Amaretti Cookies Recipe - Vegan & Gluten-Free (2024)

Is it even Christmas if and when you don’t have an array of cookies to serve to your guests? I didn’t think so. But if you really want to make an impression, and grab said guests by the stomach, then look no further: these chocolate amaretti cookies are all you will need. They are yummy, of course, but they are also vegan and gluten-free. Which ticks a lot of boxes if you ask me.

Italian Amaretti cookies are a staple for Christmas back home. And these Chocolate Amaretti Cookies are what the doctor ordered. Or so I hear! Our father simply adores them and we always try to bake a batch every year for him. But we won’t be home for Christmas this year, so we tried them in a slightly different version.

Our flatmate is vegan and has been for a long time, so it’s only fair that some of our recipes she’s able to taste when we test them over and over. Cristina, on the other hand, has been struggling with gluten lately. Most times, when we bake, is stuff full of gluten. And while we have attempted gluten-free, I must admit we have yet to master the art of gluten-free baking. And I won’t even mention our first, and so far only, attempt at baking gluten-free bread. But you need to trust me on these.

The chocolate just adds to these Amaretti Cookies: they are yummy, soft and also very much one follows the other. To the mouth. You won’t be able to control yourself if they are around. But you know what? When something is as good as these Italian-style Chocolate Amaretti Cookies, you don’t have to. Trash the self-control. Get rid of any inhibitions. These cookies are here to set the new record right about now. Don’t get me to say I told you so.

Italian-style Chocolate Amaretti Cookies

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I know this is no longer our first-ever vegan recipe. We have that beautiful clementine curd and this amazingly tasty stuffed butternut squash roast from last Christmas. So as we build this vegan portfolio of recipes, we can also work on being more inclusive of dietary requirements. And what a great recipe to start with!

What are the ingredients for this recipe?

First of all, the way for this recipe to be gluten free it’s almond flour. Now, you can buy almond flour in any supermarket, but if you were not to find it I have a solution to that: make your own. I know what you’re thinking, it’s going to take a bit and by the time I am done will I really feel like making these cookies… The answer is yes. Trust me, these amaretti cookies are too good to pass on. So let me tell you about how to make your own almond flour, should you need:

1. Blanch your almonds: place them in boiling water for 60 seconds and then drain in a colander;
2. Rinse them with cold water to cool down;
3. Once they are all drained, place them in a clean cloth and, folding it in half, rub them so that the skin comes off;
4. Place the blanched almonds in a blender and blitz until fine, but not a powder.
5. Store in a jar, in a cool dark place.

So now that you have the almond flour, what else do you need for these cookies? Well, we have sugar, cocoa powder and icing sugar. All your dry ingredients, in one word. But also flax eggs.

What is a flax egg?

Because the traditional amaretti cookies are made with egg whites, you will need to replace that in this recipe. And it couldn’t be easier. You’ll be using flax eggs! A flax egg is a vegan egg substitute made of ground flax seeds and water. When mixed, the water and flaxseed will become a gelatinous blob that yes, does not look appetising, but will work in here magnificently. For this one, you’ll need to prepare ahead as it takes 10-20 minutes to get to the right consistency. But how do you make a flax egg? Let me share this secret with you:

1. The ratio for a flax egg is of 1:3 of ground flaxseed to water.
2. Grab a bowl and measure 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water, then mix well.
3. Repeat this for every egg you need in your recipe.
4. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes, until gelatinous in consistency.

How do you make these amaretti cookies?

Now that we have all the ingredients on hand, you might be questioning why there is no almond extract. These soft amaretti cookies were in no need of an extra kick since the almond flour was strong enough. If you fancy a stronger almond taste, then feel free to add a teaspoon of almond extract to your cookies.

After prepping the flax eggs (you will be needing two, by the way!), all you have to do is mix the ingredients in a big bowl and prep a smaller bowl with some icing sugar.

The part where you roll the cookies and dip them in the icing sugar is possibly the best one, and if you have kids – this is the moment you can get them to enjoy with you. Or maybe not, since there is going to be an icing sugar murder scene by the time you are done. Oh well, your choice here. All I am saying is that it’s a fun activity, and cleaning up might be difficult.

The cookie dough will seem sticky at first, but trust me when I say it will all work out in the end. Rolling the cookies will be a bit of a messy part of the work, but don’t be scared!

The cooking of these cookies is made at a lower temperature than your average cookies, and when they come out of the oven they will still be quite soft. Make sure you let them cool down completely before handling them, as they will break. The baking sheet – or even baking sheets! – you’ll be using needs to be covered with parchment paper so that they don’t stick. And it will also be easier to slide them off the baking tray as you get the second lot of amaretti cookies in the oven. Preheat oven is also a must here – this will avoid your Italian amaretti cookies going mushy and flat, which you really do not want.

Can I substitute any ingredients in this recipe?

You can make these chocolate amaretti cookies non-vegan if you like. What you will need to replace is the flax eggs with 2 large egg whites.

The cocoa powder is also one of those ingredients you don’t have to put in, so all you will need to do is replace it with the same quantity of almond flour. If you fancy making these amaretti cookies explode with flavour, lemon zest will work extremely well, just use one lemon. My substitute of choice, since I am not big on chocolate!

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Of all the holiday recipes we’ve made so far, this one was a strong favourite with everyone in the house. These amaretti cookies are nice, chewy and soft. They are vegan and gluten free, which always helps. And they are chocolate amaretti cookies, so really, what else do you need? If this does not sell them to you nothing will. Cristina has already asked me to make them again, and so has our flatmate. But then again, we love sweets around here, so do we really count?

While we plan to do a bit more of both gluten-free and vegan baking, you can check out this , because they are brilliant. And for the other kind of cookies, we have these hand decorated cookies, which are so sweet and amazing for Christmas!

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