These soft, sugary Almond Meltaway Cookies are so light, they literally melt in your mouth. The simple almond glaze on top is the perfect finishing touch. Just one bite, and you’ll be hooked!
(Oh, and by the way – meltaway cookies aren’t just about almonds! If you like the look of these, check out my Lemon Meltaway Cookies, Vanilla Meltaway Cookies, and Coconut Meltaway Cookies, too.)
Just like the name suggests, these cookies quite literally “meltaway” in your mouth! Meltaway cookies are a bit like a shortbread cookie, topped with a light layer of icing. But instead of being firm and dense like shortbread, they’re super soft, with a delicate, fine crumb that packs a buttery, almond-scented punch.
For anyone in your life who has a sweet tooth, these would make the perfect treat. Even if that person is you! They’re great for cookie swaps and Christmas cookies, too. And if you’re hosting a tea party for the littles in your life, elegant-yet-cozy almond meltaway cookies are pretty much required!
What You’ll Need
With their sugary almond icing and soft almond centers, these meltaway cookies naturally have one ingredient that’s the star: almond (extract, that is)! Here’s everything you’ll need:
For the Almond Cookies:
- All-Purpose Flour: I’ve found that regular all-purpose flour works the best for these cookies in terms of texture.
- Baking Powder: For leavening.
- Flaked Sea Salt: I love the more mild saltiness of sea salt flakes, like Maldon salt or similar, for this recipe. However, you can substitute regular table salt if it’s what you have available.
- Butter: Unsalted, at room temperature. Opt for unsalted butter since there’s already salt in the recipe. This will still give these cookies all the buttery flavor without the extra saltiness!
- Sugar: Regular granulated white sugar is best.
- Egg: A single large egg for richness and texture.
- Almond Extract: This is where quality is key! I like this brand of almond extract because it has a great aroma and flavor.
For the Almond Icing:
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar.
- Milk: Milk gives the icing a certain creaminess, but you can also use water instead.
- Almond Extract
Is Almond Extract Actually Made from Almonds?
Since almond extract gives these cookies their special flavor, you really benefit from using a good-quality extract that’s made from real almonds. Because some extracts are made from other ingredients, as it turns out.
Imitation almond extracts contain the same flavor “chemicals” that almonds do, but the quality and taste is not as good, because those compounds are either synthetic (made in a lab) or taken from other ingredients like peach pits. Look on the bottle for “bitter almond oil.” That’s how you know your extract is the real deal.
The most blissful thing about these meltaway cookies, aside from how heavenly the flavor and texture is? How easy they are to make!
- Make the Dough: Whisk together the flour and dry ingredients in one bowl. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar, and add in the egg and almond extract. Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, about a half cup at a time, until everything is incorporated.
- Roll Out the Dough: Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and then gently press them into a disc shape. You can do this with your hands, or I like to use the bottom of a glass to get a more uniform shape. Place your dough discs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in a 375°F oven for about 8 minutes. Note that the cookies will not look browned when they’re done baking, but don’t leave them in longer! Once they’re out of the oven, the cookies will set up as they rest on the baking sheet.
- Ice the Cookies: When your cookies are completely cool, whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth. Use a spoon to carefully spread the icing over each cookie. Give the icing about ten minutes or so to harden.
Tips for Success
Cookie baking is fun, especially when you have a few helpful tips and tricks up your sleeve! These are my top tips for perfect almond meltaway cookies.
- Measure the Flour Correctly: If you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can use the spoon and sweep method to get the most accurate measurement. Instead of using your measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the bag, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, and then level it off with a knife.
- Don’t Over-Bake: These cookies will not look particularly “done” when they come out of the oven. That’s exactly what they should look like! Avoid over-baking these cookies as they’ll quickly dry out and become crumbly.
- Get the Icing Right: Aim for a consistency that’s thin enough to spread and settle, but not overly runny. To thicken icing that’s too thin, add extra powdered sugar. You can also add extra milk if the icing is too thick.
- Try Different Variations: To me, a perfectly simple cookie is the best, and that’s exactly what these are! But you can definitely have a little fun with your meltaway cookies to suit any occasion. Top them with toasted almond slivers or sprinkles, or add food coloring to the frosting for a pop of color.
Since the icing contains dairy, keep your almond meltaway cookies stored airtight in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to 2 weeks! Just take the cookies out of the fridge to come to room temperature again before serving.
Can I Freeze Them?
You can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months. Store them in an airtight container and use parchment paper to separate the layers.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
For the Almond Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, or sub water
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract, mixing until combined. Add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until completely combined.
- Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into small circles and then press with hands (or with the bottom of a cup) into a disk shape. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 minutes. The cookies will not look browned or cooked, but they are! Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To Ice: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and almond extract – until smooth. If your icing is too thick, add a splash more milk to thin it out.
- Using a spoon, smooth icing onto the top of each cookie and let set for 10 minutes, or until hardened. Store in the fridge, let come to room temperature when ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Categories:
- Easy Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- White Chocolate Key Lime Cookies
- Coconut Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
- Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Copycat Lofthouse Cookies
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These were just okay – very much like a shortbread cookie, not quite a ‘meltaway’.
