Easy amaretti cookies are chewy almond cookies made with almond flour, sugar and egg whites, ready in about 45 minutes. The recipe makes about 24 cookies, and the dough comes together in one bowl with no mixer needed for the dry mix.
Why This Recipe Works
Almond flour is the whole base here, so there is no wheat flour and no butter. The cookies bake up chewy in the middle with a thin, crisp shell, which is how amaretti should eat.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks before you fold them in. The air in the whites keeps the dough light, so the cookies puff a little in the oven instead of baking into dense pucks.
Rolling each ball in powdered sugar does two jobs. The coating keeps the sticky dough from clinging to your hands. In the oven it dries into the white crackled crust you see on the finished cookies.
Easy Amaretti cookies Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour (250 g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
How To Make Easy Amaretti cookies
Prepare the dough
- Heat the oven: Set the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so the sticky cookies lift off clean.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the almond flour, granulated sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Whisking breaks up lumps and spreads the salt evenly.
- Whip the egg whites: Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Then mix in the almond extract and the vanilla extract.
- Fold into a dough: Fold the whipped whites into the dry mix until a sticky dough forms. Fold gently, so you keep as much air in the dough as you can.
Shape and bake
- Shape the balls: Take a heaping teaspoon or so of dough, about 1 tablespoon in all, and shape it into a round ball between your palms. Drop each ball into the powdered sugar and turn it until no dough shows.
- Space them out: Set the balls on the sheet 2 inches apart. Press each one lightly to flatten the top.
- Bake: Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. The cookies are done when the tops are cracked and lightly golden.
- Cool: Leave the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes, so they firm up and don’t break. Then move them to a wire rack to cool all the way.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature whites: Egg whites at room temperature whip up faster and hold more air. Cold whites take longer and give a flatter cookie.
- Keep the bowl grease free: Any trace of fat or yolk stops egg whites from whipping. Wipe the bowl and beaters clean and separate the eggs carefully.
- Wet your hands: The dough is sticky. If it clings to your palms, rinse your hands and shake off the water before you roll the next ball.
- Roll in plenty of sugar: A thick coat of powdered sugar gives the deepest cracks. Press the ball gently in the sugar so a full layer sticks.
What To Serve With Easy Amaretti cookies
Serve amaretti with espresso or a small glass of vin santo, the way they often end a meal. They also sit well on a holiday cookie plate next to biscotti and pizzelle.
How To Store
- Room temperature: Keep the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Layer them with parchment so the sugar coat stays put.
- Freezer: Freeze the baked and cooled cookies in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw them on the counter, still covered.
- Make ahead: You can shape the dough balls, skip the flattening, and chill them for a few hours. Roll them in powdered sugar again right before baking.
FAQs
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
You can, but the cookies will look rougher and taste a bit heavier, because almond meal keeps the skins. Blanched almond flour gives the smooth, pale cookie shown here.
Are amaretti cookies gluten free?
Yes, as written. The recipe has no wheat flour, only almond flour, sugar and egg whites. Check that your extracts and powdered sugar are labeled gluten free if you cook for someone with celiac disease.
Can I freeze amaretti cookies?
Yes. Cool them fully, then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw them covered at room temperature so they stay dry.
Why did my amaretti spread flat?
The most common cause is egg whites that were not whipped enough, or dough folded too hard so the air was lost. Whip to soft peaks and fold gently. Very warm dough can spread too, so chill it for 15 minutes if your kitchen is hot.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 24), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 100 kcal
- Total Fat: 5g
- Total Carbohydrate: 12g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
Easy Amaretti cookies
24
servings20
minutes28
minutes48
minutesChewy almond amaretti cookies with a crackled powdered sugar crust, made from almond flour, sugar and egg whites. About 24 cookies from one bowl, naturally free of wheat flour.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups almond flour (250 g)
1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Directions
- Heat the oven: Set the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper so the sticky cookies lift off clean.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk the almond flour, granulated sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Whisking breaks up lumps and spreads the salt evenly.
- Whip the egg whites: Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Then mix in the almond extract and the vanilla extract.
- Fold into a dough: Fold the whipped whites into the dry mix until a sticky dough forms. Fold gently, so you keep as much air in the dough as you can.
- Shape the balls: Take a heaping teaspoon or so of dough, about 1 tablespoon in all, and shape it into a round ball between your palms. Drop each ball into the powdered sugar and turn it until no dough shows.
- Space them out: Set the balls on the sheet 2 inches apart. Press each one lightly to flatten the top.
- Bake: Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. The cookies are done when the tops are cracked and lightly golden.
- Cool: Leave the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes, so they firm up and don’t break. Then move them to a wire rack to cool all the way.
