Delicate Italian Almond Orange Cookies

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Italian almond orange cookies might just be the most uniquely delicious things you'll ever taste. Buttery, almondy, and with a hint of orange, crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside these cookies will make your taste buds sing!

orange cookies with a single cookie leaned against stack and orange in background

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Italian Almond Orange Cookies
Ingredients
Handy Kitchen Tools
How to Make Italian Almond Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
More Easy Cookie Recipes
📖 Recipe

Italian Almond Orange Cookies

These cookies, while popular around holidays are truly perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and are ideal for sharing as they are also naturally gluten-free!

Once you bite into the soft cookie with a chewy texture and just enough citrus flavor to satisfy, you'll know this has to be a new regular option in your cookie jar. Make these cookies for a delicious dessert at home, for a dinner party or get together or take them to holiday gatherings. Almond orange cookies are going to be the most requested recipe you have.

If you like citrus in cookies, you may also like these lemon butter cookies with a simple glaze. While not gluten-free, they are absolutely delicious. Another light and easy option are these homemade butter cookies.

hand tapping sieve of powdered sugar over stack of cookies

Ingredients

⅓ cup egg whites
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
Zest of one orange
2 tablespoons honey
2 ½ cups almond flour (240 g)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup powdered sugar (50 g)

stack of almond cookies on brown bowl with milk in background

Handy Kitchen Tools

platter of Italian almond orange cookies with orange slice in center

How to Make Italian Almond Cookies

Prepare the cookie dough by mixing together the egg whites, sugar, orange zest, and honey until it is well combined.

Then, add the almond flour and baking powder. Mix together until the dough is formed. It will be very thick.

almond flour being poured into the white bowl of egg

Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour but it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking.

dough in white bowl covered with plastic wrap

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into 24 portions.

Roll each portion into a ball, then dip it into the bowl of powdered sugar.

hand rolling dough ball in powdered sugar

Place them on the baking sheets, approximately 12 per sheet, and bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and continue baking for another 7 to 9 minutes.

dough balls on parchment lined baking sheet

Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet and serving.

Dust with additional powdered sugar before serving if desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know The Cookies Are Done Baking?

For this recipe, when the dough balls have flattened out and the tops are crinkled, they are done cooking. You will also want to make sure the cookies are "set" and not overly wet or jiggly in the middle. There will also be some slight browning around the edges and bottom.

Can I Use Vanilla Extract Instead of Almond Extract?

You can use vanilla extract however it will change the flavor. In fact, you can use whatever flavor of extract that you want. It is a fun way to switch up the flavors of the cookies. No matter what extract you use for these particular cookies, it won't change the resulting texture but it will change the flavor profile. Other options include an orange extract, almond extract, or lemon extract.

Are These Almond Cookies Gluten-Free?

Yes, these almond cookies are naturally gluten-free. Of course, like always, make sure that there is no cross-contamination in the almond flour that you use if it needs to be gluten-free for health reasons. Otherwise, all listed ingredients are typically gluten-free unless otherwise noted for potential contamination.

Do I Have to Chill the Dough Before Baking?

Yes. It is absolutely a must to chill the dough so it will bake properly. When you do not chill the dough, it causes the cookies to spread too thin on the baking sheet. The cookies become flat and then they will burn or get too crisp.

How Long are Homemade Italian Almond Cookies Good?

These cookies will last for about 3 to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container. It is best to store them in a cool dry place.

You can store these in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, but they are best served at room temperature, so make sure you pull them from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.

Can I Freeze Almond Cookie Dough?

You may not be able to eat all of the cookies before they are no longer good. If that is the case, you can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months.

When freezing cookie dough, make sure that you wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it into a freezer storage bag that has been dated and labeled. Thaw the cookie dough overnight and bake as directed normally, or prepare from frozen by adding an additional 5-7 minutes of baking time.

Cookies are a must in our house. We keep the cookie jar full at all times, and that means I have tons of tasty recipes that you may enjoy. If you like citrus, we have those, but the cookies below are a variety of our favorites. Make sure to bookmark the posts, print out the recipes, or pin them to a cookie board on Pinterest.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 24

Delicate Italian Almond Orange Cookies

A delicious gluten-free Italian almond orange cookie is the perfect sweet treat at the end of your day! Serve with coffee or tea for a tasty treat!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

⅓ cup egg whites
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
Zest of one orange
2 tablespoons honey
2 ½ cups almond flour (240 g)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup powdered sugar (50 g)

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix together the egg whites, sugar, orange zest, and honey until the mixture is smooth.
To this mixture, add the almond flour and baking powder, then mix until combined and a thick dough has formed.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to 24 hours.
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Divide the mixture into 24 small balls.
Then, roll each ball of dough into powdered sugar.
Place the coated dough balls onto the lined baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets.
Continue baking for another 7 to 9 minutes until they have flattened out, the tops have crackled, and they are slightly brown on the bottom.
Let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling before serving.
You can dust with additional powdered sugar after baking if desired.