• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
This Italian Kitchen
  • Breakfast & Brunch
  • Appetizers & Starters
  • Main Dishes
  • Salads & Sides
  • Desserts
  • Holiday Menus
  • Drinks
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Desserts
  • Breakfast & Brunch
  • Appetizers & Starters
  • Main Dishes
  • Salads & Sides
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Appetizers & Starters
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads & Sides
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Italian Recipes

    Lemon Amaretti Cookies

    September 28, 2020 by angelakallison 15 Comments

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Lemon Amaretti Cookies are a delicious take on traditional Italian Amaretti cookies. Soft and chewy amaretti cookies are great for any occasion. Made with almond flour, sugar, egg whites, lemon zest and juice, and rolled in powdered sugar.

    Lemon Amaretti Cookies

    Soft and chewy lemon amaretti cookies are the recipe you need in your life! This pretty and simple cookie comes together in minutes and are great for holiday cookie exchanges, brunches, or just when you need a delicious treat.

    These Lemon Amaretti Cookies are so simple to make and only require six ingredients:

    • Almond Flour
    • Sugar
    • Egg Whites
    • Cream of Tartar
    • Lemon
    • Powdered Sugar

    If you've never had an amaretti cookie, it's a crackled cookie that's chewy on the inside. The traditional Amaretti Cookie recipe features Amaretto liqueur and almond extract. And for a lemon cocktail, don't miss this Limoncello Spritz.

    So if you love lemon and the chewy texture of amaretti cookies, you are going to love this recipe. Perfect for holidays, gifting, or just a great cookie to have on hand for snacking.

    Lemon Amaretti Cookies on a plate.

    How to make Lemon Amaretti Cookies

    Firstly, you need to preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment or non-stick baking mat.

    Secondly, whisk together the almond flour and sugar. You can find almond flour at any grocery store. If you've never baked with it before, almond flour is simply ground up blanched (peeled) almonds.

    Next, you will need to whisk together the eggs whites and cream of tartar. You want to beat the eggs until they reach the point of about medium peaks; they will hold their shape but are not quite at the firm stage. Then, fold in the lemon zest and lemon juice into the eggs.

    Finally, use a spoon to combine the dry ingredients with the egg mixture. Stir until just combined. The mixture will be slightly crumbly.

    Use a cookie scoop to scoop out even-sized balls of dough. Roll into a ball using your hands. Lastly, roll the ball in powdered sugar and place on your baking sheet leaving about an inch between the cookies.

    Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the cookies are light in color and slightly golden on the bottom. Cool on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.

    Close up of soft and chewy texture.

    Italian Cookie Recipes

    If you love traditional Italian cookie recipes, be sure to check out these out:

    • Almond Ricotta Cookies are soft and pillowy with a delicious almond glaze.
    • Chocolate Espresso Cookies are made with cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and instant espresso.
    • Italian Thumbprint Cookies are rolled in crushed almonds and topped with delicious fig jam.
    • Greek Butter Cookies are a similar cookie to the traditional Italian wedding cookie.
    • Limoncello Ricotta Cookies are perfect for any occasion and have a delicious lemon flavor.
    • Amaretti Cookies are the traditional Italian cookie flavored with Amaretto liqueur.
    • Lemon Ricotta Cookies are a soft lemon cookie with a cake-like texture.
    Finished cookies piled on a white plate.

    I hope you love this recipe for Lemon Amaretti Cookies! These soft and chewy cookies are great for any occasion. Give them a try and comment below to let me know what you think. Enjoy!

