Nutty, sweet with a touch of bitter dark chocolate, these Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies are a perfect Holiday treat. Made wholegrain and without refined sugars, these healthy cookies are guilt-free and super yummy. Easy to make too!
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There are a few cookies you can find every year on my Holiday tray. Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies, Honey Cinnamon Cookies and of course, crescent cookies. All these cookies are very popular with my boys and a must-make every Holidays. But there's a favorite even among these delicious bunch of cookies. Yes, there is.
My boys just love my Crescent Cookies. Perfectly flavored, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and incredibly nutty, Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies are popular for a reason. Sweet and incredibly delicious, dipped in dark chocolate, these cookies are a total win!
This year, with no exceptions, I made a few trays of these delicious cookies way before Christmas festivities even started. And guess what?! They already disappeared from the cookie jar.
It's a classic recipe that my Grandma used to make, but I reinvent it — making it healthier without sacrificing any taste and deliciousness. Plus, they are super easy to make with just a few simple HEALTHY ingredients, which is great for busy cooks who want to make a bunch of cookies and have little time.
Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies ingredients
To make these delicious crescent beauties, you'll need just a few basic ingredients:
- WHOLE GRAIN FLOUR: I used whole grain Spelt flour here. It is one of the staples in my pantry. I use it often in my baking as a substitute for all-purpose wheat flour. Spelt flour is an ancient grain with a nutty and mildly sweet taste. It’s packed with nutrients – especially fibers.
- GROUND ALMONDS: Almond are nutty, flavorful and so nutritious too. They are perfect addition to cookies.
- SWEETENER: To sweeten these crescent cookies, I used pure maple syrup. You are welcome to use honey if you like. Maple sirup gave subtle sweetness yet didn’t overload cookies with much added sugar calories.
- COCONUT OIL: I like to use unrefined extra virgin coconut oil because it’s full of nutrients and adds a really nice light flavor to the cookies.
Other pantry ingredients you need:
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Cacao powder
How to make Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 356F (180C). Line big baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare and measure all ingredients using measuring cups.
- In a small mixing bowl, add 1 cup whole grain flour and 1/2 cup ground almonds. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix everything with a spatula.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 egg until fluffy using an electric mixer. Add in 2 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil, 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix everything until well combined.
- Add in dry ingredients mixture and continue to mix using an electric mixer until the dough is formed.
- Using a teaspoon, grab the piece of dough and form it into a log. Bend into a crescent shape and place it on a parchment paper onto the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies until they are slightly golden on the edges, for 12-15 minutes. Watch very carefully; don't over-bake cookies. They should be somewhat soft to the touch when you got them out of the oven.
- Get the cookies out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make dark chocolate cacao dip: In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, 1 tablespoon cacao powder and 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey. Use the whisk and mix it until you get nice and even texture.
- Dip each cookie in a cacao dip and place it on a wire rack for dark chocolate to harden.
Tips for storing
- Store layered between waxed paper in an air-tight container or cookie tin for up to two weeks.
- Place in a zip-lock bag and freeze up to three months. Thaw on room temperature before using it.
The combination of flavors turned this crescent cookies into fantastic delicious treat. When you take a bite, first you feel a bitterness from the dark chocolate, and then suddenly you are overwhelmed with sweetness and nuttiness. It's completely addictive feeling that makes you want eat more and more and more.
Enjoy and have a healthy holidays!
Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole grain flour I used Spelt flour
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil melted and cooled
- 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For dark chocolate dip:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 356F (180C). Line big baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare and measure all ingredients using measuring cups.
- In a small mixing bowl, add 1 cup whole grain flour and 1/2 cup ground almonds. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix everything with a spatula.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 egg until fluffy using an electric mixer. Add in 2 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil, 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix everything until well combined.
- Add in dry ingredients mixture and continue to mix using an electric mixer until the dough is formed.
- Using a teaspoon, grab the piece of dough and form it into a log. Bend into a crescent shape and place it on a parchment paper onto the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies until they are slightly golden on the edges, for 12-15 minutes. Watch very carefully; don't overbake cookies. They should be somewhat soft to the touch when you got them out of the oven.
- Get the cookies out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make dark chocolate cacao dip: In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, 1 tablespoon cacao powder and 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey. Use the whisk and mix it until you get nice and even texture.
- Dip each cookie in a cacao dip and place it on a wire rack for dark chocolate to harden.
Notes
STORING: Store layered between waxed paper in an air-tight container or cake carrier for up to two weeks. Place in a zip-lock bag and freeze up to three months. Thaw on room temperature before using it. As a measure, I used US cup (240ml). Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but I have endeavored to be as accurate as possible.
Nutrition
More healthy Holiday recipes to try
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This recipe is first published on Natalie's Health blog Dec 22, 2015.
I love that you took your grandma's recipe and just gave it a healthy twist. That's so awesome!
