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Easy and Delicious Amaretti Cookies Recipe

Easy and Delicious Amaretti Cookies

Soft Italian amaretti cookies with a lightly crisp exterior, cracked confectioners’ sugar coating, and chewy almond center. This naturally flourless recipe yields approximately 18–24 cookies.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 18 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • 250 g Finely ground blanched almonds or almond flour
  • 200 g Granulated sugar
  • 2 large Large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon Pure almond extract or bitter-almond flavoring
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
  • 1/2 lemon, optional Finely grated lemon zest
Coating
  • 50-75 g Confectioners’ sugar

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 170°C/340°F or 175°C/350°F, and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the almond flour and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl, breaking up any lumps.
  3. Lightly whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until foamy, then add them to the almond mixture with the almond extract and lemon juice. Add lemon zest if using, and mix until a soft, sticky dough forms.
  4. Cover and rest the dough for 20–30 minutes if it is very soft. Scoop 20–25 g portions, roll them into balls with lightly dampened or powdered-sugar-coated hands, and coat generously in confectioners’ sugar.
  5. Arrange the cookies on the prepared sheets, gently flatten if desired, and bake for 12–16 minutes. Remove them when the tops are cracked and lightly colored while the centers remain soft.
  6. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. They will firm as they cool while remaining chewy inside.

Notes

Use finely milled blanched almond flour for the smoothest texture. Do not add extra almond flour simply because the dough is sticky, since this can make the cookies hard. For crisp amaretti, bake a few minutes longer and cool completely; for soft amaretti, remove them while the centers still feel slightly underbaked. If using pasteurized carton egg whites, measure about 65 g by weight.