This delicious Limoncello Cookie Recipe (Amaretti al Limone) is a modern twist on the classic Italian Amaretti cookies. They’re soft, chewy, and bursting with flavor from limoncello, lemon zest, and almond extract.
If you've never had traditional Italian Amaretti cookies, it's good to know there are two versions. The first version, Amaretti Croccanti (crunchy amaretti) is a crispy and crunchy cookie similar to biscotti. The second version is called Amaretti Morbidi (soft amaretti) are softer cookies with a chewy exterior and marzipan-like center. Both versions are naturally gluten-free, made of almond flour, sugar, whipped egg whites, almond extract, or amaretto liqueur, and then rolled in powdered sugar.
These Limoncello Amaretti Cookies are a lemon-flavored version of amaretti morbidi. Crisp exterior with a soft and chewy center, bursting with delicious lemon almond flavor. Our original recipe, Gluten-Free Soft Amaretti Cookies, is another version of Amaretti Morbidi. Soft almond-flavored cookies coated with thin almond slices and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Both versions are pure heaven.
For more lemon recipes, check out our Limoncello Spritz, Gluten-Free Lemon Tart, and Honey Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings.
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Why you'll love these lemon cookies
Simple ingredients and easy to make: This soft lemon amaretti cookie recipe has only 8 ingredients and is very easy to make. Simple cookies packed with loads of flavor and perfect for any special occasion.
Delicious unique flavor: Most lemon amaretti cookies are flavored with lemon juice or lemon extract, but this limoncello version adds a delicious unique depth of flavor.
Make in advance: It's the perfect recipe to make in advance without compromising the flavor or texture of the cookies. The chewy texture of amaretti cookies makes them a great option to serve with coffee or tea, and you can store these Italian limoncello biscuits at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Limoncello Cookie Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Limoncello Cookie Recipe:
Recipe Notes
- Egg Whites: You’ll need 3 large egg whites at room temperature that equal 100 grams. I recommend weighing them on a food scale for accuracy.
- Almond Flour: Naturally gluten-free and helps give them structure and texture.
- Salt: This enhances the other flavors.
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll need this to sweeten the dough and for rolling.
- Almond Extract: This gives amaretti cookies their intense almond flavor similar to marzipan. You'll want to use a high-quality pure almond extract, not almond essence.
- Lemon Zest: You’ll need about 2-3 large lemons to get the finely grated zest. Working the lemon zest into the sugar will help release the natural oils, where a lot of the lemon flavor comes from.
- Limoncello: This adds a unique sweet lemon flavor. You can use an equal amount of lemon juice if you do not want to use alcohol.
- Powdered Sugar: Rolling the cookies in powdered sugar coating, or icing sugar, gives them a beautiful powdered look.
How to Make Limoncello Cookies: Step by Step
Make the Cookie Dough
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Work the lemon zest into the sugar. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and finely grated lemon zest. Work the zest into the sugar with a spoon, stirring for a few minutes until evenly combined. The sugar will feel like wet sand between your fingertips, and the zest should be fragrant, and fully incorporated into the sugar.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the almond flour, lemon sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Whisk the egg whites. In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on high speed for (2-4 minutes) or until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip your egg whites as they may start to clump.
- Add the limoncello, almond extract, and almond flour mixture. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the almond extract, limoncello, and half of the almond flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
Roll Cookies and Bake
- Form the dough. Fold in the other half of the almond flour mixture until fully combined. You can be firm with the spatula making sure to incorporate all of the ingredients. If using a stand mixer, turn the mixer on low speed and add the almond mixture slowly until fully incorporated. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Roll into balls. Add the granulated sugar and powdered sugar into two separate bowls. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop and roll the dough with clean hands into 1-inch balls or (24 grams) weighed on a food scale. Roll each cookie dough ball into the granulated sugar, and then into the powdered until completely coated. Roll into a ball with your hands again to create a uniform round shape. You may need to dampen your hands while rolling the balls, as the dough is quite sticky.
- Bake. Place the dough balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the cracks are set and the bottoms are golden brown.
