How to Make Amaretti Biscuits
Amaretti biscuits are a staple in many Italian homes, but everyone’s recipe is different! This Amaretti recipe has been passed down through generations and is my favourite. Join my mother-in-law, Maria, as she shares her family recipe for these delightful almond bites that are a little crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Amaretti are great for entertaining – or even gift-giving this festive season.
Amaretti are delicious little bites of heaven. They’re crunchy on the outside, with a soft and chewy centre. And they’re made with just a few simple ingredients – almonds, sugar, egg white and vanilla extract. They also have a gorgeous aroma that fills your kitchen as they bake in the oven. Amaretti are one of my favourite Italian desserts. They are easy to make but require some patience and skill.
The most important thing is to wait until they cool completely before you try one! If you don’t have the time or patience to wait for them to cool, I recommend trying another recipe instead. Amaretti are the perfect accompaniment to espresso or cappuccino. But they’re also great as a snack or after-dinner treat. They’re delicious with ice cream and fresh fruit, too.
Watch Amaretti Biscuits video recipe:
How to Make Gluten Free Almond Amaretti Cookies Like An Italian
Nonna Maria’s Top Tips To Make Amaretti Biscuits
Just add some extra
Add some extra almond meal if the mixture is too wet and sticky.
Dip and Spread
If your hands are getting too sticky to roll the amaretti, get a bowl and place some water inside, dip a finger into it, and spread it to both palms to help smoothen the process.
Use parchment paper
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the amaretti biscuits from sticking and to make for easier cleanup.
Let them cool completely.
After baking, let the amaretti biscuits cool completely on the baking sheet before removing them. This will help them to set and become crispy.
Amaretti Biscuits
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Teaspoon
- Baking Tray
- Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 500 grams Almond Meal 5.2 cups
- 300 grams Caster sugar 1.33 cup
- 5 Egg whites Use free range eggs that are room temperature
- 1 bottle Almond essence 1.07 Oz
- Bowl of icing sugar plus extra for dusting!
Instructions
- To start making your Italian amaretti biscuits, separate 5 egg whites from the yolk into a medium mixing bowl and whisk them well.
- Once there are lots of bubbles at the top of the egg whites, add the almond essence and whisk gently once again so it completely infuses them.
- Mix the almond meal and caster sugar together in a separate bowl until the sugar seems to disappear.
- Next for your amaretti biscotti, pour the egg white mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix through using a large spoon.
- Once this has all started to bind, use your hands to combine everything even more and make sure that everything mixes really well together, still keeping it all inside the large bowl.
- Don’t try and make it into a ball, just squeeze down with your hands so it stays ???
- Now you can let the amaretti mixture rest for an hour (or overnight in the fridge).
- If you’re making them on the same day, wash your hands, and once this has had time to rest, get ready to roll!
- When it’s time to make the amaretti biscotti, prepare a large flat baking tray by spreading baking paper on top and pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees celcius/356 F.
- Using a tea spoon, scoop up a heaped amount of mixture, roll it around using the palm of your hand, and make it into a ball.
- Place the ball gently into a bowl of icing sugar and repeat until the bowl is almost full.
- Roll each amaretti ball around in icing sugar and then gently place it on the baking tray.
- Line the balls up, making sure you don’t place them too close together.
- Once the tray is completely full, with enough space in between each one, flatten out your hand, and press down gently onto each ball making the surface flat. This will create some cracks and provide the perfect form for your amaretti biscotti!
- Dust with one more sprinkle of icing sugar all over before placing them in the oven for approx. 15 minutes – but check them after about 12 minutes as all ovens vary!
- E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
Video
How to serve Amaretti Biscuits
Leave the amaretti to cool, or enjoy it nice and warm with a cup of tea, coffee or hot cocoa!
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Just made the biscuits and they were so easy and delicious, thank you for the recipe. ♥♥
Homemade biscuits can be a wonderful addition to any meal and can be enjoyed in so many different ways. I hope you get to enjoy them again soon!
Is this correct – 5.2 cups almond flour? Seems like an awful lot for 20 cookies!
