Italian Almond Cookies
These Italian Almond Cookies, or “Ricciarelli,” are absolutely divine! Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, these Italian cookies host a great almond flavor that will melt in your mouth! They’re easy to make, ready in under 30 minutes and gluten-free!
If you’ve dreamed of, or actually spent a Christmas in Italy, then you know the big deal behind these delicious cookies! The original Italian Almond Cookie recipe originated in the small village of Siena, which is located smack-dab in the middle of Tuscany, Italy.
And while they’re are many delicious Italian Christmas cookies, these and the Italian Amaretti cookies are two of the more popular classic Italian almond cookies.
The primary difference between Ricciarelli italian cookies and Amaretti cookies is the texture. Ricciarelli are softer and chewier than Amaretti.
If you’re serving these at a holiday party, you might want to make a batch of Mulled Red Wine Sangria to go with your menu!
Why this recipe works
- The cookie dough is simple – almond flour (or almond meal) and sugar form the base – no fancy ingredients, preservatives or colorants
- Gluten-free – almond flour is not “flour” it’s simply ground almonds, therefore, this easy cookie recipe is perfect for those who are gluten-free almond lovers!
- Since there’s no egg yolks, butter, oil or corn syrup involved – only egg whites – the result is a crispy, rustic-looking exterior with a semi-chewy inside!
- As with most European desserts and sweet treats, these are not super sweet! By using less white sugar, you still get a sweet flavor that allows the delicious almond flavor to shine!
Here’s what you’ll need
As for the equipment, you’ll want to use an electric mixer, either a stand mixer or hand mixer to whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. You’ll also need a cooling rack. Other than that, all you need for this simple recipe is:
Almond flour, granulated sugar, lemon zest, a little salt, almond extract and honey. You’ll also need some confectioner’s sugar (powdered) sugar.
How to make Italian Almond Cookies
Traditional Italian almond cookies are made with finely ground almonds. The bakers take whole almonds and pulverize them into a powder. You can do this in a food processor if you want, but it’s easier to just buy almond flour (sometimes it’s called “almond meal”.)
When in doubt, read the ingredients on the almond flour / almond meal package. The only ingredient that should be listed is “almonds.”
Preheat the oven to 325°F and separate three large eggs. Make sure the eggs are cold when you separate them (because they’re easier to separate when cold.)
Set the egg whites in a small bowl and bring them to room temperature. Line a baking pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour about a cup of powdered sugar into a small bowl; set aside for later
In a large bowl, add almond flour, granulated sugar, orange zest, almond extract and salt.
In the stand mixer bowl, use a wire whisk and beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks (this is setting #6 on a KitchenAid stand mixer); whisk for 1 1/2 minutes; they should look like this:
Use a spatula and fold in the egg whites and honey into the almond mixture
Use a spoon or small cookie scoop and form the dough into 1″ inch cookie dough balls; gently flatten the ball between your palms, then shape the cookie dough into an oval shape or egg shape.
Roll the oval shaped cookie in the bowl of powdered sugar, shaking off any excess; place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet about 1/2″ inch apart (these are relatively low moisture cookies so they won’t spread a lot.)
Bake on the middle oven rack for 18-25 minutes or until the tops begin to get little golden cracks on the top; do not over bake these! You want the inside of these to be chewy almond cookies.
Remove from oven and let the baked cookies rest on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack
Note: at this point, when the Italian almond cookies are on the cooling rack, if you want more powdered sugar, sprinkle a little over the almond cookies
Recipe Tips
If you make your own almond flour in a food processor, make sure the almonds are fresh. You can tell by tasting them-old almonds are bitter almonds
If you don’t have a lemon to zest, you can substitute with orange zest. The point is to have a hint of citrus in these particular cookies.
Recipe FAQ
You can use vanilla extract or add a tablespoon of almond paste to the almond flour mixture.
These cookies will crack on top because of the low moisture ingredients. The rustic cracks are a sign of a good Italian almond cookie!
The primary difference between Ricciarelli italian cookies and Amaretti cookies is the texture. Ricciarelli are softer and chewier than Amaretti.
Storage
Store your Italian cookies in a plastic bag or airtight container at room temperature – or put them in your favorite cookie jar!
These Italian Almond Cookies are one of the more easy cookie recipes I’ve come across! They’re the perfect Christmas cookie so make a big batch and give these delectable almond cookies as a Christmas gift or hostess favor!
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If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and a rating! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Italian Almond Cookies (Ricciarelli)
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- Powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
Instructions
- Separate 3 large eggs; reserve the egg whites; set out to come to room temperature3 large egg whites, room temperature
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, add about 1 cup of powdered sugar; set aside for laterPowdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, sugar, lemon zest, almond extract and salt; set aside3 cups almond flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon almond extract, 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- In a separate bowl or stand mixer, whip the room temperature egg whites until the texture reaches the soft peak stage (See recipe notes)
- With a spatula, gently fold beaten egg whites and honey into almond flour mixture1 tablespoon honey
- Scoop out dough, to form a 1" inch ball, then gently flatten the ball and shape the ball in an oval (or egg) shape; repeat process with remaining dough
- Gently roll the oval shaped cookie in the powdered sugar and place on parchment lined baking sheet; since these are low moisture cookies, they won't spread much so you can put them about ½" inch apart on the baking sheetPowdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
- Bake at 325°F for 18-25 minutes on the middle rack; remove the cookies and let them sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes; then transfer them to a cooling rack
- After the cookies are on the cooling rack, you can sprinkle on a little more powdered sugar if you want