I followed directions exactly as given, but I wasn’t real keen on the glaze/ frosting. A little to sugary for our tastes – seems to overwhelm the subtle almond of the cookie.
I may try to tweak it a bit..
Great recipe. If anyone is concerned because of nut allergies, I use IMITATION almond extract.
I made these cookies for a party and they were literally gone in a min and I made 3 dozen. I will be making these again and again!
These cookies turned out great. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, this cookie is absolutely delicious!!!! It’s so easy. It has become my families favorite cookie. HANDS DOWN.
Love love these cookies. So easy to make however I made them today and they turned out flat! What did I do wrong? I went over all of my ingredients again and I did everything correctly. The only thing I changed is I used unsalted butter like the recipe said instead of salted butter like I would usually use.
Hi Jo Anna! Hmm, my guess would be your baking powder might have gone bad? To check if your baking powder is still active, pour 1/4 cup boiling water over 1/2 tsp baking powder. If it bubbles/foams, it’s still good. If not, it’s gone bad. Using unsalted or salted butter shouldn’t change anything texturally!
I saw lots of comments that the dough was too sticky to press into a round disc. Mine was the same way so I just dipped the bottom of my glass into flour and then pressed. Came out great!
Possibly there should be a step in there to chill the dough thoroughly before making it into little bowls and baking it. The dough is very sticky, but I didn’t change it because I wanted to see the original results before I made changes. At eight minutes all the edges were very browned because the dough had spread so much. might also need more flour possibly. Taste is very good. They are very light, sweet cookies.
I can’t press down on them – way too sticky, the dough comes right off onto the glass. It’s more like a really solid brownie batter texture. I can’t even roll the dough into a ball, it just ends up all over my hands. I even refrigerated the dough for an hour. Other than that, I followed the recipe to a T. How are they supposed to turn out so perfectly round? The dough tastes right, but I can’t even form the cookies. I’m so frustrated.
Hmm. It is a softer dough, but it should not be that sticky. Did you for sure use 2 cups of all purpose flour and 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter?
1
Oh my, i just made this cookie. SO VERY GOOD!!! Lemon next time.
Thank you for sharing….
Hi! I’m not sure why, but following your recipe and using a one tablespoon cookie scoop, I ended up with almost 60 cookies. Were they supposed to be 2 tablespoons scoops?
They’re in the oven now and I’m just waiting for them to finish. I’m really excited!
So i decided to weight it out cuz its not exact, i got about 22.5 grams for my batch rn, my last i didnt weight and it did ot get the right amount either
These were so simple to whip together, but I found the rolling out and flattening to be quite difficult. Then I went back and read all the reviews. Now I highly recommend their suggestions to:
Put the dough in the refrigerator for ten minutes if the dough is sticky.
Roll the balls and put them directly onto the parchment lined cookie sheet. Cover with 2nd sheet of parchment paper. Press them down with a glass, and then remove the sheet covering the tops of the cookies.
My rolled balls were about 1” in diameter, pressed to 2” discs, which grew to 3” cookies in oven. However that only produced 24 cookies. I also had to add 2 minutes to the cooking time.
Good morning,
Can I use applesauce instead of butter?
I would not recommend that swap in these cookies, while it works well in cake, it would create a very different texture in these cookies.
Can these be made with gluten free flour. I noticed the inquiry above but there was no response.
Hi Deborah! I apologize, but I am not well versed in gluten free baking. I am a traditional baker. For guaranteed success, I would recommend googling a gluten free almond cookie recipe. I apologize that I am not more help, but I don’t want to steer you wrong and you not have success.
Yes, I make these all the time with gluten free all-purpose flour.
I added a bit more almond…but WOW! These are great! My friends and family gobbled them up!
Did not have good luck I made the cookies and they turned out almost raw and I cooked for 9 min
I would check your oven temperature or did you possibly use more dough then directed in the recipe?
These taste delicious even without the frosting. Mine did not stay plump like yours though. I flattened them with a glass and they looked as thick as yours do. Would you have any reasons why? Should I not have flattened them?
The recipe made 34 cookies for me.
Hmm, possibly might need to refrigerate the dough before baking if they spread too much!
Do you mean refrigerate them again after rolling into balls?
Yes if they are baking and flattening, I would chill the dough balls before baking. This dough recipe should not need to be refrigerated though. I would only do this if your dough is spreading for some reason.
Very easy and quick to make, it’s delicious and exactly as pictured when baked! I like the soft side of the cookie (in general) and it’s the first time that I have succeeded in it so well! Thank you soooo much for this recipe! I love it!
These cookies are so good. I put this recipe with pics of ingredient listing and prep instructions in my Notes in my phone. Delish.
These cookies were so easy, quick, and so tasty!!
Can I use vanilla extract instead of almond?
Of course!
These look delicious and I’m going to make them for a cookie exchange. How many does it make? Thanks
I get 32 cookies using 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie!
Can these be made with almond flour, for gluten free version?
I am taking these to a cookie potluck at work. Am I okay to leave these out for an extended period of time? They will be sitting in a break room without a fridge.
