Learn how to easily make these Chinese New Year staple, flavorful, and crispy on the edge and soft inside Chinese almond cookies. The recipe is eggless doesn’t use butter. Step-by-step instructions included.
Chinese almond cookies are one of the popular Chinese New Year cookies and they are for reasons. They are incredibly easy to make. No fancy tools or anything. You only need one mixing bowl and a baking sheet (and of course the oven!). I love everything nuts (like seriously!). These Chinese almond cookies simply disappeared from the container within days in our house!
The recipe rundown
1. Taste: They are lightly sweet, with a hint of saltiness, and nutty
2. Texture: Crispy on the edge and soft inside
3. Level: Easy
Ingredients
1. Blanched almond flour
I use finely ground blanched almond flour
2. All-purpose flour
3. Icing sugar
Icing sugar will give that smooth and soft texture to the cookies
4. Baking powder
5. Baking soda
6. Salt
7. Cooking oil
I use neutral-tasting oil such as grapeseeds oil, canola oil, vegetable oil.
How to make easy Chinese almond cookies
1. Put all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine evenly.
2. Add the cooking oil
3. Use your clean hand to work into a non-sticky dough
4. Take about one tablespoon (about 15 grams) of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough and place on the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
5. Gently press with your palm to flatten slightly into about 1/2-inch thickness. Place one piece of sliced almond on top.
6. Brush with egg wash
7. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven (3rd rack from the top for me) and bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown
8. Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 1 minute before removing them to a cooling rack to cool down completely
How to prepare cookie dough ahead
1. Prepare according to the instruction up to shaping but don’t brush the egg wash yet
2. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, not touching each other
3. Put in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then transfer to a freezer bag
4. Push all the air out and seal the bag. They can be kept frozen for up to one month for the best result
5. When ready to bake, do not thaw, brush with some egg wash and bake for 5 minutes longer
How to freeze baked Chinese almond cookies
1. Let the baked cookies cooled down completely on a cooling rack
2. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, not touching each other
3. Put in the freezer for about 30 minutes and then transfer to a freezer bag
4. Push all the air out and seal the bag. They can be kept frozen for up to one month for the best result
5. When ready to serve, simply take them out from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.
Did you make this Chinese almond cookies recipe?
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Easy Eggless Chinese Almond Cookies (for Chinese New Year)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 150 gr blanched almond flour finely ground
- 150 gr all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 70 gr icing sugar
Wet ingredients:
- 90 gr cooking oil
Egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water
Decoration (optiona):
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
Prepare the cookie dough:
- Preheat oven to 330 F (160 C). Line a large baking sheet with a parchment paper. Prepare egg wash by lightly beating the egg yolk with 1 tsp water. Set aside
- Put all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine evenly. Add the cooking oil and use your clean hand to work into a non-sticky dough
Shaping:
- Take about one tablespoon (about 15 grams) of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough and place on the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Gently press with your palm to flatten slightly into about 1/2-inch thickness. Place one piece of sliced almond on top. Brush with egg wash
Baking:
- Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven (3rd rack from the top for me) and bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden brown
Cooling down:
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 1 minute before removing them to a cooling rack to cool down completely. Store in the air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 month
16 comments
Wow, I had my doubts because of the simplicity of the recipe but it really worked, and it worked so well, thank you so much for this recipe! Lifesaver if you decide the night before CNY Eve that you need a quick snack for guests,
I’m glad the recipe worked out for you 🙂 It’s quite a hassle-free cookie recipe to make for sure! I hope you and your guests enjoy them 🙂
Hi Marvellina, happy to report I made these cookies in time for CNY! In fact I made 3 batches – almond, cashew and a gluten-free version by substituting rice flour 😄 they all turned out beautifully and very yummy! Thank you and happy lunar to you and your family 😊
Hi Teng, yay!!! glad that they turned out well for you! Noted on the gluten-free version. That’s a great tip for those who need a GF version. Did you substitute with an equal amount of rice flour ?Happy lunar new year to you and your family too!
Yes, exactly equal amount of McKenzie’s rice flour! I was indeed very surprised how well the GF version turned out 😊 thx for new year wishes Marvellina!
Awesome! Thank you for your feedback 🙂 can’t wait to try that myself soon!
Great! This one seemed “better” to me somehow, so I’ll move forward with it for our New Year’s Celebration! Thanks for your quick response.
Have fun baking and I hope they turn out great for you! 🙂
Should I try this recipe or the one on your site titled “Chinese New Year White Almond Cookies?” In that recipe, The total amount of flour, and the ratio of almond flour to all purpose flour is very different, there’s less icing sugar, and there’s no baking soda/powder. Yet it still says it yields the same number of cookies. Is there one that’s more “authentic” than the other? Thanks for any insights!
This is the “traditional” Chinese almond cookies. The white almond cookie is just a modern twist I suppose, not the traditional, but seems to be popular too these days!
Can I check if I should replace cooking oil with butter for better aroma?
Hi Shan, yes you definitely can if you want to.
This are literally the best I ever tasted! Even better than the shops!
I made this for Chinese New Year, and they were polished of the plate in less then 5 minutes! Everyone loved them and it’s hard to believe they are vegan!
So perfectly buttery, almondy,sweet and just the right amount of saltiness. These are the best! I will continue to share them!
Thank you for sharing with us this recipe!! Keep up the good work!
Hi Kelly! yay!! so happy to know that you guys enjoyed them 🙂 I’m so afraid to make these too because I could polish them off myself in one sitting LOL! Thanks again for trying and for your feedback!
Hi Marvellina, I’d like to try to make this, what do you think of adding an egg to the recipe?
Hi Sarah, there are some recipes out there using eggs. This one doesn’t and I haven’t tried it with an egg with this particular recipe. This has a melt-in-your-mouth texture. With the addition of eggs, probably that will change the texture in a different way, soft and chewy I would think, which is not a bad thing too.