Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries and Maple Syrup are made out of blanched almond flour, dried cranberries and chunks of dried diced mango. These healthy cookies are naturally gluten free and deliciously soft. They are sweetened with maple syrup and are full of fiber and protein!
Benefits of almond flour
Almond Flour is low on carbs, high in fiber and heart healthy
Almond flour is a powerhouse, with its low glycemic index, high fiber content, and incredible protein profile (1 serving has 6 grams of protein compared to 5.5 grams in one egg). It’s also grain-free, for those who are gluten intolerant, or following a Paleo lifestyle, and offers an amazing nutty taste.
It’s also heart-healthy. 64% of the fats found in almonds are monounsaturated fats and according to the American Heart Association, these fats help lower harmful cholesterol as effectively as expensive pharmaceutical drugs in addition to lowering the risk of heart disease. 
Almond Flour Cookies are a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.
Along with being a rich source of protein, one ounce of almonds has 35% of your daily recommended value of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. According to The Journal of the American Association (2002), the high vitamin E content of almonds has been linked to protecting against Alzheimer’s disease.
And if that’s not enough, almond flour also contains high amounts of calcium, iron, and dietary fiber.
Almond Flour Cookie Dough
As you can see from the picture above, almond flour dough is wetter than regular flour cookies, but it surely bakes nicely. Every time I eat them, it’s as though I’m eating cookies made out of cream cheese – thank you almond flour!
If you ever tried almond flour, you know how moist and cookie-like the dough is! That’s what makes these cookies so soft and chewy, just like any good cookie should be.
How to work with almond flour cookie dough
Because the almond flour dough is stickier than regular dough, it can be challenging trying to roll it into balls. What always does the trick is putting the dough in the fridge for half an hour, which will make it so much easier to work with.
These Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries and Maple Syrup made from almond flour should sit longer once removed from the oven because of their more delicate nature.
Blanched Almond Flour vs. Almond Meal
I used blanched almond flour in this recipe. What is blanched almond flour? The almonds are first blanched to remove the skin, and then ground up. This process and the absence of skins creates a soft, light-colored flour.
Almond meal, by contrast, has a much coarser texture because it is made from unblanched almonds (almonds with skins). If you make these cookies out of almond meal, they will be darker in color and harder in texture, but equally tasty. 
Why use maple syrup in this gluten free cranberry almond flour cookie recipe
Maple syrup is unrefined and natural sweetener that contains higher levels of beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals than white table sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
How much maple syrup to use? You can also be more or less generous with maple syrup on these depending on how sweet your tooth really is! Sometimes I put in more syrup than what is described here, other times – less. And I like them no matter how sweet they are!
These Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries and Maple Syrup are so yummy – you can’t resist coming back for more!
I try to pack a variety of dried fruit into the dough: dried mangos, cranberries, you name it. You can also press a few dried cranberries onto baked cookies for a better presentation.
How to store gluten free cranberry almond flour cookies
These cookies will stay fresh and soft for about a week if kept in air tight container. And you can also refrigerate them to keep them fresher longer.
Due to the protein and fiber content of these cookies, these gluten free cookies are perfect and healthy as a breakfast choice! Not only will they fill you up, but these cranberry almond cookies will not make you feel guilty when eating them.
Therefore, with the cookie making season around the corner these irresistible Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries and Maple Syrup are going into my favorite holiday recipe collection. Well, I also added some dried mango that I had laying around the house.
Interested in more recipes made with gluten free flours? How about these Quinoa Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies and Buckwheat Flour Dairy Free Double Chocolate Cookies.
These healthy cookies are naturally gluten free and deliciously soft. They are sweetened with maple syrup and are full of fiber and protein!
- 2 cups Almond Flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup dried fruit cranberries, mango or your choice
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt and set aside.
Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk egg, vanilla extract, softened butter and maple syrup together, set aside.
Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir together with a fork or a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the cranberries and any other dried fruit of choice (diced dried mango in my case).
Wet your palms lightly and roll dough into 1-inch balls between your palms. Place on the baking sheet and press down with a fork twice in a criss-cross pattern or flatten them with your hands (IMPORTANT!).
Bake until the edges are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
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Was excited to see this recipe and then saw eggs and butter in the ingredients. They are not vegan.
Disappointed.
I don’t see sugar in the ingredients, although you mention adding more or less sugar to taste? Have you substituted the syrup for sugar? Thank you!
Yes, it should say syrup instead of sugar. Thank you for pointing that out – I will change it in the description.