Chewy Almond Paste Cookies
Almond Paste Cookies are sweet and chewy, made with almond paste and gluten free flour, topped with sliced almonds. It’s the perfect gluten free cookie for the holidays!
If you need more holiday cookie ideas, check out my White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Chewy Gluten Free Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Flourless Oatmeal Cookies!
Chewy Almond Paste Cookies
Chewy Almond Paste Cookies are one of my FAVORITE cookies to make on the holidays, because they are the perfect mix of sweet and chewy on the inside, with crunchy on the outside. They’re rolled in sliced almonds and coated in powdered sugar. You can find different versions of this cookie across europe, but I’ve always known them from the Italian bakery. If you want something closer to ricciarelli, you can add a teaspoon of orange zest to the filling. You can also dip half in chocolate decoratively if you want something more like a german horn (if you want the horn you’ll have to pipe it into the shape before baking).
Is almond paste the same as marzipan?
Almond paste and marzipan are similar, but marzipan has more sugar, which makes it better to use for decoration. While almond paste is sticky and better as an ingredient only.
Can you use almond paste instead of extract?
I make this using my Homemade Almond Paste, which has both almond flour and almond extract, giving it a really strong flavor. You can add more or less extract according to your taste and the other ingredients in your recipe.
With my homemade recipe, you can also scale it up or down, depending on how many ounces almond paste your recipe calls for. Plus if you don’t have almond flour, you can just use finely ground almonds from the food processor to make the paste.
If you don’t feel like making it yourself, you can usually find the pre-made version in the baking aisle.
If you don’t have almond extract for your cookies, you’d be fine leaving it out. But I add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract into the cookies because I like a little stronger flavor at the end. You can add a whole teaspoon if you’d prefer a more intense almond flavor. If you don’t care for a strong almond flavor, you can also replace it with a teaspoon vanilla extract.
How do you know when almond paste cookies are done?
These are done with the bottoms start looking slighly brown around the edges. The cookies themselves will still be really soft, just leave them to cool for 10-20 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before adding the additional powdered sugar (not including what’s in the recipe already). You should end up with a crunchy outer shell, and a soft almond center. I’ve seen recipes that add the decorative powdered sugar before baking, but I like how it looks when it’s added at the end.
Can you freeze chewy almond cookies?
Yes you can bake these ahead of time and freeze them for later. I recommend layering them with parchment paper so they don’t freeze together. Wrap them tightly in an airtight container, or in a ziplock bag that’s wrapped in tinfoil for an extra layer of protection.
If you don’t want to bake them ahead of time, you can also drop the cookies before baking (already rolled in almonds) onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for about an hour, or until solid, then place them into a ziplock bag and freeze. You can place them directly onto a lined baking sheet from the freezer and bake.
These will freeze for 2-3 months.
How long do almond cookies last?
Almond cookies will last at room temperature in an airtight container for about 1 week. Any longer than that and I would freeze them in the interim.
Tips for Making This Recipe
- If you leave the mixture in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes, it will be easier to roll them into balls. I’ve also left it in for a few hours before, I just let it sit out on the counter for about a half four before starting.
- This cookie dough is really sticky. If your hands get too sticky with the almond paste mixture and it’s hard to roll a ball of dough, rinse your hands in warm water to quickly clean them off. It’s also easier to roll the dough into balls if it’s cold.
- Because this is a really sticky dough, I always line the baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. If you don’t have prepared baking sheets, it’ll be hard to remove them once they’re baked.
- How many cookies this makes depends on the size of your scoops. I recommend using a cookie scoop so they all come about the same size. You can make smaller or larger ones depending on the occassion. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use two teaspoons to form your cookie dough to roughly the same size.
- If you want to be creative, add a handful of dark chocolate chips to the dough before rolling and add a pinch of flakey salt on top when they come out of the oven. The pinch of salt adds a deeper flavor when combined with the chocolate.
- Another creative option would be to add some lemon zest and roll in crushed pistachios, or add a teaspoon of instant coffee and ground cinnamon to add flavor.
- I always use 1-to-1 gluten free all-purpose flour, so if you don’t have to avoid gluten you can just use the regular stuff.
- If you’re not sure what to do with the yolks after you remove the egg whites, may I recommend Avocado Brownies? If you make other recipes that use egg whites, like angel food cake for example, you can always make homemade eggnog with the yolks.
- I use sliced almonds because they’re aesthetically pleasing, but you can also use crushed almonds in the food processor if that’s what you have.
- As always, make sure you’re using measuring cups specific to dry ingredients, and leveling them off before adding to the bowl.
- I use a stand mixer to cream together the almond paste and granulated sugar before adding the other dry ingredients. If you use a stand mixer instead of a bowl, be careful not to over-mix.
