Thank you for the wery quick respons. :)
No problem! Happy to help. :)
Hi Erin! Greetings from Munich! ;)
I used your recipe as an inspiration how to use up some leftover roasted almond butter and the cookies turned out SO GOOD.
I omited the oil, added just 100ml of maple syrup, used a mixture of whole spelt flour and spelt oats and made half of the cookies with 80% dark chocolate. :) Thanks for your recipe!
Anja
Spelt oats?! I didn’t know that those were even a thing! I’ll have to look for them. Your changes sound amazing. So happy that you liked them and thanks a ton for the feedback. :)
You are living in Germany right? I used these http://www.rinatura.de/produkte/getreide-vollkornerzeugnisse/produkt/vollkorn-dinkelflocken.html and I got them at REWE :)
Oh, neat! Thanks so much. I go to Rewe every week. I’ll have to get some! :)
Could you use almond flour or coconut flour for these?
I’m afraid not. :( They’re totally different and require different amounts of moisture. I’ll try to come up with a grain-free maple cookie, though!
I used apple sauce instead of oil, pine nuts instead of almonds, and added dried cranberries. Deeelcious. My whole family loved them.
Olive oil is fine, flavor wise, if you use "light" olive oil. Also, I subbed apple sauce for the oil, and it worked great! I used pine nuts in lieu of almonds, since that is what I had and dried cranberries! Delicious. My 16 month old approved too.