Yes they will be just fine! :-)
I bake cookies and give as gifts, do I have to worry if this cookie which would be mixed with the other cookies, be left out of frig. I do not request that my cookies be refrigerated.
These cookies can be left out at room temperature with no problems as long as you use water or evaporated milk in the icing!
Evaporated milk would not need to be refrigerated the way using regular milk would?
Correct!
I made these today and my mom said they are the best cookie she has ever had. I didn’t even ice them. They were good without it,
I ended up drizzling some of them though with the icing thinned out. Just made them that much more almond. Really wonderful.
So glad y’all enjoyed them Melinda! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! :-)
Made these today on a snowy morning and my husband loved them! These are a big hit! Will be my go to cookie from now on! Thanks so much!
I made this today. They were a big hit with the family! Thank you for sharing your recipe! It’s a keeper. I think with my next batch, I will try orange extract. :)
So glad you enjoyed them Susan! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
How do you get the icing so perfect?
I added a little and spread it with the back of a spoon in circles!
OMG! These are so delicious & easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly as it is & they are my new go to cookie recipe. I love that they don’t take forever to make & can whip them up in just minutes. The only problem I have is keeping my husband from eating them all. I made them at 4pm yesterday & by the time I went to bed he had eaten all of them so I made some more today but this time I had to hide some so I could get some. They are awesome thanks for sharing this recipe!
Haha! Your husband and my husband would be good friends. ;-) Glad y’all enjoy them as much as we do!
Why of why can’t I give these 1,000 stars!!?? These are so very fantastic!! I made them for a party and everyone loved them. I didn’t divert from the ingredients at all. The only thing I did was…the dough was sticking to the glass so I dipped the glass in a bit of flour. It was easier to flatten and take off. BTW The next day they are still soft. I’ve told so many people about these cookies already. I think I’ll try different flavors next time. Very very easy recipe to follow. Nothing outrageous to add (which I like. Everything in my cupboards) GREAT recipe. Thx for sharing!!
Thanks for the review Angie!! Glad you love them too!
Could you add more flour to help them hold their shape?
Hi Tiki! If you add more flour, they will no longer be a soft and Meltaway type cookie. They will become thicker, almost more like a traditional shortbread cookie.
I loved this recipe and never have used almond extract before, my only change was turning the icing into a frosting consistency and balancing that flavor with the added butter but the cookies are wonderful if you make them the size listed and bake for exactly 8mins on a silicone mat, foil browns the bottoms more solid.
These cookies are soft and delicious and came out perfect on the first try. I added half a tsp of vanilla bean powder to the cookie dough and I adjusted the icing to make it a frosting (just add softened butter, less milk, and way more powdered sugar lol) About to check out your other cookie recipes linked in this post! :)
If you love almond flavoring, these are your next crack cookies. I made them in tiny rounded half teaspoonfuls balls. Pressed them slightly with two fingers. Baked for 10 minutes instead of 8. They’re the perfect bite size, which also helps if you otherwise find them too almondy or too sweet. Topped them with slivered almonds and they were adorable! Try softening your butter sticks instead of entirely melting them so your dough maintains shape when baking a little better. They’re also (deliciously) extremely buttery smooth, I think I’ll experiment next time with a little less butter.
I usually love almond flavoring but these had way too much. It was overwhelming. Nobody in the house like them. I would say to cut the icing back to 1/2 tsp. I would even cut down to 1 tsp in making the dough. The cookies without the icing weren’t bad. I had run out of icing so maybe 4 cookies were edible.
Can I freeze them after done? Or would it ruin them?
I would freeze them without the icing. Then add the icing later when you want to serve them!
Do you think this will work for cookie cutter cookies?
Hi Teri! No, sadly they will not hold their shape.
What did I do wrong?? I used unsalted butter..and I didn’t add any of the salt on the recipe…I thought I was going to die when I took a bite. It was literally like I just ate a salt rock. I don’t know if almond extract itself is salty but I’m telling you what.. there is nothing that I can do to make these edible. They are pretty to look at tho.
Hi Stephanie!! No, almond extract has no salt. If you didn’t add the 1/4 tsp salt, I have no idea how they would be inedible from salt. I’m wondering if somehow you have your salt and sugar labeled incorrectly and accidentally used salt in place of the sugar?
Delicious!
I absolutely love anything almond but these were too strong. They baked up beautifully and the texture was great but too much almond. I read reviews and cut back on the extract to 1 tsp in the icing. Next time I will cut back to half the extract in the cookie itself and most likely none at all in the icing. Easy to make. I refrigerated the dough for about an hour. Parchment was the winner for getting the cookie off the glass. Great tip. I will definitely makes these again but will tweak extract significantly. Thanks for the recipe .
These are the most perfect cookies ever. I li e all things almond and these were spot on!
Just made the almond cookies and boy are they good. My husband had asked for a soft sugar cookie, these really fit the bill. Made the dough yesterday to refrigerate over night. Thank you so much.
What about adding lemon juice to icing? Would that be good?
