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 18-20 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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Stacey says
Delicious and easy! Such a winner!
simplyhomecooked says
I’m glad to hear that these amaretti cookies were a winner for you Stacey! Thank you for taking the time to write such kind feedback.
Sal Romano says
Didn’t make this yet but I just spent 18 dollars on 32 oz bag of flour .
This better be worth the crazy price of ingredients.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Sal, if the ingredients are too expensive, you don’t have to make the recipe lol.
Rita Vella says
Absolutely stunning. Can’t just stop at one. Great recipe thank you.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Rita! I also can’t stop at just one lol. I’m glad you enjoyed these amaretti cookies!
Gohar Bernal says
These cookies are amazing. First off you don’t feel as guilty about overeating them because you do and secondly they’re so easy to make. I cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup and they’re still yummy for my kids
simplyhomecooked says
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed these amaretti cookies! Thank you for taking the time to write such kind feedback 🙂
JJ says
Tried this recipe today and they came out perfect, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside! I also reduced the sugar so it wouldn’t be as sweet. Thanks so much for this recipe!!
simplyhomecooked says
JJ, I am so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed these amaretti cookies! Thank you for your amazing feedback!
Lucia says
Just tried these cookies. So chewy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe, will definitely be making them again.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much, Lucia, for taking the time to write such positive feedback! I am so thrilled to hear you enjoyed these amaretti cookies 🙂
Lisa says
Is there a temperature or time adjustment you’d make for convection baking?la
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Lisa, I actually used convection baking for these. So you don’t have to change anything 🙂 If you have any other questions let me know. I hope you enjoy these Amaretti cookies!
Robin says
Best cookies ever! Delicious. Thank you.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Robin, I am so happy you enjoyed these amaretti cookies 🙂
Ali says
Easy to make and taste amazing!!
I would love to know how long they would keep for? As need to make nearer Christmas!! 😍😍
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the great review, Ali! These cookies can be kept for up to 1 week in an airtight container. They are definitely a great Christmas cookie 🙂
Carla Lomangino says
Hello I was wondering if I’d be able to make the dough before hand and freeze it to use later on.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Carla, I’m actually not sure if you can freeze the amaretti cookie dough. I have never tried it. This dough isn’t like typical cookie dough since it has a meringue technique in it. Hope that helps 🙂
Carla Lomangino says
ok thanks!!
Sim says
I’m having a bit of trouble finding almond flour – is almond meal a suitable substitute?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Sim, I am not too sure where you are located but in the US pretty much every store carries blanched almond flour in the baking aisle. If you cant find the blanched kind, the almond meal will still work in these amaretti cookies 🙂
Kristen C says
I’ve made these three times and they’re a big hit! I’ve used a 1T and 1.5T scoop for very different results due to cooking time (21min and 22 min respectively). The hardest part for me is folding in the dough the third time. Has anyone ever used a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Kristen, thanks so much for the nice feedback. I’m so glad you loved this amaretti cookie recipe! I have never tried using a stand mixer for this part since you don’t want to overmix the dough.
Kawla says
Hi. do we need to preheat the oven before cooking?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Kawla, yes preheat your oven before placing the amaretti cookies inside to bake.
Monica Bagrowski says
Can you use all purpose flour? Both of my sons have nut allergies.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Monica, unfortunately, all-purpose flour won’t work for amaretti cookies. It is one of the key ingredients of this type of cookie.
Cynthia says
Thank you for sharing such an easy and delicious recipe. I gave some to my neighbors. They all said the these cookies were the best cookies that I’ve ever baked.
Last week, I baked lemon bars and need 7 yolks for the curd. So I searched for a recipe to use up the egg whites. Wow! I scored with these cookies. One thing I did change was I used orange extract rather than vanilla extract.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much for leaving such awesome feedback, Cynthia! I’m happy you found my amaretti cookie recipe.
