Italians are good at baked goods. And one of their finer creations is the Italian almond cookies, mostly known as Ricciarelli cookies, which originated in Tuscany. There’s also an Italian almond cookie known as Amaretti.
These cookies have a crunchy texture on the top, but when you bite into them, you are greeted by soft, chewy goodness.
I like making these easy almond cookies during the holidays because they are so easy to make, and my friends and family love them. These Tuscan cookies make for great holiday gifts. I can easily make a few batches and wrap them up in decorative wrapping paper to gift them to my friends and relatives.
If you’re looking for more classic cookie recipes to try this holiday, you can try Mexican Wedding Cookies, Best Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy Sugar Cookies, and Coconut Pecan Cookies.
Why You’ll Love These Chewy Italian Almond Cookies
- You will love this recipe because of how simple and easy it is.
- They are gluten-free cookies, which means just about everyone can enjoy them.
- The ingredients are simple, the almond paste is easy to make, and you will most likely find them in your pantry.
- The chewy, soft interior of the cookies, paired with a rich, crunchy exterior, is very inviting.
- These traditional Italian cookies are perfect for the holidays, and you can even gift them to your friends and family.
- Preparing these soft almond cookies is straightforward, and you will not need any special tools.
What Are Italian Almond Cookies?
The chewy almond cookies I am talking about actually originate from Italy. But there are two versions of this Italian cookie. There are the Ricciarelli cookies, and then there’s the Amaretti cookies.
Both these versions are almond-based cookies, but they are slightly different. The Ricciarelli cookies originate from Siena, Tuscany, whereas the Amaretti cookies are from Lombardy.
When it comes to the Ricciarelli cookies, you will find the cookies to be soft, chewy, and dense. On the contrary, the Amaretti cookies are softer, crispier, and lighter.
Whichever you want to make depends on you, but the Italian biscuits that I am talking about may be a little different than the Italian versions.
Ingredients for Italian Almond Cookies Ricciarelli
These almond flour cookies are so easy to make that you will want to make fresh batches every day. The ingredients are very simple, and you probably already have them in your pantry.
- Almond Flour: Make sure use blanched almond flour instead of almond meal. Almond meal or Unblanched Almond Flour will make the cookies more crumbly.
- Almond Flakes: Typically used to top the cookie dough, they give the cookies a crunchy texture and add extra almond flavor to the cookies.
- Sugar: You can use either superfine sugar or granulated sugar to give the cookies their sweetness.
- Salt: You need to add a bit of salt to the dough to balance the sweetness of the sugar.
- Lemon Zest: If you want a little tangy flavor added to your Italian Christmas cookies, you can add just a bit of lemon zest.
- Egg Whites: Use large eggs; you only need the egg whites for this recipe. Make sure to add them to the batter at room temperature.
- Almond Extract: Almond extract is made from almond oil and imparts a rich almond flavor to the cookies.
- Vanilla Essence: Using vanilla essence in the cookie will give it a much richer flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: This ingredient is used at the very end of the recipe. Powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar is simply used as a garnish after making the cookies.
How to Make Italian Almond Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add almond flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, beat two egg whites until they start to foam, then add the vanilla essence and almond extract and beat again until soft peaks form.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold until combined.
- In a small bowl, pour the other egg whites and whisk with a fork until foamy.
- Add the dry mixture to the egg white and fold until combined.
- Now, take a scoop of about one tablespoon of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball, dip the ball into the egg whites, and roll it in the almond flakes to coat the outer layer.
- Place each of the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet.
- Bake the Ricciarelli cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
- Once baked, remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies rest on the tray for 5-10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to come to room temperature.
Expert Tips for Best & Chewy Italian Almond Cookies
- Make sure you use fine almond flour rather than coarser almond meal. Using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar also makes the cookie chewier.
- When beating the egg whites, make sure you don’t over-whip them. Whisk until soft peaks form. Doing it further will create hard peaks, and the cookies will not turn out great.
- If you want to avoid the cookies spreading too much, you need to make sure you take only a tablespoon of cookie dough to make the balls. Also, make sure all the cookies are at least two inches apart from each other.
- To make the crackly top of the Italian almond cookies, you need to let the cookies crack before you put them into the oven.
