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These one-bowl, no-mixer, gluten-free French Almond Cookies (aka Almond Cloud Cookies) are light as a feather, with a crisp meringue exterior and chewy, moist almond-y interior!
I think you'll find that these French Almond Cookies are one of those rare finds that you'll treasure having in your cookie repertoire. Everyone who tries them has a similar reaction. I've heard lots of exclamations like, "Wow!", "Amazing!" and "These are delicious!" "They taste like macaroons!". The fact that they take about 10 minutes of hands-on time is certainly not evident in the finished product, but it's a huge bonus!
A 5-Star recipe!
I'm always intrigued by a recipe that has a ton of 5-star reviews, so when I discovered these French Almond Cookies over on the King Arthur website I perused through the scores of overwhelmingly positive comments. It seemed that everyone loved these simple, unique cookies but one of the statements that sealed the deal for me was this one:
"I moved away from an authentic French bakery that made these cookies. Even though the proprietor shared a scaled-down recipe with me I couldn’t get the texture quite right. Enter KAF. These are my absolute favorite cookies and now I can make them at home! I don’t make complicated recipes and this one is so easy! Love it!"
Although the recipe did look fairly easy, being the lazy person that I am, I decided to try to simplify it. The King Arthur method actually involves two recipes. It entails, first of all, making an almond paste in a stand mixer with almond flour, powdered sugar, egg white, salt and almond extract. The next step is to combine the homemade almond paste with more almond flour, more egg white, more salt and more almond extract in a stand mixer and mix until combined.
Simplify, simplify, simplify
Hmm... that seemed like extra work to me and I wondered if you couldn't just combine the ingredients from the two recipes and make it all at the same time. It worked! I was thrilled to find that it was super easy to simply combine all the ingredients in one bowl (no stand mixer) and portion out the cookies.
We were quite smitten with that first batch of King Arthur's "Almond Cloud Cookies", utilizing this new technique; super delicious cookies with a thin, crisp, meringue-like exterior and a chewy, moist interior with lots of almond flavor. I decided to call my rendition, French Almond Cookies.
The problem came with subsequent batches. It seemed that the results weren't consistent. Sometimes the cookies spread and got really flat while other times they were a little too mounded and didn't spread at all.
After lots of trial and error, I finally realized that an egg white is not an egg white is not an egg white! In other words, egg whites can vary in volume even if they're all from the same carton of eggs. And since egg white is one of the main ingredients in these French Almond Cookies, a little variance can make a big difference.
This discrepancy was easy to correct; just measure the amount of egg white rather than using "3 large egg whites". I found that 5 tablespoons of whisked egg white was the perfect amount. Problem solved! After this inconsistency was corrected, my cookies began coming out consistently delicious!
The only other issue I had with the King Arthur recipe was that the cookies were VERY sweet. I was able to cut out a quarter cup of sugar without affecting the texture or delicious flavor.
Ridiculously Easy
Now that this had become a one-bowl, no-mixer recipe that could be stirred up in well under 10 minutes, I knew that it would need to be cataloged in our Ridiculously Easy series of recipes. You can read more about this Ridiculously Easy collection in this post but, in an essence, it's the recipes that will make you look like a kitchen rock star with minimal effort on your part. Like that? Yep, me too!
In a nutshell
How does the recipe work? So easy, see what I mean:
- Combine almond flour, sugar and salt in a medium-size bowl.
- Separate the eggs and reserve the yolks for another recipe (like these delicious Ridiculously Easy Brioche Rolls or this fabulous Microwave Lemon Curd) then whisk the white for 45 seconds.
- Add the whites to the almond flour mixture, stir well with a fork until combined then scoop up the cookies, dimple them with your fingers and bake.
- All that's left is a shower of powdered sugar and making a cup of tea or pouring a tall glass of cold milk to enjoy with these delicious cookies!
See what I mean? Easy, ridiculously easy!
A French patisserie-inspired gift!
To me, sharing homemade treats from the kitchen is one of the nicest kind of gifts (to give or receive) so I created some labels to use for gifting. Feel free to request a printable PDF for the labels in the comment section beneath the recipe below. We will reply with an email with the PDF attached and instructions on how to use the PDF.
