These Italian almond cookies with almond flour are soft, chewy, and lightly crisp at the edges. Made with almond flour, egg whites, icing sugar, lemon zest, and almond extract, these traditional flourless cookies are easy to make and full of rich almond flavor.
Why You'll Love It
- Naturally flourless cookies made entirely with almond flour
- Soft and chewy centers with lightly crisp edges
- Simple ingredients and an easy dough
- Beautiful traditional toppings that make the cookie tray look festive
I like cookies like this because they use simple ingredients, but still feel elegant once they come out of the oven. As they bake, the edges turn lightly crisp while the centers stay soft and chewy, which is my favorite kind of texture in an almond cookie. Almond flour gives them that tender bite, and the combination of lemon zest and almond extract keeps the flavor bright, aromatic, and comforting. The dough comes together quickly without butter or regular flour, so the process stays simple while the finished cookies still look beautiful on the tray.
What I enjoy most about these almond cookies with almond flour is that they carry a little bit of that classic Italian bakery feel. In Italy, especially in Sicily, cookies like these are often known as paste di mandorla or pasticcini di mandorla. Traditional versions may include honey, but this one keeps things simple with icing sugar and lets the almond flavor shine. The different shapes and toppings also make the tray look colorful and inviting. Some are finished with whole almonds, some with cherries or pistachios, and others with almond flakes. If you enjoy homemade cookies like this, my biscotti, strawberry shortcake, and 3-ingredient peanut butter oatmeal cookies are also lovely recipes to explore next.
Key Ingredients in Italian Almond Cookies
You'll find the exact measurements in the recipe card, but here's a closer look at key ingredients and why I use them.
- Almond Flour, Icing Sugar & Lemon Zest: Almond flour is the base I like to use because it gives these cookies their soft, chewy texture and rich almond flavor. The icing sugar keeps the dough delicate and lightly sweet, while lemon zest adds fresh brightness and helps balance the sweetness.
- Egg Whites, Vanilla & Almond Extract: Egg whites bring the dough together and create the tender center that I look for in cookies like this. I also use vanilla for a little warmth, while almond extract deepens the flavor and gives the cookies that classic Italian bakery feel.
- Icing Sugar Coating: I roll the dough in icing sugar before baking because it gives the cookies a beautiful finish. The coating also adds a gentle sweetness and helps the outside look more special once baked.
- Almond Flakes & Classic Toppings: For the topping, I like to use almond flakes, whole almonds, glazed cherries, and pistachios. The mix makes the tray look colorful and traditional, and each one adds its own little texture and character.
How to Make Italian Almond Cookies
You can find the complete printable recipe with measurements below, but for now, here's a quick overview of how it goes:
1. In a bowl mix almond flour, icing sugar, and lemon zest.
2. Separate 3 egg whites, add vanilla and almond extracts, and stir with a fork.
3. Gradually fold the lightly beaten egg whites into the almond flour mixture in three parts, mixing thoroughly each time.
4. Knead the dough briefly in the bowl until it's soft, slightly wet, and sticky but holds together well.
5. Roll the dough into 20 tablespoon-sized balls and shape 5 into cylinders.
6. Coat them with icing sugar and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
7. Pinch 5 small dough balls into rounded triangles like four-cornered hats. Press a hole in the center of 5 balls, and press an almond, a candied cherry, and a pistachio into each. Dip the cylinder shapes in egg white, and coat with almond flakes.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 338°F (170°C) for about 13 minutes, or until lightly golden. Move the cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Tips for the Best Italian Almond Cookies
Use a Small Scoop for Even Cookies: I like using a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon when portioning the dough. It helps keep the cookies the same size so they bake evenly and look nicer on the tray.
Let the Shaped Cookies Rest Briefly: After shaping the cookies, I like letting them sit on the tray for about 5 minutes before baking. This helps the icing sugar coating settle and keeps the shapes more defined in the oven.
Choose Good Almond Flour: The cookies turn out best when the almond flour is finely ground. Coarser almond meal can make the texture slightly heavier, so I prefer the finer version for a softer cookie.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. I like placing a small sheet of parchment between layers so the icing sugar coating stays neat. For longer storage, freeze the cookies for up to 3 months and let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Recipe
Italian Almond Cookies with Almond Flour
Ingredients
- 400 g almond flour
- 100 g icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 120 g egg whites - 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 50 g icing sugar
- 30 g almond flakes
- 40 g egg white - 1 egg white
- 7 g almonds - 5 pieces
- 7 g glazed cherries - 5 pieces
- 5 g pistachios - 5 pieces
Instructions
- Stir 400 g almond flour , 100 g icing sugar, and 1 tbsp lemon zest together in a large bowl.
- Lightly mix 120 g egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp almond extract with a fork. Add this to the almond mixture in 3 batches, mixing well each time until fully combined.
- Knead the dough briefly with your hands in the bowl until it feels soft, slightly sticky, and holds together well.
- Roll the dough into 20 balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Shape 5 into cylinders, leave 5 round, pinch 5 into a rounded triangular shape, and make a small hole in the center of the remaining 5.
- Coat the cookies with 50 g icing sugar and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Brush the cylinder-shaped cookies with 40 g egg white, then coat them with 30 g almond flakes.
- Press 7 g almonds, 7 g glazed cherries, and 5 g pistachios into the center of the cookies.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 338°F / 170°C for about 13 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
John says
These cookies looks very easy to make and they look amazingly delicious, thanks for the recipe