I am personally not a big fan of lemon and almond together, but if you are, go for it! However, if you’re looking for a lemon version of this cookie, I have one!
https://thenovicechefblog.com/meltaway-lemon-cookies/
Would almond flour work for this recipe?
Hi Violeta! I have not tried it, but almond flour is usually heavier and will produce a different cookie texture. If you try it, please let us all know how it turns out!
These Almond Cookies are amazing and super simple! I used my smallest ice cream scoop and once I had all the cookies scooped out on the tray, covered with a piece of parchment and smashed them down with a drinking glass! They all came out uniform size/shape. Such a wonderful almond flavor! I made them at Christmas and then again for Valentine’s Day with some pink sanding sugar! ♥️
These cookies are delicious
And so easy to make
I was looking for a cookie recipe for my fiancé’s family who are not big on sweets and I think this is the one! We have been trying for awhile to have a baby and It finally happened so we want a cute way to tell his family. I’m going to make these cookies and color the icing blue and pink. Not only will they be delighted by the news but I think they will be just as delighted with the cookies that deliver the news. Thanks for the post!!!
Before making these I read through some of the comments. A lot of folks having issues with spreading. So I used self rising flour (omitted the salt and baking powder) and also before baking, put the batter in the fridge for about 30 minutes. That seemed to work! These came out perfect! I love that they’re not too sweet by themselves. If you like a sweet cookie, add the icing. Either way, they’re great! Thanks for sharing!
So these sounded easy enough! They spread way too much!!! No idea…?
Refrigerating for just ten minutes makes the dough much less sticky and easier to handle. Also, using your hand to flatten is easier than a cup.
[…] Get the recipe @ The Novice Chef Blog […]
It’s like the cookie version of almond sheet cake. So good!!
I made these for the 2nd time. I tried the recipe out last week and we loved them! Making a double batch tonight!
What about high altitude adjustment
Hi Bet! My apologies, but I have no experience with high altitude baking.
My family loved these cookies!!!
I used almond extract icing on 1/2 the recipe, and orange extract on the other half. Both options were a big hit‼️
I did have one issue, when I went to flatten the cookie ball, the dough would stick to the bottom of the cup I used. I even sprayed some Pam lightly on the bottom of the cup and it still wanted to stick. Any suggestions on this?
Other than that they were a big hit and I will make them again…..especially at xmas
Dip your fork in flour to flatten them. Did should do the work
I covered with parchment paper and lightly (one time) flattened them with a drinking glass
Put parchment paper over your cookies and then flatten with the bottom of a cup. Works great!
Can’t wait to make them
Tip: you’ll smell them cooking and you’ll be tempted to pull them out early but don’t. Great recipe. Too easy not to make. Next time I don’t think I’ll even mess with the icing.
I made these cookies and they are delicious and already gone. Was going to make them again today but don’t have enough almond. Do you think anise would work in place of the almond? Thank you for this recipe!
Yes! You can use any extract you like!
These look delicious! Thank you for sharing!
My cookies spread on the baking sheet. I think with shortbread you’re suppose to put the dough in the oven cold.
Fantastic!!! Made these cookies for a big get together and they were a huge hit!!
These are delicious! They are harder than I expected. Some tips that helped me, mush the cookies down with your palm, mine stuck to the bottom of anything I smashed them down with. Some spread out really oddly, but most were nice circles. I almost wonder if it would be easier to roll into a log first, chill then cut circles from a log. I may try that next time. I piped on the icing – didn’t go well, they definitely do not look nice and perfect like in your picture! I will keep trying. They are a really nice addition to a cookie platter! I also aded some white sanding sugar to the icing. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Any suggestion for high altitude?
Sounds awesome, trying today. I Love, Love, Love almond extract. Sending to my Daughter and her family in Connecticut. Merry Christmas and thanks for your recipe.
Della Mitchell.
Can I make these with gluten free flour?
Love almond! I wanted to post a pic but wouldn’t let me.
They need to bake longer than 8 mins.
I baked them for 10 and it was perfect!
I just tried these cookies twice and both times they completely flattened out and spread into a single. I’m pretty disappointed with them.
Super delish cookie. I omitted the frosting. Instead I placed sliced almonds on top before pressing. Came out perfect.
I did this too and loved it. The frosting was too sweet for me, but sliced almonds were perfect!
I love these! I won a cookie contest with these at work!
I have been trying to find a lime melt away cookie recipe. I have made these & LOVE them! Do you think I could substitute lime juice & zest where you have almond in the cookie & frosting & it would be delicious? Or would the lime juice not be strong enough – like an extract?
I have a lemon version you can copy for Lime Meltaway cookies!
https://thenovicechefblog.com/meltaway-lemon-cookies/
I love anything with almond extract! I have an on a low carb diet so I’m going to try and adapt this recipe to fit that. Almond or coconut flour and swerve sweetener! They even have powdered sweetener! Thanks!
Did they turn out good with the almond flour and swerve? I want to do the same.
