What has only 4 ingredients, a light, sweet flavor and looks cute as a button? Why, these almond sand dollar cookies, of course! These are so incredibly easy to make, and they’re gluten free, grain free, and refined sugar free. They can also easily be made dairy free. It takes all of 15 minutes to throw together a batch AND bake them from start to finish. You’ll end up with shortbread-like, melt-in-your-mouth morsels of goodness that are sure to please a crowd.
How to Make Almond Sand Dollar Cookies
All you’ll need to whip these up is some almond flour, butter, and maple syrup. For a bit of extra flavor you could also add some salt and vanilla but they taste great without it. First, pour 1 1/2 cups of packed almond flour into a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted butter (or you can substitute coconut oil to make them dairy-free) and real maple syrup. At this point you can also toss in a pinch or two of salt and vanilla if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. Mash it all together well with a fork until you’ve got a good consistency, and then using your hands or a cookie scoop, form 1” balls of dough and line them up on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Once you’ve made all your cookies, gently press them flatter, and shape the edges to keep them smooth. Take your slivered almonds, and use 5 of them to create the sand dollar shape on top of the cookie. Bake them for 10-12 minutes or until they are slightly golden on top. Let rest for 5 minutes, then remove to a baking rack to finish cooling.
These cookies are delicious AND utterly adorable. The recipe only makes about a dozen so I honestly recommend doubling it if your house is anything like mine. These won’t last. Perfect for an ocean themed party, or just for some sweet whimsy on an average day.
How to Make These Cookies Dairy-Free
To make these cookies dairy free, simply substitute coconut oil for melted butter. When baking with coconut oil, it’s a 1:1 ratio. So you’ll want to use 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in this recipe.
More Gluten Free Recipes to Try
- 20 Gluten Free Meals
- Sweet Potato Waffles
- Gluten Free Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Beet Pancakes
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
Gluten Free Almond Sand Dollar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 3 Tbsp melted butter
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- Pinch of salt optional
- ½ tsp vanilla optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine almond flour, melted butter, and maple syrup. Optional: Add pinch of salt and vanilla.
- Form dough into 1” sized balls and place onto baking sheet.
- Flatten balls and smooth the edges to make them nice and round.
- Add 5 slivered almonds on top of each cookie to create the sand dollar effect.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to baking rack.
Jenny is a wife and stay at home mother of two. She loves good food, and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. When she’s not busy chasing kids, you can find her digging into a good book, enjoying the great outdoors, and trying not to kill her houseplants.
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