The recipe calls for 5.2 cups of almond flour, which is a lot for 20 cookies. However, almond flour is a very absorbent ingredient, so it takes a lot of it to make a dough that is the right consistency.
If you’re worried about the amount of almond flour, you can try reducing the amount by half. However, I would recommend doing a test batch first to see how the cookies turn out.
I made these and they were amazing.
That’s fantastic to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Please do try my other pastry recipes. 🇮🇹🍪😊
It’s my understanding that almond flour and almond meal may have different outcomes in recipes if one is substituted for the other. Is this correct? If so, does it make a difference for this recipe if almond meal or almond flour is used? Thanks!
You are absolutely correct that almond flour and almond meal can have different outcomes in recipes due to their texture and consistency. Almond flour is typically finer and made from blanched almonds with the skins removed, while almond meal is coarser and made from almonds with the skins intact.
Can we have some more baking recipes from Nona Maria 😀👍
Sure thing! Stay tuned for more soon.
I have been making these for Christmas every year since I first saw your video 4 years ago. Very easy to make and everyone loves getting a little box of them. I top them with a glacé cherry or a blanched almond for a festive touch.
Adding a glacé cherry or a blanched almond is a fantastic festive touch—what a lovely idea. It warms my heart to know that these cookies have become a part of your holiday tradition.
Looks amazing! And a great use of the egg whites after making a carbonara.
If using almond extract, like we have in the US, how much should we be using? I believe it is much more potent than the essence you used.
When substituting almond extract for almond essence, start with a smaller quantity, around half the amount specified for almond essence. Almond extract is indeed more potent, so you can adjust to taste. It’s always a good idea to add a little at a time, taste the batter, and adjust as needed. Happy baking!
Well I just made the same mistake without reading carefully and used 30g of home made almond extract and it turned out great. I found that 35x25g balls of the same taste would be too much so we added dry cherry to some and other we soaked in whites and then covered with a lot of almond flakes. Not sure if these have different name but all tasted amazing!
i’m glad it turned out well for you. That sounds so delicious indeed I’ll definitely give that a try as well! Thanks for sharing your experience and so glad they all tasted amazing! Cheers to your baking adventures!
So we have to use almond meal in your recipe in what i understand it has the skin intect is that right Vincenzo? Can you please let me knaw very soon? Grazie.
Ciao! Grazie for reaching out. Yes, you’re correct! Almond meal with the skin intact is perfect for the amaretti biscuits. It adds a lovely texture and flavor.
What a fantastic recipe. Thank you!
How long do they keep in an airtight container? Do you recommend freezing?
I can’t wait to try more recipes.
Hey there! In an airtight container, amaretti biscuits can stay fresh for about 1-2 weeks. If you want to extend their shelf life, freezing is a great option.
Ciao Vincenzo grazie tanto che mi ha risposto, adesso voglio domandarti voglio mettere colore verde nel pasto del’lamaretti quanto gocce ? It’s Queen food color- not essense.
ti consiglio di iniziare con poche gocce e aggiungerne gradualmente fino a ottenere la tonalità desiderata. Prova con una o due gocce alla volta e mescola bene.
The biscuits are fantastic, but please make sure your bottle of almond essence corresponds to that in the recipe! First time I used a whole bottle of almond essence had to throw the whole batch of cookies in the trash because it was not edible! I guess our bottles here in Finland are a lot stronger!
Thank you for the recipe Vincenzo!
I’m happy that you’ve given it a try. It’s crucial to adjust based on local variations. I appreciate your feedback, and happy baking on your next batch!
I’ve made these amaretti before and they are really delicious, easy to do and my Family and Friends Love them; Thanks for your Recipe!!! I have just finished doing a lot for my Easter hampers and realized that I read 12 minutes cooking time and maybe because it’s late I realized half way my dough( I multiplied the recipe by 5 as I have a big family and lots of friends who I love giving my delicacies to) that I should have left them some more in oven. Is it good to put them again in oven or I’ll leave them as they are? Thanks a lot
I’m thrilled to hear that the amaretti recipe was a success with with your family and friends, and how wonderful of you to include them in your Easter hampers. If you’ve already baked the amaretti and they’ve cooled but you feel they’re not quite done to your preference, it’s generally best to avoid baking them again as this could affect their texture, making them too dry or hard. Amaretti should have a bit of a chewy center, so they might actually be just fine as they are.
