These gluten-free almond flour crescent cookies are a healthy take on my nanny’s crescent cookie recipe. Each cookie only has about 60 calories and 2 grams of sugar plus they can easily be made vegan!
Oh my! I think I’ve found my new favorite healthier holiday cookie recipe. I know I say this every year (in 2015 I was hooked on these healthy no bake cookies and last year the whole EBF team was going gaga over these almond butter espresso cookies, but honestly this cookie recipe is near and dear to my heart because it’s a remake of my nanny’s crescent cookies.
This is a recipe we’ve made every single year for Christmas since I was a little girl and I’ve always adored the crispy pecan shortbread texture paired with the sweet and fluffy powered sugar coating.
All the ladies in my family including my mom, sister, nieces and nanny get together to do holiday cookie baking each year and nanny’s crescent cookies are a mainstay. Although she doesn’t make her way around the kitchen the way she used to nanny still has the energy to help out by rolling all the cookies in powered sugar for us. And she’s a hoot too. If we’re not watching closely she’ll end up munching on cookies the whole time she’s rolling them.
Over the years I’ve moved away from using regular white flour when baking so I’m really excited to have a grain-free, gluten-free version of these cookies to enjoy. You’ll notice in the recipe that the cookies can be made with organic butter, ghee or vegan butter. I opted to go the vegan route and used Earth Balance buttery sticks, which worked amazingly well. They’re delicious either way so feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
The best part is that these cookies are a pretty healthy option when it comes to holiday cookies because they’re low in calories, sugar and carbs! Each cookie has about 60 calories, 2 grams of sugar and 3 grams of carbs. Not too shabby!
Plus, they only require one bowl, six ingredients and about 30 minutes to whip up! How’s that for a win-win cookie situation?
If you make these gluten-free almond flour crescent cookies, be sure to leave a comment and star rating letting me know how they turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other readers who are thinking about trying the recipe.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grab an ungreased baking stone.
Mix almond flour, softened butter, 3 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and salt in a small bowl until a cohesive dough forms. It will seem a little dry at first, but just keep mixing. Once combined, mix in chopped pecans. You can use your hands to help mix the pecans in if needed.
Roll tablespoons of the dough into a small log and then shape into a crescent shape. Arrange the crescents about 1 inch apart on the sheet as they will spread a bit. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes or until they start to turn light golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a rack to cool 10 minutes more. Place 2-3 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each cookie until coated. Let cookies cool and enjoy.
Store any leftover cookies in the fridge. I’ve found that this helps the cookies keep a crisp texture and ensures that the powdered sugar doesn’t soak into the cookies.
Category:Dessert
Method:Bake
Cuisine:Cookies
Nutrition
Serving Size:1 cookie
Calories:63
Sugar:2g
Sodium:13mg
Fat:5g
Saturated Fat:2g
Carbohydrates:3g
Fiber:1g
Protein:1g
Keywords: almond crescent cookies, almond flour cookies
I totally agree! I love these cookies cold. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment, I really appreciate it. <3
These are just my style. I love all things almond and these look like they would be great with my morning coffee. And because they are healthy I don’t have to feel bad.
You’re so welcome, Kimberly!! I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks for trying them and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
These cookies were amazing! And so easy.I used regular sugar in the dough and only used powdered sugar on the outside. Next time I’m going to try using almond extract and maybe even some lemon zest. Thank you for this recipe!
A great replacement for shortbread (full of butter and sugar). I’m so impressed with this recipe, how great it tastes and how healthy it is! Even my husband enjoys them, he said they were the best!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Francesca!! So glad these cookies were a hit. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
I AM ADDICTED to these cookies! I am low carb so I used real butter and Monk fruit sugars. The first time I made them I did not have the Monk fruit powdered “sugar” so I used granulated “sugar”-thought they were yum! Next time, I used the powdered in the dough-wasn’t sweet enough. I made several batches using granulated and I think that is the better texture. DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE of baking at 350*😩‼️😂
Thank you for the recipe. It is great.
Used butter and made it in the food processor. Was easy and are delicious. Made them for a friend who needed a low carb sweet snack. Was so nice to be able to make one with out having to test it first. Will be trying more of your recipes. Thanks again.
These are delicious! My dough was a bit more dry and crumbly than in the pictures, and so I had to squeeze them more than roll to get them to stay together. I expected my cookies to completely fall apart, but they didn’t! I used coconut sugar blended with a little arrowroot as an alternative to refined powered sugar, and although they weren’t quite as pretty because the coconut sugar is a bit darker, they tasted great. My whole family enjoyed them.
