These amaretti cookies are an Italian cookie perfect for the holidays. The outside of this almond cookie is slightly crisp and the inside is soft and chewy.
Love Italian cookies? Try our scrumptious mini almond biscotti as well.
Amaretti cookies have an undoubtedly unique texture. This chewy almond cookie not only tastes amazing but is gluten-free as well.
Amaretti cookies
Amaretti cookies are often made with amaretto (almond liqueur). I’ve tried to make them with and without amaretto. I personally prefer them with almond extract. Its also a lot easier to find almond extract over amaretto liqueur.
What are Amaretti cookies?
Amaretti cookies are an Italian gluten-free cookie made of egg whites, sugar, almond flour, and almond extract.
There are two types of Amaretti cookies; the soft kinds and the hard kinds.
- The soft version is also known as amaretti morbidi. They are very chewy.
- The crispy type is made the same way but held in the oven longer to obtain a crunchier texture.
Ingredients you’ll need to make them
- egg whites
- almond flour
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
- powdered sugar
How to make amaretti cookies
This is a quick rundown. For the full recipe, scroll down to the printable recipe card.
- Separate the egg whites into a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and beat them with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Sift almond flour and sugar together.
- Add a third of the almond-sugar mixture and fold it in with a spatula. Then pour in the vanilla extract and almond extract.
- Continue adding the second third of the almond mixture. Then and fold it in again. Sift in the last third and fold it in once more.
- Scoop the dough and roll it into granulated sugar. Then roll the dough ball into powdered sugar. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly press each cookie with your hand. Bake for 25 minutes at 325°F.
How to make them Low carb
Amaretti cookies are already gluten-free so why not make them keto too right?? There is a simple way to transform these bite-sized treats into a low carb cookie! Just switch the sugar for a sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit, erythritol, or my favorite is a blend of monk fruit and allulose.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of almond flour?
Unfortunately, you cannot use all-purpose flour in place of almond flour. You can make almond flour yourself by very finely ground blanched and dried almonds, then sifting it so you have a fine flour.
Can I make them ahead of time?
Yes you can! Amaretti cookies can be frozen before they are baked. So make the cookies up until they are ready to go into the oven, then place them on a baking sheet, and freeze them for 1 hour. Then transfer to a ziplock bag. And keep frozen until ready to bake. To bake them after freezing, let them thaw for 30-60 minutes then dust with fresh powdered sugar before baking. Bake at the same temperature and time as the original recipe.
Watch a VIDEO on how to make them here!
Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients
- 5 eggs whites
- Pinch salt
- 4 1/2-5 cups almond flour (depending on size of eggs) I find that 5 cups works best
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp almond extract (I prefer 2 tsp)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 powdered sugar
Instructions
- separate 5 egg whites into a bowl then add a pinch of salt.
- using an electric mixer beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Set that aside and sift 5 cups of almond flour with 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar into a bowl.
- Add about 1/3 of the almond flour mixture into the egg whites and fold it in gently with a spatula.
- Now go ahead and add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tsps of almond extract. Then quickly fold it in.
- Add the second third of the almond flour mixture to the egg whites and gently fold it in again.
- Sift in the remaining third of the almond flour mixture and fold it in one last time. at this point, the cookie dough should have a thick paste like texture.
- Scoop out mounds of the cookie dough and place them into a plate of granulated sugar. Roll the scoop of cookie dough into the sugar, then take it into your hands and round it out to a ball.
- Drop the ball into a bowl of powdered sugar and evenly coat it.
- 10. Place the cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly press each cookie with your hand. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
Notes
- Chocolate Espresso Macarons- Coffee flavored macarons sandwiched between chocolate ganache.
- Easy Meringue Cookies- Quick vanilla meringue with chocolate cream and berries on top.
- Chocolate Meringue Cookies- Chewy and chocolatey cookies with chopped walnuts.
Nutrition
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geoff says
this is my second attempt at amaretti, and this recipe has a few extra steps over the other recipe i followed. my italian friend who has a a popular restaurant in bologna would be proud of me – this is just divine. i just noticed that you use almond flour – which in australia is much finer than almond meal, which is what we would use in this. so i don`t know if we were using the same thing there. anyway, I ran with 400g almond meal and 300g caster sugar (granulated), and the rest from the recipe. video was a great help too :). i don`t need to look for another amaretti recipe –
cheers.
