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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Lynn A Boitano says
Delicious and clear step by step instructions. The only change I made was to increase the almond extract to 3 tsp. Thanks for great recipe!
Dina says
You are very welcome Lynn! I am so happy to hear that these amaretti cookies were delicious and that the instructions were easy to follow. Thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Debra Checchio says
How do you reccomend storing these? The last time I made almond flour cookies they got so soft in my container that you couldnt lift them up without them breaking?
Dina says
Hi Debra 🙂 Thank you for your question. I store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and they do great. Not sure which cookies you made last time but these should be good. Let me know how these Amaretti cookies turn out! 🙂
June Morgan says
Where can you find Almond Flour? I have never seen it at my Groceries.
Dina says
Hi June 🙂 I get mine from Costco but most grocery stores should carry it. It is a common item and is usually in the baking isle. Let me know if that helps. I hope you get a chance to make these cookies! 🙂
Denise says
I have tired several Amaretti Cookie recipes, and this is by far the best, in fact they are OUTSTANDING!!
The recipe was easy to understand, quickly put together, and baked to perfection.
Thank you for such a wonderful treat!
Dina says
That’s amazing Denise! Thank you for taking the time to write your kind feedback!
Judy says
Hi,
The almonds flour is this the same as almond meal?
Dina says
Hi Judy, they are very similar the only difference is almond meal is made from raw (unpeeled) almonds and almond flour is made from blanched (peeled) almonds.
Sarah says
Do these ship well? I want to make and send as a gift!
Dina says
Hi Sarah, yes they do! Just make sure that they are in an airtight container 🙂
Glenda says
Could they be made with an egg substitute, have allergy to eggs
Dina says
Hi Glenda 🙂 I have never tried an egg substitute for these amaretti cookies. I have heard of some people using chickpea water (liquid from the can). Usually 3 tablespoons is equal to 1 egg and 2 tablespoons for 1 egg white. I am not sure how these cookies will turn out though. If you try this out let me know how it goes. I would love to know in case other people ask! 🙂
Kelly says
What size cookie scoop do you recommend?
Dina says
Hi Kelly, I used a medium sized cookie scoop.
Krella says
I made a batch with sugar they were amazing. I did another batch with monk fruit and they didn’t turn out . I rolled them in sugar and icing sugar like the first batch. When they were done the icing sugar was no longer on top of the cookies ? It’s like it dissolved in the batter . I would not make them with monk fruit again .
Dina says
Hi Krella 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed these amaretti cookies! Thank you for that information. I have never tried making these cookies with monk fruit so it is good to hear in case someone asks me in the future. Thank you so much for your feedback and support! 🙂
Kathy says
Truly an exceptional cookie! Take some time, but well worth the effort! This will definitely be added the list list of Christmas cookies, but I think they’re going to be made regularly.
Dina says
I am so glad you love these cookies Kathy! 🙂
Sylvia says
Sorry that I did not take a picture, but I recently made your recipe for a bridal shower. They are simple to make, delicious and better than the ones on sale in most Italian bakeries! My son wants these added to the Christmas cookie list, but I want them around more often. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It is a keeper!
Dina says
Sylvia, I am so glad to hear that you all enjoyed these amaretti cookies so much 🙂
Sylvia says
Can these cookies be frozen?
Dina says
Hi Sylvia, yes these can be frozen after baking 🙂
Sara says
Hey I used your recipe in the metric system option of this recipe and it’s off. 180 gr doesn’t equal to 1 1/2 cups of sugar. It’s 300 gr. Needless to say the recipe failed! I would recommend checking your US to metric measurements.
Dina says
Hi Sara 🙂 I am so sorry. The metric conversion is an automated system and it has had some discrepancies. I didn’t know that this one was that off. Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I hope you are able to give this recipe another try with the US measurements. These cookies are really good! If you do give it a try let me know how it goes. 🙂
Uta says
How many cookies will this recipe make?
Dina says
Hi 🙂 This recipe makes about 32 cookies. It also depends on the size of your cookie dough ball. I hope you love these amaretti cookies! 🙂
Matthew says
Can the dough be frozen until you want to make it?
Dina says
Hi Mathew, I have not tried freezing the dough, but I have frozen the cookies after they were baked and cooled and they froze really well.
James says
Is each cookie 132 calories? Can’t understand nutritional info.
Dina says
Hi James 🙂 Yes, it is per cookie. It is a rough estimate per the ingredients. It is probably a little lower since the sugar you roll the cookie dough balls in doesn’t get used up. I hope that helps and I hope you love these cookies! 🙂
Irene says
These are delicious and so easy to make. Occasionally I dip the tops in some melted chocolate to change it a bit. Always a fav to everyone!!!
Dina says
Oh I love that idea! Thanks for sharing that. I will have to try that next time! 🙂
Michelle says
Can I cut this recipe in half
Dina says
Hi Michelle, yes you can cut the recipe in half. The best way is to press the “convert to metric” button at the bottom of the printable recipe card and then divided those grams in half. I hope that helps 🙂
Carmela says
Can these be frozen?
Dina says
Yes, you can freeze them after they care baked and cooled.
Frannie says
I made these for my Italian grandmother and she approves! They turned out absolutely delicious!
Dina says
Wow, that means a lot to me! Thank you for the kind feedback, Frannie!