Making almond joy cookies means you can enjoy the sweet dreamy deliciousness of your favorite Hershey’s candy without running to the store. These little babies are like the perfect blend of almond cookies and chocolate chip cookies rolled into one.
Making this almond joy cookies recipe yields some of my favorite fruit cookies of all time which is quite possibly the-perfect-cookie. Actually, they’re not so many cookies as they are tasty little rays of sunshine. These sweet decadent sensations make the day just a little brighter in under 30 minutes because sometimes you just feel like a nut!
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What I Love About Almond Joy Cookies Recipe
Following an almond joy cookies recipe can often yield unpredictable results but this one is super simple. These beautiful little cookies come out moist and pliable and virtually impossible to resist.
Their sweet decadence is perfectly balanced by the nutty crunch of almonds and the chocolate drizzle that puts the joy in almond joy! Here are more great reasons to love them!
- Chewy coconut cookie
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Really easy to make
- Simple wholesome ingredients
- Drizzled in sweet chocolate
Recipe Notes
Making almond joy cookies or even almond joy bars doesn’t take any special equipment, just a few simple techniques and the right recipe. For instance, you’ll have to flatten each cookie with wet fingertips to prevent sticking or you can use a simple hack.
Put all the little cookie balls on the pan spaced 2 inches apart and cover with wax paper. Then gently press the bottom of another cookie pan on top of the wax paper to evenly flatten all your cookies simultaneously. This will also keep them uniform, so they bake evenly.
Ingredient Notes
You are going to absolutely love this almond joy cookies recipe that is fondly reminiscent of that indulgent candy that has survived the ages, but you’ll love eating it even more! Of course, giving these little babies away as gifts is like handing out sweet little happy moments to everyone around you.
Here’s the rest of what you need to know.
Sweetened Flake Coconut –Flaked coconut is larger and wider than shredded coconut and it’ll give your almond joy cookies more substance. If you can only find shredded coconut, that will work too but it may change the texture of your cookies a little.
All Purpose Flour – All purpose flour is just regular ‘ole plain flour. It only makes a difference if it’s bread flour because bread flour has leavening agents in it. The little bit of flour in this almond joy cookies recipe keeps any liquid from settling at the bottom of the cookies.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – This helps develop that sticky chewy coconut texture we’re duplicating from the candy bar we all remember and it’s crucial to the recipe.
Salt – Don’t skip the little pinch of salt. It may seem counterintuitive, but this tiny amount actually reduces bitterness and intensifies the sweet factor.
Chocolate Chips – Oh, here’s the yummy! You’ll need to divide the chocolate chips because half will go in the almond joy cookies recipe and the other half will be melted and drizzled on top to ‘glue’ the almond in place. Choosing semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips is up to you.
Almonds – You’ll need close to 30 whole almonds and nearly a cup of chopped almonds. The chopped almonds add a little extra crunch to this almond joy cookies recipe and if you have the time you can toast them for the added crunch factor.
Storing Tips
Storing your almond joy cookies is easy if you hide them! Seriously though, they’ll stay fresh in an airtight food grade container with a secure lid. I like to slide them into the fridge to speed up the setting process before prepping them for storage since these babies really need to cool on the cookie sheet.
Toss a piece of bread or tortilla in the container to absorb moisture. Bag storage isn’t recommended this time because it can knock the nuts off your cookies.
Can You Freeze This?
Oh yeah, you can freeze ‘em. It may be the only way to save some for later! This almond joy cookies recipe does tend to stay a little sticky so it’s best to freeze them in a single layer.
If you’ve got to double up on the layers, put some wax paper in between to keep them from sticking. You’ll also want to ensure that your cookies cool completely before freezing them.
Make Ahead Tips
I love knowing that I can make this almond joy cookies recipe and enjoy sweet chewy decadence in less than half an hour without ever leaving my house or changing out of my PJ’s. I always make up a big batch of these guys for holiday parties and when family comes to town. Everyone seems to love them, and they don’t take very long at all.
How Long Can You Keep This?
These oh so yummy cookies will stay fresh up to 4 days when stored properly but they’ll get gobbled up long before that. They’ll probably stay good a little longer but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Recipe Variations
Tweaking this almond joy cookies recipe to suit your personal taste is really easy. You can toast the almonds if you have time or use a darker chocolate chip. Since there are chopped almonds in the recipe, you can also experiment with m&m’s on top or leave them off altogether.
Would These Make For Good Christmas Treats?
