Holiday Spiced Almond Shortbread Cookies are soft and buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They're made with almond flour so are naturally gluten-free and can easily be made vegan – but don't make them (or not make them) because of that. This is a Christmas cookie recipe that everyone will love.
For the giveaway, scroll to the recipe near the bottom of the post.
Bring on all the almond shortbread cookies! Every single one of them. And then a few more.
OUR LATEST VIDEOSWhat I've learned about these buttery balls of goodness is that there is no such thing as too many. That concept simply doesn't exist. ← I've tested that theory to the max and I can assure you it's true.
My neighbor (Hi, Danielle!) was the person who got me hooked on almond shortbread cookies. She brought me a version of these she made with Meyer lemon zest. They were AMAZING! Right away my mind started whirling around thinking of all the different versions I could make. It was dizzying.
I knew that an almond shortbread holiday edition had to be on the menu. It was a must. When I found out about the Vitamix Winter Spice Seasoning, I knew they were meant for each other.
You know what else are made for each other? YOU and Vitamix. That's right, my friends. You and Vitamix should now be a thing, and I've got a little pre-Christmas celebration giveaway to make that happen. You guessed it … I'm giving away a Vitamix! (Hop down the page to just above the recipe to enter.)
Watch the video! {1 min}
Are you thinking that a cookie recipe and a Vitamix giveaway are an odd pair? Don't worry, you're not alone. The first thing my handsome man asked me when he saw me making this almond shortbread in our Vitamix was, “why are you making cookies in our blender?” Fair question.
The answer is simple: because it's super easy. And you know me, I like good food, but I don't like to fuss over it.
Here's how easy it is to make these almond shortbread cookies in your Vitamix:
1. Put the ingredients in your Vitamix.
2. Turn it on.
3. Roll the cookies into balls and bake.
So easy!
These almond shortbread cookies are insanely delicious. They are so tender and buttery and literally melt in your mouth as you eat them.
They also only have a small amount of sugar in them, as far as cookies go. I'd plant these firmly in the healthy-ish Christmas cookie category. Bonus!
And, since they're made with almond flour, they're naturally gluten-free. Don't let that throw you off, though. (Reading that a cookie recipe is gluten-free would normally make run.) Unlike most gf baking, these almond shortbread cookies are AMAZING. So good that amazing deserves to be capitalized.
Even my handsome man, who would normally make all sorts of faces if I offered him gluten-free cookies (and don't get me started on how fast he'd run if I said they could be made vegan. ha!), couldn't stop raving about how good these are.
Delicious little snowball cookies right here, my friends.
Onto the really good stuff … the VITAMIX GIVEAWAY!
Here's the real deal. My Vitamix and I have the best of pals ever since I brought her home six years ago. (And yes, I did personify my Vitamix and I'm only a tad embarrassed about it.) I use it almost daily and have a ton of recipes here on TEM that call for a Vitamix. I'd be lost in my kitchen without it. Vitamix has (super generously!) offered one of their machines to one lucky TEM fan. That's you!
My hope is that (1) you will know how much appreciate you being a part of this blog, (2) the soon to be new love of your life will encourage you to love spending time in your kitchen, and (3) your holidays will be that much sweeter.
To enter the giveaway:
If you love these Holiday Spiced Almond Shortbread Cookies as much as I do, don't forget to give them a 5-star review in the comments below!
Print
Holiday Spiced Almond Shortbread Cookies
Prep Time: 10 mins- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 cookies
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Holiday Spiced Almond Shortbread Cookies are soft and buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They're made with almond flour so are naturally gluten-free – but don't make them (or not make them) because of that. This is a Christmas cookie recipe that everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened (vegan, if needed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon Vitamix Holiday Spice Mix, plus a little extra to top the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the almond flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and Vitamix Winter Spice Mix to your Vitamix. Turn on your Vitamix and slowly increase the speed to 3 or 4 and blend the dough. Use the plunger if needed. Blend only until the dough comes together (no more than 30 seconds) then transfer the dough to a bowl.
- Make 12 – 1 tablespoon balls then roll them in some powdered sugar. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle the tops with a little extra Vitamix Holiday Spice Mix, then bake in your oven for 10 minutes.
Notes
If you blend the dough too long the heat from the Vitamix can melt the butter. If this happens, the dough will feel oily. Divide the dough into the 12 – 1-tablespoon portions and chill in your fridge for about a half hour before rolling in the sugar. Don't worry, it won't affect the taste of the cookies.
More Delicious Christmas Baking:
Mom's Nanaimo Bars
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Shortbread Cookies
Kristen Stevens
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Hi, I’m Kristen! 
I am just starting to get into almond flour, so this recipe is on my to-do list, these cookies sound just absolutely delicious!
It’s such a great healthy flour to cook with! I hope you love these as much as I do!!
My favorite treat is fresh guacamole. I’ll make up a batch, sit down with it, and eat it up with a spoon!!!
Guacamole is the best, isn’t it?!!
Peanut butter blossoms are my favourite!