Today is Christmas. I have chosen this recipe with care. This cookie is the perfect decadent treat for the holiday. Thank you for taking the time to create and post the recipe.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Julieann! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. The reviews are super helpful to other readers, so I appreciate it. <3
Yay!! So glad these cookies were a hit. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. <3
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Bev. I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies and thank you for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
I just made these cookies, where u got the number 23 this recipes yields, I got 14. Tasted on before icing I find them a bit dry. Used regular butter not ones mentioned. Disappointing, since almond flour isn’t cheap.
We made these cookies tonight and they are yummy! Really easy to put together as well. We are a df & gf family so we used Earth Balance sticks. We also used hazelnuts instead of pecans. My mil is German and they remind us of one of her Christmas cookies. Thanks for the recipe 😁
Yay!! I’m so glad you loved these cookies, Lisa. Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. <3
I’ve been heartbroken since finding out I’m highly gluten intolerant, as my favourite cookies are Martha Stewarts almond crescents, these are even better! thank you for such a simple easy to make and absolutely fabulous recipe!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Lise. I’m so glad you found my recipe and enjoyed it. Thank you for leaving a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Ahh I love hearing that, Robin! I’m so glad you loved these cookies. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. The reviews are super helpful to other readers, so I appreciate it. <3
These are DELICIOUS!!!! BEST keto cookies I have had! Mine only made 14 cookies but they were easy so I made a second batch right away. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for sharing.
Ahh I love hearing that, Bev! So glad you loved these cookies. Thank you for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. 🙂
Woo-hoo!! Thanks for trying my recipe, Jessica. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
What type of almond flour do you use?
I used Bob’s Red Mill super fine Natural Almond Flour from whole almonds, so the cookies were darker than what you have on the video. It tastes good, but they were on the dry side as well.
Hey Juliana – I use Bob’s Red Mill almond flour a lot and love it! I’m sorry to hear that your cookies turned out dry. Did you follow the recipe exactly or change anything? If they turned out on the dryer side they might have been overcooked or had too much flour or too little moisture.
Thank you for your reply!
SOOO, I made these for a cookie exchange at work. They felt a little dry when I tried them as soon as they were ready. But I used your trick to store them in the fridge for storage, and took them to the cookie exchange the next day, and they were so good!!! Everyone loved them!! I will definitely make these again!
I had high hopes for this recipe because my granddaughter has celiacs and I was going to surprise her with some gluten free cookies. 20 minute bake time at 325* was way too long and I even dropped it down to 15 minutes. It’s hard to comment on taste because they were over baked and tasted dry, a waste of expensive almond flour. If I make them again, I would try baking them for 8-10 minutes.
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Brilliant recipe. So glad I found this site.
★★★★★
Very good 23 no way
★★★★★
So easy and they taste amazing! Don’t hesitate to give these a try. Thank you for sharing. I will be trying more of your recipes.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed these cookies! Thanks for trying them. 🙂
These cookies were amazing. Kept them in the freezer which helped with not eating them all at once, but the coldness made them taste even better.
I totally agree! I love these cookies cold. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!! Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment, I really appreciate it. <3
These are just my style. I love all things almond and these look like they would be great with my morning coffee. And because they are healthy I don’t have to feel bad.
Delicious, and so easy to make! Thank you for a delicious cookie recipe!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome, Kimberly!! I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks for trying them and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
These cookies were amazing! And so easy.I used regular sugar in the dough and only used powdered sugar on the outside. Next time I’m going to try using almond extract and maybe even some lemon zest. Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies, Antoinette. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
A great replacement for shortbread (full of butter and sugar). I’m so impressed with this recipe, how great it tastes and how healthy it is! Even my husband enjoys them, he said they were the best!
★★★★★
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Francesca!! So glad these cookies were a hit. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
I AM ADDICTED to these cookies! I am low carb so I used real butter and Monk fruit sugars. The first time I made them I did not have the Monk fruit powdered “sugar” so I used granulated “sugar”-thought they were yum! Next time, I used the powdered in the dough-wasn’t sweet enough. I made several batches using granulated and I think that is the better texture. DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE of baking at 350*😩‼️😂
★★★★★
I’m so glad you love these cookies, Sharon!! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating, I so appreciate it. <3
DELICIOUS.Made them and shared with friends. You can’t beat a 4 ingredients,1 bowl, 1 spoon recipe and a quick clean up. Thank you!
★★★★★
Ahh I love hearing this, Teresa! So glad these cookies were a hit! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Thank you for the recipe. It is great.
Used butter and made it in the food processor. Was easy and are delicious. Made them for a friend who needed a low carb sweet snack. Was so nice to be able to make one with out having to test it first. Will be trying more of your recipes. Thanks again.
★★★★★
You’re so welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Gay. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment + star rating, I so appreciate it!
These are delicious! My dough was a bit more dry and crumbly than in the pictures, and so I had to squeeze them more than roll to get them to stay together. I expected my cookies to completely fall apart, but they didn’t! I used coconut sugar blended with a little arrowroot as an alternative to refined powered sugar, and although they weren’t quite as pretty because the coconut sugar is a bit darker, they tasted great. My whole family enjoyed them.
★★★★★
Today is Christmas. I have chosen this recipe with care. This cookie is the perfect decadent treat for the holiday. Thank you for taking the time to create and post the recipe.
★★★★★
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Julieann! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. The reviews are super helpful to other readers, so I appreciate it. <3
These are amazing! I doubled the recipe to make for Christmas for small family celebration. We also had other goodies so a small batch was enough.
★★★★★
Yay!! So glad these cookies were a hit. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. <3
They were easy to make and DELICIOUS! Have made 2 more batches afterwards. Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Bev. I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies and thank you for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3
I just made these cookies, where u got the number 23 this recipes yields, I got 14. Tasted on before icing I find them a bit dry. Used regular butter not ones mentioned. Disappointing, since almond flour isn’t cheap.
We made these cookies tonight and they are yummy! Really easy to put together as well. We are a df & gf family so we used Earth Balance sticks. We also used hazelnuts instead of pecans. My mil is German and they remind us of one of her Christmas cookies. Thanks for the recipe 😁
★★★★★
Yay!! I’m so glad you loved these cookies, Lisa. Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. <3
I’ve been heartbroken since finding out I’m highly gluten intolerant, as my favourite cookies are Martha Stewarts almond crescents, these are even better! thank you for such a simple easy to make and absolutely fabulous recipe!
★★★★★
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Lise. I’m so glad you found my recipe and enjoyed it. Thank you for leaving a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
These cookies were so good, and easy to make. I will definitely make them again, and again,and again.👍
★★★★★
Ahh I love hearing that, Robin! I’m so glad you loved these cookies. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. The reviews are super helpful to other readers, so I appreciate it. <3
These are DELICIOUS!!!! BEST keto cookies I have had! Mine only made 14 cookies but they were easy so I made a second batch right away. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Ahh I love hearing that, Bev! So glad you loved these cookies. Thank you for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. It means the world to me. 🙂
Do these freeze well?
Yes! Just make sure to let them cool completely before putting them in the freezer. 🙂
Just made these and they are DIVINE!!! So so good!
★★★★★
Woo-hoo!! Thanks for trying my recipe, Jessica. I’m so glad you enjoyed them. And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
What type of almond flour do you use?
I used Bob’s Red Mill super fine Natural Almond Flour from whole almonds, so the cookies were darker than what you have on the video. It tastes good, but they were on the dry side as well.
★★★★
Hey Juliana – I use Bob’s Red Mill almond flour a lot and love it! I’m sorry to hear that your cookies turned out dry. Did you follow the recipe exactly or change anything? If they turned out on the dryer side they might have been overcooked or had too much flour or too little moisture.
Thank you for your reply!
SOOO, I made these for a cookie exchange at work. They felt a little dry when I tried them as soon as they were ready. But I used your trick to store them in the fridge for storage, and took them to the cookie exchange the next day, and they were so good!!! Everyone loved them!! I will definitely make these again!
★★★★★
Oh yay!! That’s wonderful news. SO glad they were a hit!! 🙂 Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it!
I had high hopes for this recipe because my granddaughter has celiacs and I was going to surprise her with some gluten free cookies. 20 minute bake time at 325* was way too long and I even dropped it down to 15 minutes. It’s hard to comment on taste because they were over baked and tasted dry, a waste of expensive almond flour. If I make them again, I would try baking them for 8-10 minutes.
★★
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out for you, Jeanne. Did you follow the recipe exactly or change anything?
Amazing !!!
★★★★★
Yay! I’m so glad you tried and enjoyed this recipe, Joan. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and star rating, I so appreciate it. <3
Making these right now, but I didn’t get 23 servings out of the ingredients and I followed it to a tee, only got 16. Cant wait to try them!
Hey Stacy – It just depends on how big you make the cookies. 🙂 Definitely let me know how your cookies turned out!!