My husband and I have gluten allergies, so I tried this with Bob’s Red Mill GF baking flour. I ran into the same problem many others have, where the dough was far too sticky to roll into balls. I chilled it, still didn’t help, so I had to add some flour. They weren’t as perfectly smooth as the pictures and still stuck to whatever I tried to flatten them with … but they were GOOD. I liked the almond frosting, and when I made another batch the next day for company, they were devoured
Made these today. I must have done something wrong. They flattened out too much. I kept to the cooking time. The dough was very sticky. I love almond flavoring, but I’m not sure I’ll make these again.
I have been looking for the Almond Melt Away Cookies with no egg and with corn starch, Can you help me please?
I’m a huge almond flavor fan! I’m also dairy free. Anyone have any ideas how to convert this into a dairy free recipe? I have some vegan butters. Both Earth Balance and Melt buttery sticks. I’ve never baked with them but would appreciate comments.
Can’t wait to make these and report back. They sound delicious!
Recipe is not even accurate had to remake three times Waste of time.
These came out great! I didn’t have almond extract on hand, but I did have a whole lot of Amaretto. I used the same measurements as the recipe calls of the extract in the dough, plus a little splash and an extra sprinkling of flour. I used salted butter, too, and it worked great (maybe just because I love a salty cookie). I patted them down with just my palm and threw a quick dash of salt on top. Since I didn’t have almond extract in the cookie, I knew I had to get that flavor in the icing. Halved the milk, substituted the other half with the Amaretto and added the 1.5 tsps of Amaretto, and it set perfectly. Finished them off with a teensy bit of nutmeg and shaved dark chocolate on top. This is a great recipe that I can assure you works well with any tweaks you may need to make in your own kitchen. I’m confident it works fantastically as is, too. A perfect holiday cookie, thank you!!
Can this dough be used in a cookie press? I made the lemon melt aways and they were fabulous! Thanks for the recipes!
I have not tried it, please let us know if you do and how it works out!
Are you able to freeze this cookie?
Can you use this recipe for cut out cookies? If not do you have a recipe similar to melt away for cut out?
Hi Danita! Sadly these do not make good cut out cookies for shapes. They are a softer dough that doesn’t hold up well to a shape.
I admit I wasn’t expecting much. After all, I went looking on Pinterest for ‘easy, quick’ cookie recipes, which often means not-so-good-cookies, but there were so many positive comments I decided to try it…and, boy, I’m glad I did! There are 8 of us and they didn’t even last one hour! Everyone was instantly addicted to them. I’ve since made them 3 times in 5 days – that’s a lotta butter – we’re all gonna die, but what a way to go. My daughter quickly changed their name to “Crack cookies”, which seems appropriate! Thanks for this easy, quick and awesome ‘crack’ cookie recipe!
Yahoo! So glad to hear that you all love them as much as we do! If you are coconut or lemon fans, I have also made versions of these cookies in those flavors too. ;-)
I started calling them crack cookies as well LOL! I made them bite size and they’re even more addicting.
My dough was way too sticky to roll into balls so I had to refrigerate it for a while first. How are other people able to roll it out and use cookie cutters?? I bake a lot of cookies so I don’t know what I did wrong. I followed the instructions.
Hi Gina, the dough shouldn’t be too sticky that you can’f roll it into balls, but it is too sticky for cookie cutters. Not sure how other people were able to do that, maybe they add a good amount of flour. I only make these exactly as shown and described, I do not ever make the dough into shapes. Hope this helps!
I’d like to bake ahead and freeze for an event. Has anyone frozen this cookie? Was wondering if it would alter taste or texture.
these cookies are a hit. They are my go to lunch snack for the kids.
Is there a version of this recipe that uses almonds versus almond extract? I don’t see why not using the real thing? Maybe the extract is pure and has no added chemicals?
The recipe was good and taste is perfect . I had to put my cookie dough in frig to set for about 45 minutes . Otherwise great. Thanks for posting.
Cookies are delightful, but topping is wat too strong.
Just about to make these thank you for sharing! I love almond extract I use it with vanilla extract in cookies and cakes all the time. Thrilled to see this recipe cannot wait! Later tonight I will look at the other recipes.
This is my third year now making these; I love them! If I chill the dough though in order to more easily flatten them into discs, will it change the texture or baking time? I don’t usually do something different than what the recipe suggests, so I’d welcome your thoughts! Also, if I add some red food coloring, or green, it won’t change flavor, will it? Plan to make them tonight or this weekend.
Hi April! So glad you love them as much as we do. The dough should be just fine to be refrigerated – should not change the texture. And sure, food coloring is just fine. I would use gel food coloring so you only need a drop or two. :-)
Just finished making these for a holiday party. I tasted one and they are good. Very easy to make. Mine turned out perfect. Make sure to beat the sugar and butter till fluffy, chill if it is too sticky, use a glass dipped in water to flatten. I did add a tiny bit more milk to make icing. Made just enough for 33 cookies. Unfortunately I used 1 t of almond and a 1/2 vanilla. I now wish I went with all almond. Thank you for the recipe.
I made these and they’re pretty darn good! Just thought I’d share a few things with my experience:
-My dough was VERY sticky and sticking to everything. I used a cookie scoop and it made perfect balls. I tried to push down with my fingers or use a cup and the dough was sticking everywhere. Per a suggestion in the comments, for the second batch, I wet the bottom of my measuring cup and used that to push them down. It worked perfectly!
