These Italian almond cookies are a lifesaver dessert you can make in 30 minutes with one bowl and five simple ingredients—soft, comforting, and perfect for stress-free holidays or last-minute guests.
For more Italian Christmas treats, check out our biscotti recipe, easy apple cake, and ricotta pie.
An Easy Almond Cookie for Cozy Moments and Happy Guests
These Italian almond cookies are one of the simplest and most delicious biscuits I know—soft, naturally oil-free, and made with just one bowl. This is the kind of recipe that gives you big results with very little effort, perfect when you want something homemade but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen 🍪.
It’s a recipe passed down from my Nonna Lidia, and one of the very first things I learned to bake as a kid. Today, Louise and I still make these soft Italian almond cookies during the winter months, especially around the holidays, when you want something sweet, cozy, and familiar ✨.
From a nutrition point of view, these gluten free Italian cookies fit beautifully into a Mediterranean-style eating pattern. They’re made with almond flour, which is naturally fiber-rich, protein-rich, gluten-free and low in saturated fats, with no butter or oil added.
Best of all, these are true one bowl Italian cookies—ready in about 30 minutes, no tools required, and perfect for sharing with family or guests without stress ❤️.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Almond flour: Finely ground blanched almonds give these cookies their soft texture and make them naturally gluten-free. This is the base of many almond flour cookies.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the dough while keeping the cookies tender and light.
- Egg white: Binds everything together and keeps the cookies soft, not cakey.
- Honey: Adds gentle sweetness and moisture, helping the cookies stay soft for days.
- Orange zest: Brings a bright, festive aroma that makes these the perfect Italian Christmas cookies. Lemon zest is a lovely alternative for a different Mediterranean twist.
How to Make Italian Almond Cookies
Step 1: Get the Oven Ready and Combine Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. This recipe moves fast, so it helps to have everything ready before you start.
Add almond flour, powdered sugar, egg white, orange zest, and honey to a bowl.
Step 2: Mix the Dough
Stir with a spoon at first, then switch to your hand. The dough will look dry and crumbly at the beginning—this is normal. Keep gently squeezing and pinching until it comes together into one compact ball. If the dough truly won’t come together after a minute of squeezing, add a little more egg white.
Step 3: Shape and Coat
Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a plate or small tray. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll them into small balls. You should get 15—about 1 ounce or 30 g each ball.
Roll each ball in powdered sugar until well coated.
Step 4: Press and Bake
Place balls on the baking sheet in neat rows, then press your thumb into the center of each ball so the edges crack slightly.
Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies should stay pale, soft, and won’t spread, similar to Italian amaretti style cookies. Let them cool completely before eating—this is when their texture sets beautifully.
Tips
- Don’t rush the dough: Almond flour absorbs moisture slowly. Keep squeezing and pinching before adding anything extra.
- Resist adding liquid too soon: The dough should feel dry at first. That’s how you get soft Italian almond cookies, not dense ones.
- Use finely ground almond flour: Blanched, fine almond flour gives the best texture and smooth bite, especially important for classic almond flour cookies like these.
- Roll generously in powdered sugar: This creates the signature crackled look and keeps the outside tender once baked. Watch the video to see how I do it.
- Press gently, not flat: A light thumb press in the center helps the cookies spread just enough without losing their soft center, similar to Italian amaretti style cookies.
- Do not overbake: They should look pale and almost underdone when they come out. Color means dryness here.
- Let them cool completely: The texture sets as they cool. Fresh from the oven they’ll feel too soft (still delicious), but patience pays off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almond flour absorbs moisture slowly, so the dough starts crumbly. Keep squeezing and it will come together, which is typical for traditional Italian almond cookies.
Yes. Since they’re made with almond flour instead of wheat flour, they’re naturally gluten-free and fit well into many balanced eating styles.
Absolutely. These Italian almond cookies recipe keep well for several days and actually get better as the flavors settle.
These cookies are meant to stay thick and soft. They won’t spread in the oven. The thumb press helps them spread just enough without losing their shape.
Yes. Freeze them fully baked and cooled, then thaw at room temperature when needed. They’re great to have on hand for holidays or guests.
More Easy Desserts
- Moist orange cake
- Easy pear cake
- Vegan cannoli recipe
- Easy cake donuts
- Best vegan brownies
- Vegan cinnamon rolls
- Easy Italian crostata (jam tart)
- Easiest vanilla cake
If you tried these Italian almond cookies or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Italian Almond Cookies (Soft, 5 Ingredients, 30 Minutes)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond flour
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar + 3 tablespoons for coating the cookies
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 orange the grated zest
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper so the cookies don’t stick.Put 3 cups almond flour, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, 1 large egg white, 1 tablespoon honey and the grated zest of 1 orange into a bowl.
- Mix the Dough: Stir with a spoon, then use your hand to gently squeeze and pinch the mixture. It will look dry at first—this is normal! Keep squeezing until it comes together into one ball.If it still won’t stick after about a minute, add a tiny bit more egg white.
- Shape: Sprinkle 3 tablespoons powdered sugar onto a plate. Break off pieces of dough and roll them into small balls (you should get 15 balls—about 1 ounce or 30 g each). Roll each ball in the powdered sugar.
- Press and Bake: Place balls on the baking sheet, then gently press your thumb into the center so the edges crack a little.Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 12 minutes. The cookies should stay pale and soft and will not spread. Let them cool before eating—this helps them set and taste their best.
Notes
- Almond flour → Hazelnut flour, finely ground cashews, or very finely ground blanched almonds (do not use almond meal or regular flour)
- Powdered sugar → Superfine (caster) sugar blended into powder, or store-bought icing sugar
- Honey → Maple syrup or agave syrup
- Orange zest → Lemon zest, lime zest, or a small splash of vanilla extract
- Don’t rush the dough → Almond flour soaks up moisture slowly, so keep squeezing and pinching before changing anything
- Hold back on extra liquid → A dry-looking dough at first is normal and helps keep the cookies soft, not dense
- Use fine almond flour → Blanched, finely ground almond flour gives the smoothest texture
- Roll well in powdered sugar → A generous coating creates that classic crackled look and tender outside
- Press gently → A light thumb press helps them spread just enough without flattening
- Don’t overbake → Pale cookies are soft cookies; browning means dryness
- Cool completely → They firm up as they cool, so give them time before eating
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze them fully cooled for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
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These are wonderful! Second time I made them I used powdered sweetener instead of regular sugar and they still turned out wonderful thank you for your wonderful recipes I’ve tried a lot of them so far and most of them are great
I tried the recipe for the first time and the cookies turned out delicious! For the next time I would reduce the baking time from 12 min to 10 min as the cookies turned out a bit on the brown side. Nonetheless a great recipe!