I’ve recently been experimenting with one of my old recipes for almond cookies. I made a Jam Thumb Print cookies version to be featured on Babble.com, and since then I’ve continued to experiment. This was my next experiment (which we loved too!), orange almond cookies. Orange zest and almonds is a great combination. I also used orange essential oil for an even more vibrant orange flavor, but since not everyone owns essentials oil, I made this version with zest.
Whole almonds, ground in a food processor provides the base for these cookies. High in protein, these cookies also happen to be gluten free, which is great for those on restricted diets. For the rest of us, they just make yummy cookies. To make them dairy free, use the coconut oil.
Almond Orange Cookies
- 2 ½ cups of whole almonds
½ cup of softened butter (preferably grassfed), or coconut oil
1/2 to ¾ cup of whole cane sugar (such as sucanat or rapadura)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
½ teaspoon unrefined salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.
1. In a food processor process the almonds until they are coarsely ground.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor, and process until well combined, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed.
3. Plop a spoonful of batter about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet (should be walnut sized).
4. Cook in the middle of your oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the sides of the cookies are starting to brown. Take out of the oven and let rest for about ten minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
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These look great!! I have a bunch of almond flour on hand. Any idea what the conversion would be? I’m assuming 2.5 cups almonds grinds down to a lesser amount of flour.
Thanks!!
I think that it would probably be about 2 cups of flour, though I am sure that your almond flour would be more finely ground. 🙂
Kimi, these look – and sound – amazing! I’m on the lookout for more “real food” sweet treats, so I may be trying these soon. They’re simple and we love almonds, too 🙂 Thank you!
Jaime
These sound amazing. Though I’m not grain-free, I’m always looking for ways to reduce wheat and increase nuts. Add the fact that it’s a cookie and I’m excited.
Rhi, We aren’t grain free either. We just like recipes like this. 😉
Dear Kimi,
These do look good! I was wondering – if I wanted to use orange extract to up the orange flavor, how much do you think I should use?
Thanks!
Samara
Hey Samara,
That’s a great idea if you have some on hand! Maybe 1/2 to 1 teaspoon?
But why do I need to cool completely?
The texture isn’t right until it’s cooled. 🙂
Sounds tasty! I love almonds and with the orange- delish! Thanks for sharing 🙂
If honey is used instead of sugar,what is the equivalency?
I would try 1/2 cup of honey.
could one use almond flour and if so do you think it would be equal substitution. My mom has tons of almond flour and has no clue what to do with it.
Thanks
What a lovely looking recipe. I really like that these are grain free, and the coconut oil option sounds divine. I will have to keep these in mind for next Passover, when we don’t eat any grains! These will be perfect.
I have been fooling around with almonds lately, too! These look fabulous and I will definitely being trying them. My kids will be pleased.
Oh, Kimi, these look good! I love the simple flavors and, of course, that they are naturally gluten free. 🙂
Thanks!
Shirley
Hi Kimi,
These look great. I am so impressed that there is no flour. Did you use “crispy nuts” or just raw almonds? I am thinking that this might make a wonderful cookie crust for a cheese cake!
Thanks so much for sharing such a delightful recipe.
Love,
Mary
Mary,
Crispy nuts would be best, but since they are cooked in this recipe, I generally use just “raw” almonds. I bet this would make a great cookie crust for cheese cake! Great idea. 🙂
I am trying to wrap my mind around the GAPS diet before I attempt it for my psoriasis and other things… sounds like this is a recipe to definately try 🙂 thanks
Kimi…My mouth is watering! The sound like the perfect cookies to have with tea and Mary’s idea of using them as a crust for cheesecake sounds fabulous!
~Blessings~
These sound lovely! I should try them with hazelnuts since I’m allergic to almonds. And I own sweet orange essential oil. How many drops did you use?
Yum! These cookies sound amazing! I love the consistency of muffins & cookies made with almond flour.
mmm…those look delicious. i love almond & citrus together : )
Are these cookies soft and crispy?
Sorry typo…I meant are the cookies soft or crispy texture?
Awesome cookies!! I only had 2 cups of almonds, so threw in about 1/2 cup of almond meal as well, and used about 9 drops of sweet orange oil. VERY tasty! I did have to flatten them, they didn’t “spread” like other cookies, but well worth making!!!
hi kimi, this is super yummy! just wanna ask for the shelflife of these cookies without refrigeration? how about a week? thanks!!!
I just tried this recipe using 2 cups almond flour in place of the ground almonds and only 1/4 cup honey. They are yummy, but they didn’t spread, as Janine mentioned, above. Do you recommend flattening them before you bake them? Thanks for the great recipes!