Limoncello Amaretti Cookies

These limoncello amaretti cookies are a twist on the classic Italian amaretti cookies. They’re soft, chewy, and bursting with flavor from the limoncello and almond extract. Plus, they’re small size makes them great for dipping into tea or coffee!

If you’ve never had amaretti cookies before, they’re small Italian cookies made with almond flour, sugar, and egg whites then rolled in powdered sugar. The ones we made here are amaretti morbidi which have a crackly exterior and a soft and chewy center that’s super addicting!

To add an extra element of flavor, we added a splash of limoncello and fresh lemon zest. So each bite is full of sweet almond flavor and a touch of lemon.

These cookies are super simple to make and are best eaten with a cup of hot tea or coffee!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions (with photos)
• Tips
• FAQ
• More Lemon Recipes You’ll Love
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

• Egg Whites: You’ll need 3 large egg whites.
• Almond Flour: This makes amaretti cookies naturally gluten free and help give them structure and texture.
• Salt: This enhances the other flavors.
• Granulated Sugar: You’ll need some for the dough and for rolling.
• Almond Extract: This gives amaretti cookies their intense almond flavor similar to marzipan.
• Lemon Zest: You’ll need about 2-3 large lemons to get 2 tbsp of zest.
• Limoncello: This adds a unique sweet lemon flavor different to lemon juice.
• Powdered Sugar/Icing Sugar: A must for getting that pretty powdered look on the outside.

Instructions (with photos)

Step 1: Massage the lemon zest into the sugar to release the natural oils.

Step 2: Combine the lemon sugar with the sifted almond flour.

Step 3: Whip the egg whites and salt with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

Step 4: Fold in the almond extract, limoncello, and ⅓ of the almond flour. Continue to fold the remaining ⅔ of almond flour in two more additions.

Step 5: Use a 1 ½ tbsp cookie scoop to portion out the cookies. Then roll them in granulated sugar followed by powdered sugar.

Step 6: Place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and gently press down on the tops just until the edges have cracks. You’re barely going to press down. This helps the cracks to form a bit better, but you want to be careful not to flatten them.

Step 7: Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the inside of the cracks have set and the bottoms are lightly golden. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

• Use room temperature egg whites. They whip up much better than cold egg whites so leave them covered on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using.
• Separate the eggs while cold. While you want your egg whites to be room temperature, it’s best to separate the eggs while they’re still cold. This is because the yolk is much less susceptible to breaking into the whites.
• Don’t skip making the lemon sugar! Massaging the lemon zest into the sugar helps to release the lemon oil inside the zest. This gives your baked goods a more intense lemon flavor that you wouldn’t get from just adding it straight to the batter. It’s the little things that count!
• Use pure almond extract. If the ingredients don’t list bitter almond oil, then it most likely has synthetic ingredients used to mimic the taste of almond. Pure is best!
• Roll the cookies in granulated sugar first. Doing so prevents the powdered sugar from melting into the cookies and gives them that bright white look on the outside. It also creates a drier surface, making room for more cracks on top which is what gives amaretti cookies their signature look.

FAQ

More Lemon Recipes You’ll Love

If you’re looking for other gluten free lemon desserts, try our Lavender Lemon Cake. Just like these limoncello amaretti cookies, it’s made with almond flour instead of all-purpose flour.

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📖 Recipe