These Almond Joy Cookies are so easy to make and such a tasty sweet treat! With just 6 ingredients they’re the perfect summertime baking project with the kiddos, back-to-school snacks, or just because you’re craving something sweet and delicious! (Bonus: they’re gluten-free!)
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The Best Almond Joy Cookie Recipe!
If you’re looking for a super delicious, ridiculously easy cookie recipe that just happens to be naturally gluten-free, these Almond Joy Cookies are so for you! And if the almond joy candy bar is one of the favorite candy bars at your house, then these might make a fun healthier-ish substitute!
Initially, I got the recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks Cook What You Love by Bob and Melinda Blanchard. They offer simple and flavorful recipes that are very approachable. Like Caribbean Sweet Cornbread - a very popular recipe on the blog that I adapted from a recipe in their first cookbook, At Blanchard's Table.
By the way, if you’re ever visiting the Island of Anguilla – a tropical paradise in the Caribbean and one of my favorite ever beach destinations ever, be sure to check out the cookbook author's restaurant, Blanchards. The food is wonderfully delicious, and the atmosphere and décor are island style and absolutely gorgeous. Plus, you may just meet Bob and Melinda while you’re there.
I know this isn’t a travel blog but you know me… always sharing my best tips and recommendations whatever the topic.
But more about these nutty chocolatey discs of sweet goodness…
The origin of these coconut cookies:
This cookie recipe is called Nina’s Chocolate Chip Kisses in the cookbook and can be found in the section called Cooking with Kids. I figured since baking isn’t my forte I would have to be able to successfully make cookies that are meant for baking with the kiddos – right!??
Don’t judge people – I’m just trying to keep it real over here.
The Blanchards recipe does not include almonds but mine does. You know I love to add texture and protein wherever I can!
I also added some salt to mine, for that yummy salted sweet treat flavor. You know what I mean – right!??
As in the most delicious Starbucks drink ever… the Salted Caramel Mocha. I’m swooning hard just thinking about it!! (Not to state the obvious but like I said – offering you all my best recommendations yet again.)
These almond cookies only require 6 simple ingredients and zero flour! I opted out of brown sugar and vanilla extract to keep these a little lighter... They’re chewy and sweet, nutty and chocolatey with a hint of saltiness - an amazingly tasty sweet treat!
How to make Almond Joy Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper. (Don’t skip this step – it keeps the cookies from sticking to the pan!)
Next, you add all your ingredients to a large mixing bowl… sweetened shredded coconut, chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, sliced almonds, baking powder, and salt. Fold all the ingredients together until they’re well combined.
Now, using a 1 ½-inch ice cream scoop, spoon the cookie mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheets. Leave room around each one (1 ½-2 inches) because they will spread.
Press down the cookie mounds so they look like little round discs.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Be careful to not overcook them or they will taste burned.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets then transfer them to an airtight container... after you've sampled them of course!
These Almond Joy Cookies are so easy to make and super delicious! The perfect summertime baking project with the kiddos, back-to-school snack, or just because you’re craving something sweet and delicious!
Almond Joy Cookies
Easy to make gluten free almond joy cookies!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups shredded coconut
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Fold and mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1½-inch ice cream scoop, spoon the cookie mixture on to the cookie sheets. Leave space between them (1 ½ - 2 inch) because they will flatten and spread while cooking.
- Press down the cookie mounds so they look like little round discs.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Be careful to not overcook them or they will taste burned.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet. Store cookies in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Yield
28Serving Size
1 CookieAmount Per Serving Calories 158Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 4mgSodium 96mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 2gSugar 16gProtein 2g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
More tasty dessert recipes:
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies
Cranberry Orange Cookies
Double Chocolate Protein Cookies
Healthy Almond Joy Protein Smoothie
Gloria
This was a real disappointment,
I followed the instructions exactly - after placing the dough on the sheets the whole thing spread all over!! I would not recommend anyone try this recipe!!
holly
Hi Gloria, I'm sorry the cookies didn't turn out as they should have. I realized there was a typo in the recipe... where it says 1 can of sweetened condensed milk it should have said 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk. I tested the recipe this weekend and they turned out perfect.
Betty
Delicious cookies for the whole family! I'll make again even though they were kind of flat.
Guess I was expecting more of a rise on them.
Very yummy though!
holly
Thank you, Betty! They are on the flatter side, probably because there is no flour in them to add mass. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Amanda
Can you use a silicone baking mat instead of parchment paper?
Bryan
Hi Amanda we don't typically use those for baking so we haven't tested this. If you decide to try it please let us know how they turn out! 🙂 - HB&
Amy
I tired using my beloved Silpat and it did not work near as well as the parchment paper. The ones on the parchment paper came out much more like what was pictured here and are delicious... the Silpat version stuck and became a gory mess when I tried to get off, even after cooling properly. Hope that helps! PS- we loved these cookies and will make them again!!
