Thick, gooey-centered, these levain-style cookies use almond flour for a tender crumb and rich flavor. Gluten-free and naturally sweetened with maple syrup for a classic taste. Take it up a notch with brown butter. I've also included a medjool dates variation with extra fiber and caramel notes.
Why These Cookies Are Special
- Levain-style texture, gluten-free twist: Inspired by the iconic New York Levain cookies, these almond flour chocolate cookies have a tender, moist crumb and that signature thick, gooey center with crisp edges.
- Almond flour advantage: Almond flour naturally spreads less than all-purpose flour, so the cookies stay tall and chewy in the middle.
- Balanced and naturally sweetened: Because almond flour is subtly sweet and rich in healthy fats, you need less sweetener and butter - a win-win for flavor and balance.
- More Nutrient-Dense: Compared to standard all-purpose flour Levain cookie recipes, these almond flour cookies contain ⅓ fewer carbs, ⅔ more protein, twice the fiber, more healthy fats, and less saturated fat.
- Easy, no-fuss method: No need to stress about cold butter, long chilling times, or oversized cookies. You can achieve the same gooey texture with crips edges even with smaller sized cookies.
- Tested with natural sweeteners:
- Maple syrup version - best for the classic Levain-style taste: soft inside, maple aroma and golden-topped.
- Medjool date variation - extra fiber, subtly caramel-like, slightly dense and chewy. It doesn't perfectly mimic the classic Levain taste, but it's still delicious, so I've included it in the recipe notes.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Almond Flour: Provides a buttery, moist base with healthy fats and protein. Measuring accurately is crucial. Best is to weigh the flour, or lightly spoon and level it instead of packing. Too much can make the cookies dense.
- Sweeteners: Some sugar is needed to achieve classic cookie characteristics. Maple syrup adds a distinct maple flavor and just the right amount of moisture for a gooey, bakery-style center. The Medjool date variation (in the recipe notes) blends dates into a paste, adding fiber and natural sweetness with a lower glycemic impact.
- Butter:
- Brown butter adds deep, caramel-like nuttiness and crispier edges. Since the water evaporates during browning, it balances perfectly with the added moisture from maple syrup.
- Regular Unsalted Butter: Classic rich butter flavor with a soft texture. Has more moisture, and works well, but brown butter delivers a more complex taste.
- High-Quality Chocolate: Use a 50/50 mix of chips and chunks for that luscious Levain-style texture.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (50-60% cacao): Hold their shape and result in distinct chocolate pockets. Recommended brands: Guittard, or Callebaut callets. Ghirardelli ok too. Avoid overly sweet chips to balance almond flour's richness.
- Bittersweet Chocolate Chunks (~70% cacao): Chop quality bars into irregular ¼-½ inch pieces for those gooey, streaky melts. Recommended bars: Lindt 70%, Valrhona Guanaja 70%, Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72%, or Scharffen Berger 70%.
- Psyllium Husk: Helps with binding and structure since almond flour lacks gluten. I've not tested these, but you can try to substitute with 2 teaspoons of flaxseed meal or chia seed meal, ¼ teaspoon xanthin gum or guar gum, or ½ large egg white (adds moisture).
- Eggs: Two whole eggs provide enough structure and richness. Additional yolks aren't necessary - almond flour already contributes plenty of fat and moisture.
- Cornstarch: Improves the cookies' structure and tenderness, helping achieve that soft, bakery-style bite.
Step-by-Step Visual Overview
A quick visual guide - the full printable recipe is at the end of this post.
- Brown the Butter: Melt butter over medium heat, cook until golden brown with nutty aroma. Cool before mixing.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: Combine butter, sweetener (sugar + maple syrup), eggs, and vanilla.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: Mix almond flour, baking powder, salt, psyllium, and cornstarch.
- Combine: Stir wet into dry until just mixed; fold in chips (and walnuts).
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate dough 30-60 min.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop dough and shape, arrange on parchment.
- Bake: Until edges are set, centers still soft and tops turn golden.
- Cool & Enjoy: Let cool on pan before moving (they'll firm up).
Baking Science & Technique (Tips)
- Melted butter: Mixing melted butter with sugar instead of solid butter, helps dissolve the sugar.
- Chill the dough: To develop flavor and proper consistency.
- Crisp, Rough edges: Form cookie balls loosely and avoid smoothing the surface. The craggy edges will crisp beautifully during baking.
- Bake at higher temp: Edges should brown while centers stay soft. Almond flour spreads less than wheat flour. For more gooey cookies: bake at 400°F. For slightly less gooey cookies: bake at 375°F.
- Cool on the pan: Cookies are fragile when hot but firm up as they rest, so let them rest for sufficient time before moving.
Cookie Size Guide
Levain-style almond flour chocolate chip cookies are very rich, so smaller sizes are ideal for gifting or portion control. Baking tip: Check cookies at ⅔ of the baking time and adjust as needed, since oven temperatures can vary.
| Cookie Size | Approx. Weight | With Walnuts | Without Walnuts | Bake Time* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Size (Levain-style) | 6 oz | 8 cookies | 7 cookies | 11-15 minutes |
| ½ Size | 3 oz | 16 cookies | 14 cookies | 10-12 minutes |
| ⅓ Size | 2 oz | 24 cookies | 21 cookies | 8-11 minutes |
| ¼ Size (Mini) | 1.5 oz | 34 cookies | 28 cookies | 7-9 minutes |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Blanched almond flour is preferred because it's more readily available and produces a smoother texture. These cookies don't spread as much as all-purpose flour. Using unblanched flour could make the dough even less likely to spread, making the cookies a bit too tall and rounded. With some adjustments, it's possible to use unblanched flour.
