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Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

The BEST Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts are so addicting! Perfectly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, you’d never guess these paleo chocolate chip cookies are grain-free and sweetened with just a touch of pure maple syrup for a healthier cookie recipe.

Cookie sheet with 7 large almond flour chocolate chip cookies and walnut halves next to cookies

You may have read in my post for The BEST Giant Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies that I take my cookies pretty seriously, and their size even more so. 

The crispy edge? The molten inside? There’s nothing that compares to that buttery chocolate-studded melt-in-your-mouth perfect bite!

These almond flour chocolate chip cookies with walnuts are exactly that – texturally pleasing with that incredibly soft inside, perfectly sweet with just the right amount of chocolate, the delectable crispy edge, and livened up with crunchy walnuts.

Horizontal photo of the BEST Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies on a cookie sheet

I totally understand why some folks prefer their treats nut-free (my brother and a good friend of mine won’t touch walnuts with a 10-foot pole), but after making these cookies, I’d be hard pressed to choose cookies without walnuts. 

That poppy little crunch with the rich nearly indescribable flavor adds a unique essence and makes the cookies that much more enticing!

I found this to also be the case with pecans in my Keto Cowboy Cookies

One of the many reasons I love this recipe is you can whip it up at a moment’s notice without needing to refrigerate the dough. It’s already ready to pop in the oven!

And let me just tell you…these cookies are absolute heaven when they’re fresh out of the oven!

Let’s give into the details on these paleo almond flour chocolate chip cookies!

Close up top down photo of a paleo chocolate chip cookie

Ingredients for Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Butter or Coconut Oil: The fat portion of the recipe that makes all our dreams come true. I’ve made this recipe dozens of times using butter OR coconut oil, and both are amazing! I have a slight preference toward butter, but coconut oil makes an incredible dairy-free option.

Egg: The egg ensures the cookies fluff up and stay together.

Pure Maple Syrup: In keeping the cookies refined sugar-free and paleo friendly, I use pure maple syrup to sweeten them. 

Vanilla Extract: Adding warmth and depth of flavor, vanilla extract is one of those iconic ingredients that enhances a cookie. If you don’t have any on hand, you can skip it and the cookies will still be amazing.

Almond Flour: The star of the show here! Can you make chocolate chip cookies with almond flour? Yes, absolutely! In fact, the texture turns out exquisite with the perfectly crispy outside and amazingly soft and gooey inside.

Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Our leavening agents! Baking soda and baking powder ensure the cookies don’t spread while baking. They help keep the cookies held together nicely so that they can rise and form delicious domes of bliss.

Sea Salt: A touch of sea salt goes a long way in making a cookie taste incredibly rich! 

Ground Cinnamon: A touch of ground cinnamon brings a unique warmth that levels up the whole experience. 

Chocolate Chips: The YUM factor of the cookies which brings that molten goodness! Select your favorite chocolate chips to make these radical cookies.

Walnuts: A supporting actor that you support to win the big award! Walnuts not only bring a nice little soft crunch to cookies, they also contribute a nutty richness that is difficult to describe. They’re like a solid version of nature’s tree butter. You can quote me on that.

Cookie sheet with grain-free chocolate chip cookies on it on top of parchment paper with a few walnuts next to the cookies

How to Make Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts:

This recipe is a little different than your standard chocolate chip cookie recipe, because we melt the butter (or coconut oil) before mixing it with the other ingredients. Trust me, it’ll all work out and you’ll be left with the BEST almond flour cookies!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt the butter (or coconut oil) in a microwave-safe mixing bowl (avoid bringing it to a boil). Whisk in the egg, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract until creamy.

In a separate bowl (or measuring cup), stir together the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon until combined.

Pour the flour mixture into the mixing bowl with the wet mixture and stir until a thick dough forms.

Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts until they’re well-incorporated into the cookie dough.

Chocolate chip cookie dough in a mixing bowl

Scoop mounds of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Note that the cookies won’t spread or shift form while baking very much, so form the dough into the final shape you’re going for.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes (I do 10).

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 15 minutes before diving in!