Chewy Almond Paste Cookies
Ingredients
- 16 oz almond paste
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup gluten free 1-to-1 flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 4 large egg whites , beaten
- 1 cup sliced almonds
Equipment
- baking sheet
- mixer
- Bowl
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer, cream together almond paste, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until combined. On the slowest setting add flour, salt, almond extract, and egg whites. Combine until just mixed together.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out dough. Roll into a ball with your hands and roll in sliced almonds, then place on baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the dough.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies are starting to turn golden brown towards the bottom half of the cookie. Cool before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made these last year, but did not print or keep the recipe. I am SO glad I was able to find it again. These are so delicious and easy. The recipe for the homemade almond past is also a winner. I used gluten free flour and refrigerated the dough first. They came out perfect every time. I have printed it and will make them every year!
Can these be shaped into crescents?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not. The dough may be tough to work with though, it’s pretty sticky.
I use King Arthur Measure for Measure- HF flour, is that ok?
Yes! I use the gluten free King Arthur Measure-for-Measure, that will work.
Is 4 large egg whites equivalent to a 1/4 cup? I want to use egg whites from a container. Thank you!
I haven’t tried this recipe with carton egg whites, but from what I can see 4 egg whites = 1/2 cup. Bring them to room temperature first.
Could I use almond flour?
I haven’t tried it, but if you do then I would do a 1:1 and add a little more at a time as-needed. Almond flour doesn’t contain the same gums that are in a gluten free flour, so the cookies may crumble more.
These were easy to make. Made the dough in my food processor, using the pulse button. Used a hand whisk to whip the egg whites just until foamy. I used a small cookie scoop to drop dough balls into sliced almonds. Rolled gently and set on silicone cookie sheet on pans. I baked these for 17 minutes at 350. They turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe. (I used all A/P flour).
Didn’t like this recipe at all. Didn’t turn out good. Too sweet.
The flavor seems amazing. However, chilling the dough BEFORE making the cookies should have been in the step-by-step, not buried in 10 minutes of dialog (in my opinion). I should have used common sense I guess.
Also, exact instructions on HOW MUCH to beat the eggs whites, would have been appreciated…it was left as an unknown quantity. Please remember the time constraints people have when doing anything these days. These take time to prepare, so concise instructions are really important 👌
Otherwise, they are a great cookie.
Don’t understand flour how much regular flour do i use
I use a gluten free 1:1 flour, use the same amount for regular flour (for this recipe 3/4 cup, or 90 grams of regular flour).
I haven’t tried this yet. I am going to try these for my kids who are gluten free! Can I substitute almond flour instead of gluten free flour?
I haven’t tried it using all almond flour, but it might be ok. Almond flour is more dense than regular flour, so use a little bit less and add as-needed until the cookie dough looks right. It should be sticky but still hold together well.
This was my first time making these and they came out perfect!! I did not change the recipe at all! Making for my son’s wedding in November! They are his favorite!
These are great!!! So chewy and yum.. I added a dollop of raspberry jam to half of them.. because why not raspberry and almond are a great combo. Would not change a thing. At first I was worried about how it looked but they came out perfectly 👌
Thank you! The raspberry is a great idea, I’m going to try to make them that way for my next holiday party!
What size cookie scoop should we use, and how far apart should the cookies be on the cookie sheet?
Thank you!
For these cookies I use a medium scoop or a large scoop. Just watch them in the oven if you make them bigger, they might need an extra minute to finish cooking. Place them about 2 inches apart from each other.
Ingredients are fine but wish I knew not to throw everything in as directed. Reading some comments I understand now why they became flat. Instructions should be rewritten.
Did you cream the almond paste, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together first, from the instructions? I’ve never had an issue with these going flat. That’s usually an issue from over-mixing the dough, or the dough being really warm if you’re in a hot kitchen.
How much should the egg whites be beaten? Soft peaks? Or just whisked?
Excellent recipe!!!!
These cookies are outstanding! Chewy, sweet, crunchy, perfection. I used AP flour, and omitted the almond extract. I added mini chocolate chips. I didn’t have sliced almonds so I rolled them in shredded unsweetened coconut. I used a small cookie scoop for Oreo-sized cookies. Superb!
Just made these. Spread out a lot. Very very chewy. Not what I was looking for in an almond paste cookie. Probably won’t make them again.
Does the entire recipe of homemade almond paste go into this recipe? I weighed mine out and it was about 16 ounces. However, when I looked at the store bought almond paste I had, it was 7 ounces and was very small. When I made the cookies, I kept adding flour because it wasn’t at all the consistency of cookie dough (at least not what I’m used to). Cookies are in the oven now. Hoping they turn out because this recipe looks delicious!
The recipe uses 16 ounces of almond paste, but you can change the batch amount in the recipe card if needed. The dough will be a lot more sticky than usual cookie dough, which is normal for almond paste cookies. I recommend having a bowl of water near you so you can keep the dough from sticking to your hands while you roll them in the almonds.