Holiday Spiced Almond Shortbread Cookies
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These almond shortbread cookies are buttery, soft, and naturally gluten-free. They’re made with almond flour and real butter and topped with a festive holiday spice mix. It’s a quick and easy recipe that’s perfect for the holiday baking season!
These almond flour shortbread cookies are my twist on a Christmas classic. They have that familiar buttery shortbread flavor that melts in your mouth, but they’re made with less sugar and just happen to be naturally gluten-free.
The recipe couldn’t be simpler, which is why I make it year after year. I stir everything together in one bowl, scoop the dough into evenly sized balls, roll them in powdered sugar, and bake until they’re just set. That’s it—no chilling, no rolling pins, no fuss.
I love packing these cookies into tins or boxes tied with ribbon and sharing them throughout the holidays. They’re perfect for cookie exchanges so I almost always double or triple the batch so we have extras on hand. They’re especially good dunked in hot chocolate or enjoyed with a warm cup of tea, and they’re always a hit with kids, too.
If you’re a big fan of shortbread cookies (like we are), also try our melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies, our Scottish shortbread cookies, and our gluten-free shortbread cookies!
These almond flour shortbread cookies are perfect as-is, but you can easily add different flavors to mix it up. Here are a few of our favorite swaps or add-ins:
- Grate in some fresh orange or lemon zest.
- Swap the vanilla extract for almond extract for a more nutty flavor.
- Gently press a whole almond into the top for a decorative crunch!
- Toss in a handful of chopped dried cranberries.
- Add some fresh finely minced herbs like rosemary or thyme.
Almond Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Holiday Spice Mix (recipe below) (plus a little extra to top the cookies)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (to roll the cookies in)
Holiday Spice Mix
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or ground cinnamon)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the Holiday Spice Mix by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl.1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Add all the cookie ingredients to a large mixing bowl. (See notes.) Using electric beaters, mix until the dough sticks together. This will take about 6-7 minutes and will look dry and crumbly until the last second when it finally comes together.1 ¼ cups almond flour, ¼ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon Holiday Spice Mix (recipe below)
- Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the dough into 12 portions. Roll into balls then dip each ball in powdered sugar.2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Place the cookies onto the baking sheet. They don't spread so you can place them quite close together. Bake for 10 minutes, until they have puffed up slightly. Let them cool completely then top them with a little extra holiday spice mix.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more holiday baking inspiration, make sure to check out all of our cookie recipes!
Cookies cracked when finished baking
They taste great
These would be great for holiday cookie plates
The link to the holiday spice mix is broken 😕 what is in it?
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to the original recipe either. We’ll be creating our own version and updating the recipe with it shortly. In the meantime, a mix of sea salt, sugar, and cinnamon should do the trick. 🙂
Winter Spice Seasoning
Ingredients
3 cinnamon sticks
2 Tablespoons crystalized ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
3 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon pink peppercorns
1½ teaspoon whole cloves
½ cup (50 g) dried orange peel
½ cup (120 g) brown sugar, packed
Directions
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
Select Variable 1.
Start the machine, slowly increase to its highest speed.
Blend for 30 seconds or until desired consistency is reached, using the tamper to push ingredients into the blades, if needed.
You found it! Thank you so much for sharing it, Carol!!
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make them?
These cookies will last for several days in a sealed container on your counter. They also freeze well!
Hi!
It’s been a while since the last comment made on this recipe but I wanted to know if the cookies can be frozen? I didn’t see anyone ask this question. TYIA
Yes, they freeze very well!
Can I sub the butter for coconut oil or apples sauce?
Coconut oil might work, but definitely not apple sauce. If you opt for coconut oil, you may want to use honey instead of the sugar so that the dough sticks together. I haven’t tried it that way, but that’s what I would do if I were experimenting. 🙂
I made this to the exact T and it doesn’t seem like almond flour was enough and the Holiday Spice must have a typo because 3 Tbsp of salt was waaayyyy too much. Sad because the dough tasted good (minus the over salt) but the cookies didn’t come out the way it was supposed to. ?
The recipe only calls for ½ teaspoon of the holiday spice mix. You’re right, 3 tablespoons would be way too much. 🙂
For easiest, if have seen but did you zest the orange peel or did you buy it somewhere and i love you cite always interesting and so informative love the videos Diana from Toronto
Hi, Diana! I dried my own by peeling a few oranges with a peeler then dehydrating them on low temperature in my oven. I suspect that you could find them in gourmet food stores.
We love them too!
Can these cookies be made using a food processor or an ordinary blender?
Yes, they can. You can even mix them by hand, too. 🙂
You are right! We experienced a glitch in our system and the almond flour wasn’t properly counted. It’s been fixed now. I really appreciate you flagging this for us!
Very well written recipe!! I did alter some and used pumpkin pie spice as it was readily available in my spice cabinet. However, I will be trying the holiday spice next! Thanks for a great recipe that my family loves.
Thank you so much!
My alteration to this recipe turned out pretty well, so I’m offering a variation. I don’t have a vitamix blender or the spice mix in the recipe, and almonds often appear in recipes with cherries, so I substituted maraschino cherry juice for the vanilla extract and mixed everything together by hand. I placed a maraschino cherry in the middle of each cookie before baking and made 13 cookies. I only wish the recipe had made more. Next time I will have to double it!
That’s such a great idea!
The spice mix is wicked salty… possible that it should have been teaspoons, not tablespoons?
It is salty! There’s just a little sprinkle on top so (I think) it’s just right. Sweet and salty is such a great combo!
How do you change the recipe to make the lemon version?
I would add a couple drops of lemon extract to the dough and grate a little lemon zest on top instead of using the holiday spice. 🙂
Good call on the cinnamon!!