Amaretti are Italian almond cookies that are so easy to make, and have a beautiful crinkle texture once baked. Plus, they can be made ahead of time, frozen and taken out when you're ready for them!
Amaretti cookies - one of the easiest cookie recipes you'll ever make! They can be made all year round, but are especially popular around Christmas time. If you love almond flavors, then these Italian almond cookies are definitely for you!
I had these delicious amaretti cookies at my friend Sarah's house a few years ago. And I never forgot about them - they're THAT good! So I finally asked her for the recipe and she was gracious enough to share it with me. Hooray for good friends that are willing to share recipes with you for your food blog 🙂
What Are Amaretti Cookies?
Amaretti are an Italian almond cookie that are slightly crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside (at least this particular recipe is!). Some amaretti can be hard in the center too. It just depends on the recipe.
Amaretti are also sold in packages in grocery stores, and these are usually dry and hard in the center, but still delicious, dipped in coffee!
What Are Amaretti Cookies Made Of?
Amaretti cookies are made with a few simple ingredients:
- Ground almonds
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Cocoa powder
- Small amount of all purpose flour
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Icing sugar
Grinding Almonds
Before starting on step 1 of this recipe, you will need to grind your own almonds. Not to worry, it's very easy and will only take a few minutes! Start with natural whole almonds and place them in the food processor. Grind them until the almonds resemble a coarse sand texture:
How to Make Amaretti Cookies - Step by Step
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium sized bowl mix together ground almonds, sugar, baking powder, cocoa and flour (photo 1)
Whisk eggs and add them to the almond mixture along with vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix with a spoon until the mixture becomes a thick paste consistency (photo 2)
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place icing sugar in a bowl. Form mixture into 1 - 1 ½ inch balls. Roll in icing sugar. Gently shake off excess. Place on baking sheet, leaving space between the balls, as they will expand once baked (photo 3)
Bake for 10-13 minutes. Let cool and enjoy! (photo 4)
Top Tips on Making Amaretti Cookies:
- When beating the 2 eggs, beat them until they are just combined.
- Make sure to shake the balls of excess icing sugar after rolling them in the icing sugar. If you don't do this, there will be too much icing sugar on the cookies once baked.
- There is no need to flatten the cookies once formed into balls. They will flatten on their own when they bake.
- You will have left over icing sugar due to the fact that you're just rolling the amaretti in the icing sugar.
- Storing amaretti:
- Once cooled, store in an air tight container for up to 7 days.
- You can also freeze the amaretti. Place in a container, with parchment between each layer so the cookies don't stick together. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature. They will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Other Italian Cookie Recipes You Might Like:
- The Best Jam Cookies
- Lucy’s Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
- Almond Swirl Cookies with Amarena Cherries
If you’ve tried making these Amaretti Cookies, or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.
Recipe
Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups ground almonds ground to a coarse sand-like texture
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium sized bowl mix together ground almonds, sugar, baking powder, cocoa and flour.
- Whisk eggs and add them to the almond mixture along with vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix with a spoon until the mixture becomes a thick paste consistency.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place icing sugar in a bowl.
- Form mixture into 1 - 1 ½ inch balls. Roll in icing sugar. Gently shake off excess.
- Place on baking sheet, leaving space between the balls, as they will expand once baked.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- When beating the 2 eggs, beat them until they are just combined.
- Make sure to shake the balls of excess icing sugar after rolling them in the icing sugar. If you don't do this, there will be too much icing sugar on the cookies once baked.
- There is no need to flatten the cookies once formed into balls. They will flatten on their own when they bake.
- You will have left over icing sugar due to the fact that you're just rolling the amaretti in the icing sugar.
- Storing amaretti:
- Once cooled, store in an air tight container for up to 7 days.
- You can also freeze the amaretti. Place in a container, with parchment between each layer so the cookies don't stick together. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature. They will freeze for up to 2 months.
Jordan says
Fantastic! I just made these and they were absolutely perfect!
Pina says
Jordan - that was fast! So glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Barbara Perotti says
I made this recipe for Christmas. They came fantastic.
I decided to make a half recipe for a dinner party. They didn’t spread out in the oven. They remained as balls. Is there a reason for this?
Val says
Mine did this too! Still delicious but more like a round snowball shape
ayunakim says
Can you use almond flour if you don’t have whole almonds?