Our orange almond cookies are perfect for a dessert and 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 burst with orange and almond flavors.
Our recipe follows the original Tuscan tradition of Ricciarelli di Siena but without eggs, resulting in a final product with the same texture and flavor as the original.
Table of Contents
Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian and vegan diet.
What are orange almond cookies?
Ricciarelli, or Italian orange almond cookies, are a traditional Christmas cookie served on special occasions during the winter holidays.
They are tender and have a wonderful almond aroma. They are often served on an abundant tray and accompanied by other Italian cookies such as Amaretti, Biscotti, and Red Wine Cookies.
In many homes, leftover cookies are eaten for breakfast, mid-morning, and afternoon snacks – basically at any time!
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 time), it is best not to stack them. Instead, store them inside a tray covered with film.
Adding a piece of apple or carrot inside the container with the cookies is a little trick to preserve the tenderness of the biscuits.
If you replace the apple or carrot daily, your cookies will stay moist longer.
More Italian desserts
- Vegan custard
- Easy crostata
- Fruit tart
- Vegan brioche
- Biscotti
- Almond cookies
- Easy apple cake
- Pear cake
Or check out our list with 40+ delicious vegan desserts to choose from.
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Vegan custard (pastry cream)
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Vegan Apple Cake
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Biscotti Recipe
Breakfast
Vegan Brioche
Orange Almond Cookies
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour or very finely ground almonds
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon candied orange or 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 2 tablespoons aquafaba this is the liquid from a can of chickpea
- 1 teaspoon almond extract optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
You'll also need
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for the topping
Instructions
- In a food processor, add 1 cup almond flour, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon candied orange, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until combined, then transfer to a large bowl.
- To a bowl, add 2 tablespoons aquafaba, making sure you filter out all chickpea pieces.
- Beat the aquafaba with an electric whisk until it forms a firm foam, similar to egg whites.
- Scoop the foam into the bowl with the dry ingredients and genlty mix with a spatula.
- Add 1 teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and keep incorporating with a spatula until you get a paste/dough.
- Transfer the paste/dough onto a worktop, lightly dusted with 2 tablespoons corn starch.With your hands, combine the paste without kneading it, then form a roll with a 1½ inch or 4 cm diameter.With a knife or pastry scraper, cut the roll into small discs of 21g of weight. We recommend using a scale.
- Shape the discs into rhombus-shaped biscuits – this is the traditional Italian shape.
- Place them 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.
- Preheat the oven to 340°F or 170°C. Place the biscuits on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them. Then, dust them with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.
- Bake the biscuits for about 8 to 12 minutes.This depends on the oven. The biscuits are ready when they crack on top. Don't overbake, or else they'll lose their shape.
- Let them cool down for 15 minutes before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
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Could you also have conversions for people who live in the United States?
Hi,
Thanks for your message. Most of our recipes are in US measurements. This one, however, is a very technical/difficult recipe that require precise grams measurements to work.
Hope this helps 🙂
Nico
Oh my goodness these are AMAZING! Thank you so much for the recipe. Xx
Ciao Chrissie! Thanks so much for commenting, I’m delighted that you like them – they were also my favourites while growing up! Nico