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Italian almond cookies in blue plate featured image.
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5 from 30 votes

Italian Almond Cookies

Italian Almond Cookies are soft and chewy on the inside and slight cracked and crisp on the outside. They're so easy to make and loaded with delicious almond flavor!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 30 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (230g) almond flour
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

optional toppings (use 1 or a mix)

  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • amarena or maraschino cherries
  • 1/4 cup whole almonds

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350f and set the rack on the middle level.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt, and sugar and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and almond extract with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form.
  • Fold egg whites into the large bowl and mix until a crumbly dough forms.
  • Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats. Using a small cookie scoop, grab a ball of dough. Use your hands and compress it together then roll it into a ball. Roll the ball into the powdered sugar.
  • Place the dough ball onto the cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie. Press a whole almond or cherry into the top of the dough ball. Alternatively, press down and leave empty or coat with sliced almonds.
  • Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies turn lightly golden on the edges and start to crack but are still soft on the inside. Remove from the oven and after 5 minutes transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

  • If you can not find almond flour in the store, use a food processor to pulverize whole almonds until it is finely ground.
  • All of the optional toppings can be used or none at all.
  • Almond cookies should be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week or they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
  • This recipe was written for a conventional oven.  For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark.

Nutrition

Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.1g | Protein: 3.2g | Fat: 5.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 6.2g | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg