Easy Almond Croissant Cookies (GF Protein Cookies)

Almond Croissant Cookies are a fun confection combining elements of traditional almond croissants in cookie form. This version is gluten free, dairy free, egg free and made with protein powder so you can enjoy a decadent treat while still sticking to your health & fitness goals! These almond cookies are delicious at breakfast with a cup of coffee, as a dessert or simply a quick sweet treat any time of day.

I'm a little late to the almond croissant cookie party, I'll be honest, but when I saw the trend I knew I had to make a protein cookie version. Before I went gluten free almond croissants were one of my favorite sweet breakfasts so the idea of turning them into cookies intrigued me.

Let me tell you, the final product is a true delight! They have a perfectly chewy texture, rich almond flavor and truly have become my new favorite afternoon snack (and yea, I definitely eat them for breakfast too!)

If you're looking for more easy protein cookie recipes, try these Protein Monster Cookies or these Chunky Monkey Protein Cookies. You might also like this Pumpkin Pie Protein Pudding or this Chocolate Protein Mousse too if you're looking for a protein snack that can also double as breakfast.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

It is easy. This recipe uses minimal ingredients and is super easy to bake. There's no fancy homemade almond paste to make, so there's no expert skills needed!

It is delicious. Almond Croissant Cookies are a super fun way to satisfy cravings for the comforting warmth of a croissant and a cookie all at once.

It is better for you. Made with unrefined sugars & protein powder, it's a great recipe to make the next time craving a cookie but also want to stick to your goals.

Almond Croissant Cookies Ingredients & Tested Substitutions

Almond Flour. To make these gluten free and more almond forward, the main base of the dry ingredients is almond flour. I do not recommend trying to substitute it with any other flour or use almond meal in its place.

​Coconut Flour. This is added to the almond flour to give the cookies a nice chewy texture and also should not be substituted.

Unflavored Protein Powder. I use Equip Foods Prime Protein in all of my high protein baking. It is a grass fed beef isolate protein powder and gives baked goods the best texture. If you do not eat animal products, you may use a pea protein blend but I cannot guarantee the texture will be the same, it may be cakier. 

Dairy Free Butter. My favorite brand to bake with is Miyokos Creamery, but Country Crock worked well too. I just like the ingredients in Miyokos much better. If you eat dairy, or tolerate butter, you may use unsalted butter instead. Either way you'll end up with deliciously buttery cookie dough!

Dairy Free Plain Yogurt. Plain yogurt is a great way to replace eggs in baking, especially if you enjoy a chewy cookie. I tested this recipe with Forager Plain Yogurt and with Siggi's Vanilla Coconut Yogurt. I preferred the taste of Forager, since it's truly plain, but the texture of the cookie with Siggi's was a bit more moist & there's the extra protein that is a benefit too. The downfall to using the Siggi's vanilla coconut yogurt was that you could taste it in the final product which I didn't hate but would have preferred not to taste it. 

Coconut Sugar. To keep this recipe refined sugar free, I used coconut sugar. You could use brown sugar instead if you prefer.

Almond Extract. I used just 1 teaspoon almond extract but if you'd really like to bump up the sweet almond flavor, you may increase it by ½ tsp.

Vanilla Extract. I tested this recipe with and without vanilla extract and preferred it with. It just enhances the overall flavor a bit more but you may omit it if you don't have any on hand.

Baking Powder & Salt. Use gluten free baking powder if needed. I prefer to bake with pink himalayan salt or celtic sea salt but kosher salt works as well.

Almond Flakes. Often labeled as almond slices, you'll need these to top your cookies before baking.

Powdered Monk Fruit. For a refined sugar free version, I recommend using powdered monk fruit. If you don't mind the refined sugar then you may use powdered icing sugar instead, both will work.

Almond Croissant Cookies Step by Step Instructions

1. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with a sheet of parchment paper & preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond & coconut flours, protein powder, baking powder & salt. Whisk gently with a fork or whisk to combine and set aside.

3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate small bowl whisk butter, dairy free yogurt & coconut sugar together until smooth. Alternative you can do this is the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer if you prefer.

4. Combine. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry using a silicone spatula. Continue folding and mixing until a smooth cookie dough forms. Note that this process will take a few minutes. The flours are very absorbent but need to be mixed well in order for all of the ingredients to be properly combined.

5. Chill the dough. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the dough to chill.

6. Scoop & form the cookies. Using a cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough balls out onto the prepared baking sheet. You will need to smoosh the cookies gently with your hands as they will not spread out during baking. 

7. Add the almond flakes. Gently press almond slices onto the tops of each cookie before baking.

8. Bake. Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes until the tops are just golden brown.

9. Top with icing sugar. Using a dusting wand or flour sifter, dust the tops of the freshly baked cookies with icing sugar. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet and setting them on a wire rack to fully cool.

Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a 5 star rating and review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!