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These Almond Joy Cookies are a wonderful treat during the holidays and special occasions. They are soft and pillow-like with crisp edges and they’re loaded with coconut, chocolate and almonds – just like the almond joy chocolate bar. If you’re a fan of coconut and chocolate, you will love the cookies!
This recipe is adopted from Mary at Barefeet in the Kitchen from her latest The Weeknight Dessert Cookbook (Amazon affiliate link). Mary has written dozens of cookie recipes and she makes baking much more approachable for weekdays with minimal prep and easy methods to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ingredients
- Butter: Use unsalted butter in this recipe. If you use salted, you may want to skip the added salt.
- Sugar: We use brown and white sugar in this recipe. You can use just one type, but the brown sugar ads a great flavor and helps to get the cookies nice and chewy.
- Egg: To bind the ingredients together. Use free run / organic eggs if you can.
- Almond Extract: For that wonderful almond flavor.
- Flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
- Coconut: The recipe calls for shredded sweetened coconut but you can also use unsweetened for a less sweet cookie.
- Chocolate chips: I like to use dark chocolate chips, but you can use dairy or even white.
- Almonds: Sliced almonds add a great flavor and texture to these cookies.
How to make almond joy cookies
The cookie recipe starts with the usual list of dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
- Dry Ingredients: all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt
- Wet Ingredients: butter, light brown sugar, white sugar, egg and almond extract
To make the cookie batter, follow these steps:
- Combine the butter, brown sugar and cane sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the egg and almond extract and beat with an electric mixer.
- Add the coconut, chocolate chips and almonds.
- Stir to combine.
I use a #40 spring-loaded cookie scoop, which is equal to 2 tablespoons to scoop the dough into balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake.
You’ll know they’re done when they’re puffy but barely cooked through. You want to make sure not to let them brown because they will continue to bake on the heated pan after you remove them from the oven.
Tips for making the best cookies
- Always scoop flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife. This helps to ensure accuracy in the final results and it will vary from simply using the measuring cup to scoop the flour.
- Use parchment paper for best results. While it’s not necessary for the recipe, I find that it helps with even cookie baking, and plus it makes the clean up so much easier!
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookies quickly. Because I don’t bake much I never had one until about a year ago. But even the few cookie recipes a year are made so much easier and faster with a spring-loaded cookie scoop. I use the #40 stainless steel spring-loaded cookie scoop (Amazon affiliate link).
- Soften your butter before using. This will make it easier to combine with the other ingredients and you will get a more uniformed texture. I like to take mine out of the fridge about 30 minutes before using it.
Frequently asked questions
Let the cookies cool completely to room temperature before transferring them to an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days and in the fridge for about 5 days.
Yes! Let them cool to room temperature and then freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring them to an airtight container or zip lock bag. The cookies can thaw at room temperature or you can reheat them in the oven for 5 minutes.
I always like to slightly under-bake my cookies so that they stay soft and the molasses in the brown sugar also helps them to keep a soft and slightly chewy texture. Be sure to store them in an airtight container to keep them as soft for as long as possible.
More cookie recipes:
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Date Cookies
- Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
- Sesame Tahini Cookies
I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we did – I know they disappeared pretty quickly! I love the flavor of the coconut in these cookies, it adds a wonderful sweetness!
If you make this feel good Almond Joy Cookies recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Almond Joy Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl
- Combine the butter, brown sugar and cane sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and almond extract. Add the coconut, chocolate chips and almonds. Stir to mix throughout the dough.
- Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until cookies are puffy and barely cooked through – do not let them brown.
- Cool for 1 minute on the tray and then transfer to a wire rack. They will settle as they cool. Yields 18 cookies.
Notes
- To make it vegan, substitute the butter for vegan butter and substitute the eggs for a flax egg, which is made by mixing together 1 tablespoon flaxseed with 2 tablespoons water and letting it rest for 5 minutes.
- Instead of peanut butter, you could try these with other nut butters, but they may be more crumbly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Really good! We used unsweetened coconut, so I think that made them a little more dry, but we prefer a less sweet cookie. Great with coffee – YUM!
That’s a great adjustment to make to fit your preferences!
Very tasty thank you for sharing 💗
Yay! Most welcome!
My entire family love your cookies! I used to try to make a special cookie every week, but this has gone to the wayside since making these. 🥴😋
Aww I’m so glad to hear that you guys love them!! Thank you!
hi.. is it possibke to substitute egg with something else?
Hello – you can try to use a flax egg!
In the list of ingredients it says unsweetened coconut but then in the recipe it calls for sweetened so can you use either? Did you use sweetened or unsweetened?
I would use sweetened coconut!
Delicious. Thank you so much for making this very easy!
So glad to hear it. Thank you!
So, your recipe calls for a cup of flour. But your directions never indicate when you mix in your dry ingredients of flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. I am assuming it is in the same step as the chips, coconut and almonds. Just wanted to point this out, as you may want to edit.
Oops, there is a missing step to whisk together the dry ingredients first. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I just edited it.
Hi, there’s still a step missing it seems. When to add the dry mixture to the wet? Thanks.
Made those Almond Joy cookies yesterday and they disappeared in no time. Soft and fluffy. Sweet and addicting. Thanks for all your recipes.
Yay, glad to hear it. Thank you!