4.23 251 Published Oct 21, 2023, Updated Mar 05, 2024 The combo of a crisp pecan shortbread cookie paired with the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth powered sugar coating is so delicious and nostalgic!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: You only need six simple ingredients and about 30 minutes to make these cookies! Great texture and taste: They have the perfect cookie texture, with a light crunch from pecans, and of course a lovely coating of powdered sugar. Ideal for any occasion: They’re tasty, such a fun shape and the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray for gatherings, cookie exchanges or as a personal treat. Healthier option: 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!
I personally love this recipe because it’s a family tradition! All the ladies in my family get together to do holiday cookie baking each year and nanny’s crescent cookies are a mainstay. Before my nanny passed, she would always help out by rolling all the cookies in powered sugar for us. And she was a hoot, too! If we were not watching closely she would end up munching on cookies the whole time she was rolling them.
Ingredients Needed
almond flour – my nanny’s traditional crescent cookie recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but over the years I’ve moved away from using regular white flour when baking so I’m using almond flour for these and it works great! 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. confectioners’ sugar – another name for powdered sugar and what we’re using to coat these cookies in. 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.
How to Make Almond Crescent Cookies
Step 1 – 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 – Using a Tablespoon, scoop the cookie dough and roll it into a small log. Place the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat about 1 inch apart. Use your hands to shape the cookies into a crescent shape. 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.
Substitutions
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 sweetner instead of traditional confectioners’ sugar. Almond flour: I wouldn’t recommend substituting a different flour as this recipe was developed for almond flour specifically. Pecans: You can sub in another nut like almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts or leave the nuts out all together.
Recipe Variations
Add more almond flavor: Swap the vanilla extract with almond extract! Add chocolate: Make chocolate-dipped crescent cookies by dipping one side of the cookies in melted chocolate. Use toasted nuts: For a unique nutty flavor toast your pecans in the oven before chopping them. To do this, place your nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast them at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes, watching closely towards the end to make sure they don’t burn.
Tips For Success
Use softened butter: This is important otherwise it’ll be hard to mix your dough. Either let your butter soften at room temperature or place it in the microwave for a few seconds to soften up. Use super-fine almond flour: For the best results, use finely ground blanched almond flour. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill. Coarser flour can make your cookies gritty and may affect how the ingredients bind together. Use finely chopped nuts: Make sure your nuts are chopped into very small bits. Use a sharp knife for this or place the nuts in a plastic, sealed bag and smash them with a rolling pin. Just make sure the nuts don’t turn into a powder! Bake until just golden brown: Pull your cookies from the oven as soon as they start to turn golden brown because they can easily go from golden to burnt! Cool slightly before rolling in powdered sugar: Wait for the cookies to cool slightly before rolling them in confectioners’ sugar. If they’re too hot, the sugar will melt into the cookies. If they’re too cold, the powdered sugar won’t stick as nicely to the cookies. A slightly warm cookie is perfect for a beautiful, snowy coating. Store leftovers in the fridge: Store any leftover cookies in the fridge unless you’re going to eat them in a day or so. I’ve found that this helps the cookies keep a crisp texture and ensures that the powdered sugar doesn’t soak into the cookies.
How to Store
Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. I personally prefer to store them in the fridge as I’ve found that this helps the cookies keep a crisp texture and ensures that the powdered sugar doesn’t soak into the cookies.
Check your butter: Make sure it’s softened, not straight from the fridge, so it combines well with other ingredients. Measure correctly: Too much almond flour or nuts can dry out your dough. Be precise with measuring your ingredients. Don’t under-mix: It may seem dry initially, but keep mixing until the dough starts to stick together. Sometimes, a little extra hand-kneading does the trick. Add moisture if needed: A few drops of almond milk or water can help bind the dough if it’s still too crumbly after mixing well.
Can I Freeze Almond Crescent Cookies?
Yes! You can freeze either the baked cookies or the unbaked cookie dough, making this a great make-ahead Christmas cookie recipe. Here’s how to freeze these cookies:
Freeze baked cookies: Simply place them in the freezer on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper to harden up. Once hard, transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container. They should last in the freezer for 1-2 months and can be thawed in the fridge or at room temperature. Freeze dough: If you’re prepping the dough ahead of time to bake closer to the holidays you can easily store the dough in the freezer. To do this, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to make the cookies, let the dough thaw overnight in the fridge. You can also form the cookies into crescent shapes before freezing and bake straight from the freezer. They might just need a few extra minutes to bake!
More Holiday Cookies To Try
Healthy No Bake Cookies Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies Quinoa Gingersnap Cookies Healthier Snowball Cookies Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Almond Flour Snickerdoodles Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Almond Butter Espresso Cookies Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
Be sure to check out my full collection of Christmas cookies as well as all of the dessert recipes on EBF!
