Soft Amaretti Cookies using Amaretto Liqueur and almond flour makes the most delicious amaretti cookies! This traditional Italian cookie is chewy and light, and perfect for any occasion!
Italian Amaretti cookies are pure bliss with its chewy and flavorful inside. They are not overly sweet and make the perfect cookies to have on hand and are a great Italian Christmas cookie too.
This recipe for amaretti cookies are not to be confused with the crunchy amaretti you buy in the store. Those hard sweet cookies have their purpose, like being ground to make the shell for my Amaretto Mascarpone Cheesecake, or dunked into hot coffee.
For another delicious traditional Italian dessert, try this Tiramisu with Kahlua. If you love soft, almond-flavored cookies, be sure to try these Almond Ricotta Cookies! For another tasty take on traditional Italian almond cookies, try making them with lemon zest for Lemon Amaretti Cookies.
You’ll Love Soft Amaretti Cookies
If you’ve never had a soft amaretti cookie, it’s definitely something you need to try! These chewy cookies are both crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
What makes these traditional Italian cookies so unique is the combination of almond flour and egg whites. They give the cookie a soft and a chewy texture with a delicious almond flavor, similar to Italian macaroons.
These are also naturally gluten free and so simple to make. This is the perfect recipe have on hand for the holidays but truly great for any occasion.
You’re going to love how these soft amaretti biscuits seem to melt in your mouth. They are a great addition to any Italian cookie tray and perfect for almond lovers.
Be sure to give these soft amaretti cookies a try. You’re going to love this classic Italian treat!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Almond Flour: almond flour is necessary in this recipe. If you are making your own, be sure to grind the whole almonds into a flour-like consistency. The ground almonds need to be a texture similar to flour.
- Sugar: regular granulated sugar works here.
- Egg Whites: you only need egg whites in this recipe. You can use the leftover egg whites to make an Italian Pastry Cream.
- Cream of Tartar: this helps the egg whites form stiff peaks. If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute an equal amount of lemon juice.
- Almond Extract: a little bit of extract gives the soft amaretti cookies the amazing flavor of almond that is pairs perfectly with the rest of the ingredients.
- Amaretto Liqueur: this amplifies the almond flour but is not necessary. If you don’t have amaretto liqueur, you could just skip this ingredient and add ¼ teaspoon more almond extract.
- Powdered Sugar: use the icing sugar for rolling the cookies in.
Almond flour is just ground up almonds. So if you can’t find almond flour in the store, you could make your own by grinding almonds in a food processor until it resembles a fine crumb. Note that almond flour is an essential ingredient for the cookies; all purpose flour cannot be substituted in its place.
Lastly, the cookie is rolled in powdered sugar before baking. Many recipes roll their cookies in regular sugar instead, which is a fine substitute if you’d like.
How to Make Soft Amaretti Cookies
This recipe requires few ingredients and is simple to put together and make ahead. Firstly, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
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Step 1: combine dry ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour and granulated sugar; set aside.
Step 2: whisk the egg whites
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until they reach soft peak stage. To whisk, I like to use the single whisk attachment of my handheld mixer, which takes about 2 minutes to reach the desired texture.
Then, add in the almond extract and Amaretto liqueur and mix to just combine.
Step 3: add in the dry ingredients
Switch over to a spoon and mix the dry ingredients until a dough forms. Don’t worry about being too gently with the egg whites.
Step 4: scoop into balls
Lastly, scoop out the sticky dough using a small cookie scoop and use the palm of your hands to roll into a ball. Toss the cookie dough in powdered sugar.
Place the cookies on your prepared baking tray leaving about an inch and half of room around each cookie.
Bake the cookies on the middle baking rack in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or just until the bottoms start to turn a golden brown and the tops of the outside of the cookies start to crackle. Let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack to cool completely.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days. Prolong the life of the cookies by keeping them in the refrigerator or freezer separating the cookies with a layer of parchment paper.
Recipe Tips
When making soft amaretti cookies from scratch, be sure to follow these tips and tricks:
- Use almond flour instead of almond meal. If you are grinding almonds, make sure you grind them very fine, almost to the consistency of flour.
- If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can use an equal amount of lemon juice in its place.
- If you don’t have amaretto liqueur, you can substitute ¼ teaspoon almond extract for it, or omit it altogether.
- Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; that means when you pull up with a spoon the eggs form a peak that slightly falls rather than stays straight up.
- Bake the cookies just until they start to turn lightly brown.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional homemade amaretti biscuits are soft and chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The store-bought amaretti cookies are crunchy like a biscotti and great for dunking coffee or grinding to make a crust for cheesecakes.
Amaretti cookies are made with almond flour instead of regular flour, making them a great option for gluten-free baking.
More Italian-Inspired Desserts
If you love Italian dessert recipes, then I have you covered! Be sure to check out these other delicious desserts, like my Orange Mascarpone Ciambella:
Give this Amaretti Biscuits Recipe at try and be sure to comment below. Follow me on Facebook for more delicious and easy recipes. Enjoy!
Soft Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour and sugar; set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, whisk the eggs whites and cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks. Whisk in the amaretto and almond extract to just combine.
- Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture and use a spoon to stir until all ingredients are combined and a dough forms.
- Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out 1 inch balls of the dough. Use your hands to roll the dough into a ball shape. Then roll the ball in powdered sugar just to coat. Place the cookie on the baking sheet leaving about an inch and a half between each cookie.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are lightly golden and the tops of the cookies start to crack. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet before moving to wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Use almond flour instead of almond meal. If you are grinding almonds, make sure you grind them very fine, almost to the consistency of flour.
- If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can use an equal amount of lemon juice in its place.
- If you don’t have amaretto liqueur, you can substitute ¼ teaspoon almond extract for it, or omit it altogether.
- Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; that means when you pull up with a spoon the eggs form a peak that slightly falls rather than stays straight up.
- Bake the cookies just until they start to turn lightly brown.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Great recipe! Easy to make. I cut the sugar in 1/2 and the cookies are delicious!
These cookies are so easy to make Are crunchy outside soft inside melt in your mouth My new favorite
Thanks Cindy! They are one of my favorites too! 🙂
Absolutely delicious cookies! Crunchy and chewy, as promised – just delightful
Thank you, Francesca. So happy enjoyed them!
Fabulous
Thank you!