Shortbread is essentially flour and butter. That’s it! Yet, it’s amazing. Well, I used to think so before going Paleo. Nowadays, I make this version with heart-healthy coconut oil and almond flour, creating an amazingly decadent, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread that rivals the original. If you must have that buttery flavor and can tolerate dairy, you can sub 1/2 cup (480 ml) of softened butter for the coconut oil. You can also change this one with some chopped pecans or other flavors such as orange zest, cocoa powder, or cinnamon. What’s your favorite flavor?
DRY INGREDIENTS
1 cup (240 ml) almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour, sifted
2∕3 cup (720 ml) arrowroot starch
½ tsp sea salt
¼ cup coconut sugar
WET INGREDIENTS
¼ cup pure maple syrup
½ tsp pure almond extract
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
ADD-IN
½ cup coarsely chopped raw almonds
Makes 9 cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, and sea salt.
In a coffee grinder or food processor, grind the coconut sugar into a powder.
In a medium-sized bowl, blend the powdered coconut sugar, maple syrup, and almond extract until combined.
Add the contents of the small bowl to the medium-sized bowl, and mix to combine.
Slowly add the coconut oil to the mixture, and blend well.
Stir in the chopped almonds.
Roll the dough between the 2 sheets of parchment paper to ½-inch-thickness.
Using a circle cookie cutter, cut out 9 cookie shapes. If needed, remove any excess dough, re-roll it, and cut it out. If the dough is too sticky, dust the parchment paper with some extra arrowroot starch.
Peel off the top piece of parchment paper. Place the bottom piece, with the cookies, directly on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
Let the shortbread cool completely on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container or freeze until ready to eat.
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Almond Shortbread is melt-in-the-mouth paleo baking at its simplest. Almond and coconut flours blend with coconut sugar, maple syrup, and almond extract into a tender, buttery dough studded with chopped almonds, then rolls and cuts into nine perfect cookies.
Pro Tips
- Grind the coconut sugar into a powder in a coffee grinder first — coarse crystals leave gritty pockets in the dough, while powdered sugar dissolves into a smooth, tender crumb.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to ½-inch thickness and reshape the cracking edges with your hands as you go; almond dough is naturally crumbly.
- If the dough gets sticky, dust the parchment with extra arrowroot starch — it keeps the cut cookies neat and easy to lift.
- The almond extract is what makes these taste like proper shortbread — pure extract, not imitation, for the cleanest flavour.
- Chopped raw almonds stirred into the dough give each cookie a lovely bite against the delicate, sandy crumb.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these shortbread cookies paleo?
Yes: almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, pure maple syrup, coconut oil, almond extract, and raw almonds. No refined flour, butter, or white sugar.
How do I store them?
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. The texture stays tender and crumbly, exactly like shortbread should.
Can I make them nut-free?
The almond flour is structural here, so a full swap changes the cookie considerably. Sunflower seed flour is the closest nut-free alternative to try.
Why did my cookies spread or crumble?
Almond dough is delicate by nature. Roll it thick, cut cleanly, and don't overbake — they firm up as they cool and should be handled gently while warm.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- ADD-IN
- ½ cup coarsely chopped raw almonds Makes 9 cookies Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, and sea salt.
- In a coffee grinder or food processor, grind the coconut sugar into a powder.
- In a medium-sized bowl, blend the powdered coconut sugar, maple syrup, and almond extract until combined.
- Add the contents of the small bowl to the medium-sized bowl, and mix to combine. Slowly add the coconut oil to the mixture, and blend well.
- Stir in the chopped almonds.
- Roll the dough between the 2 sheets of parchment paper to ½-inch-thickness.
- Using a circle cookie cutter, cut out 9 cookie shapes. If needed, remove any excess dough, re-roll it, and cut it out. If the dough is too sticky, dust the parchment paper with some extra arrowroot starch.
- Peel off the top piece of parchment paper.
- Place the bottom piece, with the cookies, directly on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.
- Let the shortbread cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or freeze until ready to eat.
