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Home » Baking » Cookies

Published: Apr 1, 2017 · Modified: Jan 9, 2021 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Chinese Almond Cookies | Vegan Almond Cookies

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almond cookies pininterest image

Chinese almond cookies also known as Almond cakes or Almond crisp is a popular cookie that is made around the Chinese New Year . This Almond cookie is one of the simplest cookie to make.

 Chinese Almond Cookies with tea

Chinese almond cookies also known as Almond cakes or Almond crisp is a popular cookie that is made around the Chinese New Year to distribute to friends and family. This Almond cookie is one of the simplest cookie that I have made and it is considered a sign of good luck.

This month, I am beginning my Mega Marathon with my Blogging Marathon friends, themed A-Z Baking Around the World. We are going to be baking recipes from all around the world. The recipes have to be in the alphabetical order and one country cannot be repeated more that twice.

I wanted to begin the journey with a sweet note and what else could be much more apt than this Chinese Good Luck Almond Cookies. This is my recipe under the alphabet A from the country China. Do check back every day to see what is baking at My Cooking Journey!

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These Almond cookies were adapted from the Chinese Walnut cookies that was made during the 16th century for the royals.

Eventually, the cookie was started being adapted by commoners and they started using almonds instead of walnuts for other flavor profiles. This Chinese Almond Cookie became so popular that there is a National Chinese Almond Cookie Day celebrated on April 9th in the United States.

When researching about the cookies online, I found several version with butter, lard and oil. I have used butter a lot for most of the cookies I have baked and hence wanted to try it with oil to make it a vegan version.

This almond cookie is very simple to make and it just needs a few basic ingredients.

There are many recipes online with just all-purpose flour and almond flavoring to make the almond cookies, but I did not just want to flavor my cookie with almond essence. I wanted the actual flavor of the almond and hence started looking for something with almond flour in it.

A for Almond Cookies | Chinese Almond Cookies | Vegan Almond Cookies

I have used almond meal in the recipe, but you could very well use the almond flour instead. If using the almond flour, the cookies will be lighter in color and more white than the ones that I have made.

Almond meal is the same as almond flour except it is made with whole almonds (skin and all) whereas almond flour is made with skinned almonds.

I buy my almond meal in bulk from my local Sprouts store, but we can very well make it at home. I was a little concerned about how the flavor would be as I was using all oil in the almond cookies, but there is no trace of smell or flavor of the oil.

It is very important to use neutral oil so that we don't have the oil flavor in the cookies. I used vegetable oil for the recipe.

The cookies had egg yolk wash on top of it. Since I was going all vegan, I chose to use almond milk wash on the cookies. If you are not making it vegan, but still want to make it egg less, heavy cream would be a great option.

A for Almond Cookies | Chinese Almond Cookies | Vegan Almond Cookies

Preparation time - 5 minutes
Baking time - 15 to 20 minutes per batch
Difficulty level - easy
Recipe adapted from - Just One Cookbook

Ingredients to make Chinese Almond Cookies - makes about 20 small cookies

  • All purpose flour - ¾ cup
  • Almond meal or Almond flour - ½ cup
  • Sugar - ½ cup
  • Baking soda - ½ tsp
  • Baking powder - ½ tsp
  • Oil (I used vegetable oil) - 75 ml (might need a teaspoon or more depending upon the humidity level)
  • Almond milk - couple of tablespoons to brush on top of the cookies
  • Sliced almonds or whole almonds - for garnish
A for Almond Cookies Garnish with almonds

Procedure

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and keep it aside.
  • I used store bought almond meal and hence did not have to process the almonds. If making it on your own, prepare the almond flour or almond meal and measure out ½ cup.
  • In the jar of the food processor, combine the flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
  • Run the processor a couple of times to combine the ingredients and slowly add the oil. Pulse the processor a few times until the mixture comes together as a loose dough. When held together in the palm, it should form a ball.
  • If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon more of oil and continue doing this until it comes together. I needed about 2 more teaspoons of oil to bring the dough together.
  • Roll the dough into small balls and slightly flatten them. Press a whole almond or sliced almond in each cookie and place them in a parchment lined baking sheet.
Making dough and shaping it
  • Brush the top of the cookies with almond milk liberally and bake them for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the top of the cookies have turned light brown.
  • Carefully remove the cookies on a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
Chinese Almond Cookies are kept on baking tray to cook and it cooks and turned golden in color
  • Store in an airtight container.
Vegan Almond Cookies with tea

