If you love almonds, you’ll flip for these Amaretti Cookies! They have a fantastic light and chewy texture, lots of almond flavor, and they’re easy to make too.
My traditional version of this cookie has an almond pressed on the top. You can make them more festive by using candied cherries (red and/or green) for the holidays.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture: Crispy exterior (like meringue cookies) with a chewy interior. Add a crunch with an almond on top.
Add color & flavor: Topping these cookies with candied cherries is delicious. You can also use maraschino cherries.
Gluten- Free: These cookies are naturally gluten-free making them a great option for family and friends with allergies.
Top Tip: While typically warm cookies are a treat, let today’s cookies cool completely before taking a bite. The texture gets better as they cool.
Just 5 Ingredients
You may already have these on hand….be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for full measurements.
- Almond paste – Almond paste can be found in the baking aisle. Solo is the brand I use.
- Egg whites – These help give Italian amaretti cookies their distinctive light, airy, and chewy texture. Save the egg yolks for making my Lemon Curd Recipe.
- Sugar- granulated sugar or white sugar is what you’ll need for these easy amaretti almond cookies.
- Maraschino cherries – These are optional; you can also use candied cherries instead if you’d like.
- Whole almonds – If you don’t use cherries, you may want to use almonds instead for crunch. Or make some cookies with almonds and some with cherries!
How to Make Amaretti Cookies
Make the Dough:
- Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to beat the sugar and almond paste for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the egg whites and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Form the Cookies:
- Transfer the amaretti cookie dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large open star tip.
- Pipe the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Press an almond or cherry half onto the center of each cookie.
Bake: Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake the cookies on the middle rack for 21 to 23 minutes, or until they’re lightly browned. Cool completely before storing or serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Warm cookies are always tempting, but amaretti cookies are best eaten after they’ve cooled. Only when they’re cool do they get that fantastic crunchy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture that makes them so good.
- Boost the almond flavor even more with a teaspoon of almond extract in the dough.
- Store Almond amaretti cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. They’ll stay soft and chewy for up to 5 days.
- To freeze these cookies, place them in a freezer bag and put parchment paper between layers if you have to stack them. You can freeze amaretti cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
- Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies are a delicious twist on my classic oatmeal cookies. You’ll love this festive version.
- Cardamom Cookies are chewy and delicious and make a great addition to your holiday plates.
- My Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies are an easy cookie with bold red velvet flavor.
- These Chewy Andes Mint Cookies Recipe are loaded with candy and easy to make!
- For more easy Christmas cookie recipes, try my White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies are always a hit too!
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Amaretti Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounce almond paste
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 10 maraschino cherries, cut in half (optional)
- 20 whole almonds, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Break up almond paste in the mixing bowl into smaller pieces. Add sugar and beat on medium speed for 2-3 full minutes.
- Add egg whites and beat mixture for an additional 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.
- Spoon cookie dough into a pastry bag with a large open star tip. Pipe cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets, in about a 2-inch swirl of dough. Press an almond or half of a cherry onto the top of each cookie.
- Bake cookies on middle rack for 21-23 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Notes
- Almond paste can be found in the baking aisle. Solo is the brand I use.
- These are delicious with maraschino cherries or whole almonds. I love how festive they are with the cherries. You can also use red/green candied cherries during the holiday season.
- Amaretti cookies taste best after cooling completely. This allows the texture to get to it’s traditional place, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperture for up to 5 days.
- Freeze cookies in single layers in ziploc freezer bags. You can stack layers with parchment paper in between.