All of my favorite flavors packed into one cookie..Almond, vanilla and bitter sweet chocolate ..YES!!! I love everything about these and they are super cute. These will be a perfect addition to my cookie tray!
I made these with the kids over the weekend and they loved being in the kitchen and cooking these little bites! They didn't even realise they were on the healthier side!
They want make another batch to leave for Santa!
I just love these little cookies! The almonds and maple syrup add such nice flavor. Thanks so much for sharing!
Yum! These look so cute! Perfect for Christmas!
I’m so down for a cookie right now. Wish I saw this earlier. I would have made these!!
These cookies are so unique. They look so delicious. I will make these with my daughter over the holidays.
In love with the healthier-choice ingredients in here. I'm always looking for vegan cookies for around the holidays, and these adorable cookies came out delicious. Just put them in the cookie boxes!
wow i never seen anything like this!Definitely going to try! I think, my family would love it:)
I love Almond cookies so these are right up my alley. They sound so divine.
These cookies are beautiful! I am sure these would make great Christmas gifts!
I have just bought spelt flour for another recipe, will definitely be using some for these!
These are so cute! Made them for our cookie exchange and everyone loved them! Thanks!
I've never seen cookies like this before. But they do look and sound delicious and something fun to make with my daughter over the holidays. I will have to try these out.
I'll try this for Christmas dinner! I'm also struggling to a healthier lifestyle here. I've even start running with SportMe marathon training app and I'm on the right track. Nutrition is another important part of my losing weight plan, and your blog posts help me stay motivated.
These crescent cookies look so tasty! I have never used spelt flour before, but am intrigued. I love that the only sweetener used is maple syrup, these will be perfect to make with my kids!
Vanilla Almond Crescent Cookies look and sound delicious. I am adding this recipe to my cookie list. Thank you.
pure maple syrup you say? interesting! i never thought of using syrup for cookies. thanks for tip. joy
Those cookies look delicious. We have a party coming up next week and I want to prepare this for the kids
These cookies look so delectable! I would love to try making them (not sure if they would look as good as yours though)
These looks so good! I might try these this week, thanks for sharing!
You bake so many wonderful cookies! These look super delicious and inviting! You know I am adding these to my baking recipe list!
I wonder if these would work with an almond flour? Sometimes it doesn't hold together. They are so adorable.
You can substitute ground almonds with almond flour. No problem there. Enjoy :)
those are super cute and seem super easy to make. i'm going to have to try these out.
Such a cute shape of a cookies and I am sure that these are really delicious. I will definitely try making this recipe for my kids.
They look absolutely delicious! My list for Xmas isn't ready yet and I think I might prepare the almond cookies too:))
Nnniiiccceeeee....your crescent-shape of presentation is one I love a lot! I wanna try out a couple of these cookies.
These cookies look so cute and festive! Perfect for gift giving or potlucks over the holidays! :] Can’t wait to try them!
Perfect for entertaining and for the festive period. I have loads of invites so these cookies will be absolutely great to share. Thanks so much for sharing!
The shape of these cookies are so cute! I Can't wait to whip these up for Christmas.
I love anything with chocolate especially if it is paired with almonds. These vanilla almond crescent cookies will make a great addition to my cookie exchange.
Vanilla and almond is a great flavor combination. These cookies look divine and I can't wait to share them.
These cookies look and sound so good! What a pretty holiday treat :)
These look heavenly! Definitely adding these to my baking line up for the season! Looks too good to pass up!
These look so delicious! Perfect for this time of year with all the cookie parties!
Vanilla and almond - such a classic combination! Chocolate too? I'm in!
Those look good! I'm always looking for healthy recipes that I can make for my family and friends that they will also enjoy eating.
These are some super-delicious cookies! I may have to make a double batch so I can have a couple!
Yummy! Such an easy and tasty recipe. Thanks for sharing! :)
Once again you've made my kind of cookies. Your ingredients definitely get the thumbs up from me. I'm not sure I could quite say they'd be guilt free, because I suspect I'd eat way too many of them. They look really pretty and sound delicious.
These look so festive! Perfect to go with coffee or hot cocoa this season.
These are so cute! We love almond anything so will be making a batch for Christmas!
This cookies look so addictive. I am sure you could not have just one. I can not wait to make these an add them to my Christmas cookie platter.
Wow! These look amazing! And the look very similar to a cookie my grandma use to make when I was a kid!
These cookies look amazing!
I remember cookies like these when I was a child. I am pretty sure my mother made something similar. I'll be over for morning tea!
These little crescents are exactly the kind of treat I love at the holidays! And that chocolate dip? Hello!!!
I loved the combination of flavors in these cookies!!! I would love to have these with my black coffee right now!!
Those cookies look perfect for dipping into hot tea! I love the flavors of vanilla and almond together. Thanks.