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!
Full Recipe Instructions
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 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 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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Jeanette povey says
I have never written a review before but I’ve just placed a batch in the oven, and having now made this recipe numerous times, I feel guilty for not telling you how amazing these are!
They are popular with everyone I know. I stupidly thought they could be my Christmas biscuit but they have now become the every month biscuit!!
So easy to make but with so much impact. We all love them. Thank you!!
Dina says
Thank you so much Jeanette!! You are too kind 🙂 It makes me so happy to hear that you loved these amaretti cookies so much! These are a family favorite in my family as well 🙂 So awesome that you make this recipe so often! Thank you so much for your support and for leaving your kind feedback! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Joyce says
Hello, you mentioned that I can add Amaretto liquor, how much can I add to this recipe? Thank you.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Joyce, I would add 1-2 teaspoons of Amaretto liquor. I hope you love this recipe 🙂
Grace Schultz says
I just wanted to say that they were delicious. Will definitely make them again. Thanks for this awesome recipe!!
simplyhomecooked says
You are very welcome Grace!! So awesome to hear you loved these Amaretti cookies so much 🙂 Glad that these cookies will be a repeat recipe in your home 🙂 Thank you so much for your awesome feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog!
Donba says
In your video you say bake 25 minutes! In the recipe it says. Bake 18-20!! That’s very contradictory! Which is it? 25 or 18-20 minutes?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Donna, thank you for pointing that out! That must have been a typo from my end. It can range from 20-25 minutes depending on your oven and how soft or chewy you like the amaretti cookies 🙂
Marta Zepeda Trujillo says
Deliciosas!! Gran receta
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much, Marta! I am so glad you loved the recipe 🙂
Joyce Chay says
I baked the amaretti cookie and it taste good but I could not get the same look as the sugar melts while baking .., I tried the 2nd time using snow sugar and is still the same ..
Thanks
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Joyce 🙂 Do you mean the powdered sugar melts and doesn’t have the white look to them? If so that is strange since I have never had that happen before. How long did it sit before these amaretti cookies went into the oven? The prolonged moisture can do that. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Janet says
I made these today and loved them! I had only a small (4 cup) bag of almond flour so I cut down the recipe by 1/3, using 3 eggs, 1 c sugar, 3 cups almond flour, and a generous 1 t almond extract. It made 20 cookies. I agree that more almond extract is better. For my reduced batch, I should have used 1 1/2 t — at least. I baked them 18 minutes, and I think they would be a bit chewier if I baked them only 16 minutes.
I will definitely be making these again!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for taking the time to leave your recipe feedback. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this cookie recipe Janet!
Rita Vella says
Love this I make them a lot..
simplyhomecooked says
Happy to hear you love these Amaretti cookies and that they are a repeat recipe in your home 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Nelly says
Made these the other day they are delicious.
simplyhomecooked says
Happy to hear you loved these Amaretti cookies! Thank you so much for your feedback Nelly 🙂 I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog!
Yelena says
Thank you Dina for awesome recipe. We made these cookies many times, yummmmm! It’s a special treat to anyone 😋😋😋
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much Yelena!! I am very happy to hear your family loves these Amaretti cookies so much 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your kind review 🙂
Ziva says
Hi can I use ground almonds instead of almond flour? And if That won’t work how do I get the ground almonds to almond flour consistency? Thanks so much.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi 🙂 You can put the ground almonds into a food processor and pulse them to get it closer to almond flour consistency. It will have a slight different color since blanched almond flour is without the skin. I hope that helps and I hope you love these amaretti cookies 🙂 Please let me know how it goes 🙂
Cristalle says
These were delicious and I make them all the time! Question is, once baked, can they be frozen for future snacks? If so, how long would you recommend? I see that they could be frozen before baking but I missed that step before I popped them all in the oven! Thanks for the recipe.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Cristalle! Baked amaretti cookies freeze really well! Once they are fully cooled, place them in an air-tight container and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving 🙂
Françoise says
I follow your recipe but too too sweet for me and believe me I have a sweet tooth
I did it again and I used only a cup of sugar and I only rolled them in powder sugar
Very nice thank you
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Francoise, glad to hear you loved these Amaretti cookies. Sweetness is something that can be adjusted per everyone’s personal preference 🙂 Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Rebecca says
Hi Dina!
I already have a bunch of egg whites I need to use up… would you know how many grams of egg whites I could use in this recipe? Thanks!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Rebecca, 5 egg whites should be roughly 150 grams total. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Diane Dewhirst says
Just made these this morning and had one as part of my ?breakfast lol. They are very easy to make. The instructions are quite clear. They are truly delicious. I might try less sugar next time though, as I often reduce the amount of sugar in most of my cookie recipes and no one has ever complained! The cookies look so pretty.This recipe is a keeper!
simplyhomecooked says
Yay! Very happy to hear you loved these Amaretti cookies so much! Glad that the instructions were easy to follow. Every recipe can be adjusted per everyone’s preference, that is the beauty of cooking/baking! Awesome that these cookies will be a repeat recipe in your home and thank you so much for your awesome review! 🙂
Diane Dewhirst says
Since I first tried your recipe, I tried another similar recipe. Yours was better, overall, in my opinion. I did a “taste test” with friends who voted your the better of the two!
simplyhomecooked says
I am so happy that you loved my recipe more Diane! It really means a lot to me 🙂
Tracy Luzadre says
These were so delicious…Everyone loved them..thank you for sharing the recipe.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much Tracy! Happy to hear you loved these Amaretti cookies 🙂 I hope they become a family favorite and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
E Ford says
This is a wonderful recipe.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much! Glad to hear you loved these Amaretti cookies 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Gavin says
Anyone else have issue getting them crisp? Perhaps my scoops are too large, no less, this is my second go st this recipe and have not gotten the golden brown bottom/crisp top.
Should I increase the heat to 350-375? Leave them in longer? Or make the copies dough scoops smaller?
Love this recipe! These cookies are amazing (even when underdone!).
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Gavin, it seems like your cookies might be too large. What size scoop are you using? Mine fits about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough.
Lola says
Can I just roll in powdered sugar instead of both granulated and powdered sugar?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Lola, yes you can just roll it in powdered sugar alone if you’d like 🙂
Kristina says
Really delicious cookies. It’s been hard to find cookies that aren’t vegan but are dairy free. These cookies are moist and very addicting. Thank you for sharing a great recipe.
simplyhomecooked says
So happy that you loved these Amaretti cookies Krisitina! These cookies really are delicious and unique 🙂 Thank you so much for your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my food blog 🙂