Italian Lemon Amaretti cookies are soft on the inside with a harder outside texture and they’re made with almond flour, sugar, egg whites with lemon and almond flavoring. They’re the perfect gluten-free cookies! Add these to your cookie tray!
Cookies are the best finger desserts. They’re great to grab and go, arrange on a cookie tray or dunk into milk, coffee or tea. The first time I tasted an Italian Amaretti cookie, I was hooked on them. They’re so, so delicious yet, they look like a simple cookie.
Little did I know how EASY they are to make! Find out how to store, freeze and thaw cookies too.
Almond is a wonderful flavoring for cakes and cookies. Try my Almond Butter Cookies.
However, I wanted to try something different so, I added lemon extract and lemon zest to a traditional amaretti cookie recipe. The combination is amazing!
Look below at the inside of this cookie!
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Lemon Amaretti Cookies
Making these cookies is EASY! The full, printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups of almond flour
- 1 & 1/4 granulated sugar, divided
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (optional)
First, put the almond flour and one cup of the sugar in a bowl and set aside.
Then, beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl on high speed until peaks form. See below.
Then, zest the lemon until you get about one tablespoon of zest. If you’re using lemon extract, the lemon zest is optional.
Then, add the lemon and almond extracts (1/2 tsp each) and lemon zest (optional) to the beaten egg whites.
Next, add the almond flour and sugar to the egg whites 1/3 of batter at a time until well mixed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl midway through mixing.
Then, roll the cookie dough into balls and then roll the balls into the sugar. You can roll them in powdered sugar for a festive look for Christmas, if you prefer.
Then, place them on a cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Space them about two inches apart.
Bake them at 325F for 25 minutes and let them cool before storing. Store in an air tight container for up to 4 days.
These cookies are an Italian delicacy. What’s more is that they’re gluten-free too. They’re a great addition to your holiday cookie tray or anytime you feel for it.
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This recipe was updated on December 28, 2023.
Lemon Amaretti Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour (blanched almonds)
- 1 1/4 cup white granulated sugar (divided)
- 3 egg whites from large eggs
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 tbsp lemon zest, loosely packed (optional)
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 325F.
- Then, add parchment paper or silicone mats on two large cookie sheets.
- Next, put 1/4 cup of the sugar on a plate and set aside. You'll use it to dip the cookie dough into before baking.
- Then, put almond flour (2 1/2 cups) and sugar (1 cup) in a bowl and set aside.
- Next, in a separate large mixing bowl, beat egg whites (from three large eggs) until stiff peaks form. Use the highest setting. See photo.
- Then, add lemon zest (optional 1 tbsp,) 1/2 tsp of almond extract and 1/2 tsp of lemon extract to the beaten egg whites.
- Next, add the almond flour and sugar to the egg whites 1/3 of the batter at a time until well mixed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl half way through mixing.
- Then, one at a time, scoop and roll the cookie dough into one-inch or so ball and immediately dip it into the sugar on a small flat plate. Place the cookies on the prepped cookies sheets, about two inches apart and bake at 325F for 25 minutes. These cookies do not spread a lot. Cookies should have a small amount of browning on the bottom.
- Last, cool cookies on cooling racks and then store in air tight containers.
Notes
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you made this recipe don’t forget to leave a review!
This recipe was adapted from She Loves Biscotti Amaretti Cookies recipe.
Categories:
cookies, Desserts, Gluten Free Recipes, Italian Cookies, Italian Desserts, Italian Recipes,
Hi Conie. I believe you can without changing the texture of the cookie but, I haven’t done it myself so I can’t speak from experience. Alternatively, you could bake them, cool them and freeze them. Then, thaw and serve.
Hi Joanne, is it possible to make ahead- refrigerate the dough a day ahead – before baking without spoiling the texture of the cookie.
Hi Nancy. Yes, you can use 1/2 tsp of lemon juice but, be sure to put in the tablespoon of lemon zest (that is optional) in this recipe because lemon zest will give it more flavor equivalent to the lemon extract. Happy baking!
Can I use Lemon juice instead of lemon extract?