These French Almond Cookies are delicious on their own, but also make an easy dessert paired with some good vanilla ice cream. If you want to keep it easy but get a little fancy, make a batch of this Ridiculously Easy Raspberry Coulis to drizzle over the ice cream. Talk about a kitchen rock star...
Cafe Tips for making these Ridiculously Easy French Almond Cookies
- You'll need almond flour for these cookies, not almond meal. What's the difference? Almond flour is finely ground blanched (no skins) almonds where almond meal is finely ground almonds with the skin. Almond flour is much finer than almond meal.
- Almond flour can be expensive when purchased at your local grocery. It's much more decently priced at big box stores like Sam's Club or Costco. You can also purchase it very reasonably online and have it delivered right to your door.
- When measuring the powdered sugar and almond flour, scoop them into a measuring cup then level with a flat edged knife. Don't pack the ingredients into the cup.
- Don't overbake these French Almond Cookies. The time will vary slightly, depending on your oven. You want them to be a light golden brown. In my oven that takes right around 11 minutes. Check the cookies at 10 minutes and go from there.
- Sometimes I add a scoop of mini chocolate chips to the batter for a delicious variation.
- I love these pre-cut parchment paper sheets that fit a sheet pan perfectly. They're super convenient and save a lot of time when baking.
- These cookies will spread in the oven. Each scoop should start out as a rounded tablespoon. I like to use this 1½-tablespoon retractable scoop for perfect-shaped cookies.
Thought for the day:
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:3&4
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2¼ cups almond flour
- 3 large large egg whites
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
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Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Separate egg whites from the yolks and beat the whites with a fork or small whisk vigorously for 45 seconds until nice and frothy (they won’t be stiff or have peaks, just nice and frothy). Discard or use the yolks for another recipe.
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Combine the almond flour, sugar, powdered sugar and salt in a medium-size bowl and stir well with a fork to combine. Drizzle the vanilla and almond extract over the mixture and again stir until well combined.
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Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the frothy egg white over the almond meal mixture. Stir with a fork until the mixture is uniformly crumbly. Slowly add more egg white, a little at a time, just until all of the almond flour is incorporated. You may have some egg white left over. The dough should be thick but smooth.
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Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared pans. I like to use a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop and level it nice and flat. You should have about 24-28 cookies.
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Either lightly wet your fingers or dip them in powder sugar and dimple the tops of each mound of dough by pressing in with three fingers lightly. (I use my thumb, forefinger and middle fingers together.)
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Bake for 10-14 minutes or until light golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack and dust generously with powdered sugar. (I use a small sieve for this.)
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Allow to cool completely then store in an airtight container.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
Katie says
I enjoyed these, but the almond flour does make them a very gummy texture! I had a hard time putting the extracts in the dry mix, it just clumped. Next time I would mix them in with the egg. I also tripled the almond extract.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Katie!
Gayle says
Searching Google, I’m planning to use all-purpose flour instead and it’s suggested to use half the amount of almond flour. So…1-1/8 cups of flour then? Wish me luck!
Chris Scheuer says
I honestly think you might be better off going with another cookie recipe if you don't have or can't have almond flour. It's pretty essential for this particular recipe.
Rose says
Sorry dear but your french almond cookies are very high sugar as this days we'r all whatching out for the sugars. Otheways your cookies sound very good recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
So true, Rose! We all need to watch our sugar and carb intake. But every now and then, we also all need a sweet treat. These are a perfect choice without gluten and much less sugar than lots of cookie recipes.
Mary says
Thank you for this great tecipe. Please send me the pdf for labels for these French almond cloud cookies.
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Mary!
Deb says
These are FABulous. Can the unbaked dough be frozen?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Deb, I have not tried feezing this dough so I can't say for sure. I know the baked cookies do freeze well though.
Pinja says
Hi, I'm intrigued to try this recipe, you wouldn't have happened to measure the needed amount of egg whites for the recipe in grams (or US alternative)? I don't have access to large eggs in my area and wondering how many to substitute from local smaller eggs 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Pinja, if you go to the recipe, there is a conversion to Metric, right above the word "Instructions".
Luci says
Thank you, I was also puzzled and missed the possibility of changing to the metric 😉
I was searching for the recipe for some time already, I am going to try it now 🙂
Karen Ciampa says
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Can you use the egg whites that come in a carton?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Karen, I haven't tried this recipe with egg whites in a carton but I can't see why it wouldn't work.
