Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F/175°C.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, egg, and vanilla together.
Stir in the sugar and almond butter until smooth.
Stir in the flour mixture and almonds until combined.
Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough in to balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 1/2 inches apart.
Gently flatten the balls to about 3/4-inch thickness, but don't over-flatten.
Bake one sheet at a time, until edges are set and beginning to brown but centers are still soft and puffy, 9-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for about 2 days (low-fat cookies stale quickly).
The dough can be shaped into balls and frozen on a baking sheet.
Once frozen, transfer to a large resealable bag.
To bake, arrange frozen cookies on baking sheets and bake as directed, increasing the baking time to 14-17 minutes.