Chinese Almond Cookies
These Chinese almond cookies are buttery, crumbly, and lightly sweet, with that signature almond flavor and a lucky red dot. Just like the ones you’d spot at restaurants in Hawaiʻi, only fresher… because they’re homemade.
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Chinese almond cookies were a long-time favorite in Hawaiʻi. They always found a way onto the table at Chinese restaurants, or even found their way with the manapua man. In my head, they were the OG “end of meal” cookie, way before fortune cookies became the usual restaurant goodbye.
Grandma’s Oven
My dad still talks about these cookies fresh out of the oven when Grandma made them. He remembers hovering in the kitchen, waiting for that first tray to come out, because warm Chinese almond cookies hit different: buttery (even when there’s no butter), toasty, and so almond-scented the whole house smells like a bakery for the rest of the day.
Out of all the little treats Grandma made, these were his favorite. That crumbly bite, the gentle sweetness, and the kind of cookie that disappears “just from tasting.” If you know, you know.
And when I found this exact recipe in Grandma’s recipe box, I swear it felt like opening a little time capsule with flour on it.
“I’ve been loving and making these cookies my whole life using my grandma’s recipe. It’s a cookie I make every year when we celebrate Chinese New Year.” -Hukilau
What are Chinese almond cookies?
Chinese almond cookies (the ones many of us recognize from restaurants in the U.S. and Hawaiʻi) are crumbly, shortbread-style cookies flavored with almond extract. In Hawaiʻi, it’s super common to see them finished with a red dot, especially during the Lunar New Year season. If you love local-style classics, you will enjoy my Crispy Gau Gee recipe!
History note: the restaurant-style “Chinese almond cookie” most people in the U.S. know today is widely described as part of a Chinese-American restaurant tradition that grew alongside Chinese-American bakery and restaurant culture.
Why You’ll Love these Chinese Almond Cookies
- Straight from Grandma’s recipe box
- Classic crumbly, sandy texture (thank you, shortening)
- Not too sweet so you can snack without sugar overload
- The red dot makes them feel festive and lucky
- Simple ingredients, no fussy steps
Chinese Almond Cookies Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Red food coloring (for the dot)
- Sliced almonds for topping (optional)
If you love simple baking with big payoff, you’ll also like my Butter Mochi and these White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
Ingredient notes:
Should I use butter or shortening? You can use butter but the texture will be different. Butter will make your cookies spread more and be less crumbly.
Suggested Ingredients/Equipment
- Pastry cutter (this recipe’s secret weapon)
- Vegetable shortening (for that classic crumbly texture)
- Almond extract (don’t skip, it’s the whole personality)
- Gel red food coloring (cleaner dots)
- Baking sheets (heavier sheets brown more evenly)
- Parchment paper (optional, easier cleanup)
How to Make Chinese Almond Cookies
Time needed: 30 minutes
Here’s my grandma’s recipe, but with more instructions and updates!
- Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Sift the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Cut in the shortening
Using a pastry cutter, cut shortening into the dry mix until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add egg + almond extract
Pour the beaten egg and almond extract into the flour mixture. Stir until the dough looks like small pieces/crumbs.
- Form cookies
Use your hands to press the dough into one big ball (it’ll feel a little crumbly, that’s normal). Place on ungreased cookie sheet(s).
- Poke and stamp the red dot
Poke each ball with your finger to make a little dip. Dip the end of a chopstick or teaspoon into red food coloring and water, and stamp a dot in the center of each cookie.
- Bake and cool
Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
Storage
- Room temp: Airtight container, 5–7 days.
- Freeze: Store the dough in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw to room temperature. Then bake according to the recipe.
FAQs About Chinese Almond Cookies
Yes. This is a “press-it-together” dough. If it won’t hold when you roll, keep stirring a bit longer, then press firmly with your hands.
You can, but the texture will be different (usually more spread + less sandy/crumbly). If you want the classic restaurant-style crumb, shortening is the move.
Parchment paper is completely optional. If you want an easier cleanup, use parchment paper. Either works.
In Hawaiʻi, the red dot version is super common, especially around Lunar New Year, and it’s often treated as a good fortune detail.
Similar Recipes You Might Love
If you’re building a full Chinese New Year spread, add these next:
- Jai (Buddha’s Delight)
- Gau
- Pork Hash (Shumai)
- Steamed Sweet Rice Cake
- Manapua
- Crispy Wontons (Gau Gee)
- Cold Ginger Chicken
Chinese Almond Cookies Video Tutorial
Chinese Almond Cookies (Hawaiʻi-Style Red Dot)
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Finishing
- red food coloring for stamping the classic red dot
Optional Topping
- sliced almonds optional; press on top after dotting (the red dot is the more common Hawaiʻi-style look)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar, and almond extract until well combined. Then beat in the egg until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix using the pastry cutter just until a dough forms and is crumbly.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop some of the dough and roll the dough into large marble-sized balls and place on the cookie sheet.
- Poke each dough ball with your finger to make a small dip in the center. Then dip the end of a chopstick into red food coloring and stamp (pressing into the dough) a dot in the center of the indent.
- Optional: press an almond (sliced) on top after dotting.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve and enjoy!