Dina says
Hi Geoff 🙂 Glad to hear you found my Amaretti cookie recipe and it worked out perfectly for you! Always happy when my recipes will be on repeat in homes! Thank you so much for your feedback and support! 🙂
Renee says
I have not made these cookies yet but plan to do it soon. I want to know how much Amaretti de Sarona liquor to use instead of the almond extract?
Thank you
Dina says
Hi Renee 🙂 I have not tried using that liquor in place of the almond extract so I am not sure about the quantity of it. If you give it a try please let me know how it goes! 🙂
Harry Peli says
Have you tried using alternative sweeteners? the low carb,? There is a lot of different verities to try.
Dina says
Hi Harry, I haven’t tried using different sweeteners myself. However, a few people have made these amaretti cookies using different sweeteners and they said it worked out. If you give it a try let me know how it goes! 🙂
Jacki says
What are the cookies like if you don’t sift the almond flour? I tried but it was taking way to long in the sieve I have. Are the cookies different? Thanks.
Dina says
Hi Jacki 🙂 I have not tried making this recipe without sifting the almond flour so I am not too sure. If you don’t sift the flour you may get little lumps of the flour in the cookie. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Teresita says
Great recipe! I had a few egg whites left ,after making Spaghetti Carbonara, and this was a great day to use them. They were delicious!
Dina says
Thank you, Teresita! Glad to hear you loved these amaretti cookies! A great way to use leftover egg whites! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog to enjoy! 🙂
Martha McGuire says
These are absolutely DELICIOUS cookies. Not that hard to make, chewy and full of rich, almond flavor. I just LOVE them. Psst – don’t tell WW…
Dina says
Hi Martha 🙂 So awesome to hear that you found these amaretti cookies so delicious! They are one of my favorite cookies! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback! And don’t worry… I won’t tell anyone 😉
Jen says
I’m dying to make these for Passover as they’ll be Kosher! If I make them ahead of time, what is the best way to store them and how long so they keep?
Dina says
Hi Jen, I always store them in an airtight container for 5-7 days. I love the oxo pop containers 🙂
Grace says
If I wanted to flavor these as lemon, would you suggested adding lemon flavor on top of the almond and vanilla extract or in lieu of on or both of the extracts? Also if I wanted to dye these would I need to take out an equal part of another liquid or do you think it shouldn’t make a huge difference?
Dina says
Hi Grace, if you were to add lemon extract, I would keep the same amount of vanilla extract but omit the almond extract. If you dye these cookies, I would recommend using a powdered dye or a gel one. They are always the better option for baking. Since they’re very pigmented without adding too much liquid to offset the recipe. I hope that helps answer your question 🙂
Susan says
The easiest cookie there ever was. My recipe is even easier. I make them weekly, plus mine use the yolks too and there is no difference in how they turn out or taste. Sugar of choice here is icing sugar. 350 for 15 minutes.
Dina says
I am glad you love this recipe Susan!😊
Madeline says
Made these exactly as written and they are AMAZING. I just heard about these cookies while watching the Sopranos and can’t believe I hadn’t heard of them before. This will now be one of my go-to cookies
Dina says
Wow Madeline, I am so glad that you stumbled upon my recipe! They are such delightful cookies. My family loves them so much too!
Kathy F says
I made these for a friend who needs to be gluten & dairy free. She loved them. The surprise came when my husband tried 1, then 2, them more! He said it’s his new favorite cookie!
Dina says
Wow Kathy that is amazing! I love reading reviews like this! Thank you so much. 🙂
Jenny says
I’ve made these twice and think your recipe is fabulous! I always loved the paper wrapped amaretti cookies but they are so expensive. These cookies do not disappoint! I also like your discussion about how these cookies can be crisp or chewy. Each choice is great with a cup of coffee.
Dina says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Jenny! I really appreciate you taking the time to write your recipe review!
Donna R. says
Loved them!
Dina says
Thank you so much Donna, I am happy that you enjoyed these Amaretti cookies 🙂
Mary says
Love these cookies! I followed your ingredients with exception of using 1/2 Lakanto monk fruit/erythritol sweetener with 1/2 sugar and only used 1 cup in dough. And same with rolling sugar mix. The powdered sugar was also monk fruit and may be this is why it seemed to melt into the cookie and didn’t look like the picture above. Still cute little cookie and packs a punch of almond deliciousness. Thank you.
Dina says
You are very welcome Mary! Happy to hear you made these amaretti cookies work with the adjustments 🙂 Very happy that you loved this recipe so much! Thank you for your awesome feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