I love making almond joy cookies and the people around me count of them for Christmas get-togethers. These yummy little cookies make awesome Christmas treats but almond crescent cookies do too.
For something a little easier to decorate you can also make almond shortbread cookies. They are sweet crunchy buttery cookie awesomeness with a little almond.
Can I Add Peanut Butter?
Unfortunately, adding peanut butter to this scrumptious almond joy cookies recipe would change the sweet sticky crave-worthy texture. You could put peanut m&m’s on top instead of almonds or you can make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
For a quintessential holiday cookie with plenty of peanut butter flavor, you can also try making peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Can I Turn These Into Cookie Bars?
Yes! You actually can make moist chewy almond joy bars from this almond joy cookies recipe and they are superb. If they get gobbled up too quickly, you can make some chocolate chip cheesecake bars to serve in their place. Adding some extra substance is easy, just make tasty oatmeal chocolate chip bars instead.
What Other Desserts Can I Make With Almonds?
Almond joy cookies are hard to beat but there are plenty of other delicious desserts you can make with almonds. You can make decadent almond butter cookies that practically cry out for a tall cold glass of milk. Need a companion to serve with them? Whip up a beautiful batch of Italian almond cookies to go with them.
You can also take things in a completely different direction with Chinese almond cookies that are a fantastic crunchy cookie wonder.
What Other Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Can I Bake?
Nothing beats warm soft chocolate chip cookies – except for maybe chocolate chip pudding cookies. My fellow chocolate enthusiasts will agree that chocolate chip cookies are one of nature’s most beautiful and delicious gifts….
Almond Joy Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) bag sweetened flake coconut
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup almonds chopped
- 2 cups chocolate chips divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 24-30 whole almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together coconut, flour, salt, almonds and 1 cups of chocolate chips.
- In a small bowl mix together vanilla extract, coconut extract, and sweetened condensed milk. Stir into coconut mixture.
- Scoop out a golf ball size ball of dough and drop onto prepared cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Flatten cookie dough with your fingers (dip them in water or spray them with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking).
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges of the cookies are golden brown.
- Place the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% for 30 seconds, stir until completely melted. Spoon melted chocolate into a small ziplock. Cut off one corner and drizzle each cookie with chocolate. Top each cookie with one whole almond in the melted chocolate.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely and set. Store in an airtight container.
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More Fruit Cookies Recipes…
Fruit cookies are just a scrumptious part of enjoying the holiday season. While most people love them year-round, they are even more special during the last two months of the year. You can never have too many fruit cookies recipes on hand, so here are a few more for you to put in your arsenal!
- Strawberry Cookies – Super strawberry shortcake with no utensils required!
- Pineapple Cookies – Hop aboard the pineapple express with this sweet fruity cookie.
- Orange Cookies – Reminiscent of the crave-worthy orange creamsicle.
- Lemon Sugar Cookies – Tangy sugar cookies – no refrigeration necessary.
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies – The dreamy flavor of banana bread in a cookie!
Conclusion
These decadent almond joy cookies are the sticky sweet deliciousness of the coconut candy Hershey’s pumps out by the truckload, only you don’t have to go to the store to get it! They make fantastic holiday treats, but they’ll get gobbled up any time of the year!
These scrumptious little chocolate drizzled dreams are so easy to make but they taste like you’ve spent all day in the kitchen. What it really boils down to is that they’re just finger-lickin’ fantastic, especially when you feel like a nut!
So easy and so good! I didn’t do the last step with decorating the cookies with the chocolate drizzle and the almond so instead added a few more chocolate chips and used slivered almonds instead of chopped. I didn’t even flatten them out to cook and they came out great! I love easy recipes and when the results are this good, it’s even better! Thank you for sharing!
You’re so welcome! I’m very happy you enjoy these <3
Can these cookies be frozen if so how long can they stay in the freezer?
Hi Carleen. Yes, they can! Stored in a single layer in a covered airtight container for up to three months. <3
i want to make for Xmas and ship to my daughter , will the chocolate harden or are they to messy to ship?
Hey Mary! Honestly, these wouldn’t be my first choice to mail. That said, the chocolate topping doesn’t have any shortening or corn syrup in it so when it is at room temperature it’s fairly firm. I guess my worry is because the chocolate is piped on as a thin ribbon, it can get soft if it gets too warm. Who know the temperature of the mailroom!!
Can these be frozen?
Hey Anna! Yes they can!
Seriously??? Is each cookie over 2,000 calories????? Thanks!
Ooops! Sorry about the error. We’re having a lot of challenges with our new nutrition program! Will fix that asap <3