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.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
After much experimenting, I love the way this Amaretti Cookies recipe has turned out. Amaretti cookies are often made with amaretto (almond liqueur), but I personally prefer them with almond extract. Its also a lot easier to find almond extract over amaretto liqueur. I know you’ll love these amazing cookies as much as we do.
- TASTE: This almond cookie not only tastes amazing but is gluten-free as well. It’s sweet and nutty and delicious.
- TEXTURE: Amaretti cookies have an undoubtedly unique texture. The outside is slightly crispy while the inside is soft and chewy.
- TIME: It only takes 40 minutes to make this recipe.
- EASE: With just a handful of ingredients, this is a simple cookie recipe that you can make again and again.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour- This gluten-free flour is the base for the cookie dough and adds a dense texture and nutty flavor.
- Eggs- This recipe uses quite a bit of egg whites because they are both the binder and also the leavening in the cookies.
- Almond extract- This adds a slightly more intense almond flavor to the amaretti cookies.
- Granulated sugar- This is used to sweeten the cookies both inside and out.
- Powdered sugar- This is used to coat the outside of the cookies before baking.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Make these cookies low carb/keto- Just switch the sugar for a sugar-free sweetener like monk fruit, erythritol, or my favorite is a blend of monk fruit and allulose.
- Make your own almond flour- This is really easy to do. Just very finely ground blanched and dried almonds, then sift it so you have a fine flour.
- Substitute amaretto liqueur- In place of the almond extract, you can use this almond liqueur to flavor your cookies.
- Add lemon zest- These cookies taste good with a slight citrusy note, so you can also make them with some lemon zest added in.
How to Make Amaretti Cookies
- Beat the egg whites. 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 the flour and sugar. Sift the almond flour and sugar together.
- Combine with eggs and extracts. Add a third of the almond-sugar mixture and fold it in with a spatula. Then pour in the vanilla extract and almond extract. Add the second third of the almond mixture, fold in, sift in the last third, and fold it in once more.
- Scoop and roll the dough. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to 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.
Pro Tip: Add the dry ingredients slowly and fold in to keep from crushing the air that was incorporated into the egg whites.
- Roll in powdered sugar and bake. Roll the dough balls 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.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t substitute the flour- Unfortunately, you cannot use all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour. It will change both the flavor and the texture of these cookies too much.
- Make sure to beat the eggs to stiff peaks- Doing this ensures that the cookies will be aerated enough not to fall flat and spread.
- If the dough is too sticky- If this happens because your eggs were larger or your flour coarser, then add equal amounts of almond flour and sugar to the dough until it’s easily rolled.
- Use a cookie scoop- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop will ensure that the cookies are the same size so they cook evenly and at the same rate.
FAQs
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 kind and the hard kind. The soft version is also known as amaretti morbidi and they are very chewy. The crispy type is made the same way but held in the oven longer to obtain a crunchier texture.
Yes, these amaretti cookies are gluten free. They use almond flour in place of the all-purpose flour so they have zero gluten.
Serving Suggestions
These Amaretti Cookies are delicious with so many other desserts. You can serve them with cakes, other cookies, and lots of sweet treats or drinks.
- Cookies: Add these to a cookie platter with some Chewy Nutella Cookies, Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies (VIDEO), and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
- Cake: Pair these cookies with a slice of New York Style Cheesecake, Gingerbread Cake, Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), or Chocolate Honey Cake (Spartak Cake).
- Sweet treats: Enjoy them with some Candied Pecans, Chocolate Pot De Creme, Red Velvet Cake Pops (VIDEO), or Pecan Tassies.
- Beverages: Serve them with coffee, tea, or Hot Chocolate. You can also make a homemade Iced Caramel Macchiato or Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Amaretti cookies can be frozen before they are baked. Just 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. Thaw for 30-60 minutes then dust with fresh powdered sugar before baking per the recipe instructions.
