These authentic Soft Amaretti Cookies are made with only 5 ingredients in under 20 minutes. With a crisp exterior, and soft, chewy interior, and a strong almond flavour, there's no denying, these Italian cookies are irresistible!
Italian cookies have my heart. Their simplicity and use of flavour is undeniable. Just like my Almond Cantuccini or Lingue di Gatto, these Soft Amaretti Cookies deliver ease and flavour.
Made predominantly with ground almonds, egg whites and sugar, they're gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian. With the textural contrast of the crisp outside to the chewy inside, trust me when I say, these cookies won't last long and you'll be making a second batch before you know it!
Being so easy to make, Amaretti cookies are perfect for everyday enjoyment but also make perfect gifts for your wedding day, baby shower celebrations or for the Holiday season. Package up in a cellophane bag tied with a bow and you have the perfect tasty, homemade gift that the recipient will love!
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❓ What are Soft Amaretti Cookies?
Amaretti Cookies are almond-flavoured cookies originating from the Northern Italian town of Saronno in the Lombardy region.
Originally made with ground almonds, egg whites, sugar and apricot kernals, the simplicity of high-quality ingredients made these simple cookies infamous throughout Italy and now the world.
Texturally they can be baked until crisp, much like biscotti, but another popular version is these soft-chewy Amaretti cookies. The oils from the ground almond and a combination of only egg whites and sugar produce a cookie that has a crisp exterior shell but is light as air inside.
As apricot kernels are hard to come by, the intense almond flavour can be highlighted by using either almond extract or an almond liquor such as Disaronna, my preferred option.
🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Uses only 5 ingredients. Got to love a short ingredients list!
- So flavourful. The almond shines through. The flavour is unbelievable.
- Incredible texture. These Amaretti cookies are light as air and literally melt in your mouth.
- Easy to make. These are no-fuss cookies- my type of baking!
- Perfect for the Holidays or any special occasion. Take your pick!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
The ingredients list is very short- but I've made some pointers on specific ingredients that's worth reading.
- Sugar - Granulated, Caster or golden caster sugar can be used. I haven't tried with light brown sugar. I know flavour-wise it will add to the nutty flavour but you may need to increase the amount of ground almonds to combat the added moisture.
- Ground Almonds - Or almond meal as called here in the UK. This differs from Almond flour which is much finer in texture. Ground almonds create a beautiful texture to these cookies. You can find ground almonds in most supermarkets, specialty food stores or online. I haven't tested this recipe with almond flour.
- Egg Whites - I've used large egg whites for these cookies. In the UK a large egg white weighs in at 35grams approximately. Use the leftover egg yolks to make Lemon Curd, French Crème Brûlée, or Crème Pâtissière.
- Disarrono - This is a particular brand of almond liqueur, but Amaretto can also be used. If you'd like to keep the recipe alcohol-free then replace the Disarrono with 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
📖 Variations
- Chocolate Amaretti Cookies: Watch this space for this variation. I'll have it up in a couple of weeks. Simply add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the mixture.
- Hazelnut Amaretti Cookies: Swap out the ground almonds for ground hazelnuts and replace the Dissaonno with Frangelic Liquor.
- Coffee Amaretti Cookies: Add 1 tablespoon of espresso powder to 1 tablespoon of boiling water and mix together before adding to the cookie mixture.
- Citrus Amaretti: Orange and Lemon Flavours are my favourite here. Add the zest of 1 orange or 2 lemons to the sugar and rub together to release the essential oils. Then add 1 teaspoon of orange extract or lemon extract to the cookie dough in place of liquor.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make these Soft Amaretti Cookies
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
I can't wait to share with you just how easy these cookies are to make. As always, I share step-by-step photos to help break down visually the individual steps. As you can see, there aren't many of these photos as the steps in the method are so simple. A win for this quick recipe.
STEP 1. Whip egg whites. Add the egg whites to a clean stand mixer bowl and whip until firm peaks form (Image 1). When lifted out of the whites, the foam point should stand proud off the whisk attachment.
STEP 2. Mix dry ingredients. Add the ground almonds and sugar to a mixing bowl and mix together (Image 2).
STEP 3. Add Disaronno and egg whites and mix in. This needs to be done in two stages to incorporate the egg whites well. Add half the egg whites, and the almond liquor to the bowl of ground almonds (Image 3) and using a rubber spatula mix in. You can be fairly rough with this as we aren't mixing the two whilst trying to keep the whisked in air. The mixture will look like wet sand (Image 4).