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter

Chinese Almond Cookies in a Dish

Chinese Almond Cookies

Chinese almond cookies also known as Almond cakes or Almond crisp is a popular cookie that is made around the Chinese New Year . This Almond cookie is one of the simplest cookie to make.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, sweets
Cuisine: Chinese
Diet: Low Fat
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 20
Calories: 85kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup All-purpose flour
  • ½ cup Almond meal or Almond flour
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon Baking powder
  • 75 ml Oil I used vegetable oil - 75 ml (might need a teaspoon or more depending upon the humidity level)
  • Almond milk A couple of tablespoons to brush on top of the cookies
  • Sliced almonds or whole almonds For garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and keep it aside.
  • I used a store-bought almond meal and hence did not have to process the almonds. If making it on your own, prepare the almond flour or almond meal and measure out ½ cup.
  • In the jar of the food processor, combine the flour, almond meal, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.
  • Run the processor a couple of times to combine the ingredients and slowly add the oil. Pulse the processor a few times until the mixture comes together as a loose dough. When held together in the palm, it should form a ball.
  • If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon more of oil and continue doing this until it comes together. I needed about 2 more teaspoons of oil to bring the dough together.
  • Roll the dough into small balls and slightly flatten them. Press a whole almond or sliced almond in each cookie and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Brush the top of the cookies with almond milk liberally and bake them for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the top of the cookies have turned light brown.
  • Carefully remove the cookies to a cooling rack and let it cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa says

    December 20, 2021 at 8:46 pm

    5 stars
    I found this recipe while googling for vegan almond cookie recipes. I got so excited because as a kid growing up in NY I LOVED the almond cookies from our local Chinese restaurants. I haven't tasted one in decades. My only modification is I added a tsp of almond extract and 1/4 tsp salt (and the only oil I had was avocado). Super easy to make and they came out perfect! So light, sweet, crispy and delicious and so nostalgic. My husband is devouring them as I write this 🙂 Thank you for a delightful recipe!

    Reply
  2. s Charto says

    May 16, 2020 at 11:42 am

    I wish we never made these. This is not a good recipe when you are shut down and eating out of boredom. We have made them 3 times and doubled the recipe. If we can't fit into our pants you are partially to blame.
    '
    All kidding aside, really really good and easy.

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      May 21, 2020 at 10:15 pm

      You got me with that comment!! Thanks a lot 🙂

      Reply
  3. ruchi indu says

    April 05, 2017 at 10:27 pm

    Super start to the mega marathon. Lovely cookies. They look very crunchy.

    Reply
  4. Priya Suresh says

    April 04, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    Lovely cookies Sandhya, wat a beautiful choice and a fabulous way to start this Mega marathon. Vegan almond cookies looks absolutely incredible to munch without any fuss.

    Reply
  5. Natalie says

    April 04, 2017 at 2:25 am

    Almond cookies are one of my favorites. My whole family loves it, especially my husband. These cookies are so easy to make and they taste fantastic, don't they?! Sandhya, these cookies look delicious, so crunchy. Would love to have one now with my morning tea 😉

    Reply
  6. Karen says

    April 03, 2017 at 9:04 pm

    I love the flavor of almond. These cookies look delicious. WeekendsInMaine

    Reply
  7. Srividhya Gopalakrishnan says

    April 03, 2017 at 2:58 pm

    Perfect tea time snack.. Nicely done. Good to know how the walnut cookies changed to almond cookies. Great info.

    Reply
  8. Jennifer A Stewart says

    April 03, 2017 at 2:20 pm

    What a fun cookie! I have used almond flour for making macaroons but not regular cookies. I can't wait to try them and I think they will be a good snack for me post workout. I usually just chomp on some nuts but this will be like dessert too! Can't wait to see the rest of the alphabet!

    Reply
  9. Byron Thomas says

    April 03, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    Good luck with the marathon! I saw these on pinterest just yesterday and I've already pinned the recipe to my secret board so that I know right where to find it. We love anything with almonds - can't wait to make these!

    Reply
  10. Daniela Anderson says

    April 03, 2017 at 11:32 am

    Almond cookies sound just delightful, especially with a lovely cup of tea. Almonds not only give a great textures, but also a nice flavour. I am sure they would disappear quickly if I make them for my family.

    Reply
  11. ManilaSpoon says

    April 03, 2017 at 10:38 am

    I am a self-confessed almond addict as I will eat anything that almonds are added to! These cookies look delectable and would pair well with my cup of tea!

    Reply
  12. Srivalli Jetti says

    April 03, 2017 at 3:32 am

    Such a lovely way to start the marathon Sandhya, these have been on my todo list as well...must bake these soon..I love how thick and yet so well baked your cookies look!

