Easy Raspberry Jam Amaretti Cookies Recipe brings chewy almond centers, crisp edges, and bright pops of tart-sweet raspberry in every bite. It suits gluten-free bakers, cookie platter planners, and busy folks who want small-batch elegance in about 35 minutes. I keep a jar of raspberry jam just for these, and my neighbors time their walks by the smell of almond in my kitchen.
Why Choose This Easy Raspberry Jam Amaretti Cookies Recipe
This Easy Raspberry Jam Amaretti Cookies Recipe uses simple pantry staples and delivers bakery-level results without fuss. Almond flour gives a soft, marzipan-like chew, while the jam adds sparkle and zing.
You whisk, scoop, thumbprint, and bake, and the cookies head straight to fan-favorite status.
These baked up chewy, fragrant, and not too sweet, and the ruby centers vanished from the tray in minutes ★★★★★
Ingredients You Need
- Almond flour, superfine and blanched, 2 cups or 192 g (I like Bob’s Red Mill or Kirkland for a fine grind)
- Granulated sugar, 3/4 cup or 150 g (superfine sugar mixes the smoothest)
- Fine sea salt, 1/4 tsp
- Baking powder, 1/2 tsp optional (adds a touch of lift)
- Lemon zest, 1 tsp optional (brightens the almond)
- Egg whites, 2 large, room temp
- Almond extract, 1 tsp (use pure extract)
- Vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp optional
- Amaretto liqueur, 1 tsp optional for classic aroma
- Raspberry jam, 1/2 cup (stir well; seedless works great; pantry shortcut: Bonne Maman or Smucker’s)
- Powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup for rolling and a light dusting
- Turbinado sugar, 2 tbsp optional for sparkle
Yield: about 22 to 24 cookies, 1 tablespoon each.
Equipment:
- Mixing bowls, medium and large
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats
- Small cookie scoop, about 1 tablespoon
- Measuring spoons or a scale
- Small round measuring spoon or thumb for wells
- Wire rack
How to Make Easy Raspberry Jam Amaretti Cookies Recipe
Preheat and Prep
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Stir the raspberry jam so it loosens and measures easily.
Mix the Dry Bowl
- In a medium bowl, whisk almond flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest.
- Break up any almond flour clumps so the dough mixes evenly.
Whip the Egg Whites
- In a clean large bowl, beat egg whites on medium to soft peaks. The tips should curl when you lift the beaters.
- Mix in almond extract, vanilla, and amaretto. The mixture will smell like a bakery you want to live in.
Bring the Dough Together
- Pour the egg white mixture over the dry bowl. Fold with a spatula until a thick, tacky dough forms.
- Let the dough sit 5 minutes so the almond flour hydrates. It should feel like almond play-doh, only much tastier.
Scoop, Roll, and Indent
- Scoop 1 tablespoon portions. Roll each into a ball.
- Toss balls in powdered sugar, then set them 2 inches apart on the sheets.
- Press a deep well into each ball with a round 1/2 teaspoon measure or your knuckle.
Fill with Jam
- Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam into each well. Keep the jam just below the rim to prevent overflow.
- Sprinkle turbinado sugar around the edges if you want sparkle.
Bake and Cool
- Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until tops look set with fine cracks and bottoms turn light golden.
- Rotate the pans halfway through for even color.
- Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then move the cookies to a rack. Dust with a whisper of powdered sugar once cool.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- Weigh the almond flour and sugar for consistent texture.
- Use a spotless bowl for egg whites. Any fat kills volume fast.
- Stop whipping at soft peaks. Stiff peaks make dry cookies.
- Use superfine blanched almond flour. Coarse meal makes grainy cookies.
- If the dough feels sticky, chill it for 10 minutes and keep going.
- Do not overfill the jam wells. Too much jam will leak.
- Keep cookie size uniform so the batch bakes evenly.
- Pull the cookies when edges set and centers still look slightly soft. They finish as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool before stacking so the jam sets and stays neat.
Variations I've Tried
- Apricot or blackberry jam thumbprints for a different fruit vibe.
- Lemon curd centers with a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread in the well for a fudgey twist.
- Pistachio-almond mix: swap 1/2 cup almond flour with very finely ground pistachios.
- Orange cardamom: add 1 tsp orange zest and 1/4 tsp ground cardamom to the dry bowl.
- Espresso almond: whisk 1 tsp instant espresso into the sugar for mocha energy.
How to Serve
Pile the cookies on a platter and serve with espresso, hot tea, or a cold glass of milk. Pair them with a scoop of vanilla gelato for a five-minute dessert. Add them to a holiday tray with chocolate crinkles and shortbread, and watch them vanish first. Crumble one over Greek yogurt with fresh berries for a sweet breakfast win.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Store at room temperature in an airtight tin up to 4 days. Slip in a small piece of parchment between layers to protect the jam.
- Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Let the cookies come to room temp before serving.
- Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months. Freeze in a single layer, then stack with parchment; thaw uncovered at room temp so edges stay crisp.
- Refresh texture in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes, then cool 5 minutes.
- Freeze unbaked dough balls without jam up to 2 months. Thaw on a sheet, indent, fill, and bake as directed.