-Mine made 23 cookies. They are quite larger than pictured, though, since I used a normal cookie scoop.
-My frosting was VERY thick and I did not have enough for all of the cookies. I didn’t measure my almond extract for the frosting but I tried to go easy with it per the suggestions.
All in all they were easy and very good! My three year old helped me make them so I appreciated the fewer ingredients than some other kinds of cookies. :)
I just made these for my daughters baby shower and the batter is not thick enough to roll a ball out of. It’s like cake batter consistency. I do a lot of baking and don’t ever have any problems following recipes. Idk what happened??!!
Has anyone made and froze? Trying to get a jump on my holiday baking by doing a few varieties daily. Would love to add these to the rotation.
Hi, all I have is salted butter. Can I use that and just omit the salt in the recipe?
For those of you who made these, did you actually get 32 cookies?? I used a measuring spoon to measure out the dough and still was only able to get about 20 cookies.
Can you roll this to cut out bite size cookies ?
I’m making 7 batches for a wedding. Would like to make the dough ahead of time ? Could I refrigerator or should freeze the dough?
Hi Kristi! I haven’t tried it, however I think the dough would be fine to make ahead of time. Just make sure to let it thaw completely before baking if you do freeze it. I would also let it warm up just a little at room temperature before baking. Good luck and I would love to hear how it turns out!
So good! Made them today but insetad of two sticks of butter I did one stick and then one avocado. They came out a little green and I felt better about eating more :) Thanks!
Do they have to be stored in the fridge or is that just a recommendation?
I saw these on Pinterest and had to try them.made them today, and they turned out AWESOME!
Thanks for the recipe!!
Just made these and they are delicious! Mine turned out not as perfectly round as yours but next time I can use cookie cutters :)
I make these cookies every year for Christmas…we roll them out and cookie cut them. I cut the almond extract down to 1 tsp in the cookie mix…we use almond buttercream icing to decorate the cookies. This is the best cookie ever…you will not go wrong with this recipe…just watch the almond extract…it’s pretty strong.
So glad you enjoy them and I love the idea of making them into roll out cookie cutter cookies!
Oh my goodness! These really do melt in your mouth. I put the dough in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes and it was so easy to roll into balls. I just ate the first one. Soooo good! I love almond. I made the recipe exactly as it was printed and baked the cookies exactly 8 minutes. Then I let them sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes as recommended and then cooled the cookies on the wire racks. They came out perfect. I divided the dough in half and added 1/3 cup chopped pecans. The other half I am going to frost. Thank you so much for sharing such a great recipe!
These were so good and so easy to make. I added holiday sprinkles to the frosting and gave them out as gifts.
Tip: if you accidentally melt the butter on your second batch (ha) then wait for it to firm up before using and don’t try using the melted stuff. Room temp butter is indeed necessary for these cookies per the recipe!
Am I able to double or even triple the recipe? Or do I need to make separate batches? Please let me know. I made these last year and they were delicious. I had trouble getting them to flatten before baking cause the dough was sticky, but this is an amazing recipe and I want to make them again for my office. Hence, why I want to make a larger batch!
Hi April! You can double or triple the recipe and no not need to make any changes! Glad to hear you enjoy them as much as we do!!
Can you substitute Almond flour for the regular flour?
Hi Elizabeth, I wouldn’t recommend it as the cookies will not have the same texture or bake the same way.
THESE ARE THE BEST COOKIES EVER! But I am a big almond lover to be fair. I added chopped almonds on top of the frosting. They came out just as pretty as your picktures. Thank you!
These spread out considerably, almost flat. I followed the directions exactly. I’m guessing these balls or disks should be chilled for a while first? A little disappointing. Went through comments for a bit to find tips — but mostly just fun chatter about how good they SOUND, but no one actually baking them. They are delicious, but NOT so pretty and def not like the photo.
Making these today. I added dried tart cherries. These are killer and I haven’t even iced them yet. Great recipe!
I made these today and they were so easy to make and totally wonderful!! So light and tasty. They looked almost like your pictures. This will certainly be a keeper! Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome! So glad you liked them Nicolee! Thanks for coming back and commenting how they turned out!
Can you freeze these?
Probably – I have never tried it. If you freeze them, come back and let us all know how it goes!
I was wondering this myself!
I have been making these cookies for years. Have never added the icing they are simply delicious without it. I dip a small juice cup in sugar flatten and bake as directed. They are always a huge hit!
My cookies came out flat and thin as well. I checked the recipe and I didn’t leave anything out nor did I use too much or not enough of anything. Any thoughts as to why mine spread so thin? Thanks!
Best cookies ever! Can’t wait to try this recipe with other flavors too…orange, lemon… But love the almond!
Jessica, it made me laugh when you explained your eating habits with hubby out of town. My husband worked out of town, (only home on weekends) in construction for 40 years. Yes, you need to find your food grove. I always had a dinner as snacking isn’t a great idea. I love to bake, and cook also, My freezer was a great thing, along with ziplock bags. I even froze potatoe chips, as long as they weren’t open. I am going to try the cookies, they sound tasty. Take care, enjoy your blog. Pinterest is the greatest.
