These cashew cookies are crispy and chewy. The cookies need just 2 ingredients and don’t require any flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The cookies take only a few minutes to prepare and store well.
A stack of six cashew cookies

These cashew cookies are so simple to make and are great for a snack or dessert. You can also easily customize them.

Ingredients

  • Cashews
  • Maple syrup

Cashews: These cookies are made with raw cashews. The cashews are mixed in a food processor until they become small crumbs. If you need a substitute for cashews, I do have a walnut version.

Maple syrup: A little maple syrup is added to sweeten the cookies, bind the cashew crumbs, and crisp up the cookies. Maple syrup works best for this recipe. Honey retains a lot of moisture and it results in the cookies not crisping up and not binding as well.

How to Make Cashew Cookies

  • The cashews are pulsed through a food processor until they become small crumbs. Be careful not to blend too long because that will result in the mixture becoming oily as it starts to turn into cashew butter.
  • Transfer the cashew crumbs to a mixing bowl and drizzle the maple syrup over them. Use a spatula to stir and mix until the cashew are evenly coated in syrup.Cashews blended in a food processor to small crumbs and then shaped into cookies
  • Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cashew mixture and release onto your prepared baking sheet. Lightly wet the back of a metal spoon and shape the cookie dough into thick round disks, about 1/4 inch thick.
  • Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool fully on the baking sheet so they can set and firm up. Once cookies are fully cooled, you can remove them and enjoy.

A bite taken from a cashew cookie

Expert Tips

  • If you need a nut-free substitute, you can make the cookies with pumpkin seeds. The cookies will be more soft and chewy and will not crisp up as much.
  • You can use a high powered blender, like a Vitamix, to blend the cashews but you do need to be more careful. I found a blender can make the crumbs finer, but it also starts to become cashew butter faster if you blend even a few seconds too long.
  • You can add a little more maple syrup if you don’t find the cookies to be sweet enough.

Cookies topped with cashews and chopped cashews

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5 from 1 vote

2 Ingredient Cashew Cookies

These cashew cookies are an easy snack or dessert. They only require 2 ingredients and don't need any flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil.
Servings: 16 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups (267g) raw whole cashews
  • 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/59ml) maple syrup, or more to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add cashews to a food processor and pulse until they become the consistency of very small crumbs. See photo in post for reference. You should hear the change in sound in the food processor when the nuts are ready (there will no longer be clanging sounds of large nut pieces hitting the blades or the sides of the food processor). Be careful not to pulse too long or the nuts will start to become cashew butter.
  • Transfer the cashew crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle maple syrup over the cashew pieces. Stir with a spatula until the cashew crumbs are evenly coated in the syrup. When you pinch some of the mixture together, it should stick. If the mixture is too dry, you can add a little more syrup. You can also add more syrup if you feel like the mixture isn't sweet enough.
  • Use a 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the dough and release it onto your prepared baking sheet, spacing the dough about 2 inches apart. Lightly wet your hands and press down on each dough ball with the palm of your hand so that it forms a thick round disk (between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick). Lightly wet the back of a metal spoon and use it to smooth and round the edges as needed to form perfectly round disks. The cookies do not change shape when they bake, so shape them how you want the final outcome to be.
  • Bake for about 13-16 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges and on top. Let the cookies cool and set completely on the baking sheet before removing. If you try to move them before they are cooled and set, they will break apart.
  • Cookies can be enjoyed right after they are cooled and set. If not eating right away, make sure to store cookies in an airtight container. If they are left out too long, they may absorb too much moisture and become soft. Store any uneaten cookies in an airtight container for 1-2 days at room temperature, around 3-4 days in the fridge or about 1-2 weeks in the freezer.

Notes

  • The cashew cup measurement is for whole cashews before they are pulsed in a food processor. 
  • The amount of cookies this recipe yields will vary slightly depending on how fine the cashew crumbs are. If the cashew crumbs are very fine, you will end up with less cookies because finer cashew crumbs will result in a more condensed dough. 
  • This recipe works best with maple syrup and not honey. Honey makes the cookies soft and crumbly. I used Kirkland maple syrup.
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 106kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 2mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, NET CARBS: 7
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!