    Lemon Amaretti Cookies
    Print Recipe
    5 from 14 votes

    Lemon Amaretti Cookies

    These traditional lemony Italian cookies are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Made with almond flour, egg whites, and lemon, these simple cookies are a perfect treat anytime of the year.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Amaretti cookies, Italian Cookies, Italian Dessert, lemon amaretti cookies
    Servings: 2 dozen
    Calories: 91kcal
    Author: Angela Allison

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ cups almond flour
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 large egg whites
    • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (one lemon)
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ¼ cup powdered sugar (for rolling)

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour and sugar; set aside.
    • In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, whisk the eggs whites and cream of tartar until they hold peaks. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice until just combined.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and use a spoon to stir until all ingredients are combined and a dough forms.
    • Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out 1 inch balls of dough. Use your hands to roll the dough into a ball shape. Then roll the ball in powdered sugar just to coat. Place the cookie on the baking sheet leaving about an inch and a half between each cookie.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are lightly golden and the tops of the cookies start to crack. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Video

    Notes

    These cookies can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 91kcal
    Lemon Amaretti Cookies.
    « Cannoli Pound Cake
    Cannoli Cookies »
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shelley

      September 28, 2020 at 11:02 am

      5 stars
      Mmmmm ... what a wonderful spin on the traditional Amaretti Cookie recipe, with a refreshing, bright pop of lemon flavor! Especially great timing find this recipe, too, as the holiday baking season is just around the corner - thank you!

      Reply
    2. Beth Sachs

      September 28, 2020 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      These cookies had the most amazing soft texture. I couldn't stop at 1!

      Reply
      • angelakallison

        September 28, 2020 at 11:18 am

        They are so addicting!

        Reply
    3. Mirlene

      September 28, 2020 at 11:59 am

      5 stars
      These cookies look are delicious. Can't wait to make them again.

      Reply
    4. Anita

      September 28, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      First time baking a lemon version of amaretti and we all loved it! I will need to alternative between straight almond and this lemon version from now on. 🙂

      Reply
    5. Judith Pusateri

      October 11, 2020 at 12:19 am

      5 stars
      Made these for my family and coworkers...liked by all! And so easy.

      Reply
      • angelakallison

        October 11, 2020 at 6:03 am

        Hi Judith! So happy you all loved them! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Maria Kember

      December 12, 2020 at 12:23 am

      Can you please tell me if Almond Flour and Almond Meal are the same. I've never seen Almond Flour where I live. Would Almond Meal be ok?

      Reply
      • angelakallison

        December 14, 2020 at 11:10 am

        The main difference is that almond meal is made from raw un blanched almonds and almond flour is made from blanched (peeled) almonds. You should be able to use them interchangeable when baking. Enjoy!

        Reply
    7. Merlene Koch

      August 22, 2021 at 12:51 am

      5 stars
      So eary and absoloutely delicious.
      1. Can you omit lemon and add cocoa instead. If so, do ingredients have to change?
      2. Can you use liquor instead of lemon?

      Look forward to your response

      Reply
      • angelakallison

        August 22, 2021 at 10:22 am

        I've never tried with cocoa, so I'm not sure the measurements. And you can definitely substitute liquor if you like. Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Jaye

      May 21, 2022 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      We didn't have cream of tar tar, so I replaced this with 1/2 tsp of lemon juice. Turned out perfectly and my husband and three children all liked them too. Lovely consistency. They're gone already, so I guess this one will be made again. Thank you.

      Reply
      • angelakallison

        May 23, 2022 at 5:20 pm

        You're welcome! Glad the lemon juice worked 🙂

        Reply
    9. Daniela

      November 19, 2022 at 4:17 pm

      They came out delicious. But are they supposed to flatten a little or stay in ball form?

      Reply
      • angelakallison

        November 23, 2022 at 6:35 pm

        They usually stay fairly fluffy and round.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Angela, the recipe creator of This Italian Kitchen. Cooking alongside her Italian family, she grew up creating authentic meals and desserts.

    More about me →

    Authentic Pasta Dishes

    These classic Italian pasta recipes are guaranteed to please!

    • Sausage Kale Pasta
    • Italian Turkey Lasagna | Easy No Boil Recipe
    • Anchovy Breadcrumb Pasta
    • Cheese Beef Stuffed Shells | Homemade Meat Sauce

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    *Posts on this site may contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you

    Copyright © 2022 This Italian Kitchen

    827 shares