Then add the remaining egg whites and mix in well. I use the rubber spatula to press and scrap the mixture together as in Image 5. The cookie dough will look loose but when squeezed together it should form a ball (Image 6).
STEP 4. Scoop dough into balls. I use a small cookie scoop for pure ease. It makes this process so quick. Scoop the dough with the cookie scoop (Images 7 & 8) onto a lined baking tray leaving an inch between them (Image 9).
Tip: You can scoop with a tablespoon and roll the balls between the palms of your hand. If the dough becomes sticky then simple wet your palms.
Note: With my cookie scoop, the balls weighed 30g.
STEP 5. Dust each ball in icing powder. This is an optional extra that you ultimately don't need to do but it gives the cookies a lovely appearance once baked. Roll each ball in the icing sugar (Image 10) and place it back on the baking tray. Repeat until all cookies are coated. Flatten the tops with the palm of your hand ever so slightly.
Optional: Push a whole almond into the top of the cookies (Image 11). It adds amazing crunch to the finished cookie and only accentuates the almond flavour further. Again it's not a must-do but I would definitely recommend it!
STEP 7. Bake. Pop the tray in a pre-heated 180C/350F oven for 15-20 minutes. The cookies will puff up slightly and crack on the outside. Don't panic- they are supposed to do this and the powdered icing sugar helps to accentuate this! (Image 13)(If the dough balls are smaller than my 30g weight then bake for 5 minutes less.)
Leave the soft amaretti cookies to cool and Enjoy!!
🥣 How To Serve
These Solft Amaretti Cookies are scrumptious on their own but they are commonly dipped into espresso, much like biscotti!
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
- Whip the egg whites to firm peaks. If the whites are whipped enough then the cookies will be flat in appearance. There needs to be enough air in the egg whites to puff up in the oven.
- Use ground almonds rather than almond flour. This helps add moisture and texture to the cookies.
- Don't overbake. The secret to getting the chewy texture is to bake them just long enough for the heat to puff up the egg whites and heat through whilst baking the outside enough for it to set and crisper up.
📋 Recipe FAQs
Actually there are two versions. In Italy they can be dry and crisp, secchi, (perfect for holding their shape when dunked in an espresso), or soft and chewy (morbidi).
Biscotti are dry and crisp cookies made without oil and baked twice, originating from Northern Italy. Italian Amaretti can be soft or crisp, also made without oil and butter, but baked just once.
❄️ Storage and Freezer Instructions
To store: Store these Soft Amaretti Cookies at room temperature in an air-tight box. They'll last up to two weeks and the flavour intensifies throughout that time!
To freeze: Once fully cooled, freeze Amaretti cookies on a baking sheet. Once frozen, stack in an air-tight container or freezer bag. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
🇮🇹 More Italian Recipes
If you tried this Soft Amaretti Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Italian Soft Amaretti Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites, (70g)
- 250 g ground almonds (almond meal)
- 200 g caster sugar
- 2 tablespoon Disaronno Almond Liqueur
- 120 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 20 whole almonds, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180℃/350℉.Whip egg whites. Add the egg whites to a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until firm peaks form. When lifted out of the whites, the foam point should stand proud off the whisk attachment.
- Mix dry ingredients. Add the ground almonds and sugar to a mixing bowl and mix together.
- Add Disaronno and egg whites and mix in. This needs to be done in two stages to incorporate the egg whites well. Add half the egg whites, and the almond liquor to the bowl of ground almonds, and using a rubber spatula mix in. The mixture will look like wet sand Then add the remaining egg whites and mix in well. I use the rubber spatula to press and scrap the mixture together. The cookie dough will look loose but when squeezed together it should form a ball
- Scoop dough into balls. I use a small cookie scoop for pure ease. It makes this process so quick. Scoop the dough with the cookie scoop onto a lined baking tray leaving an inch between them. Alternatively, scoop out a heaped tablespoon worth and roll between the palm of your hands into a ball
- Dust each ball in icing sugar. This is an optional extra that you ultimately don't need to do but it gives the cookies a lovely appearance once baked. Roll each ball in the icing sugar and place it back on the baking tray. Repeat until all cookies are coated. Flatten the tops with the palm of your hand ever so slightly.Option: Press one almond into the top of each cookie.
- Bake. Place the tray in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. The cookies will puff up slightly and crack on the outside. Leave the cookies to cool and enjoy!!
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
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