These light and chewy Amaretti biscuits made with almond flour are traditional Italian cookies made with just 4 ingredients. Naturally gluten free free, they make a delicious addition to any biscuit tin, accompaniment to coffee, or sweet treat.
It’s no secret I am a huge fan of Italian cookies, especially Italian almond cookies! From Tuscan orange scented ricciarelli to Sicilian paste di mandorla (almond and lemon cookies), I find them irresistible, and always popular whether served at the end of a meal or given as a gift.
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What are Amaretti biscuits?
Amaretti biscuits – or Amaretti cookies – are Italian almond biscuits that can be soft and chewy like this particular recipe, or light and crisp, like Amaretti de Saronno which originated in Lombardy. The word ‘amaretti’ comes from the Italian word, ‘amaro’ (bitter) which comes from the use of bitter almonds used to make the cookies. These gluten free almond biscuits are light and airy and have a simple almond flavour. Often served with coffee or a glass of sweet wine, they are also used in sweet and savoury dishes; sprinkled over pasta like a sweet pangrattato (Italian breadcrumbs) or in the filling of ravioli, or used in sweet dishes like baked fruit.
Why we love this recipe
- Amaretti cookies are an easy leftover egg whites recipe.
- Italian amaretti biscuits are naturally gluten free and dairy free biscuits.
- Ready in 25 minutes, perfect for last minute guests or when you need to bake, but have limited time!
- You can enjoy amaretti all day long, from with a cup of coffee in the morning to dessert, or a glass of sweet wine in the evening.
- Can easily multiply up the recipe to feed a crowd, or halve to make a small batch – or when you have just one leftover egg white.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Almond meal – known as almond meal in Australia, ground almonds in the UK and almond flour in the USA. Traditional amaretti are made from blanched whole almonds that are ground in to a flour, but I have used almond meal / ground almonds for ease.
- Egg whites – leftover egg whites, or see the end of the post for recipes to use egg yolks.
- Caster sugar – superfine sugar.
- Almond essence – or almond extract. If you are able to find bitter almond extract, use this instead for a truly authentic amaretto cookie.
How to make Amaretti from scratch
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Whisk the egg white in a bowl with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- In a seperate bowl mix the ground almonds / almond meal with sugar and almond essence.
- Add the whisked egg whites and lightly stir until combined.
- Take teaspoons of the mixture and roll into balls.
- Place the balls on to a lined baking sheet and place in the preheated oven to bake. TIP: leave room in between the balls to allow them to spread slightly.
- They should be very light golden brown.
FAQ
No, they are not the same. Whilst amaretti biscuits are light and crunchy, and often called Italian macaroons, unlike macaroons however, they are made from almonds rather than coconut. The almond French macarons are often sandwiched together with a filling such as jam or ganache whereas the Italian amaretti are not.
My recipe tips
- When whisking egg whites, make sure the bowl is clean and dry, as any moisture or grease can prevent them from whipping.
- Make the balls the same size to make sure they all cook evenly.
- If your hands get too sticky when shaping the balls, wet them a little under the tap.
- Let the cookies cool completely before moving them from the tray. If they are still warm the base of them can remain on the tray when you lift them off!
- For an extra crunch, top each biscuits with a blanched almond or whole almond before baking.
- Leave the baked cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. If you try to move the amaretti off the tray too soon, the base of them can stick to the tray.
- I have used basic ground almonds / almond meal and almond essence as they are ingredients readily available at all supermarkets in the UK / Australia. If you are able to find bitter almond extract use that in place of the almond extract, or use 3 bitter apricot kernels ground up into a flour.
Serving Ideas
Amaretti biscuits make the best accompaniment to an espresso, cup of coffee, or glass of wine. You can also use amaretti to make some delicious desserts. Here are a few of my favourites:
- Sprinkle over stewed apples or strawberry compote and ice cream or cream.
- Use them instead of ladyfingers to make a version of tiramisu.
- With peaches and yogurt (see photo below), other other fresh fruit and yogurt, creme fraiche or ice cream (they go especially well with passionfruit ice cream). This is one of my favourite easy ideas to use up leftover fruit!
Make ahead/storage
Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Freeze: Amaretti biscuits freeze well. You can freeze amaretti biscuits for up to 2 months. Wrap them well to avoid freezer burn and from taking on strong smells from the freezer.
Ideas for leftover egg yolks
Why not try…
You may also like these other delicious Italian recipes:
Amaretti
Author: Robyn
Equipment
- hand mixer
- 2 bowls
- 2 baking sheets lined
Ingredients
- 2 Egg whites from large eggs
- 150g (1½ c) almond meal
- 160g (⅔ c ) caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond essence
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150℃ fan / 170℃ / 300℉ convection / 340℉.
- Line 2 baking sheets / baking trays with baking paper / baking parchment.
- Beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl to stiff peaks with a hand mixer.
- In another bowl, mix the ground almonds / almond meal with the caster sugar and almond essence.
- Gently fold in the beaten egg whites.
- Using a teaspoon, take a spoonful of the dough and roll into a ball in between your hands.
- Place the balls on a lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough, leaving a little room between the amaretti. If the dough sticks to your hands, wet them slightly.
- Place in to the preheated oven and bake for 13-15 minutes until very lightly golden.
- Leave the cooked amaretti biscuits on the tin for a couple of minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container or freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
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