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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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 🙂