I love peanut butter everything!!
My favorite treat has always been Nanaimo bars.
I love Nanaimo bars, too!!
My faves are the homemade chocolate treats my sister concocts.Various liquors,chillies, all types of different flavours.
Homemade is always the best, isn’t it?!
Shortbread cookies are favorite.
Mmm mmm shortbread!
I love shortbread cookies & nanaimo bars!
My two favs!!!
I love anything with mincemeat. ..mmmm
My granny used to make the best minced meat tarts. I still dream of them!
I LOVE soft ginger cookies! Perfect with coffee! I’m making a few batches this weekend.
I’m all about cookies and coffee, too!
Nanaimo bars are a must !
★★★★★
I couldn’t agree more!
I recently was searching for a white chocolate cranberry shortbread cookie for a xmas bake sale and I came across your recipe! They turned out great and were a hit! I am excited to try out this recipe for more Xmas baking! Thanks!
I’m so happy you liked that recipe! (Also reminds me that I should make them again!)
Peach cobbler, usually made with canned peaches. Talk about sunshine in a pan 😃
Yum! I could use a little sunshine ina pan right now!!
Shortbread is my favorite treat
I love it, too!
My best friend’s daughter just turned me onto peppermint bark. How have I lived for 32 years without knowing about this?! She got some in a little goodie bag from a holiday party and I feel guilty to admit that I ate most of her treat. LOL I’m going to make some after checking out a million variations on Pinterest.
★★★★★
Peppermint bark sounds amazing! I’m going to have to look for a recipe now!
My favourite holiday treat is a spiced apple pie with cream.
Apple pie is so good!
Shortbread is my favourite! Christmas is an awesome excuse to make it.
Mine too!
Nanaimo Bars – Hands-down!!!
I love love love Nanaimo bars, too!
My favourite holiday treat is homemade almond roca bark.
I love store-bought almond roca so I can only imagine how good homemade must be. Yum!!
I would have to say pecan pie!
I love pecan pie, too!
These look so good! Shortbread cookies are one of my favorite.
Never too many shortbread cookies!
Sugar cookies are my favorite
Love them!
I can’t help it I love fruit cake!
I once had a really good one, too. It was homemade and totally different than storebought. Yum!
Yuletide log is my favourite holiday treat.
Yum! Such a great fav!
My favourite holiday treat is gingerbread after decorating a gingerbread house 🙂
So fun to eat it after isn’t it?!
My favorite holiday dessert is Lefse. It is a flat potato bread from Norway. It’s not really just a holiday thing, but my family makes it every holiday season!
I’ve never heard of that before, but it sounds amazing! I need to try it!
These look absolutely amazing! Going to have to give them a try. Thanks!
Thank you! They really are delicious. 🙂
I’ve got to say that my favorite holiday treat is a family tradition – we call them paintbrush cookies! We make a sugar cookie dough from an old, beat-up edition of “Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book” and then paint them with a colored egg yolk “paint” (which bakes up a bit puffy and 100% tasteless). They are so beautiful and actually really delicious!
I’ve never heard of painting with colored egg yolks before. I’m definitely trying that!!
I made these last night, thought I would bring them to work, but finished them all!
★★★★★
Hahaha I love it! Best compliment ever!
I love shortbread cookies. So buttery and the texture is so nice.
Can’t beat shortbread!
Myfavorite holiday dessert is nanaimo bars and I see some amazing photos of some so I’ll have to check out the recipe!
These cookies are special, Kristen, and I’d love to make some for the holidays. I think I need to win a Vitamix! Best machines on the planet 🙂
Shared all over. Love this!
Nanaimo bars are my #1 too! I shared my mom’s recipe a few days ago. They’re my fav!!
cranberry chocolate chip cookies are my favourite
Those sounds really good!
My favorite holiday treat is very thinly sliced date nit roll slices, with lots of freshly shelled pecans.
That’s such a great idea! I’m trying that for sure!
My favourite is spiced nuts.
Mmmm savory is always so good!
These look amazing! I love shortbread but don’t eat it enough! My favourite holiday treat has to be crinkle cookies!
Crinkle cookies are so good!!
My favourite Christmas Treat would be anything with marzipan on it! When I was a kid, pre food processors, my grandmother taught us to make marzipan and I’ve been hooked ever since!
I’ve never made marzipan and can’t even imagine making without modern technology. It must be so much work! I bet it’s better than anything a food processor could make, though. 🙂
I absolutely adore whipped shortbread!!
★★★★★
Me too! This is my mom’s whipped shortbread recipe, if you’re interested. They literally melt in your mouth. 🙂
I love ginger snap cookies
They’re so good!
My favorite holiday treat is fudge
I love fudge, too!
My family has been making cookies very similar to these for generations! We call them snowballs (because they’re rolled in icing sugar) and we put red and green maraschino cherries in the center of each of them. They’re a Christmas staple in our family!
I love the name … and the green and red Christmas touch! My mom does the same with her shortbread cookies and they always feel so festive. 🙂