Soft & Chewy Amaretti Cookies
These scrumptious amaretti cookies are crispy on the outside and irresistibly soft and chewy on the inside. They have a lovely, rich almond flavor that will keep you coming back for more. 
What are amaretti cookies:
Amaretti cookies are almond-flavored Italian cookies. They are traditionally made with almond flour, granulated sugar, egg whites, and almond extract. They are naturally gluten-free and the texture can range from soft to crunchy. The cookies are similar to French macarons but are enjoyed as is and not sandwiched with any type of filling. Amaretti cookies are excellent served with your favorite cup of coffee or tea.
Why this recipe is so great:
- Easy to make – The only technical part of this recipe is beating the egg white to medium-stiff peaks. If you can master that, you can make these cookies in your sleep. Then all you have to do is mix in your dry ingredients, roll the cookie dough in powdered sugar, and bake until cracked and golden on the bottom.
- Incredibly delicious – That crispy outer shell along with the chewy marzipan-like center is what makes amaretti cookies so special. That texture and delicious almond flavor is something to be remembered.
- Keeps well – These sturdy little cookies stay fresh for up to 5 days and are also great for gifting.
How to make amaretti cookies:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and almond extract. Continue beating the mixture until medium-stiff peaks.
- Stir in your dry ingredients until combined. Scoop out the cookie dough and roll into 1″ balls.
- Roll the balls in powdered sugar until well coated. Place 1″ apart onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 300F for 20-25 minutes.
How to store:
Amaretti cookies can be stored in an airtight container or bag for up to 5 days at room temperature.
How to freeze:
Place the completely cooled cookies in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for 3-5 hours or overnight to bring to room temperature before serving.
You might also like:
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Print
Amaretti Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: about 28 cookies
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
These scrumptious amaretti cookies are crispy on the outside and irresistibly soft and chewy on the inside.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200g) almond flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (lemon juice or white vinegar works too)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and almond extract. Continue beating the mixture until medium-stiff peaks: meaning the peak should be slightly curved and not straight up (see photo #3 above).
- Stir in your dry ingredients until combined. Scoop out the cookie dough and roll into 1″ balls.
- Roll the balls in powdered sugar until well coated. Place 1″ apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are cracked and the bottoms just start to brown. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container or bag for up to 5 days at room temperature.
To Freeze – Place the completely cooled cookies in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for 3-5 hours or overnight to bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 79
- Sugar: 8.5 g
- Sodium: 24.8 mg
- Fat: 1.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.7 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Recipe very slightly adapted from Love & Olive Oil.
I wish I could give this recipe 6 stars cause 5 doesn’t seem to be enough!
These were SUCH a hit, my husband has been asking me every day to make them again.
Based on how much of a hit they were, and since they’re on the smaller side, I’d recommend doubling up on the batch!
I managed to make 21 cookies that were approx 3-4cm and they were gone within a day!
Thank you for your rave review, Tanya! Much appreciated and enjoy the cookies!
Can this recipe be doubled as is
Yes it can, Vicki. Enjoy!
Second year i’m making these cookies for Christmas and they’re here to stay as tradition. Absolutely delicious especially when still warm. The texture is fantastic, soft and chewy like marzipan almost! They taste ‘fancy’ but are the easiest and quickest to throw together. I make sure to weigh the granulated sugar and almond flower and they turn out perfect that way.
Will be making these every year for family and friends. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re very welcome, Joanne! I’m so thrilled to hear you’ll be making these every year:) Enjoy and merry Christmas!
Those turned out great- really tasty. Two cups of almond flour appeared to be a lot more than 200 grams- I’ll need to weigh the almond flour next time I make this. I had to whip up another egg white to fix the dough. But in the end they turned out soft on the outside with a bit of a crunchy shell.
Interesting. Maybe I’m light-handed when it comes to scooping and leveling almond flour. Thank you for your feedback though and I’m glad it stilled turned out great for you. Enjoy and happy holidays!
These are incredible. They taste and almost have the texture of marzipan candies.
Thank you for your kind words! So glad you liked them, Leslie. Enjoy and happy holidays!
I’m definitely heavy handed! I made them again tonight and weighed the ingredients- everything worked out perfectly this time! Thank you for this recipe- my whole family loved them. They were perfect for my boyfriend who is gluten free.
Delicious! Had a crunchy “shell” layer on the outside, and the interior reminded me of frangipane. It was also so easy, yet seemed so fancy.
Will make again!
Thank you for your kind words, Amanda! Enjoy the cookies and have a great week!
HI, My Amaretti cookies had a wonderful flavor, and they were great when I took them off the cookie sheets. Crisp on the outside, and soft and chewy inside. However after I stored them they really hardened up. They didn’t look as pretty as yours either, but I will try them another time.
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your feedback. Try reducing the bake time by 2-3 minutes and that will help keep the cookies soft for a longer period. As for the appearance; let me know how different they looked compared to mine and perhaps I can offer some suggestions:)