Karen
Very disappointed in these cookies! The dough was too sticky and not as firm as the hundreds of other cookies I’ve baked and did not roll easily…cookies came out very flat and the flavor was very bland. Also, the cookies were NOT done after only 8 minutes. I followed the recipe as written…not very good!
Does the icing need to be put in the fridge or the cookies as well?
If you are worried about them sitting for a while, just use water instead of milk. However I always use milk and let them sit out for a few days and have never had an issue. Hope you enjoyed them!
I just made these cookies…..they are one of the best cookies I have ever made! I substituted cornstarch and water for the egg because my brother is vegetarian, and it still came out perfect! Even my mom who hates cookies adores them! Will definitely be making them again! Thank you!! :)
I made these with my daughter today for our Christmas cookie collection…they are delicious and very easy to make. We followed the recipe exactly and decorated them with sliced almonds. Thanks for a great recipe, we’ll be making these again! xx
I just pulled these from my oven and they are amazing. So soft and chewy. I’m thinking about experimenting with lemon extract. Also, I used salted butter and just omitted the salt. Great recipe! I believe I may have another holiday cookie recipe to add to my repertoire!
Can’t wait to try them dipped in dark chocolate!
The cookies are fantastic and have kind of a delicate sweetness. I ate them without the frosting, because the frosting is an overpowering, in your face kind of sweet.
So good but frosting is super sweet. thinking of making them again but drizzling with chocolate and chopped almonds
Just tried these today and they were so so delicious! I ended up using just vanilla extract instead of the almond, but I think they were just as good! If you like buttery, melt in your mouth cookies that aren’t too sweet, these are the cookies for you!
Do these cookies freeze well? I would like to make these for a party I’m having in December.
Slightly tweaking this wonderful recipe, I made lemon poppy seed cookies with a tangly lemon glaze. Follow all of the given steps while substituting ~1 tbsp of lemon zest and juice mix for the almond extract in the dough and adding ~3 tbsp of poppy seeds as a last step. In the icing I used ~2 tsp of the lemon zest and juice and it was perfectly sweet!
My roommates gave raving reviews!
Enjoy!
Couldn’t**
I made these really excited because I love anything almond and had to throw them out! You have way too much almond extract in your frosting!!! It literally burned my tongue and I could taste for at least 12 hours after. I was so mad! Almond extract is so expensive!!!
I used vanilla extract in the frosting, or that is too much of a good thing ;)
These are delicious! Our international student and I just finished icing them, and they are divine. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Thank you for recipes !
I made a batch of these for Christmas and they were lovely. I would add a bit less almond extract to the icing next time, but otherwise very light and delicious. The one thing I had trouble with though was the “rolling” of the dough… It was more like drop a glob onto the baking sheet and gently spread with a spoon! The mixture was soo soft and sticky there was no chance of rolling. Either a little more flour or a little less butter next time, but there will definitely be a next time. These were yummy.
If it’s too sticky then put it in the fridge next time I am also a baker
Next time use a small ice cream scoop and flatten with the bottom of your measuring cup lightly dipped in flour.
These are the most amazing cookies! I made them to leave for santa on Christmas Eve and we ate almost all of them before santa could get to them. If you love almond flavoring, than this is your recipe. I would personall scale back the almond extract in the icing to 1 to 1 1/2 tsp…but they seem to get better the next day! Amazing!!!
Holy crap!! I just made these and they are AMAZING! I made a mistake and added too much powdered sugar to the icing, it was more like a paste, but it was an awesome mistake bc now they taste DEAD ON buskin bakery cookies!!
THANK YOU! Adding this recipe to my collection to always make!!
I just made these cookies. They’re so good. I thought the almond extract in the icing was a little too much for me so I used vanilla instead. With the almond in the cookies and the vanilla in the icing they are wonderful. I sprinkled finely chopped almonds on top too.
These are PERFECT. Thanks so much for sharing! I’ve been looking for a delicious, soft, and chewy almond cookie recipe for a long time. Cheers!
Everyone I have served these cookies to have asked for recipe. I used a flat bottom glass to flatten the cookies then dipped the glass in water each time I flatten one. This worked great and went quickly to flatten dough. Thanks for the great recipe.
I adore this recipe. I’m so glad I found this! I pinned this a while back and have gone back a few times. These turn out great with mini chocolate chips added and 1/2 almond 1/2 vanilla extract. This is a great base recipe for all sorts of cookies!!!
Oh boy! Methinks we’ve found a new addictive favourite! These were great!! Thank you!!
These cookies are so yummy! I love the texture of them and the subtle almond taste. The second time I made them I cut back the extract in the icing to 1 tsp and added some cocoa powder. They were great that way too. Thanks for the recipe!
I just made them they were a huge hit thank you so much!
Hi Jessica! If I don’t have a stand mixer, could I mix the wet ingredients by hand? I suppose I’d have to use room temperature butter in this case (would that affect the recipe)? Thanks so much! :)
I think it should be fine! If for some reason the dough is too sticky, just pop it in the fridge to firm up before you try scooping/baking it. Hope you enjoy them!