Use the correct number and size of eggs, along with psyllium husk, for proper binding. Avoid over-mixing the dough.
Measure butter and almond flour accurately (weight is preferred). Too much almond flour can increase fat content.
Substituting butter with oil can make the cookies greasy.
Allow cookies to cool completely before handling, as warm cookies are very delicate.
You can, but these cookies spread less and stay taller, so thawing the dough to room temperature before baking is preferred for more even results.
Almond flour browns faster than wheat flour. If cookies are browning too quickly, cover them with foil after ⅔ of the baking time. Note that the date-sweetened version can brown even faster, so using foil is recommended.
Classic Levain-style cookies use 300-350 g of chocolate (chips + chunks). I personally prefer 250 g, which balances well with nuts while still giving plenty of rich chocolate in every bite. Since almond flour is already nutty, you can use half the usual amount of walnuts and still achieve a satisfying nutty flavor.
More Chocolate Recipes
- Chocolate Banana Bread (Date-Sweetened)
- Sacher Torte Recipe (Austrian Chocolate Cake)
- Healthy Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (Maple Syrup & Date Variations)
★ DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE IT A STAR RATING BELOW!
Almond Flour Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3½ cups almond flour 360 g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons psyllium husk or 2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter yields 90 g brown butter
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup plus 2 tablespoons if you like it sweeter
- 2 large eggs cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 10-12 oz dark chocolate chips ~2 cups, 300-350 g; use 50% semi-sweet chips and 50% bittersweet chunks
- 2 cups chopped walnuts optional but highly recommended
Equipment
Instructions
- Make Brown Butter: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter foams, the milk solids brown, and it develops a nutty aroma. Transfer immediately to a bowl and let cool 5-10 minutes.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together cooled brown butter, sugar, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking powder, salt, psyllium, and cornstarch.
- Combine & Fold: Gently stir dry ingredients into wet until a soft dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips/chunks and walnuts (if using). Do not overmix after adding chocolate.
- Chill the Dough: Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes to firm up and maintain thickness while baking.
- Preheat Oven: Heat to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Portion the Dough: Divide into 8 large balls (~175 g each) (see notes for smaller cookies). Keep tall and rounded, don't flatten. When forming the dough balls, gently bring the dough together. Do not smooth the edges - the rough surface area helps create the crispy edges.
- Bake: Bake 11-14 minutes (see notes for smaller cookies), until tops are golden, centers are just set, and edges begin to brown. Don't over-bake. Centers will look slightly underdone.Tip: If cookies remain too tall, gently tap them with the back of a wooden spatula at about ⅔ of the baking time to lightly flatten.
- Cool Before Handling: Let cookies cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes, as almond flour cookies are delicate. They will firm up as they rest.
- Storage & FreezingRoom Temp: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If they soften, rewarm in toaster oven at 300°F for 5 minutes.Freeze Dough: Portion unbaked dough into balls and freeze. Thaw at room temperature before baking.Freeze Baked Cookies: Let cool completely, then freeze. Rewarm in toaster oven at 300°F for 5-7 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Recommended serving size: ¼-⅓ of a large cookie.
-
Cookie Portion Guide: These cookies are rich - smaller sizes are ideal for gifting or portion control. You can make 16 medium (½ size) or 24 smaller (⅓ size) cookies.
- ½ size: ~85 g per cookie → bake 10-12 minutes
- ⅓ size: ~56 g per cookie → bake 8-11 minutes
- ¼ size: ~42 g per cookie → bake 7-9 minutes
- Date Sweetened Version:
- Replace maple syrup with 200 g Medjool date paste. Skip the cornstarch.
- Dough may be stiffer and cookies less likely to spread. To help with this you could add an extra egg yolk and use regular butter.
- Gently tap cookies with the back of a wooden spatula mid-bake to help flatten.
- Cookies can brown faster; tent with foil after ⅔ of baking time.
- Use a double pan (stack one baking sheet under another) to prevent the bottoms from over-browning.
- Less Gooey Cookies: chill dough longer, make cookies taller, and bake at 375°F. Bake at 400°F for more gooey cookies (not ideal for date-based cookies as they brown faster).
- Another Shaping Tip for Craggy Edges: For those signature Levain-style tops, start by forming a compact dough ball - especially important for the softer maple syrup dough. Then split it in half, turn around, and gently press the halves back together into a loose ball. Don't smooth the surface - those rough, uneven edges bake into the perfect craggy texture.
- Dietary variations and nutrition insight below.
Nutrition
Dietary Variations
Here are some suggestions, but I haven't tested few of these.
- Vegan: Try dairy-free butter and vegan dark chocolate chips. Substitute eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 6 tablespoons water).
- Dairy-Free: Replace butter with coconut oil or plant-based butter alternatives.
- Less Added Sugar: Try the Medjool date version (see recipe notes) and use bittersweet chocolate.
- Grain-Free: Use the date-sweetened version without cornstarch.
- Nut-Free: Not possible with almond flour, but you could try a sunflower-seed flour blend (not tested here).
Nutrition & Portion Control
These cookies are indulgent yet nutrient-dense - rich in healthy fats, protein, and fiber, though naturally high in calories. A full cookie ranges from 650-700 kcal, depending on mix-ins. For a more balanced treat, enjoy ¼ to ⅓ of a cookie (about 225 kcal), which still offers great satiety compared to traditional Levain cookies.
Almond flour's low glycemic index and high fiber and protein content help slow digestion and steady blood sugar. Nuts and dark chocolate add antioxidants and healthy fats. Brown butter adds great flavor, but also increases saturated fat, so enjoy in moderation.
When portioned mindfully, these almond flour Levain cookies are a satisfying, more nutrient-rich alternative to the classic version, supporting steadier energy and a more balanced indulgence.
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