These almond butter blossom cookies start with an easy paleo and vegan almond butter cookie topped with a fudgy chocolate almond butter center. Easy and fun to make, these cookies are a hit for the holidays or whenever a craving strikes! Kid friendly, egg free, peanut free, vegan, grain free, refined sugar free.
Today we have the third recipe of three new paleo + vegan cookies! I was totally undecided about whether to give you guys a salted caramel thumbprint cookie, or a paleo/vegan version of the classic peanut butter blossoms.
So, I decided to round up the toughest critics (my kiddos) to decide for me. They didn’t hesitate on the chocolate almond butter blossoms, so I decided to go with that over another salted caramel recipe.
I HAVE been going just a bit overboard with salted caramel everything, and with my main goal here being fun and easy to make, the almond butter blossoms won all around.
The cookies themselves are super easy – they’re vegan yet don’t require a flax egg to stick together, just mix, chill, and roll into balls.
Since we’re not using solid chocolate, but rather a fudgy chocolate mixture, you’ll need to make “thumbprints” in the cookies before baking so you can fill the middles with the chocolate almond butter fudge.
No worries about these cookies being messy though – the chocolate mixture keeps its shape and hardens to the point where it’s nearly solid at room temperature, and solid when chilled.
Since we’re making the chocolate mixture with unsweetened chocolate, the entire cookie is free of refined sugar, with just pure maple syrup used as a sweetener.
The almond butter mixed in with the chocolate and maple syrup gives the centers a fudgy texture, plus an added almond-buttery flavor for the whole thing!
My kids absolutely LOVED these cookies – plus they’re also perfect for kids to help make, too! Between the rolling, thumbprints, and filling – there’s a lot for them to do!
I recommend preparing the chocolate mixture first, and then allowing it to firm up a bit in the fridge while you make the cookie dough.
It will be creamy and melted at first, but by the time you’re ready to fill, it should be thick and easy to spoon into the cookies. You can also gently re-melt it in the microwave if needed!
Just a note – if you want to make traditional blossom cookies by placing the solid chocolate in the middle of the cookie (rather than filling by spoon), you can totally do it!
Simply make the chocolate mixture ahead of time, and use a plastic bag or piping bag to form “kiss” shapes on parchment paper, and chill until it’s time to fill the cookies. It’s more work, but It definitely an option for those who want good old-fashioned blossom cookies.
Are you ready to get started?! I’m excited for you to try these paleo and vegan almond butter blossom cookies – let’s go!
Almond Butter Blossom Cookies {Paleo & Vegan}
Paleo and Vegan Almond Butter Blossom Cookies
These almond butter blossom cookies start with an easy paleo and vegan almond butter cookie topped with a fudgy chocolate almond butter center. Easy and fun to make, these cookies are a hit for the holidays or whenever a craving strikes! Kid friendly, egg free, peanut free, vegan, grain free, refined sugar free.
Ingredients
Chocolate mixture:
- 1/3 cup smooth almond butter the creamier the better
- 2-3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate cut into pieces
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract {optional}
Cookies:
- 1/4 cup smooth almond butter
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil soft but solid
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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Begin by making the chocolate. Combine the almond butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwavable glass bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well after each until just melted and combined. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla so a smooth mixture forms. Refrigerate until ready to use (or for about 30 minutes)
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.
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In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the the almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until very smooth. Then stir in the dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms. Chill the dough for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator or 10 minutes in the freezer, until it's firm enough to be formed into balls.
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Form the cookie dough into 16 balls, then take your thumb or the back of a 1/2 tsp to make a small indentation in the middle of each cookie, being careful not to break the dough.
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Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, until the cookies are set and just beginning to brown. Baking time will vary between 10-14 minutes depending on your oven. The middles will puff up a little - no worries.
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**After removing the cookies, carefully push down just a bit in the middle where the chocolate will go. Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes, then spoon small amounts of the chocolate mixture (which should now be a fudgy, scoop-able consistency) into the middle of each cookie. Carefully transfer cookies to wire racks to finish cooling.