- If the dough feels too sticky, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or 1 hour before rolling.
- Baking the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes is important so that you don’t get firmer cookies instead of softer ones.
- Before baking the cookies, make sure to lay a piece of parchment paper on the baking tray to prevent sticking.
Variations To Try
- When the cookies are out of the oven and cooled down to room temperature, you can dip them into liquid chocolate to get chocolate-dipped ends.
- You can use orange zest instead of the lemon zest if you want that orange flavor in your cookies.
- You can also make an Amaretto liqueur version of the almond cookies by adding a bit of the liqueur into the cookie dough.
- If you want the Italian amaretti cookie version, you can bake the cookies a little longer to get that crisp on the top layer.
- You can add slivered almonds on top instead of almond flakes to your Italian Christmas cookies.
How To Serve
- The best way to serve these delicious almond cookies is by serving them with espresso or dessert wine.
- You can serve these cookies in a holiday cookie box, which you can also use to gift your friends and family.
- If anyone in your family isn’t tolerant of gluten, these are the best gluten-free cookies to serve them.
How to Store and Freeze Storage
- You can make a fresh batch of these cookies and keep them at room temperature for about 10 days.
- If you want to freeze the cookies, the best way to do it is by placing them in the freezer in a freezer-safe and airtight container.
- To freeze the cookie dough balls, you need to wrap the cookies with plastic wrap and place them in to freezer.
- If you want to freeze the cookies after baking them, you can put them in an airtight container and freeze them like that.
- The best way to thaw the cookie dough balls or baked cookies is by taking them out of the freezer and refrigerating them overnight.
Troubleshooting
- If your cookie dough is too sticky, you can use a little more almond flour so that it becomes easier to handle.
- The cookies might spread too much if the dough is warm. This is why you should refrigerate the cookie dough balls before baking.
- If you use too much almond flour, you might end up with dry or crumbly cookies. So, make sure you measure the flour before adding it.
- Your cookies might not have cracks on top if they are set in the oven before the insides are finished rising. You can fix that by letting the cookie dough balls rest long enough to form cracks before baking. If that doesn’t work, make the cracks yourself by softly pressing the dough balls.
Italian Almond Cookies (Ricciarelli) – Soft, Chewy & Naturally Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups / 224 g Almond Flour
- ⅔ cup / 135 g Sugar
- ¼ tsp / 1.5 g Salt
- 1 tsp / 2 g Lemon Zest
- 3 large Egg White
- ½ tsp / 3 ml Vanilla Essence
- ¼ tsp / 1.23 ml Almond Extract
- 1 cup / 92 g Almond Flakes (For rolling)
Instructions
Prepare The Oven and Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 180 degrees Celcius.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with butter to prevent sticking.
Mix Dry Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, add almond flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
- Whisk everything together until well combined, and set it aside.
Making the Wet Mix
- Separate the egg yolks from two large eggs, then add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl.
- Now, beat the egg whites with an electric beater until they are foamy.
- Then add the vanilla essence and almond extract to the foamy egg whites and beat until soft peaks form when you lift the beater out of the mixture.
Mixing Wet and Dry Ingredients
- Pour your dry mixture into the egg mixture and fold using a spatula.
- You need to mix the two mixtures well until they form a dough.
Prepare to Bake
- In another small bowl, add another egg white and whisk with a fork until it foams slightly.
- Now, take a scoop of about one tablespoon of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball,
- Dip the ball into the egg whites, and roll it in the almond flakes to coat the outer layer
- Place each of the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet.
Bake, Cool, and Serve!
- Bake these traditional Italian Almond Cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
- Take the cookies out when they are done and let them cool to room temperature.
- Garnish the cookies with powdered sugar, serve, and enjoy.
Video
Recipe FAQs
Are Italian almond cookies gluten-free?
Yes, the Italian almond cookies are completely gluten-free because they are made with almond flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Can I substitute almond flour with ground almonds?
Yes, you can substitute almond flour with ground almonds, but the texture of the cookies will be coarser.
Can I make them without egg whites?
Yes, you can make these cookies without egg whites, but you will need a substitute, like aquafaba.
Why did my cookies not crack?
If you don’t refrigerate the cookies or let them rest to form cracks before baking, you might end up with no cracks at all.
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