Nancy Lee says
I’d really like to get them totally crispy. Do you think they should just be baked longer at the same temperature?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Nancy, yes you can make these amaretti cookies more crispy. By baking longer, the cookies become crispier. By baking shorter, the inside is chewier. As to how many extra minutes to bake them, I’m not too sure, since I don’t know how crispy you want them. I would add about 5 minutes and then see how they turn out. Keep in mind when they cool down they will harden a little as well. I hope you enjoy this recipe 🙂
Elle F says
Hi Dina,
These cookies taste just like the ones I had when I was a child, so very yummy. Can you please tell me how long they will keep in an air tight container, and can you freeze them? I want to make them ahead for a party and I won’t have time that week to make them fresh.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Elle, thank you so much for your feedback! I am glad you enjoyed this recipe! If you cover these amaretti cookies really well in a air tight container you can hold them for up to a week. I have never tried to freeze them so I’m not too sure about that.
Maribel says
Hi Dina, I’d love to make your Amaretti cookies real soon, but have a few questions. How much of a difference would it make if I did not have almond flour? Can I still make them w. reg. flour? I also have almond emulsion which is stronger than extract, would I need to use as much like the 2 tsp. from your recipe or would just 1 tsp. be enough? Thanks..
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Maribel, the key ingredient in amaretti cookies is the almond flour. So, unfortunately, this is something that cannot be substituted with all-purpose flour. as for the almond emulsion, I would start off with 1 tsp. I hope that all helps 🙂
Maribel says
Thanks so much Dina for your note to clear up the “Flour” deal. Guess I will have to make the small investment in almond flour so my cookies come out perfect. If I wanted to use egg whites that come in a type of milk container, what amount in cup to equal 5 egg whites? I cannot see myself wasting 5 very good yolks just to get/use the whites. I know they do sell the egg whites in a container. Thanks again for your help.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Maribel, I have never tried this amaretti cookies recipe with egg whites out of carton. So I can’t say how much exactly you will need nor do I know if the results will be the same. If you don’t want to waste the egg yolks you can use them up by making my white chocolate creme brulee recipe (just cut the recipe in half). I hope that helps 🙂
Maribel says
Dina, I had misplaced your note/site and just found it. I bought a container of egg whites 16 oz.and it indicates amt. inside equals 10 egg whites, so 1/2 of that equal 8 oz an entire cup of whites, that should be easy enough. I’m sure that would be just fine.. There should not be any difference in outcome using the right amount. Thanks for your note.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Maribel, let me know how they turn out with the carton egg whites. I’m really curious if the results will be similar to using egg whites separated from the yolk.
LILiya Guyvoronsky says
Dina these are little crunchy pillows of perfection thank you so much for sharing the recipe .
simplyhomecooked says
Liliya, these amaretti cookies have become a weakness of mine lol. So addicting! Thank you for sharing your awesome feedback.
Emily G says
Your recipe says 2 tsp almond extract but when you read the Instructions it says 1 tsp almond extract…which one is correct?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Emily, it should be 2 tsp. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I just corrected it 🙂
Kate says
Wondering what is the serving size you have …1 or 2 cookies?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Kate, 1 serving is 1 amaretti cookie 🙂
Nutha says
Hi!! Can I make these the day before and serve the next day? Or would you recommend making/serving day of? Thank you!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Nutha, yes you can make these amaretti cookies the day before. Just keep them in an airtight container until you need to serve them. I hope you enjoy this recipe 🙂
Lizzy says
We even prefer them the next day in our house! Delicious recipe.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Lizzy for your review! I am happy to hear that your house enjoys my Amaretti cookie recipe!
Carina Z. says
Made these for Easter and they turned out perfect! Nice and crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside! This is my new go-to. Super easy and doesn’t take much time to make! Thank you, Dina
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Carina. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed my amaretti cookie recipe! 🙂
Linda Tecce says
Hi I just made these cookies. I have a question. Your dough looked lighter than mine, I used Now Real Foods brand
For my dough. They tast delicious .
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Linda, the almond flour brand and size of the egg whites can often change the texture of the dough. I’m glad you enjoyed the amaretti cookies!
Danette Otte says
I’m hoping you can make these with a sugar substitute , such as Swerve?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Danette, I’ve personally never made these amaretti cookies with a sugar substitute but I know people who have had great success with using swere in amaretti cookies 🙂
Cindy Cavanagh says
I am wondering that too. Wanting to use Ideal sugar sub. It measures the same as sugar. It would make the perfect keto cookie if it does.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Cindy, you can substitute the sugar for erythritol for the perfect keto cookie 🙂