Spanish Almond Cookies (Almendrados)

Name: Spanish Almond Cookies (Almendrados)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 26 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 2 cups blanched slivered almonds (note 1); 2/3 cup sugar; 1 large egg; Zest from 1 lemon; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 24 roasted salted almonds to top cookies (note 2)

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This Spanish Almond Cookie recipe is almost too good to be true. With just almonds, sugar, eggs, and lemon zest you can create these melt-in-your-mouth almond cookies in under 30 minutes. They're naturally gluten-free and dairy-free and have an irresistible chewy texture and toasted almond flavor.

6 almond cookies, each with an almond in the middle, on a glass plate with 3 whole almonds decorating the plate.

Whether you're looking for a healthier cookie, a great gluten-free dessert, a flourless and non-dairy cookie for Passover, or you're simply craving a quick and delicious treat, these Spanish Almond Cookies are destined to become a new favorite.

What I love about these almond cookies

These cookies are a revelation! Made primarily from almonds, almendrados are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and surprisingly simple to whip up. They're a treat you can feel good about—packed with protein, relatively low in carbs, and free of unhealthy fats. But the best part? They're absolutely delicious!

They bake up crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, with fresh toasted almond flavor and a hint of lemon zest - yum!

Let me show you how to make them.

Ingredients

Glass pedestal cookie plate topped with almond cookies. One cookie on the table below.

Let's make these Almond Cookies!

Here's a walk-through of the recipe with photos.

Add the blanched almonds to the bowl of a food processor and process for 15-20 seconds, until you have a coarse flour. Then add the rest of the ingredients - sugar, lemon zest, egg and salt and pulse several times, until the dough forms.

Almond flour in the bowl of a food processor.

bowl of a cuisinart filled with almond flour, sugar, an egg and lemon zest.

Once the dough becomes sticky and holds together, transfer it to a bowl and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

almond cookie dough in the bowl of a food processor.

bowl of almond cookie dough next to a parchment lined sheet pan with two dough balls on it and a small bowl of roasted almonds next to it.

To form the cookies, pull out about a tablespoon of dough at a time, roll it into a ball and place it on the cookie sheet, keeping some space between the dough balls. Gently press a roasted almond into each dough ball.

Bake the cookies for 14 minutes or until lightly colored on the undersides but still slightly soft. They will harden as they cool and you actually want them to be a little soft and chewy.

two dough balls on a parchment line cookie sheet and a hand pressing an almond into one of the balls.

parchment lined cookie sheet topped with 24 unbaked Spanish almond cookies.

Allow the cookies to cool completely and then enjoy them!

about 10 almond cookies, each with a roasted almond in the center, on a glass plate.

I've had lots of commenters curious about how to use almond flour in this recipe so here's the scoop.

Frequently Asked Questions About Almond Flour Cookies

What is Almond Flour?

Almond flour is made from pure almonds that are blanched (boiled in water) to remove their skins and then ground into a fine flour. Almond flour is a popular substitute for wheat flour in baking. It's gluten-free, low in carbs, packed with fiber, protein and nutrients, and has a mild sweet flavor.

Is Almond Meal the same as Almond Flour?

While almond meal and almond flour are both made from ground almonds, they differ in texture. Almond flour is made from blanched almonds with skins removed, ground into a fine, light texture. Almond meal uses whole almonds, skins included, ground to a coarser textured flour with visible brown flecks.

Can I substitute Almond Meal for Almond flour in a recipe?

You can technically substitute almond meal for almond flour in a 1:1 ratio, however the texture of your baked goods will differ depending on which you use. Almond flour, made from blanched almonds (skins removed), gives baked goods a smooth, delicate texture. Almond meal, made from whole almonds (skins included), imparts a coarser, more rustic texture, similar to whole-grain flour.

If you want to take these cookies to even higher heights of delicious, make homemade toasted almonds and use them to top your Almendrados!

These delightful Spanish almond cookies have a beautiful chewy texture and are bursting with toasted almond flavor. Because they're gluten-free and dairy-free, they're a treat everyone can enjoy. If you make these I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Recipe

Spanish Almond Cookies (Almendrados)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 10 reviews

Author: Lisa Goldfinger
Total Time: 26 mins
Yield: About 24 cookies 1x

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Description

These melt-in-your-mouth Spanish Almond cookies are almost too good to be true. They have just 4 ingredients, they're ready in under 30 minutes, they're naturally gluten free and dairy free, and their toasted almond flavor with a hint of lemon is irresistible!

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 cups blanched slivered almonds (note 1)
⅔ cup sugar
1 large egg
Zest from 1 lemon
⅛ teaspoon salt
24 roasted salted almonds to top cookies (note 2)

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Instructions

Set an oven rack in the center position. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Process for 15-20 seconds or until they are finely ground. Add the sugar, egg, lemon and salt to the bowl of the food processor and pulse 20-25 times, until the mixture becomes sticky and holds together.
To form the cookies, pull out about a tablespoon of dough at a time. Squeeze it in your hand and then roll it into a ball and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough. You should get about 24 balls. Gently press a whole roasted almond down into the center of each ball.
Bake for 14 minutes or until cookies have a hint of color on the underside. Don't worry if they're soft to the touch. They will harden as they cool and you actually want them to be a little chewy. Cool cookies on pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Notes

If you want to make these cookies with almond flour, substitute 2½ cups of almond flour for the 2 cups blanched slivered almonds.
For extra special flavor and crunch, make these homemade roasted almonds and use them to decorate your almond cookies.
Nutrition Disclaimer: We do our best to provide accurate nutrition values using an online nutrition calculator; however our nutrition information should be used only as an approximation.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 16 mins
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: Spanish

This recipe post was first published on March 24, 2014. I have reviewed this recipe and retested it using almond flour in place of blanched almonds. I updated this recipe to include how to make these cookies with almond flour. I've enhanced the post with process shots to illustrate the steps of this recipe, and I added an FAQ section to address questions about how to use almond flour in baking. Same delicious recipe!

Spanish Almond Cookies (Almendrados)

What I love about these almond cookies

Ingredients

Let's make these Almond Cookies!

Frequently Asked Questions About Almond Flour Cookies

Recipe