If you love these almond flour chocolate chip cookies, also try my Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, Paleo Morning Glory Cookies, or my Paleo Espresso Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Cookie sheet with 7 large almond flour chocolate chip cookies and walnut halves next to cookies

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

Paleo chocolate chip cookies made with almond flour and pure maple syrup, studded with walnuts for incredible texture and flavor!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
12 Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Stir together the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon in a bowl (dry ingredients).
    Dry ingredients in a measuring cup.
  • Whisk together the egg, coconut oil, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl (wet ingredients).
    Melted butter, egg, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until combined. The dough will be very sticky. This is normal!
    Cookie dough mixed together in a mixing bowl
  • Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts until they are well-incorporated throughout the dough.
    Cookie dough in a mixing bowl with chocolate chips and walnuts
  • Scoop heaping mounds of cookie dough onto a non-stick baking sheet. Note: The dough will not spread much during the baking process and will maintain the same shape throughout. For this reason, form the dough into the shape you would like to end up with.
    Baking sheet lined with parchment paper with mounds of cookie dough ready to go into the oven
  • Bake 8 to 12 minutes (I do 10 on the dot), or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
    Horizontal photo of cookie sheet with paleo chocolate chip cookies on a sheet of parchment paper

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 - Calories: 189kcal - Carbohydrates: 9g - Protein: 5g - Fat: 16g - Fiber: 2g - Sugar: 6g
Course: Desserts & Treats
Cuisine: American
Keyword: almond flour chocolate chip cookies, almond flour cookies, cookies with walnuts, healthy dessert recipe, low sugar cookies, low-carb cookies, paleo chocolate chip cookies, the best almond flour chocolate chip cookie recipe
Servings: 12 Cookies
Calories: 189kcal
Author: Julia
I originally posted this recipe on June 20, 2015. I re-photographed the cookies and updated the post to provide more information, but the recipe is the same otherwise.

Collage for pinterest for Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Rating




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Sheila S

Sunday 17th of March 2024

These are wonderful and very easy, thank you for a great gluten free chocolate chip cookie!

Julia

Sunday 17th of March 2024

My pleasure, Sheila! Thanks for the sweet note! xo

Veronika Hanson-Pitkoff

Tuesday 27th of February 2024

Pleasantly surprised! This is actually a very tasty Paleo cookie and I'll be adding it to my "Safe to eat" cookies file. I've been Paleo/Keto for 5 yrs now plus have a cottage kitchen bakery, so it's tremendously difficult to stay low carb while baking traditional cookies. One question I have is "best way" to store these cookies? Thank you for this great recipe

Julia

Wednesday 28th of February 2024

Aww I'm thrilled to hear the recipe is suitable for your dietary needs! I always love hearing when a feel-good treat also fits seamlessly into someone's lifestyle. Thanks, Veronika! xo

Joyce

Monday 26th of February 2024

Hi, I haven't made these yet, as I have a question as far as the recipe goes, Is it possible to use ripe/very ripe bananas INSTEAD of the maple syrup ?? the maple syrup tends to spike my blood sugar.... Thx

Julia

Wednesday 28th of February 2024

Hi Joyce! I haven't tested this recipe using ripe bananas, but I do have an almond flour banana cookie recipe that is primarily sweetened with ripe bananas: https://www.theroastedroot.net/5-ingredient-paleo-banana-bread-cookies/ Omit the pure maple syrup and see what the consistency of the dough is like. If it seems like it needs some liquid, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of some form of milk like almond milk, oat milk, etc. If the dough seems like a normal consistency without the pure maple syrup, I wouldn't make any further adjustments. Let me know how it goes! xo

Elaine

Saturday 24th of February 2024

These are delicious and easy to make. I reduced maple syrup to 2.5 T, used pecans instead of walnuts, and Lakanto keto chocolate chips. They're wonderfully not sweet, which, unfortunately, makes me eat more. Yum. Easy to eat these instead of dinner, but they're mostly nuts, so they're a good snack. Thank you so much for sharing a great recipe!

Julia

Wednesday 28th of February 2024

Thanks so much for sharing, Elaine! This is super helpful to others who want to try the same changes. I appreciate the sweet words and feedback! xo

Sheila

Friday 22nd of December 2023

Just made these cookies and they are delicious! I chose butter over coconut oil and used black walnuts. Yummy! Thank you for posting!

Julia

Saturday 23rd of December 2023

I'm so happy to hear it, Sheila! Thanks so much for reporting back! xo

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