Almond flour lemon cookies

Are you looking for an easy cookie recipe that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes? Then check out this recipe for lemon almond flour cookies! These lemon almond flour cookies do not contain any fats that solidify in the refrigerator so you do not need to chill the dough before baking the cookies.  

These lemon almond flour cookies are made with almond flour so they are naturally gluten free. This recipe uses applesauce and vegetable oil rather than butter and eggs so these cookies are also vegan friendly, dairy free, and egg free.  

Why use almond flour in cookies?

Why use almond flour in cookies? Almond flour has a few benefits that make it a good option for certain types of cookies.  

• Low carb. Almond flour is generally much lower in carbs than regular all purpose flour. On the flip side, almond flour is higher in fats than other types of flour. 
• Rich, nutty flavor.  Almond flour has a rich, nutty flavor that tastes great in many types of cookies. The nutty taste of almond flour goes particularly well with warm spices and flavorings like vanilla extract, maple extract, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. 
• Gluten free. Almond flour is naturally gluten free! Of course you should always double check to make sure the brand of almond flour you use is made purely of almonds and not produced on equipment that is shared with gluten containing grains. 

Does almond flour taste different than regular flour?

Does almond flour taste different than regular flour? Yes, almond flour does taste different than regular all purpose flour. Almond flour has a rich, nutty taste that regular flour does not have. This rich, nutty flavor lends itself well to cookies such as these almond flour lemon cookies. 

Can you use regular all purpose flour rather than almond flour?

Can you use regular all purpose flour in these cookies rather than almond flour? You can use regular all purpose flour but I would not necessarily recommend it. Even if you do not have a gluten intolerance, I would recommend sticking to almond flour because of the rich nutty flavor it has. If you use regular all purpose flour the flavor and the texture of the cookies will be different. 

How to add lemon flavor to cookies

I love to make lemon cookies! There are a few different ways you can add lemon flavoring to cookies and baked goods. Here are your options for adding lemon flavoring to cookies.

• Lemon juice. Lemon juice has a strong, tart flavor. You should use lemon juice when lemon is the main flavor in your cookies or baked goods. Lemon juice is also useful when you are making icings or cookies that are very sweet and you need some tartness to balance out the sweetness. This is why lemon juice is often paired with confectioners sugar to make glazes.
• Lemon zest. Lemon zest has a milder flavor than lemon juice and lemon extract. You should use lemon zest when you want to add a hint of lemon to a cookie without overpowering the other flavors. Lemon zest is also useful when you do not want to add extra liquid to your dough or batter. Lemon zest functions as a mix-in like cranberries or chocolate chips that sits in the batter rather than fully incorporating into the batter. 
• Lemon extract. Lemon extract has a stronger taste than lemon zest but is less acidic than lemon juice. Lemon extract is a good option if you want to add a bold lemon flavor to cookies that are not particularly sweet or they already have a tart, acidic element. 

In this recipe we use lemon juice to add lemon flavor to our cookies. The lemon juice gives the cookies the tartness that you expect to get when you bite into a lemon cookie. 

How long to cook lemon almond flour cookies

How long should you cook these lemon almond flour cookies? That depends on your taste. In the recipe we say to cook the cookies for 12-15 minutes, but depending on how you prefer your lemon cookies you might want to err a little closer to the 12 minute mark or the 15 minute mark.

I prefer my lemon cookies to be a little moist and gooey on the inside so I usually cook my lemon almond flour cookies for closer to 12-13 minutes. If you prefer lemon cookies that have a more dry, crumbly inside then you should cook your cookie for more like 14-15 minutes. 

Print Recipe

Almond flour lemon cookies

These delicious almond flour lemon cookies are gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and egg free.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: dairy free, egg free, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian

Servings: 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cup almond flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar (optional garnish)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix all of the ingredients for the cookie dough other than the baking powder together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
• Add the baking powder into the dough then start to shape your cookie dough into balls that are 1 - 1/2 inches in diameter.

  If you want to top your cookies with granulated sugar to add a little extra crunch then dip the cookies in granulated sugar prior to laying them out on the baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies 350 for 12-15 minutes. If you prefer your cookies to have a gooey center then bake them for closer to 12 minutes.

Notes

Work fast after adding the baking powder. Baking powder is activated after it is added to the wet ingredients. This is why we save the baking powder for the last step. Try to make the dough balls and lay the cookies out soon after the baking powder is added to the dough.

No need to chill. There is no need to chill this cookie dough because the dough does not include any fats that solidify in the refrigerator like coconut oil or butter. 

Encouraging cookies to spread. If you take a peek at your cookies and see that they are not spreading as much as you would like you can take the baking sheet out and hit the bottom against a countertop. I usually do this when the cookies have 2-3 minutes left.

Tips for measuring flour. We recommend measuring flour by spooning the flour into a measuring cup then leveling off the flour with a butter knife. This is the most consistent way to measure flour. If you dip your measuring cup into the bag of flour, it will compress the flour and you will end up with extra flour. 

Modifications for lemon almond flour cookies

• Granulated sugar. We dip our balls of cookie dough in a little bit of white granulated sugar prior to laying them out on our baking sheet. This just gives the cookies a little extra crunch on top. If you do not have granulated sugar you can totally skip this step without altering the flavor of the cookies. 
• Unsweetened applesauce. If you only have sweetened applesauce then you can use that in this recipe without making any other modifications. The lemon juice brings a tart flavor to these cookies that balances out the sugar in the cookies. The cookies will not be overly sweet if a little extra sugar is added. 
• Vegetable oil. You can substitute vegetable oil for any other neutral oil that you like to use in baked goods. Just make sure not to use an oil with a grassy flavor. 

Other recipes you will love

Can’t get enough of almond flour cookies? Check out our recipe for almond flour oatmeal cookies. This almond flour oatmeal cookie recipe is our absolute favorite cookie recipe.

We absolutely love these vegan chocolate crinkle cookies! These vegan double chocolate crinkle cookies are loaded with chocolate chips to give them a little extra chocolate flavor!

Are you looking for more tasty lemon flavored desserts? Check out this recipe for gluten free lemon poppyseed cupcakes! These lemon cupcakes are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and vegan friendly!