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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Anita says
HI, is the temperature fan forced or regular oven?
Thanks
Dina says
Hi Anita 🙂 My oven has the fan option and that is what I use. You can still bake these amaretti cookies in a regular oven. It will just take a few minutes longer. I hope you love this recipe!
Francis says
I love your recipe.. I used 1 cup of sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups and 4 1/2 cups of almond flour. I divide the dough and add 1 tsp of matcha tea powder in half of the recipe ..Comes out very nice and yummy. Thanks again for sharing.
Dina says
You are very welcome Francis! So happy to hear that you loved these amaretti cookies! It is always ok to adjust recipes as needed per preference 🙂 Thank you so much for your feedback and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog! 🙂
Julie Sen says
Delicious! Needed a bit more salt for depth of flavor. Also added the zest of one lemon to the dough and skipped the coating of granulated sugar. 20 mins was not nearly enough though. Had to keep it in for another 10-15 for a crispy outside and chewy inside.
Julie Sen says
PS I used a silicone baking mat since I ran out of parchment. Maybe that’s why I had to keep it in the oven longer?
Dina says
Hi Julie 🙂 I haven’t tried making these cookies on a silicone mat but I don’t think that would make much of a difference. Thanks for your follow-up question. 🙂
Dina says
Hi Julie 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed these Amaretti cookies and thank you for your feedback. Removing the granulated sugar coating actually takes away from the crispy exterior. The sugar helps these cookies have that crispy exterior. So that is why you had to bake them that much longer to get that crispy exterior. Baking them another 10-15 minutes would make mine over baked. Every oven also runs a little different so that may be a small addition to that. I hope that helps clarify 🙂
Donna R says
Absolutely delicious although a little too sweet for me. Everyone loved them on Christmas Eve. So easy to make.
Dina says
Thank you Donna for your feedback! Happy to hear people enjoyed these amaretti cookies at your party 🙂
Elizabeth says
I made them and they were amazingly delish! My whole family enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing!
Dina says
You are very welcome Elizabeth! Glad to hear you and your whole family loved these Amaretti cookies! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂
bee says
replace vanilla with marsala wine and it is perfect
Jessi says
This recipe turned out delicious and it was so simple! I used regular almond flour, so my cookies look more rustic, which I like. The flavor is just right with the measurements included. Mine took 20 minutes on parchment lined sheet pans. Thank you for an easy and tasty treat!
Dina says
You are very welcome Jessi! Glad that you found this recipe easy to follow and delicious! Thank you for taking the time to leave your awesome feedback, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Kaitlyn says
Can you use regular flour instead of almond flour?
Dina says
Hi Kaitlyn, unfortunately, this recipe will not work with all-purpose flour. It can only be made with almond flour.
Arlene Nikiforuk says
Really delicious and easy to make! Thank you!
P.S. Please let James know that wax paper and parchment paper are not the same thing. Wax melts in the oven and puts a wax coating on your baking. It’s a big no-no!
Dina says
Hi Arlene 🙂 Happy to hear you found these amaretti cookies delicious! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback 🙂
And yes wax paper is a no-no, thanks for that 🙂
Theresa Giddens says
I was thinking of putting Amaretto liqueur instead of one of the extracts what would you recommend leaving out
Dina says
Hi Theresa, if you want to use amaretto liqueur, I would leave out the almond extract. I hope you love this cookie recipe!
Linnie says
These are delicious and easy to make! Thanks!
Dina says
Thank you for your kind feedback, Linnie! I am so glad you enjoyed these amaretti cookies!
Dee Rush says
Fabulous cookie, crispy exterior chewy moist tasty interior. I did add more almond flavoring and amaretto than the recipe called for.
Dina says
I am so happy that you loved this cookie recipe Dee. Thank you for taking the time to write your positive feedback 🙂
James says
Do I bake for 18-20 mins or 25 mins?
Two different instructions.
Dina says
Hi James, thank you for bringing that to my attention. It should be 20-25 minutes.
James says
Also, i tried it and it definitely took 25 mins or even a few more. I used wax paper and they stuck to the paper. i waited until they cooled even. Any tips on this to remove easily?
Sheri Cloutier says
I’ve never made nor eaten Amaretti cookies, but these were excellent! Followed your recipe exactly and they were just as you described… crunchy outside and chewy inside. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Dina says
You are very welcome Sheri! Happy that you found this Amaretti cookie recipe and gave it a try! So awesome that you loved this recipe and thank you for your kind feedback 🙂 I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Don Goble says
Thank you for showing this amazing recipe. May I suggest that you revise your ingredient list to say “blanched” almond flour. This was my first time buying almond flour and I just grabbed what was on the shelf which was unblanched. Needless to say, mine were nowhere near as lovely as yours. The taste was still very good, but the texture certainly wasn’t what I’ve enjoyed elsewhere.
Dina says
Thank you for the feedback Don, I appreciate your honesty.
Giovanna Mediati says
Thank you, my amaretti are amazing 😋😋😋😋😋❤️❤️
Dina says
Hi Giovanna, thank you so much for taking the time to write your kind feedback 🙂 I really appreciate it!
Adela Soucy says
How long do they stay, if kept store?
Dina says
They will taste great for up to 1 week if stored in an airtight container.
Grit says
Hallo, ich möchte gern wissen wieviel ist die Menge 41/2 – 5 Tassen in gramm.
Danke im voraus, für die Antwort.
Dina says
Hallo 🙂 Es hängt davon ab, was Sie messen. Da es Volumen in Gewicht umwandelt. Jede Zutat wird anders wiegen. Sie haben nicht gesagt, was es war, aber ich gehe davon aus, dass Sie sich auf das Mehl beziehen. Ich habe es nicht selbst gewogen, aber Google sagt, dass 1 Tasse Mehl etwa 112 Gramm entspricht. Ich habe festgestellt, dass einige der Umrechnungen bei Google nicht sehr genau sind. Sie können ein bisschen mehr oder weniger haben. Stellen Sie nur sicher, dass es sich leicht in Ihren Händen rollen und formen lässt. Ich hoffe, das hilft und ich hoffe, Sie lieben diese Amaretti-Kekse! Lass mich wissen wie es läuft 🙂
Hi 🙂 It depends on what you are measuring. Since it is converting volume to weight. Every ingredient will weigh differently. You didn’t say what it was but I am assuming you are referring to the flour. I didn’t weigh it myself but Google says that 1 cup of flour is about 112 grams. I have found some of the conversions on Google are not super accurate. You can have a little more or less. Just make sure it is easy to roll and form in your hands. I hope that helps and I hope you love these amaretti cookies! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Daniela says
I’m so excited to make these!!!! I’m also going to try the Keto version!
One question: did you mean 1/2 cup of powdered sugar? I see only 1/2 powered sugar.
Thanks so much!
Dani
Dina says
That’s so exciting Daniela! Let me know how the keto version turns out! Oh, and yes it should say 1/2 cup. Thank you for catching that 🙂
Pauline says
Hi
I would like to know if I reduced de sugar to 1 cup would it affect de cookies..?? Tks
Dina says
Hi Pauline 🙂 I have never tried reducing the sugar that much for this recipe so I am not too sure how it would turn out. It would probably change up the flavor and texture. If you dropped it to 1 1/4 cups of sugar then it should be ok. Hope that helps! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Pina says
Awesome receipes
Dina says
Thank you so much! Happy to hear you love the recipes on my blog 🙂