Bryan
Hi Amy, thanks for "testing" both methods for us, and for sharing your results with our readers! Sounds like the parchment paper is the way to go. 🙂 - H&B
Dee Tole
I only have unsweetened coconut...how would you change the recipe with that in mind?
Bryan
Hi Dee, we think you would actually be just fine with unsweetened coconut, because the sweetened condensed milk provides plenty of sweetness! Enjoy! 🙂 - H&B
Ruth
I always use the unsweetened coconut and every recipe I’ve tried is delicious.
holly
Hey Ruth, that's great. I like it as well.
Carly
Can the dough be frozen? Or are the baked cookies good to freeze?
holly
Hey Carly, I haven't tried freezing them but either I think it could work either way. Good luck!
Suzie
They freeze great! Frozen 3 weeks and tasted like freshly baked. Just thaw on the counter.
holly
Thanks for letting us know, Suzie!
Laura Ayers
I used 14 ounces of coconut and substituted pecan pieces instead of the almonds. They were delicious and an added bonus was that one recipe yielded 55 cookies ! Made them last year and they were such a big hit, have made them again this year.
Sue
8 oz or 3 cups for coconut? There are two different measurements that are not equivalent.
Bryan
Hi Sue, yes you are right those are not equivalent measurements for every single ingredient because it would vary depending on the weight of the ingredient in question. But for shredded coconut we've specifically tested the weight (ounces) v. volume (cups), and found that 8 ounces shredded coconut consistently equaled 3 cups full. If you've got a home kitchen scale then go ahead and measure out 8 ounces. Hope you enjoy them!!
Kat
Can I use Almond Milk ?
Bryan
Hi Kat, alas you should not substitute almond milk for the sweetened condensed milk... the condensed milk is thicker and stickier which is a critical part of what makes this recipe work. 🙂 - B
Maureen
I would have to use unsweetened sulfite free coconut. Do you think I'd have to add a sweetener like sugar, honey, or Maple syrup or will the chocolate chips be enough for sweetness?
jeri john
Hello, I found a 4-ingredient recipe for almond joy cookies and was surprised it called for a 14 oz bag of shredded coconut. That seemed like too much, so I searched for similar recipes and found yours. I'm substituting unsweetened condensed coconut milk, so this is an experiment. today. Wish me luck!
Bryan
Hi Jeri please let us know how they turned out!
Sherry
How did the condensed coconut milk work?
Lauren Bowerman
I tried the recipe with sweetened condensed coconut milk and it did NOT work out! I think the coconut sweetened condensed milk is more melty than regular sweetened condensed milk, so I would say it's not a good substitute. The cookies did not maintain their shape and all melted into one big sticky blob, hah!
Bryan
Hi Lauren, so sorry that didn't work out... but thank you for posting your experiment here so other readers know! 🙂 - H&B
Christine Eldred
Will these cookies come out ok without the almonds.
holly
Hi Christine, I'm not sure about that. If you swapped the almonds out for something else like different nuts, more chocolate chips etc. it would probably be best.
Janine
Can you freeze them??????
holly
I haven't tried freezing them, Janine. But I think they would freeze just fine. Let me know how it goes.
Becca O.
The cookies were fantastic! I baked them at my in-laws annual Christmas cookie party; they were a big hit. I doubled the batch but it was requested I triple the batch next year haha! Making this my go to holiday cookie. Added bonus it's lower carb and gluten free.
* Note: I did have to let them bake for about 15-16 mins.
holly
Hey Becca, it's great to hear the cookies were such a hit! Thanks so much for the feedback and the note. I'm glad you could adjust the cook time and have them turn out so great. I think sometimes different ovens run hotter or cooler than others. If I'm baking at my in-laws I always have to raise the oven temp and extra 10-15 degrees of what my recipe says because it runs cooler. (i.e. it's set for 400 but the oven thermometer says it's 390.) Thanks again and take care!
2pots2cook
Absolutely amazing ingredients GF version. Keeper ! Thank you !
holly
My pleasure! Thanks so much!
Cindy
If there is no flour in the recipe, why do you need baking powder?
holly
Hi Cindy, the baking powder helps the cookies become more cohesive and rise just a tad. You don't have to use it but I think how it creates a more cookie like texture than without it.
Cindy
I am unsure how much sweetened condensed milk to use It says 14oz. Am I to use 3 cans in 1 batch
holly
Hi Cindy, you only need one cup of sweetened condensed milk for this recipe. I just made them this weekend and they turned out great.