    Reply
  13. Molly Kumar says

    April 03, 2017 at 2:42 am

    These Almond Cookies look so cute and that yellow shine on them is perfect. I love homemade cookies as they are so much more flavorful n you've control over what goes in. Really simple recipe and will try soon.

    Reply
  14. Adriana Lopez Martn says

    April 02, 2017 at 11:35 pm

    I have alwasy wanted to learn how to make these almond cookies. I have a fancy for them since childhood. Now thanks to you I will be able to make them at home =)

    Reply
  15. swathi says

    April 02, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    These almond cookies are not only delicious but also protein rich treats kids will love it.

    Reply
  16. Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says

    April 02, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    This cookies sound really simple but so good. I love that you're doing cookies from around the world. Sounds like a fun idea.

    Reply
  17. Sapna says

    April 02, 2017 at 12:39 pm

    Lovely start to the BM . I have always wanted to make the Chinese almond cookies and now got the perfect recipe too. Looking forward to seeing your other recipes.

    Reply
  18. Noel Lizotte says

    April 02, 2017 at 9:58 am

    Wow this recipe looks so easy! I need to try it out. We love cookies at my house - they're perfect with the endless cups of tea and coffee that we consume! Almonds are one of my favorite nuts too ... so it's a win all around!

    Reply
  19. Veena Azmanov says

    April 02, 2017 at 8:07 am

    I love almond cookies - have not made some in ages. Need to make some again. These look amazing.

    Reply
  20. Vaishali Sabnani says

    April 02, 2017 at 5:22 am

    Wow, the cookies look melt in the mouth kinds, just trying to get the taste..and wow, they are amazing. Fantastic start!

    Reply
  21. PJ says

    April 02, 2017 at 5:21 am

    Such a nice way to start the mega BM Sandhya.Lovely looking cookies and nice to see almond meal used here. It gives a nice texture to the cookies.

    Reply
  22. Helene D'Souza says

    April 02, 2017 at 4:56 am

    Ironically we have Almond cookies too which we make for christmas in Austria and they are made the same way just that we don't use almond milk but I think only almond flour and no maida.

    Reply
  23. Sowmya says

    April 02, 2017 at 2:07 am

    These cookies look so cute....I want to grab a few right now. Can't wait to rest of your recipes for the month!

    Reply
  24. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says

    April 01, 2017 at 8:22 pm

    I have never tried these. I do like almonds...so I really think we would like them. They would be perfect for an afternoon latte for sure.

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      April 02, 2017 at 12:46 am

      They were an interesting cookie and it goes really well coffee!

      Reply
  25. Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says

    April 01, 2017 at 7:59 pm

    I love almond cookies! They remind me of my mom - we used to have them with tea when I was a little girl. Such a fun afternoon treat!

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      April 02, 2017 at 12:45 am

      Childhood memories are the best and I am so glad these cookies brought back some of your memories!

      Reply
  26. harini says

    April 01, 2017 at 4:57 pm

    Hope and pray these cookies bring good luck to one and all!! Very tempting cookies and love that they are vegan. Are you going all vegan this month or what?

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      April 02, 2017 at 12:45 am

      Harini, thanks and no way I am going all vegan.

      Reply
  27. Kylee from Kylee Cooks says

    April 01, 2017 at 1:39 pm

    I absolutely love almond in anything. These almond cookies are a great way to start out your marathon! Can't wait to see what else you come up with.

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      April 01, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      Thanks Kylee! This is going to be an exciting month for sure.

      Reply
  28. Antonet Roajer says

    April 01, 2017 at 1:35 pm

    Yummy cookies with the goodness of almonds!!

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      April 01, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      That it is Antonet!

      Reply
  29. Sharmila - The Happie Friends Potpourri Corner says

    April 01, 2017 at 12:59 pm

    Lovely cookies for an awesome start to this mega BM 🙂

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      April 01, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      Thanks Sharmila!

      Reply
  30. Traditionallymodernfood says

    April 01, 2017 at 11:08 am

    I m recently addicted for almond flour this s nice cookies for my son?Yummy

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      April 01, 2017 at 3:45 pm

      You will like these cookies if you like almond flour.

      Reply
  31. Veena Krishnakumar says

    April 01, 2017 at 9:30 am

    Beautiful start sandhya. I had bookmarked these cookies too. Yet to bake them. These look super inviting.Love the fact that almond meal and just not the essence is used. Looking forward for the rest of the bakes!!!

    Reply
    • Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      April 01, 2017 at 3:45 pm

      Thanks veena! I also liked it much better with the almond flour and not just the almond flavoring.

      Reply

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I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

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