I've been thinking about making this Italian amaretti cookies recipe for so long. Cookies have always been my favorite kind of dessert.
Amaretti is actually the Italian name for macaroons, also referred to as Italian biscuits or Amaretti biscuits. This recipe makes 40 delicious little traditional Italian cookies, 20 of which I might hide!
Before I was married, a box of cookies would last me a couple of weeks. If I haven't shared this before, I married the cookie monster.
Now I actually hide a few cookies now and then so I can have one when I want one. This chewy almond cookie disappears pretty fast around here.
These are so good, you might want to hide a few to pair with that afternoon cup of tea. You might want to also try another one of my most popular Italian cookies with this easy biscotti recipe. Biscotti may be my favorite cookies of all time!
This bakery style Italian amaretti cookies recipe has just a touch of Amaretto, that luscious Italian almond-flavored liqueur. Italian food is popular in our house, like this mouthwatering braised beef roast I made recently. It's easy and came out so tender.
Ingredients Needed
Easy recipes are my favorite, and you will only need seven ingredients to make this Italian amaretti cookie recipe.
Almond Flour
Don't confuse almond flour with almond meal. Almond flour is blanched, peeled whole almonds that are then ground in a food processor. Almond meal is ground almonds with the skin, which is a produces a different flavor. You don't want the flavor of bitter almonds. You can buy almond flour, if you don't want to make it yourself.
Aquafaba
You won't believe what a great replacement aquafaba is for egg whites, making these cookies vegan. Aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas.
Amaretto liqueur
First made in the Lombardy region of Italy, this liqueur is almond flavored and delicious!
You'll also need powdered sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
To coat the cookies, you'll need a little more powdered sugar. I told you it was easy!
How to Make It
Combine almond flour, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Sift or whisk to break up any clumps and evenly distribute.
In a large bowl (metal or glass), beat the aquafaba with salt using electric mixer or a stand mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Gently stir in lemon zest.
Fold in almond flour mixture until completely combined.
Stir in Amaretto. The dough will be sticky and soft, but possible to form into a ball.
Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes, longer if it is a warm day.
Preheat oven to 325°F/160 C. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking sheets.
Once the dough is chilled, place powdered sugar for coating the cookies in a small bowl.
Using a teaspoon, scoop a ball of the dough equaling about 2 teaspoons. Roll between your hands until you form a ball.
Roll the dough ball in powdered sugar until completely coated. Place at least 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place baking sheet on a rack in the top one-third of the oven as the bottoms of these cookies are prone to overcooking. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown under the sugar. You're looking for a chewy center, so be careful not to over bake.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least five minutes before moving to a rack to completely cool.
Notes:
*If you are baking two sheets at once, keep them in the upper portion of the oven as much as possible.
Switch positions of the baking sheets at about 12 minutes of baking. Baking multiple sheets of this amaretti cookie recipe at once may cause the baking to take longer.
Varieties
I've seen so many different ways of flavoring these delicious almond cookies, and they all sound so good! Because of the Amaretto, these have an almond flavor, but I think any nut-flavored liqueur would be delicious, like Frangelico.
Why not try a berry-flavored liqueur the next time you make these? Raspberry amaretti cookies sound heavenly.
Amaretti cookies with cherry flavoring would be really good, too. I love cherry anything.
You could also skip the liqueur and use almond extract to get a similar flavor as the Amaretto. Or try plain vanilla extract or chocolate extract for a chocolate amaretti cookie.
A cookie tray filled with different variations of this cookie along with Italian Christmas cookies would make a beautiful dessert platter for the holiday season.
FAQ
You can store these easy almond cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They would truly never last longer than that in my house!
You can also freeze these cookies. Wrap in wax paper and insert it into an airtight baggie or plastic container and freeze. Let the cookies thaw at room temperature.
Isn't it nice to have home-baked cookies to thaw at the last minute for a special treat?
More Cookie Recipes
These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are smaller than average cookies, too. They're also a Weight Watchers friendly dessert.
For even more chocolatey goodness, try these double chocolate chip cookies or these oatmeal Milky Way cookies.
For something other than a cookie, try these Samoa Cookie Cupcakes, made after the Girl Scout cookie!
Italian Amaretti Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ C 240 g blanched almond flour
- 6 tbsp 45 g powdered sugar
- ⅔ C 130 g granulated sugar
- ½ C 120 ml aquafaba (liquid drained from about 1 can chickpeas)
- ¼ tsp 1 g salt
- 1 tsp 2 g lemon zest
- 1 tbsp 15 ml amaretto liqueur
- Powdered sugar to coat cookies about 1 cup (115 g
Instructions
- Combine almond flour, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Sift or whisk to break up any clumps and evenly distribute.
- In a large metal or glass bowl beat aquafaba with salt using electric beaters or a stand mixer on medium high speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Gently stir in lemon zest. Fold in almond flour mixture until completely combined.
- Stir in Amaretto. The dough will be sticky and soft, but possible to form into a ball.
- Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes, longer if it is a warm day.
- Preheat oven to 325°F/160 C. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicon baking sheets.
- Once dough is chilled. Place powdered sugar for coating in a small bowl.
- Using a teaspoon, scoop out an amount of dough equal to about 2 teaspoons. Roll between your hands until a ball forms.
- Douse dough ball in powdered sugar until completely coated. Place at least 2”/5cm apart on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Place baking sheet on a rack in the up ⅓ of the oven – the bottoms are prone to overcooking. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown under the sugar.*
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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