Storing: These cookies will last for about a week at room temperature in an airtight container.
Freeze: Freeze these cooled cookies on a baking sheet for an hour or so, then transfer them to a freezer ziplock bag. They will last for about 4-6 months.
More Delicious Cookies!
Watch a VIDEO on how to make them here!
Full Recipe Instructions
Amaretti Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 eggs whites
- Pinch salt
- 4 1/2-5 cups blanched 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 cup 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 blanched 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 tsp 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.
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to 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 or the bottom of a flat cup. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.
Notes
- These cookies can be frozen before they are baked. Just 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. Thaw for 30-60 minutes then dust with fresh powdered sugar before baking per the recipe instructions.
- Don’t substitute the flour- Unfortunately, you cannot use all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour. It will change both the flavor and the texture of these cookies too much.
- Make sure to beat the eggs to stiff peaks- Doing this ensures that the cookies will be aerated enough not to fall flat and spread.
- If the dough is too sticky- If this happens because your eggs were larger or your flour coarser, then add equal amounts of almond flour and sugar to the dough until it’s easily rolled.
Nutrition
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Shishma says
Super easy and really yummmmmy
Dina says
That is so awesome to hear! I am always happy when people enjoy my recipe! Thank you so much for your kind feedback!
Debbie Rossi says
I’ve made them several times now and they are amazing! One of my coworkers can’t wait until I bring them in.
I’m attending a friend’s Italian wedding so getting ready to make a huge batch for the wedding.
I know they’ll be a hit!
Thank you
Dina says
Debbie, that is so awesome! Thank you for taking the time to write your awesome feedback! 🙂
Alice D says
I love and crave these cookies! I have made them many times weighing the ingredients and they turned out perfectly. Today I stated to make them, but I couldn’t find the weight measures for the almond flour and sugar. I used the cup measures but they did not turn out as light and fluffy.
Were the weight measurements removed or am I blind? If they have been removed can you please give them to me again? Thank you.
Alice
Dina says
Hi Alice I am thrilled to hear that you love these cookies! Under the ingredient list there is a tab that says US Customary – Metric. If you click on metric, it will autogenerate the recipe in grams. I hope that helps 🙂
Jamie says
These look delicious. How long do they keep once they’ve been baked?
Dina says
Hi Jamie these cookies will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container 🙂 Enjoy!
Anne Kratz says
I am really excited to write this review as it is my first online review for a recipe! I cook and bake using online recipes all the time. My family moved to another town 5+years ago. When we moved I gave away almost all of my cookbooks. Now I rely on finding recipes on line if I have a hankering for a certain dish. I finally tried this recipe for amaretto cookies and WOW! Fantastic! Now I make these cookies to give away for the WOW factor. These are absolutely beautiful in taste and visual effects. They are between marzipan and a cookie. Absolutely stunning 😍 ✨️.
Dina says
Wow Anne! Thank you for the compliment! This is also one of my go to cookies for the wow factor! I am so thrilled to hear that you loved these cookies so much! 🙂
Kim says
These are a frequently requested baked good among our friends and family. I make them with Disaronno amaretto liquor instead of almond extract – I feel like the flavor is a little more warm and buttery in the final product than with the almond extract but still wonderfully almond-y. If you’re on the fence about this recipe, don’t be! You’ll love them.
Dina says
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your kind feedback Kim! I really appreciate it 🙂
Jenn says
Would these work without the last addition of powdered sugar?
Dina says
Hi Jenn, yes they would still work 🙂
Michele says
I just made a batch of these amaretti cookies. These cookies have a delightful almond taste and chewy center. They taste exactly like the amaretti cookies found in Italian bakeries. I followed the recipe exactly as written and used the suggested 5 cups of almond flour. I scooped out the dough using a tablespoon. The cookies were uniform in size and the recipe yields 3 1/2 dozen cookies using this method. If you love almond flavoring, you will love these cookies. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you so much for sharing.
Dina says
You are very welcome Michele! 🙂 Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try. I am very happy to hear you loved these amaretti cookies so much and that they taste as good at the bakery cookies! Thank you so much for your kind review and I hope you find more recipes to enjoy from my website. 🙂
Tad Davis says
I make ice cream all the time and always have leftover egg whites. This is my go-to now! These are delicious! And, really, very easy to make. Thanks!
Dina says
You are very welcome! That is a great way to use up those egg whites. Happy to hear these cookies are a go to recipe in your home! Thank you so much for your support and feedback. I hope you find more recipes to love from my website! 🙂
Linda says
Are the nutritional values listed really for a 32 cookie serving? It’s confusing! In the recipe header it says 134kcal for 32 cookies. That value (134kcal) is listed in the nutritional values as well. It seems impossible that the nutritional values listed could possibly be for a 32 cookie serving size. Can you please clarify? Thanks in advance!
Dina says
Hi Linda, the recipe makes about 32 cookies depending on the size of the cookie scoop you use. The 134 calories is the amount of calories per one cookie. I hope that helps clarify 🙂
Jasmine says
Thank you very much for your delicious recipes . My family and my guests love these cookies. I will keep your recipe to make these cookies again.
Dina says
Jasmine I am so happy so hear that you and your family enjoyed these cookies! Thank you for taking the time to wrote your kind feedback! 🙂
Manisha says
Made these as gifts for Christmas and they were an absolute hit! I had ppl asking for the recipe. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Dina says
That’s so sweet of you to make these as Christmas gifts! I am so glad everyone loved them! 🙂
I love baking says
Your photo is being used by someone on etsy selling these cookies. If you look up amaretti cookies you will find it. I saw it and thought it was not fair.
Love this recipe.
Dina says
Thank you so much for notifying me about that! It is really upsetting when people steal your photos without permission and without giving credit. Glad to hear you loved these amaretti cookies. Thank you for your support! 🙂
Giovanna Leone says
You almond cookies are so good .i got to keeping making every other day ..my family eat them if that was the last thing ..i did some with cherries..almonds. and some with nuttela .there the best
Dina says
Giovanna, I am so thrilled to hear that you all loved these cookies so much!
Mariola says
They turned out great 😊 very easy and delicious 😋
Dina says
Thank you Mariola! I am glad you loved these cookies!
tanya says
For some reason, my stevia cookies came out much rounder and smoother than the normal ones. They formed a thicker, almost crumbly paste which was easier to shape.
Dina says
Thank you for the feedback Tanya!
Tricia says
Could you use other nut flours in these? Just got my hands on chestnut flour…
Dina says
Hi Tricia 🙂 I am actually planning to experiment with a few different flours to make these amaretti cookies. I have not tried the chestnut flour yet. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work but I can’t say for sure since I have not tried it yet. If you give it a try please let me know how it goes. I hope you love this recipe! 🙂
Denise Cres says
Hi: Sorry it’s 8;30 PM in NY. I start4d the recipe around 5 and had it sitting for an hour or two. Unfortunately, the almond flour I used is dark in color and I mixed all the ingredients as shown. However, it is very stiff and Im hoping it will be ok when baking Should I add something to thin it a little bit. I don’t mind the color too much but would have preferred the lighter color. Don’t know if there are different shades of almond flour.? Please I wold appreciate your advice before I start to bake them.
Dina says
Hi Denise, the cookie dough shouldn’t e too stiff. It should have a similar texture to chocolate chip cookie dough.
Patti says
Hi Dina
Can I make the dough ahead of time & refrigerate to bake the following day?
Dina says
Hi Patti, yes you can do that! 🙂
Erin Klein says
these are amazing. i have made the recipe several times now and they turn out perfectly every time. my family absolutely loves them! always a hit. once described as like “eating a cloud”
Dina says
I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you for the kind feedback. I really appreciate it! 🙂