For future batches, if you’re making large quantities again, you might want to do a small test batch first to adjust the cooking time and temperature as needed. This way, you can ensure they come out perfectly every time, even when scaling up the recipe. Wishing you and your loved ones a delicious and joyful Easter celebration! Enjoy!
How do I tell for sure that they are done? I timed them carefully but they seem raw to me. Also, I’ve never used, or even seen, almond meal in the stores here. I used almond flour as I’ve done for other recipes. Am I understanding that almond flour will not work?
To check if your Amaretti biscuits are fully cooked, try inserting a toothpick into the center; if it comes out clean or with a few crumbs, they’re done. Sometimes, oven temperatures can vary, so it’s good to use visual cues and the toothpick test in addition to timing. Remember, Amaretti biscuits should have a chewy texture on the inside and be crunchy on the outside; this might help you determine if they are properly cooked. Also, it is important to allow them to cool before eating!
Using almond flour instead of almond meal in your Amaretti biscuits is usually just fine. While almond meal is a bit coarser and includes the skins of the almonds, almond flour is finer and made from blanched almonds, giving your biscuits a slightly smoother texture, which can be quite lovely. Keep an eye on them as they bake, since the finer texture of the almond flour might affect the baking time slightly. Happy baking! Let me know how it turns out for you.
Hi your vidio tells me how to cook amaretti without vanilla but in your ingredients menu you say to add vanilla?if i have to vanilla how much?
Ciao Carlo! It seems like there was a little mix-up between the video and the ingredients list. Vanilla is often used to enhance the flavor, but it’s not essential for amaretti, which are all about that lovely almond taste. We’ll take a look at this discrepancy and make sure our video and ingredients list are aligned. Happy baking and enjoy making your amaretti!
Hi! I just made your carbonara last night (delicious!) and want to make these cookies with the egg whites. I noticed that she said to use a “fan-driven oven”. Does this mean to turn on the convection function? Further, should they look lightly browned at all? Thank you for sharing your authentic Italian recipes!
Ciao Sandy! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the carbonara—what a treat! Yes, when the recipe mentions a “fan-driven oven,” it refers to using the convection function of your oven. This helps to distribute the heat more evenly and generally cooks the cookies a bit faster. As for their appearance, they should be just lightly golden around the edges when they’re done. Not too browned, just a gentle kiss of color. Thank you so much for trying out the recipes and for your kind words. Happy baking, and I can’t wait to hear how your cookies turn out!
Hi , the recipe looks so easy and the biscotti delicious.can we add other essences / extracts like lemon or add chocolate to the mix? Thanks
Ciao Aparna! I’m so glad you like the look of the recipe! Yes, you can definitely add other essences or extracts like lemon for a citrusy twist. Adding chocolate is also a delicious idea—just fold in some chocolate chips or chunks into the mix. Enjoy baking, and let me know how it turns out!
Fantastic recipe…so easy and so delicious. The structure of biscotti is unbelieveble, inner soft and crunchy outside. Thank you so múch for this recipe.
Ciao Zuzana! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the biscotti recipe. The combination of a soft interior with a crunchy outside really is something special, isn’t it? So happy it turned out delicious for you! Grazie mille for trying it!
Loved them , so easy to make and very delicious, made them with lemon zest .
Ciao Janet! I’m so glad you loved the amaretti biscuits and I’m thrilled to hear they turned out so well! What are you going to bake next?
This recipe is soo good. It is so easy, and the result is soooo delicious. Crispy on the outside and soft inside. My partner loved it so much! Thank you! 🙏
Ciao Nejla! That’s wonderful to hear! Crispy on the outside and soft inside is the perfect combo. So glad your partner loved it!🙏
So delicious, brings me right back to Italy, my family loved it and it was super easy to make ! Thank you 🙏
🇭🇺❤️
Ciao Sofia! That makes me so happy to hear! I’m thrilled your family loved them, and I’m so glad you found the recipe easy to make.