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These are the easiest and most delicious almond cookies ever. They have simple ingredients and no stand mixer, but they are straightforward and amazing, turning out perfectly every time.
A real treat for any almond lover!
Inspired by these classic , these almond cookies have a chewy crust, a soft center and a divine almond flavour.
And they’re EASY to make!
You don’t need to whisk egg whites or fold almonds and sugar; all you have to do is MIX just 5 ingredients in 1 bowl. Then, shape your cookie balls, roll them in sugar, garnish with almonds if you feel fancy, and bake.
Watch the video!
The result will be these amazingly delicious, soft almond cookies, crinkled on the outside and marzipan-like on the inside. Their lovely hints of lemon will pair beautifully with the almond flavor.
They’re not overly sweet. Their main ingredient is almonds, not sugar.
I have been making these Italian almond cookies for years, and everyone who tries them agrees they’re absolutely delicious, soft, and perfect with a cup of tea. Also, they look so pretty and make a lovely homemade Christmas gift.
But what are almond cookies made of?
List of the ingredients
- Almonds (whole, blanched, or almond meal)
- Sugar
- Egg whites
- All-purpose flour (or oat flour)
- Lemon zest
- (optional)
- and (optional)
How do you make almond cookies from scratch?
(Note: this is simply a quick description of the method; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Place the dry ingredients into a (if you use whole almonds).
- Whizz up.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Recipe notes & Faq
What you need for this almond cookie recipe
Almonds: This Italian almond cookie recipe is quite forgiving. Blanched almonds, whole almonds, and store-bought almond meal (aka ground almonds) work fine. I make my own almond meal by grinding unpeeled almonds; it tastes fresher and is cheaper than the store-bought option.
Egg whites: Add the egg whites gradually until you reach a pliable dough. It has to be soft but not too sticky or sloppy.
Flour: It makes the dough easier to work with and reduces the overall amount of sugar and almonds (See notes below for the gluten-free option).
Lemon zest: Don’t skip it; its fresh notes pair so well with almonds. However, to intensify the almond flavor, you can swap lemon zest for almond extract if you wish.
Powdered sugar: It’s optional. You might want to use it purely to achieve that white crackle effect on the surface. You can use regular sugar instead of powdered sugar.
Sugar coating and crinkles
Powder sugar and those lovely crinkles make them so festive! However, I noticed that when I use store-bought almond meal, the cookies tend to partially absorb the sugar coating when they’re in the oven. That generally happens if the texture of the ground almonds is too fine. To prevent this, coat the cookies very well in powdered sugar.
Can I make these almond cookies gluten-free?
Yes. You can easily turn these cookies into gluten-free almond cookies by using 1/3 cup of oat flour instead of 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour.
Can I freeze them?
Yes. You can make and freeze the dough for up to 1 month, tightly wrapped in plastic film and placed in a freezer bag. Thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature, then shape the cookies and bake them as per the recipe.
How long do almond cookies last?
Store them in a sealed jar or a metal tin at room temperature. They last for about 5-6 days.
Looking for more easy cookie recipes?
You might have a look at these other easy cookie recipes. They don’t require fancy equipment, and you can make them easily in a bowl with a few simple ingredients:
- (Italian cucciddati)
And if you think of Christmas cookies, don’t miss these It’s a collection of recipes perfect to inspire you!
I hope you’ll love these Italian almond cookies as much as we do. If you make them or if you have any questions, please leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
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Easy Almond Cookies
These are the easiest and most delicious almond cookies ever! Simple ingredients, no stand mixer, but just a straightforward amazing almond cookie that turns out perfectly every time. A real treat for any almond lover!
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup (7oz/200 grams) whole almonds (or 2 cups of ground almond)
- ½ cup + 1 Tbsp (4oz/120 grams) sugar (see notes)
- ¼ cup (40 grams) all-purpose flour (or ⅓ cup oat flour)
- ¾ lemon, zest
- 2 egg whites, slightly beaten with a fork
- 1 tsp almond essence or vanilla essence (optional)
Instructions
Decoration
- 3 Tbsp powdered sugar (icing sugar if you're in the UK)
- 22 almonds
- Preheat the oven to 340°F/170°C, line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the powdered sugar in a small bowl.
- Place almonds (use a heaping 1 ⅓ cup of almonds to make 200 grams), plus sugar, lemon zest and flour in a food processor.
- Whizz until you get nearly a fine texture. I mean, not coarse and not flour-like texture, but something in between.
- Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add half of the white eggs to the dry ingredients. Stir well with a spoon or a spatula and add the rest of them a bit at a time. I suggest you add the liquid gradually because you might need a bit less than 2 egg whites, it depends on their size. To check it the dough is ready, try to shape a cookie ball, it should be easy to work with and not too sticky.
- Let the dough rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Then shape 20-22 cookie balls, each cookie ball should be about 1 ⅓-inch diameter. Roll them in the powdered sugar, and if you used almond meal instead of whole almonds, make sure they're coat well in sugar.
- Place the almond cookies on the baking tray allowing about 2 inches between them.
- Top each cookie with 1 almond if you wish. Place the almond in the center and gently press with your finger.
- Place the baking tray on the middle rack and bake for about 13-14 minutes (although the video says 17 minutes).
- When they're done let them cool on a rack and serve them at room temperature.
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