A high-res shot of a small stack of almond cookies on a slightly cracked Queens kitchen countertop.
A high-res shot of a small stack of almond cookies on a slightly cracked Queens kitchen countertop.

Almond cookies are dangerous.
Like hide-them-in-the-back-of-the-pantry dangerous.

I made a batch last Sunday and ate… well, I’m not gonna say how many because my mom reads this blog sometimes.

And I’m telling you, making almond cookies wasn’t even in my weekend plan. I was supposed to clean the garage. Instead I ended up covered in flour with almond slivers in my hair (don’t ask).

But seriously—almond cookies are the best kind of spontaneous baking project. No fancy techniques, weird ingredients. No stress. Just buttery, nutty, crispy-chewy magic that somehow makes life feel more manageable.

Look—there are about a million almond cookie recipes out there. Some are fancy. Some require chilling the dough for hours (which, frankly, who has the patience for that?).

This is my slightly chaotic but totally delicious version:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (softened, or you’ll be fighting your mixer)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1.5 tsp almond extract (don’t skimp!)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Sliced almonds for topping

Method (ish):

  1. Beat cream butter & sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in egg + almond extract.
  3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
  4. Scoop balls of dough onto a baking sheet.
  5. Flatten slightly and press sliced almonds on top.
  6. Bake at 350°F for about 12-14 min until edges are golden.
  7. Cool. Devour. Repeat.

Look—I’m not some pastry chef. I mess up stuff in the kitchen all the time. But here’s what I picked up along the way with these cookies:

  • Use good almond extract. The cheap stuff tastes like soap. Trust me.
  • These cookies go from perfect to sad in about 90 seconds. Watch ‘em.
  • Cool completely if gifting. Otherwise they might get a little soft and sticky when packed up. Learned that one the hard way.

Why You Should Totally Make Almond Cookies (Like Today)

If you’re still on the fence, here’s my shameless pitch:

  • They’re EASY. No weird techniques. No fancy tools.
  • They taste incredible. Like, bakery-level good.
  • They make your kitchen smell amazing.
  • They’re a crowd-pleaser. I brought a batch to work and they disappeared faster than office donuts.
  • You can freeze the dough. Future you will thank you.

I should probably be embarrassed by how often I make almond cookies now.
(At this point my friends just text “are you making those cookies again?” whenever they see my Instagram stories.)

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