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    Home » Desserts

    Vegan Orange Almond Cookies - Italian Ricciarelli

    Published: Dec 3, 2020 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Our Vegan Orange Almond Cookies are perfect as a dessert and as a mid-afternoon coffee break. Traditionally, these beautiful cookies are eaten in Italy during the cold days of winter.

    They are very soft and moist when you bite into them, and bursting with orange and almond flavour.

    Our recipe follows the original Tuscan tradition of Ricciarelli di Siena, but without eggs, for a final product that has the same texture and flavour as the original.

    Vegan Orange Cookies

    Check out our best chickpea recipe collection!

    In Italy, these cookies are typically served on an abundant tray of cookies and accompanied with other types of Italian biscuits and cookies.

    In many homes, they are also eaten for breakfast, mid-morning and afternoon snacks - basically at any time!

    For example, try making our other delicious cookies, such as Amaretti, Almond Biscotti and Red Wine Cookies. They are all perfect for winter, the holiday season or in summer when you feel like a sweet treat with no eggs and no butter.

    italian cookies platter

    Storage

    Our Vegan Orange Almond Cookies are best stored in a cool place and stacked in layers inside a sealed tin or glass container.

    Separate with baking paper or aluminum foil to prevent them from sticking together. If your cookies are very soft (perhaps you baked them for a shorter amount of time), it is best not to stack them. Instead, simply store them inside a tray covered with film.

    A little trick to preserve the humidity of the biscuits is to add a piece of apple or carrot inside the container with the cookies. If you make sure to replace the apple/carrot every day, your cookies will stay moist for longer.

    Similar recipes

    If you're curious about more recipes with aquafaba and chickpeas, take a peek at these:

    • Vegan amaretti
    • Italian vegan biscotti
    • Homemade vegan tiramisu
    • Chocolate brownie cake
    • Vegan frittata

    For many more easy dessert ideas, check out our desserts category page.

    Recipe

    Vegan Orange Almond Cookies

    Vegan Orange Almond Cookies - Italian Ricciarelli

    Author: Nico
    Our Vegan Orange Almond Cookies are perfect as a dessert and as a mid-afternoon coffee break. Traditionally, these beautiful cookies are eaten in Italy during the cold days of winter. They very soft and moist when you bite into them, and bursting with orange and almond flavour. Our recipe follows the original Tuscan tradition of Ricciarelli, but without eggs, for a final product that has the same texture and flavour as the original.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 4 votes
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 7 minutes mins
    Resting time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 22 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 15 cookies
    Calories 86 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Dry ingredients

    • 145 g almond flour or very finely ground almonds
    • 70 g sugar
    • 50 g powdered sugar
    • 7.5 g candied orange or orange zest
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Wet ingredients

    • 25 g aquafaba this is simply the chickpea water from a can of chickpea
    • 5 g almond extract optional
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla aroma

    You'll also need

    • 2 tablespoon corn starch
    • 2 tablespoon powdered sugar for the topping
    Keep screen on

    Instructions
     

    • If you use whole almonds, then start by toasting them in the oven at 170C/340F for 15 minutes (unless they are already toasted). Then let them cool down and blend them very finely in a food processor, until you get a very fine almond flour.
      If you use almond flour, you can skip this step.
      Cookies step 1
    • In a food processor, add the dry ingredients and blend together till they are well mixed. Then transfer to a large bowl.
      Cookies step 2
    • In a bowl, add the aquafaba - chickpea water - making sure you filter our all chickpea pieces.
      Cookies step 3
    • With an electric whisk, beat up the aquafaba just like if it were egg whites, until you get a very firm foam.
      Cookies step 4
    • Scoop the foam into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula gently.
      Cookies step 5
    • Add the almond aroma and the vanilla aroma and keep incorporating with a spatula till you get a paste/dough.
      Cookies step 6
    • Transfer the paste/dough onto a worktop, lightly dusted with corn starch.
      With your hands, bring the paste together without kneading it, then form a roll with a diameter of 4cm / 1½ inches. With a knife or pastry scraper, cut the roll into small discs of about 21g of weight. I recommend you weigh them on a scale.
      Cookies step 7
    • Shape the discs into rhombus shaped biscuits - this is the traditional Italian shape for these biscuits.
      Cookies step 8
    • Place on a clean plate. Then let rest in the refrigerator overnight. If you don't have time let them rest in the freezer for 1 hour.
      Cookies step 9
    • Preheat the oven to 170C/340F. Place the biscuits on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave some space between them. Then dust them with powdered sugar.
      Cookies step 10
    • Bake the biscuits for about 8 to 12 minutes. This depends a lot on the oven. They biscuits are ready when they crack on top. Don't over bake or else they'll loose their shape.
      Cookies step 11
    • Let cool down for 15 minutes before putting them on a serving platter or eating them.
      Vegan Orange Almond Cookies

    Notes

    MEASUREMENTS
    We recommend using the metric system for this recipe.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Orange Almond Cookies - Italian Ricciarelli
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    86
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    4
    g
    6
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Potassium
     
    17
    mg
    0
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    12
    g
    4
    %
    Dietary Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    10
    g
    11
    %
    Protein
     
    2
    g
    4
    %
    Calcium
     
    23
    mg
    2
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?Leave us a comment below or find us on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

    You might also like:

    • 43 plant-based desserts including vegan custard and apple cake
      43 Plant-Based Desserts
    • vegan pie and tart recipes including pop tarts and vegan pie crust
      30 Vegan Pie and Tart Recipes
    • Vegan Italian recipes such as ricotta and focaccia
      65 Vegan Italian Recipes

    « Supplì alla Romana - Italian rice balls
    Vegan Amaretti - Italian Almond Cookies »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chrissie

      December 01, 2021 at 4:10 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness these are AMAZING! Thank you so much for the recipe. Xx

      Reply
      • Nico

        December 03, 2021 at 6:04 am

        Ciao Chrissie! Thanks so much for commenting, I’m delighted that you like them - they were also my favourites while growing up! Nico

        Reply

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