Cherry Almond Cookies

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Puffy, soft, and crumbly, these cherry almond cookies are unlike any cookie you’ve ever had. They are reminiscent of biscotti but are softer and extremely flavorful. And they are completely gluten-free!

This post is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill.

These cherry almond cookies are simply the best! They’re puffy, soft, a bit crumbly, and dry. They remind me so much of biscotti but without the tedious shaping, baking, slicing, and baking again.

With almond extract and dried cherries, these cookies have a wonderful flavor. And the white chocolate drizzle on top adds a little extra sweetness.

Because the cookies are on the drier side, they’re absolutely perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. And they keep for much longer than traditional shortbread cookies.

I used a combination of almond flour and gluten-free baking flour from Bob’s Red Mill and this created such a unique texture.

Almond extract creates a wonderfully flavored cookie. Bits of dried cherries speckle the cookies and add just a hint of tartness.

Why this recipe works

• Gluten-free flour and almond flour combined give a phenomenal texture.
• Oil and butter keep the cookies soft and rich.
• Baking powder helps the cookies puff up. They look like little puffy cakes but have the crisp, crumbly texture of biscotti.

Cherry almond cookies recipe

I have become obsessed with all things cherry. Cherry cobbler and chocolate cherry cupcakes are my usual go-to recipes. But now, I’m all about these cherry almond cookies.

They’re a unique kind of cookie and it’s difficult to describe them. They are far from a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie. And they don’t quite melt in your mouth like a shortbread cookie or almond bars.

The only thing I can compare them to is biscotti. They are dry and crumbly but not extremely crisp. You can underbake them slightly and they’ll have no crispness at all, but will be extremely soft and crumbly in your mouth.

The almond flavor is subtle while the dried cherries offer little punches of tartness. And the white chocolate ties the entire cookie together.

It’s so different but very good. My taste testers couldn’t stop reaching for more!

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Cherry almond cookie ingredients

The ingredients for today’s cookies are simple. There are a couple that you may need to shop for but most you should already have on hand.

• Butter & oil: Both unsalted butter and oil offer the best texture for today’s cookies. The oil keeps them soft while the butter offers a richness.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar yields the best results.
• Flavoring: Use almond and vanilla extracts to flavor the cookie.
• Eggs: You will need three large eggs. It’s best to let them come to room temperature first.
• Gluten-free flour: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour is preferred. It will keep the cookies tender and crumbly.
• Almond flour: I like adding a bit of Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour. It enhances the almond flavor and adds to the crumbly texture.
• Salt: Just a pinch of salt will round out the flavor profile.
• Baking powder: I chose to use baking powder so the cookies puff up with a dry texture.
• Cherries: You must use dried cherries. I like to chop them so they are smaller and distribute evenly in the cookie dough.

To make these cookies you’ll need:

• Mixer: Either a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment will work.
• Cookie scoop: A 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop works best for portioning the dough.
• Baking pans: You’ll need two large baking sheets to bake the cookies.

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How to make cherry almond cookies

This recipe is beyond simple to make. The most important tip is to make sure you measure the ingredients correctly. I prefer to use a kitchen scale for accuracy.

The Dough – The dough is made by mixing all the wet ingredients together first. Then, the dry ingredients are sifted in. The cherries are folded into the batter last.

Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients

The cookie dough is made by creaming the butter, oil, and sugar together. Don’t be afraid to mix it well.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, mix in the almond and vanilla extracts.

Step 2: Mix in the dry ingredients

Set a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl containing the wet ingredients. Add the gluten-free flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder.

Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. If needed, use a spoon to get the dry mixture to pass through the sieve.

Discard any large bits of almond flour that won’t pass through the sieve.

Beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are well combined and a soft dough forms. Then, fold in the dried cherries.

Step 3: Bake the cookies

Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into 1.5-tablespoon sized balls. Lightly dampen your fingertips with water and press the cookies flat.

ⓘ It’s important to flatten the cookies! These cookies don’t spread and will bake up super tall and round if they’re not flattened.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, just until the bottom edges start to turn lightly golden brown.

Cool the cookie on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 4: Drizzle with white chocolate

Melt white chocolate chips according to the package directions. Carefully transfer the melted chocolate to a ziptop bag with the corner snipped off.

Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies and allow them to sit until the chocolate sets.

Storage tips

Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

The cookies may be frozen up to 3 months, but I suggest freezing without the chocolate drizzle.

If you like fruity cookies, you’ll love these other tasty recipes:

• Chocolate Chunk Apricot Cookies
• Coconut Mango Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies