Almond Crescent Cookies
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Add as Google Trusted SourceThese almond crescent cookies are buttery, nutty and coated in powdered sugar. Made with almond flour and just 6 simple ingredients, they’re an easy gluten-free addition to your holiday cookie tray!
These almond crescent cookies are a remake of my nanny’s crescent cookies that we’ve made every Christmas since I was a little girl. My version uses almond flour instead of all-purpose flour, with finely chopped pecans and that sweet powdered sugar coating I’ve always loved.
All the ladies in my family get together for holiday cookie baking, and nanny’s crescents are always on the list. Before she passed, she would help roll the cookies in powdered sugar and sneak plenty of bites along the way! Making these brings back those memories every year.
If you love baking with almond flour, check out more of my almond flour recipes.
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“I think these are delicious! They are just like the ones my mom made when I was a girl, but they are so much better for me. Thank you!!!!! Yum! “
Why I Love These Almond Crescent Cookies
- Just 6 ingredients: A short ingredient list and only 10 minutes of prep before these cookies head into the oven.
- Buttery and nutty: Finely chopped pecans add a little crunch, while powdered sugar gives each cookie a sweet finish.
- Naturally gluten-free: These cookies use almond flour without any all-purpose flour.
- A holiday favorite: Their crescent shape and snowy coating make them a fun addition to cookie trays, exchanges and homemade gifts.
Ingredients Needed
- almond flour – use finely ground blanched almond flour for the best texture. This recipe was developed specifically for almond flour, so I don’t recommend swapping in another flour.
- softened organic butter, ghee or vegan butter – I used Earth Balance buttery sticks to make these vegan/dairy-free, but feel free to use regular butter or ghee instead. Just make sure to use unsalted butter.
- powdered sugar – also called confectioners’ sugar. You’ll use some in the dough and the rest to coat the baked cookies.
- vanilla extract – the perfect flavor enhancer for these cookies.
- salt – brings all the flavors together!
- pecans – make sure to grab raw pecans and chop them up finely! Since these cookies are on the smaller side we don’t want huge chunks of nuts in there.
Substitutions
- Pecans: You can sub in another nut like almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts or leave the nuts out altogether.
- Powdered sugar: To make these almond crescent cookies lower in sugar and carbs you can use a product like Swerve confectioners’ sugar or powdered monkfruit sweetener instead of traditional confectioners’ sugar.
How to Make Almond Crescent Cookies
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Mix almond flour, softened butter, 3 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a large bowl until a dough forms. It will seem a little dry at first, but just keep mixing! Once combined, mix in the chopped pecans. You can use your hands to help mix the pecans in if needed.
Step 2 – Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough, roll it into a small log and gently curve the ends into a crescent. Arrange the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 3 – Bake the cookies for about 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.
Step 4 – Place 2-3 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each cookie until coated. Let cookies cool and enjoy.
Tips For Success
- Start with softened butter: Let your butter soften at room temperature so it mixes easily into the dough.
- Chop the pecans finely: Small pieces are easier to incorporate and help you shape the dough into crescents.
- Watch for light golden tops: Start checking near the end of the baking time and remove the cookies when they begin to turn light golden brown.
- Let them cool before coating: Follow the cooling times before rolling the cookies in powdered sugar so they’re easier to handle and the coating doesn’t melt into them.
Troubleshooting Crumbly Dough
The dough can look dry when you first start mixing. Before making any adjustments, try these steps:
- Keep mixing: Give the ingredients time to come together, using your hands to gently work the dough if needed.
- Check the butter: It should be softened enough to blend easily with the other ingredients.
- Check your measurements: Double-check the almond flour and pecan amounts against the recipe card.
How to Store
Let the cookies cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.
- Room temperature: Store for 3–4 days.
- Refrigerator: Store for up to 1 week. I like keeping mine in the fridge for a crisp texture.
- Freezer: Store the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
More Holiday Cookies To Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Almond Crescent Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely ground blanched almond flour
- 3 Tablespoons softened organic butter, ghee or vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
- 5-6 Tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup raw pecans, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Mix almond flour, softened butter, 3 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and salt in a mixing 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.1 cup finely ground blanched almond flour, 3 Tablespoons softened organic butter, 5-6 Tablespoons powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅓ cup raw pecans
- Using a tablespoon scoop the dough and form into a small log 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.
Video
Notes
- Powdered sugar: To make these cookies lower in sugar and carbs you can use a product like Swerve confectioners’ sugar or powdered monkfruit sweetener instead of traditional confectioners’ sugar.
- Pecans: You can sub in another nut like almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts or leave the nuts out altogether.
- Storage: Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Yummy! I tried the cookie before rolling them in the powdered sugar and enjoyed them plain as well. These are delicious. I’ve tried using stevia drops to sweeten a similar cookie, and might try with these later on. Mine single batch yielded 12 small cookies, so double the batch if you want to store up a few after sharing. Thank you for sharing your recipe! 🌸
Yay! I’m so glad to hear you loved this recipe, Chaundra! Thanks for sharing your tips and leaving a review, it means the world to me. If you try the stevia drops let me know how they work out for you!
Can I use swerve confectioners sugar in place of powder sugar?
These cookies were delicious and a BIG hit with health-foodies and sugary-sweet lovers alike.
I had a bit of trouble with getting the size small enough so that they would not get too puffy and lose their shape. I also had a bit of trouble with the cookies collapsing.
However, after making the cookies smaller and reducing the time down to 16 minutes, I finally had cute looking cookies. However, ALL of them were delicious, no matter their shape. I would highly recommend this recipe and will be making them again.
Made this for a family Christmas gathering to have a gluten free cookie available and wow they were a huge hit! I doubled the recipe and none are left! I did have to just get into the dough with my hands to get it to mix/hold together enough.
Happy to hear you enjoyed these almond crescent cookies, Amalia!
Used a 1/2 tbsp scoop to make more cookies out of one batch after reading some of the comments and they’re just the right size. Subbed olive oil for the butter to keep it dairy free and they turned out fantastic!
I baked mine in convection oven for about 12 min instead. I used a cookie scoop to portion and I ended up making about 12 cookies! Great sub to the traditional almond crescent cookies. Only downside, I already know I will need to make more before christmas. I used a coffee grinder to grind my pecans and it really helped them bind together!
Woo!! Happy to hear these cookies were a hit, Ellen. Love that you used your coffee grinder for the pecans, what a great idea. Thanks so much for the review!
These are so delicious! Going to make a second batch now 🙂
Love these cookies. I baked mine for 17 minutes instead of the 20 and they were perfect.
Happy to hear you enjoyed these cookies, Kathy. Thank you for the note on the baking time and for your review. I really appreciate it!
Made these for a friend who is can’t eat gluten. She and her family loved them and asked for the recipe. The entire batch was gone by the end of the evening. 🙂
Ah yay! Happy to hear these almond crescent cookies were a hit, Noel! Thanks for the review :).
Have made these and they are soooo good and delicious the one thing I’m not sure about is why mine are browning and not staying light like yours?
I have them on the same temperature as you have suggested and we use Celsius which is 190 degrees Celsius also they are still crumbly at 20 minutes so I leave them a bit longer as they fall apart. Please help 😔
Hey Angela, sorry to hear you’re having troubles with this recipe. Sounds like your dough is dry. Maybe try adding a splash of milk to the dough if it seems to dry? And it sounds like they might be overcooked if they are browning in the oven. Maybe try cooking them for less time?
Hi Brittany, Thanks for your reply, my dough doesn’t feel dry and the 20 minutes time they feel very soft and under cooked, do they stay firm once they cool down if I don’t bake them further? We love them and enjoy them with our coffee.
Thanks in Advance.
Hi Angela,
I think the temperature should be 160 Celsius at 325F not 190 Celsius. Maybe that’s why they were browning too much?