- Cool the cookies. Let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling wire rack.
Substitutions & Variations
- No Alcohol: Instead of limoncello, you can use an equal amount of lemon juice to keep this recipe alcohol-free.
- Orange Flavored- Instead of limoncello try Cointreau and orange zest for a different citrus flavor.
Tips
- Measure on a food scale. The biggest and most important tip is to measure all of your ingredients on a food scale to ensure accuracy.
- Use room-temperature egg whites. Room-temperature egg whites will whip up faster than cold egg whites. For best results, leave the eggs on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using.
- Work the lemon zest into the sugar. Massaging the lemon zest into the sugar helps to release the lemon oil inside the zest, giving a more intense lemon flavor.
- Use pure almond extract. Pure almond extracts combine almond oil from the non-edible bitter almond with alcohol to create a more stable, longer-lasting almond flavoring agent. Imitation almond extract is made from synthetic materials and is not as good of quality.
- Roll the cookies in granulated sugar and powdered sugar. 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.
Storage
To store: Store soft limoncello amaretti cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
FAQ
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy, especially in the region around the Gulf of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and Sicily. It is made by steeping lemon peels in highly concentrated vodka until oil is released, then mixing the resulting yellow liquid with simple syrup. The result - a smooth, intensely lemon-flavored liqueur, traditionally served as a digestive to be sipped on after meals. A bottle of limoncello can be found at the liquor store or you could try making homemade limoncello.
The chewy texture of classic Amaretti cookies comes from the almond flour. Gluten-free flour or all-purpose flour would not achieve the same results.
The alcohol will bake off in the oven, but if you would like this Amaretti recipe to be alcohol-free, you can swap the limoncello liqueur for an equal amount of lemon juice.
Once a bottle is opened, it will last several months to a year, depending on how well it is sealed and stored. We recommend using any leftovers to make limoncello spritz.
Recipe
Limoncello Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (17 grams) lemon zest, from 2–3 large lemons
- 3 cups (300 grams) almond flour
- ¼ teaspon salt
- 3 large egg whites (100 grams), room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) limoncello
For Rolling
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Work the lemon zest into the sugar. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and finely grated lemon zest. Work the zest into the sugar with a spoon, stirring for a few minutes until evenly combined. The sugar will feel like wet sand between your fingertips, and the zest should be fragrant, and fully incorporated into the sugar.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the almond flour, lemon sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Whisk the egg whites. In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on high speed for (2-4 minutes) or until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip your egg whites as they may start to clump.
- Add the limoncello, almond extract, and almond flour mixture. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the almond extract, limoncello, and half of the almond flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
- Form the dough. Fold in the other half of the almond flour mixture until fully combined. You can be firm with the spatula making sure to incorporate all of the ingredients. If using a stand mixer, turn the mixer on low speed and add the almond mixture slowly until fully incorporated. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- Roll into balls. Add the granulated sugar and powdered sugar into two separate bowls. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop and roll the dough with clean hands into 1-inch balls or (24 grams) weighed on a food scale. Roll each cookie dough ball into the granulated sugar, and then into the powdered until completely coated. Roll into a ball with your hands again to create a uniform round shape. You may need to dampen your hands while rolling the balls, as the dough is quite sticky.
- Bake. Place the dough balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cracks are set and the bottoms are golden brown.
- Cool the cookies. Let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling wire rack.
Notes
- Measure on a food scale. The biggest and most important tip is to measure all of your ingredients on a food scale to ensure accuracy.
- Use room-temperature egg whites. Room-temperature egg whites will whip up faster than cold egg whites. For best results, leave the eggs on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using.
- Work the lemon zest into the sugar. Massaging the lemon zest into the sugar helps to release the lemon oil inside the zest, giving a more intense lemon flavor.
- Use pure almond extract. Pure almond extracts combine almond oil from the non-edible bitter almond with alcohol to create a more stable, longer-lasting almond flavoring agent. Imitation almond extract is made from synthetic materials and is not as good of quality.
- Roll the cookies in granulated sugar and powdered sugar. 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.
- To store: Store soft limoncello amaretti cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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