Nancy says
Please let me have the labels for the cookies.
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Nancy!
Dale Ryan says
OMG, these cookies are to die for !!!
They didn’t last but 15 minutes.
And so easy to make.
You’re a genius.
Thank you so much.
I’d love the pdf for labels please.
God Bless
Dale
Chris Scheuer says
That's great! Thanks, Dale! We will send the labels.
Terry says
Please send the PDF for the labels.
Your site is fantastic as are your recipes
THANKS,
Terry
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Terry! Sending the labels your way.
Marcia Hunter says
Anything almond is my desire! Would love the PDF for the labels.
Thank you,
M. Hunter
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, M!
elena says
Greetings from California, love this recipe and wanna try it. I was wondering if I could replace the sugar with erythritol or other sugar substitute. Would I need the same ammt of sugar substitute? thx
Chris Scheuer says
Hello Elena, greetings to you! I don't use sugar substitutes so I can't recommend amounts without further testing. Let us know if you try it.
Pam Tidwell says
Recently had a cloud cookie and I fell in love! May I please have a copy of the labels?
Thanks so much!
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Pam!
Patricia says
Yum, these are delicious!!! As I have made these, I had a couple of questions. Just to clarify- do you flatten the mound of cookie dough just a bit before baking? If not, how tall is your mound of dough? When I didn't flatten mine and gave them a pinch, they looked rather like the Alps worn down a bit! When I look at your cookies, I don't see any evidence of the 3 finger pinch. Does that just melt into the cookie as it bakes? Just curious, what purpose does that serve? Please forgive my silly questions!
I would love the free printable label!
Thank you for great recipes and for the faith- based encouragement! You bless me and my family richly!
Hugs! Tricia
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Patricia, dimpling the tops of the cookies with three fingers will flatten the mounds a bit. You're not really "pinching" then but instead pressing 3 fingers into the dough to flatten it. This helps the cookies to have a bit of uneven texture.
Biddy says
Hi Chris these look wonderful and gluten and dairy free which is a bonus for some. I would love to download your labels. Many thanks from Ireland
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Biddy!
Mimi says
Hello, Chris. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
I would love to receive the labels for your French Almond Cloud cookies. Many thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Mimi!
Miriam Moyer says
Chris, thank you for a wonderful gluten free cookie recipe! I’m making them for a Cookie Monster friend’s birthday. I’d love the pdf labels you’ve created. Thanks, again!
Chris Scheuer says
Sending them your way, Miriam!
Sue says
Just the recipe I was looking for, so yummy. I would love to share them with friends and attach the adorable label. Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy, Sue!
Linda T says
Would love to get the labels for these cookies. Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Linda!
Cheryl Anne says
Oh fab brill we love anything with almonds cant wait yo try these too.
Please, I would be delighted to receive the printable labels.
Thank you again for your lovely recipes.
Cheryl x
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Cheryl Anne!
Linda says
I am on my walnut the door to buy a little more almond flour. The cookies sound so good. Thank you for the idea of packaging them up in such a beautiful way. I would love if you can share the pdf for the labels. Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Of course, Linda!
Joyce Cunningham says
I'm looking forward to trying a few of your cookie recipes from the easy cookie recipes section. And my family will enjoy eating them! Please email me the pdf for the labels. Thanks so much!
Chris Scheuer says
Sending the labels your way, Joyce!
Kathy says
I can’t wait to try these! They would be perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon.
I’d also like the labels, please.
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Kathy!
Carol says
I love how easy this recipe is. I would love to have the labels for gifting. Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Carol!
TERESA` says
Looking forward to trying these as they sound even more "ridiculously easy" than the Cook's Illustrated recipe for Financiers that I've favored occasionally in the past.
Also, may I too have the labels emailed? What a lovely adjunct for gift-giving!! THANKS!
Chris Scheuer says
I hope you enjoy them, Teresa! We will send the labels.
Diana says
Thanks for the great recipe! Love almond baked goods & easy & gluten free is a plus! I would love the PDF for these beautiful labels! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, Diana!
Judith says
This recipe seems to be just what I am looking for. Can it be made using a sugar substitute and, if so, which would be best to use? Please may I have the labels pdf, they look lovely for gifts?
Chris Scheuer says
We are happy to send the labels, Judith! I haven't tried this recipe with a sugar substitute.