Chewy Almond Cloud Cookies

These Chewy Almond Cloud Cookies are the perfect treat. They have a light and chewy texture with a nutty almond flavor, are made in one-bowl, and are naturally gluten-free.

These French Almond Cookies are easy to make, with just almond paste, sugar, egg whites, and almond extract, and taste so much like almond macaroons! They’re nice and light cookies with a great chewy interior.

If you love almonds, you’ll love these cookies! And you gotta try my Almond Meltaways Cookies, Coconut Almond Meal Cookies (also gluten free), Chinese Almond Cookies, as well as French Almond Cakes.

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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Chewy Almond Cookies

You’ll absolutely love these cookies! I first found them on the King Arthur Flour site. They’re easy to make and so delicious!

These almond cookies are an out of the ordinary cookie, and you know I’m a big fan of usual cookies. Be sure to check out my Brown Sugar Oatmeal Lace Cookies, Gluten free Chocolate Pecan Cookies and Kolache Cookies recipes if you love the more unusual cookies as well.

This gluten-free almond cookie recipe makes a deliciously chewy cookie with great almond flavor that’s perfect for any cookie exchange or holiday party. And they’re a great Valentine’s Day treat! It’s always nice to include cookies that everyone including your gluten-free friends can enjoy.

Almond Paste

So, I said earlier that these were almond paste cookies.

But, is almond paste the same as marzipan? Or, what is almond paste?

Well, almond paste is simply almonds and sugar processed together so finely that they turn into paste. It’s a bit grainy and usually an ingredient in something else rather than a treat on its own.

Marzipan has more sugar incorporated into it, and has a smoother texture and sweeter flavor. It’s often eaten as a sweet treat on its own, made into cute little figures. It melts in baking, making it not a great ingredient for things like cookies.

The two, almond paste, and marzipan, should not be used interchangeably in recipes, as the outcome will not be the same.

How to make

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, blend the almond paste, sugar, and salt until the mixture is uniformly crumbly.

For most cookies I just mix with a sturdy fork. It gets a nice arm workout and I have less to wash. But for these cookies, I recommend using the stand mixer or hand mixer to mix the dough. It’s a pretty thick dough, especially at first.

Add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing to make a smooth paste. Stir in the almond extract.

Scoop the dough with a cookie dough scoop in a tablespoon size onto the prepared pans. A cookie dough scoop is perfect here as the dough is a little sticky. The scoop will also help ensure that your cookies are all the same size and will therefore bake in the same amount of time.

These cookies will spread as they bake so leave a little room around each cookie, about 2 inches.

You should have about 24 cookies.

Dust the cookies generously with confectioners’ sugar. Cover the trays loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate the scooped cookies for 2 hours, or as long as overnight, before baking. 

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Bake the cookies for 18 to 22 minutes, just until they’re brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a rack.

Don’t over bake these Almond Cookies. The time will vary slightly, depending on your oven. You want them to be a light golden brown. Check them on the earlier side of the timing.

Store the baked and cooled almond cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days; freeze for longer storage.

Storage tips

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

Freeze cookies in a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter when you’re ready to eat them.

Variations on the recipe

I think these cookies would be lovely with some flaked or shredded coconut added, about ½ cup. To up the macaroon feeling to them.

Add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips to the dough along with the almond extract for chocolate almond cookies. You could also dip the baked cookies in melted chocolate.

Male Italian pignoli cookies by sprinkling the top of the unbaked cookies with some pine nuts, press the pine nuts in when you flatten the cookies, and bake as directed.

Make a lemon or orange flavored version by using 1/8 teaspoon lemon or orange oil in place of the almond extract. And that makes me think that I’d love them with peppermint oil instead of lemon oil.

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