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5.0 from 24 votes

Italian Cherry Almond Cookies (dairy free & gluten free!)

Deliciously soft Italian cherry almond cookies made with 7 simple ingredients for a unique cookie to bring to your holiday cookie exchange. These cherry almond cookies are gluten-free thanks to an almond flour base, and are bursting with flavor from almond extract and maraschino cherries. Easy to make and guaranteed to impress loved ones!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 18 cookies
Calories: 146 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian , American

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ (252g) cups almond flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 small lemon, zested
  • 2 egg whites (from 2 large eggs)
  • ¾ teaspoon almond extract
  • ¾ cup (90g) powdered sugar
  • 18 maraschino cherries (from 11 ounce jar) or luxardo cherries, drained and patted dry

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sugar and lemon zest.
  3. Add in the egg whites and almond extract and mix with a wooden spoon or a fork until a dough forms. It’s okay if it is somewhat crumbly. Keep working at it until it becomes sticky. Roll into approximately 18 dough balls.
  4. Add powdered sugar to a shallow bowl. Roll each dough ball in powdered sugar then place on the cookie sheet, approximately 1-inch apart.
  5. Add drained cherries to a plate or cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel.
  6. Use your thumb to gently make an indentation into each dough ball. The dough will likely crack a bit on the sides but that’s okay! Place a cherry into each indentation.
  7. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes until the dough is just slightly golden on the bottom edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

  • If you can’t find cherries, you can sub each cherry for a ½ teaspoon of cherry jam and fill the hole, then bake as directed.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cookie Calories 146cal (7%) Carbohydrates 17.9g (6%) Protein 3.6g (7%) Fat 7.5g (12%) Saturated Fat 0.5g (3%) Fiber 1.1g (4%) Sugar 16.7g (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 18cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 146

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cookie
Calories 146cal 7%
Carbohydrates 17.9g 6%
Protein 3.6g 7%
Fat 7.5g 12%
Saturated Fat 0.5g 3%
Fiber 1.1g 4%
Sugar 16.7g 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.