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Once completely cooled, the chocolate middle will be fudgy, not completely solid. In the refrigerator, the chocolate will harden and cookies will be more crisp, like shortbread. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
**Note - if you want to make traditional blossom cookies by placing the solid chocolate in the middle of the cookie (rather than filling by spoon), you can totally do it!
Simply make the chocolate mixture ahead of time, and use a plastic bag or piping bag to form "kiss" shapes on parchment paper, and chill until it's time to fill the cookies. It's more work, but It definitely an option for those who want good old-fashioned blossom cookies.
Nutrition
What I Used To Make My Paleo and Vegan Almond Butter Blossom Cookies:
Want More Paleo and Vegan Cookie and Bar Recipes? Try One of These!
Thick and Chewy Snickerdoodles
Cranberry Orange Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy “Oatmeal” Raisin Cookies
Almond Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars
Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Banana Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
Lemon Almond Thumbprint Cookies
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I Love all the cookie recipes! They are crucial for me this season because my son (who I’m nursing) can’t have dairy, wheat, or soy :/ Thank you!!!!
Happy to help! It’s definitely cookie season 🙂
Looking at the nutrition chart here. Can you tell me what a serving is. Is it one cookie?
Yes, the nutrition is per cookie assuming you make the same amount as I did.
Hi Michele:
I want to thank you for your great recipes. I enjoy getting them in my mail and have tried quite a few of them with great results. I would like to request however that you do more nonsugar/savory recipes. Many of us want to eat healthier and that means cutting back all forms of sugar. I don’t need more dessert recipes but finding tasty healthy anti-inflammatory meal recipes is tough so would appreciate if you could post more of those. I know this is the season for baking but I think most of us are trying to not eat a lot of desserts.
Hi! Since it’s December, I’ll be doing several holiday type dessert recipes for the first part of the month. Remember, I have TONS of savory recipes in my archives and a huge section of Whole30 recipes to look through. For the later part of December and all of January, you’ll be seeing almost no dessert recipes and mostly Whole30 recipes, since I do the Whole30 myself in January. Definitely do through older recipes you might have missed in the Whole30 section for everyday meals and sugar-free savory recipes.
Can these be made ahead of time and kept frozen until Christmas?
I believe they would freeze well but I haven’t tested it myself for that long!
Thank you for your comment, Laura, about more non-sugar/savory recipes. I totally agree with you. Michele does such a fantastic job posting her yummy cookie recipes, but I, too, would like to see more savory, healthy recipes, sans the sugar.
Late December/January will be nearly all Whole30 recipes! For now I’m getting through cookies/holiday desserts, although I have a savory recipe coming this Wednesday. What I post varies by season, and I do have a big Whole30 section of the blog for you to look through for recipes you might have missed, hope it helps!
I LOVE your cookie recipes. Perfect for the holidays. Thank you.
So happy to hear that!!
Ha ha “save the leftovers…” There will be no leftovers! This recipe totally saved me! I can’t go to all of these holiday parties and say no ALL night long! I needed something that won’t make me feel horrible but that feels indulgent too. Thanks for the yummy ideas to get us through the next couple weeks!!
Awesome! Leftovers optional of course 🙂
I love these cookies! They look so good ♥
Wowza do these look good or what!? Love the lightened up version of a classic- definitely need to try!
I think you’ll love them!
Michele, these cookies were amazing. I’m making a second batch today! Thanks for the recipe.
Absolutely beautiful, not as easy as I thought but that’s only because I’m not really used to baking.
who else is here FOR EMMA CHAMBERLAIN ???/
Can you use all almond flour instead of coconut? I really dislike coconut and don’t want anything to do with it 😉
Probably, except you’ll definitely need more! I typically use 1/3 cup coconut flour for every cup of almond, so the almond would be about 3 times the amount as the coconut measurement.