Soft almond cookies shaped into low oval pillows with a cinnamon-sugar crust, an Italian-style home variation.
Cinnamon Amaretti
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Allow about 113 minutes: 25 hands-on, 20 chilling or resting, 38 whole-batch cooking and 30 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and doneness cues.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale and US measures
- Mixing bowl and fork
- Shallow coating bowl
- Two 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
Soft almond cookies shaped into low oval pillows with a cinnamon-sugar crust, an Italian-style home variation.
Ingredients
Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.
Instructions
Make a cinnamon almond paste
- 1Make a cinnamon almond pasteCombine almond flour, 150 g sugar, the 2.6 g dough cinnamon and salt. Stir in fork-beaten whites, vanilla and almond extract until all dry ingredients are moistened. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Form oval pillows
- 2Form oval pillowsHeat oven to 325°F (163°C) conventional or 300°F (149°C) fan. Mix 38 g coating sugar with 1.3 g cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Divide dough into 24 pieces, about 19 g each. Form 1 3/4-inch ovals and flatten gently to about 1/2 inch thick. Coat each with the cinnamon sugar.
Bake the two sheets
- 3Bake the two sheetsArrange 12 ovals on each of two lined 13 × 18-inch sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake one tray at a time for 16–19 minutes, 38 minutes for both. Tops should have a few fine cracks, with dry edges and pale-golden undersides.
Cool for a soft middle
- 4Cool for a soft middleRest 10 minutes on the sheets, then 20 minutes on a rack. The centers should be baked but chewy. Pack only after the cinnamon-sugar surface is fully cool.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Measure the dough and coating cinnamon separately so the spice does not overwhelm the almond.
Technique & texture
Keep the oval thickness consistent; very flat cookies dry out quickly.
Finishing & serving
A granulated coating creates a warm speckled crust rather than a snowy crackle.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 3 days | Keep cold cookies airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Up to 5 days | Refrigerate airtight in warm weather; let the closed container warm before opening. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze uncoated ovals and thaw covered in the refrigerator before rolling in cinnamon sugar. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze cooled ovals airtight with parchment between layers. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Thaw sealed and serve without redrying to retain the tender centers. |
Notes
- Measure the dough and coating cinnamon separately so the spice does not overwhelm the almond. Keep the oval thickness consistent; very flat cookies dry out quickly. A granulated coating creates a warm speckled crust rather than a snowy crackle. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
THE COOKIE INDEXITALIANCHRISTMAS COOKIES
Frequently Asked Questions
Will these look like white crinkle amaretti?
No. They have a cinnamon-speckled granulated-sugar crust without powdered sugar.
Why are my ovals hard throughout?
They may be too thin or overbaked. Keep them about 1/2 inch thick and stop at dry edges.
Can I add cinnamon oil?
Use the weighed ground cinnamon in this formula; concentrated oils require a different dosage.
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