Hey Jessica I was wondering if we have to use almond extract can I use vanilla and I am thinking of adding in some almond chunks in the batter
P.s I am a 11 year old baker and love to bake like you
I made these today. Mine turned out flat/thin and didn’t look as pretty as yours, but they were delicious and melted in my mouth!
I made
Do I need to chill the cookie dough before I bake?
I did not chill the dough! Just straight into the oven.
Just made these,sooooo good x
Made these tonight. I like them to bake for about 13 minutes. Delicious.
I love experimenting in the kitchen and when it comes to a healthy or guilt-free baking I am game.
mmmm I made these today, doubled the recipe :) Very marvelous! Everyone loved them. 8 minutes was perfect for every cookie sheet. I iced mine with stripes and used some sugar sprinkles because it just felt right… Here is a picture of mine using this recipe.
http://bit.ly/1bU7Oqf
These were awesome!
I made these and they were gone in 30 mins!! I skipped the frosting (the cookies were great all alone) and used I can’t believe it’s not butter (skipped the salt). All in all grey recipie). thank you!!
Try this recipe with slivered almonds instead of extract. I have a very similar recipe and the almonds are wonderful in them!
I replaced the almond extract with lemon extract and put lemon zest in the glaze, and oh my, they turned out to be the most delicious cookies I have ever made.
Just made these and they are to DIE for. The only mistake I made was using coarse sea salt in place of flaked salt and you get the occasional salty bites but otherwise these are fantastic! Thanks for the recipe!
:D I just wanted to say thanks for the recipe, my mum loves almond and this is going to be a great surprise for mothers day! :D
Hey, House Hunters is NEVER crap TV, haha!!! Can’t wait to try the cookies….
Hi Jessica! I love this recipe, and I wanted to stop by to let you know I featured it in my Sunday Sweeties Easter Links :)
http://teenagecakeland.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/sunday-sweeties-331-easter-links/
Teehee! I love your “Jorge is out of town” habits! Too funny! And, can you believe I’ve never had meltaways? Time to change that with these beauties! :)
I’m the same when the Husband is out of town! Love this melty deliciousness!
I act the same way when my boyfriend is gone. Eating dinner over the sink, watching shows only I enjoy, I’m not gonna lie, its blissful. The title alone of these cookies makes me crave them.
Too cute! I love how simple these look but how flavorful they must taste… Perfect spring treat!
Oh, how we act when no one is around ;) these look delectable, just the image is enough to make my mouth water.
I’m constantly getting sucked into HGTV-land. “I’ll just watch it for a little bit.” – more of a lie, than a motto.
Jessica, these look so right up my alley. I’m hoping the name also suggests that the calories will melt away…
these look AWESOME!!!!!!! I freaking love almond…. can’t wait to try these!!!
oh i can relate!! My husband has been gone the past two weeks too, and I’ve had some interesting dinners (kettle corn comes to mind!).
love anything with almond extract so i’m putting these on the to-try list!
Oh yum, your cookies sound so good! They look gorgeous too :)
My mom loves anything almonds, and who am I kidding? So am I. That cutting board looks amazing, why didn’t I think of that?
I am the same way — though for me, it involves brussels sprouts (weird, I know) and copious amounts of Mad Men. The next time the husband is away, it will also involve these cookies. YUM!
Jessica I’m hysterical over this post right now because I legit wrote about the same thing in a recent post (Parmigiano Spinach Dip)!
I was talking abt how when my bf is away I get to enjoy all my trashy reality TV and enjoy my weird single girl habits that get put on hiatus when he’s around – too funny!
These cookies look gorgeous! You should use a little food coloring on the icing for pastel pinks, blues, and greens – would be perfect for Easter!
yum, I love the almond! Can’t wait to try these!
I am the same way! My husband went out with his buddies last night, and instead of cleaning the house like I told myself I would do, I made a GIGANTIC pot of cabbage soup, cooked and froze a ridiculous amount of veggies (thus making my kitchen an even bigger mess than it already was) ate a throw-together meal of leftovers and watched three episodes of The Carrie Diaries. I am ridiculous.
Meltaways are some of my favorites!
The boyfriend and I are moving to a smaller apartment soon so while he’s not looking, I’m going to have to purchase that cutting board. To make up for some of the lost counter space.
And then I’ll make him these cookies when he gets the bill. BRILLIANT.
I’m totally the same way when Chris is gone. Meals go down the drain, but trashy TV watching and baking is at an all-time high. These cookies are so pretty!
dinner is a sweet potato with melted marshmallows on top. <– can I come to your house for dinner?
Beautiful cookies. I can almost feel one melting now! Mmm, so good!
I love, love, love almond flavored treats! I always sneak almond extract in my buttercream frosting! So these cookies are right up my alley!
My wedding cake icing is almond flavored, and people always love it.
Yum, yum, yum – I love almond extract so much. These look great.
PS: Your dinner sounded great – sweet potatoes are a favorite easy go to for me.
Trust me these are the best cookies ever. I have made them like 6 times and every time I make them they get better and better.