These almond butter cookies are made with a shortbread cookie base enhanced with both finely ground almonds and almond extract for a sweet treat that has a buttery, crumbly texture with nutty flavor!

Other cookie recipes I love that have the flavor of almond include Italian coconut almond cookies, almond crescent cookies and amaretti cookies.

These almond butter cookies are the best combination of a simple shortbread cookie and Italian almond cookie! They have a sweet taste from almond extract, a nutty flavor from ground almonds and melt in your mouth from the buttery crumbly texture.

This classic cookie is perfect for the holidays! I love to include some on Christmas cookie platters or to share as gifts with friends and family. They are also great just to have on hand for a sweet snack!

Why You Will Love These Cookies

Buttery, sweet and nutty: These cookies are full of buttery, almond flavor from both the almond extract and ground almonds.
Easy to make: With a few simple ingredients, this almond butter cookie recipe comes together in just over 60 minutes.

Ingredients Needed

All-purpose flour: Plain flour adds the perfect amount of structure to the dough.
Ground almonds: Finely ground almonds are best, almond meal can be used as well.
Salt: Just a pinch to enhance taste.
Butter: Softened butter, not melted.
Sugar: Fine sugar or caster sugar provides the best texture.
Almond extract: This adds sweet flavor, but vanilla extract can be used if you prefer.

Why Type of Almonds to Use?

For this recipe, you will want to use finely ground almonds. I love to toast my almonds then add them to a food processor and process them into a fine ground. Some larger pieces are okay for texture!

If you do not have a food processor, almond meal will work or you can use blanched or unblanched almond flour with the skin.

How to Make Almond Butter Cookies

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, ground almonds and salt.

The dry ingredients whisked in a blue bowl.

Then in a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar before adding the dry ingredients and mixing until just combined. Cover the bowl and chill.

The wet ingredients creamed and mixed with the dry ingredients in a silver mixing bowl.

Form the dough into balls, place on the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten with a fork.

The almond cookies before baked on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until just lightly browned around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips and Variations

Chocolate chips: Turn these into chocolate almond shortbread cookies by adding ¼ cup chocolate chips.
Spice: Add some cardamom or cinnamon for a warm flavor. This is especially good for a holiday cookie!
Instead of almonds: You could use walnuts or pecans.
Zest: Orange zest would add a nice burst of citrus flavor.
Dip in chocolate: After cooling completely, dip half the cookie into melted chocolate.
Cookie shape: I shaped these into ‘fingers’ but you could also make them into circle shapes, moons or crescents.

The almond butter cookies on a piece of parchment paper.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This almond butter cookie dough is great to make ahead! After forming it into a round dough ball, you can freeze the ball as a whole or you can cut the dough into shapes and freeze.

If you have frozen the whole dough, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before shaping and baking. If you have already cut it into shapes, you can bake the cookies from frozen but may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.

If you are a lover of butter cookies like we are then I hope you enjoy these Almond Butter Cookies! Enjoy.