I once had a brilliant insight to replace the peanut butter in my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe for almond butter. It didn’t work out and I was sad.

When I recently stumbled on this recipe for Almond Butter cookies I decided to give the experiment another try. The dough came together easily in a stand mixer.

I used a small ice cream scoop to form an even mound of dough, smashed it slightly with my palms, then made the classic criss cross shape with a large fork.

The cookie looked lonely, so I stirred in chocolate chips and sprinkled the tops with flaky sea salt. They need to refrigerate for 10 minutes then are ready to bake.

End result is a rich soft crumbly cookie that tastes really good. Salty and sweet. They have a crumbly texture and a nice almond flavor.  Almond Butter cookies are are a great alternative for people with peanut allergies or anyone who is looking for a more healthful afternoon snack.

Ready for your mouth:

Almond Butter Cookies
Recipe adapted from Artisana Organic Foods

1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup Organic Raw Almond Butter
1/4 cup pure Maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (sifted before measuring)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips, optional
flaky sea salt to sprinkle on top

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 300F. Lightly grease a baking sheet (or use a nonstick one). Mix together almond butter and oil; beat until smooth. Mix in maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir together flour and salt. Add to almond butter mixture and mix until just combined. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place on baking sheet and make criss-cross shape with a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool a couple of minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.