Easy Dairy-Free Chinese Almond Cookies (almond biscuits) are a homemade version of the classic Chinese-American restaurant favorite.
These almond-topped cookies have a delicate crunch and a delicious almond flavor, making them the perfect dessert to complement your takeout dinner.
While traditional versions are often made with butter or lard, this recipe uses no lard and no butter, so they are completely dairy-free and kosher!
And since these cookies are made with no eggs, they are also vegan!
Best dessert after your takeout meal!
These Chinese almond cookies are simple to make and the perfect finish for your takeout dinner.
The deep almond flavor makes them a unique dessert, and they are great for get-togethers, parties, or even a snack for school or work!
They are made with no lard, no dairy, and no eggs!
So, they are not only vegan, they are kosher too!
You can leave them plain or add a delicious glaze for a little extra sweetness.
What is needed to make Dairy-Free Chinese Almond Cookies?
I hardly ever meal plan, so I like to keep a cupboard full of flour, seasonings, spices, veggies, and canned goods in my kitchen to use whenever the mood strikes.
But these are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last minute!
all-purpose flour
confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
cornstarch
salt
baking powder
dairy-free margarine or other dairy-free butter alternative
almond extract (a good imitation is fine)
whole almonds (half almonds is fine too – this is for the top)
A little about Chinese-American Food
Chinese-American cuisine is a style of Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese immigrants. These dishes significantly differ from traditional Chinese dishes because Chinese-American dishes were adapted to suit American tastes.
Chinese immigrants arrived in the United States in large numbers in the mid-19th century in order to escape the economic difficulties in China, hoping to find work during the California Gold Rush and on the Central Pacific Railroad.
They mostly settled together in ghettos, individually known as Chinatown, and—since there were laws preventing them from owning their own land—they opened their own businesses, such as laundry services and restaurants.
Initially, the family-owned businesses catered to miners and railroad workers, and restaurants were set up in places where Chinese food was unknown. Food was based on the requests of the customers, and recipes were created to suit American tastes using whatever ingredients were available.
One major difference between traditional Chinese cuisine and Chinese-American cuisine is in the use of vegetables. Chinese-American recipes will use raw or uncooked ingredients and those not native to China. Traditional Chinese cuisine, on the other hand, rarely contains raw or uncooked ingredients and often uses Asian leaf vegetables.
While the new dishes were not traditional Chinese, these restaurants were responsible for the development of the ever-popular Chinese-American cuisine.
The little history of kosher Chinese-American Food
Jews (especially those with ties to New York) love Chinese food. So much so that there is a popular joke, which has been passed around for many years, that describes the Jewish dependency on Chinese food.
“According to the Jewish calendar, the year is 5749. According to the Chinese calendar, the year is 4687. That means for 1,062 years, the Jews went without Chinese food.” That was back in 1989, and who knows when the joke even started?
Jews as a group were probably first introduced to Chinese food in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where immigrants of various cultures settled in their own neighborhoods in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
By the early 1900s, there were approximately one million European Jews that lived in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, but there were only around 7,000 Cantonese Chinese, most of whom had moved from California.
Due to anti-Chinese laws and acts, which prevented them from competing with whites, many Chinese had opened restaurants in Calfornia to serve the miners, and they took their businesses with them as they moved east.
The majority of Jewish immigrants at that time were observant in their religion and ate only kosher food when they arrived in New York, but many assimilated and even if they continued to eat kosher at home, they often would eat non-kosher out.
Sunday was a favorite time for eating out, and Chinese food was not only reasonably priced, but their restaurants were open on Sundays.
But Jews who did keep kosher couldn’t eat the delicious and simple Chinese meals. That is until a Jewish, kosher deli owner found a solution.
Using Cantonese Chinese recipes and substituting kosher veal, beef, and chicken livers for pork, Sol Bernstein, began selling the first kosher Chinese food, which became very popular.
Sol continued to sell deli while he incorporated Chinese foods into the menu and did very well. The restaurant continued to prosper until he died in 1992, when it was sold.
Make your takeout at home!
If you eat kosher or otherwise just don’t eat anything made of pork, then you should try these homemade Chinese-American takeout recipes that are pork and dairy-free!
- Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls
- Homemade Duck Sauce
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Vegetarian Egg Drop Soup
- Vegetarian Fried Rice
Easy Dairy-Free Chinese Almond Cookies
Delicious almond cookies, made without butter, lard, or eggs, so they're kosher, dairy-free, and vegan!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup dairy-free margarine or other dairy-free butter alternative
- 1-2 teaspoons almond extract (a good imitation is fine too)
- 1/4 cup whole almonds (one per cookie)*
Instructions
- Whip the margarine or butter alternative and the almond extract together until creamy (scrape it down from the sides of the bowl if necessary).
- Add the flour, confectioners sugar, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder and mix well.
- Remove from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for around 30 minutes.
- Make balls of approximately 2 tablespoon of dough each and place on a lined baking sheet.
- Lightly press an almond in the middle of the ball.
- Place in an oven that has been pre-heated to 400°F and bake for approximately 8 minutes.
- Let cool.
Notes
*You can also use half-almonds--just face them downward.
Optional glaze to drizzle on top if desired:
Combine 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2–3 tablespoons of water and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix until smooth. If you want a thinner glaze, add a little more liquid and if you want a thicker glaze, add a little less warer or a little more powdered sugar.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
18Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 147mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 3g