This recipe for Almond Joy Cookies is inspired by a gourmet cookie sold in the bakery section of a large grocery retailer. They feature all the flavours of an Almond Joy chocolate bar with almonds, chocolate and lots of coconut.
I discovered Almond Joy Cookies at Winn Dixie in Florida. They really do taste like an Almond Joy. But, you get 9 cookies for $5.99. Yes, they’re delicious and yes, they’re larger cookies. But I figured why not make my own. I wish I could say it was easy. I made batch after batch, much to my friends’ and neighbours’ delight! Or joy, pardon the pun.
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I was so close but there was something missing. Mr. H was sampling yet another version along with the original and said, you know, the real ones have this taste that reminds me of the icing on fruit cake. It was then I realized that Marzipan icing contains almond extract. He cracked the code! I did use the ingredient list on the package to decide what to include and how much. But the last few on the list were the ones you ignore because they’re usually chemical preservatives, but there it was. N & A Flavoring. (spelled without the “u” because it’s an American product). Natural and artificial flavour. Almond extract was the missing link.
The original grocery store cookies are on the left and my version are on the right. Like a total food nerd, I weighed every ingredient and made sure they were in the same order by weight as the ingredients on the store bought package. Did you know that? Ingredients are listed in order of weight, not volume. Otherwise I’d be trying to make cookies with twice as much sugar as flour.
I did have to make a few executive decisions when finalizing the ingredients and amounts. The store bought cookies contain both butter and margarine. My goal was to make these cookies taste as good as (or better than) the Winn Dixie version without overcomplicating the recipe. So this recipe contains just butter but feel free to use margarine instead.
The ingredient list also included invert sugar which is similar to corn syrup. Since it’s a very small amount, and an ingredient that many people don’t keep on hand, I left it out. Taste testers all said they preferred my version because it wasn’t as sweet. And of course I didn’t worry about modified food starch or preservatives. But just in case you’re wondering, I didn’t forget to include leavening agents. There just aren’t any indicated on the packaging so there are none in the recipe.
These cookies contain Hershey’s Mini Kisses. They aren’t the ones that are individually wrapped, they’re just a larger chocolate chip. If you can’t find them, regular milk chocolate chips will do. But I do like that bigger hit of chocolate! Blanched sliced almonds have the skin removed. They look best for presentation but regular sliced will work too.
Almond Joy Cookie batter benefits from a short visit to the fridge for somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes. Chilling just helps firm up the mixture and prevents too much spreading during baking. In fact, I actually ended up pressing the dough slightly so it spread enough to be a cookie shape and not a lump like a coconut macaroon. Not that that would’ve been a bad thing!
I recently read that some ovens may not have reached their full temperature after preheating, and the author suggested waiting another 10 minutes or so. If you feel like experimenting with that theory, wait until the preheat is finished, then scoop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Or sheets. Use about 2 heaping tablespoons of batter per cookie and gently press with the back of the spoon before baking.
Your cookies will have a nice golden crispy edge and a softer chewy interior.
If you make Almond Joy Cookies, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¼ cups sweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup blanched almond slices
- ½ cup Hershey's Mini Kisses
Instructions
- Cream together butter and sugar using stand or hand mixture until fluffy and sugar is dissolved. Add egg and almond extract and mix just until combined.
- Sift flour and salt. Add to mixer and beat on low until just combined.
- Stir in coconut, almonds and mini kisses.
- Refrigerate batter at least 30 minutes, up to 60.
- Preheat oven to 325° and set rack in centre position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and press gently to slightly flatten on baking sheet. Continue with remaining dough, leaving enough space for spreading. If required, use 2 baking sheets.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes or until edges are browning and tops are slightly golden.If using 2 baking sheets, either bake in batches or use 2 oven racks near centre and rotate racks and turn sheets at halfway point.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before carefully moving cookies to a cooling rack.
OMG, I can’t wait to try this. The only ingredient I don’t have on hand is the almond slices.
Well run out to the store and get some! You’ll love these!
I’m giving this a 5 out of 5 and I haven’t tried yet! They look so good! 😋
They are good, if I do say so myself!
I’m for sure going to try these. They sound so yummy!
And ONLY 147 calories each. haha. Sorry.
These turned out great. I tried the 2 Tblsp scoop and then my larger scoop which is 1/4 cup. Mine needed 15 minutes. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad you liked them!