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Hi Bold Bakers!
Full disclosure: these Linzer cookies may just be one my all-time favorite cookies–you can find 100+ cookie recipes on my website so that says a lot . My Homemade Linzer Cookies are a holiday tradition for a reason! They’re perfectly nutty and rich, super tender, and not-too-sweet. The sweet and tangy raspberry jam perfectly balances out the delicious almond flavor.
Linzer cookies are incredibly simple to make but look so beautiful with their little hole or heart-shaped cut in the middle, showing off that sweet jam, and topped with powder sugar. I love them with raspberry jam, but you can use any of your favorite preserves!
What Are Linzer Cookies?
In the States, Linzer cookies are a popular item at bakeries, especially around the holidays. They’re basically a mini-version of a Linzer Torte, which was first made in Austria. The dough tastes like an almond shortbread, and the tangy raspberry balances out that sweetness!
What You Need To Make Linzer Cookies
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or handheld electric mixer
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- Two cookie sheets
- 2 ½ inch (6cm) cookie cutter
How To Make Linzer Cookies
These cookies are ridiculously simple, but you won’t be disappointed by the final product! Here is how you make them (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
- In a bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until it is pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until mixed.
- Gradually beat in the flour mixture from step 1 into the butter mixture until just combined.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until it is very firm. This will take at least 2 hours, but you can keep it in your fridge for up to 3 days.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat your own to 375°F (190°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. I do a fan assist here because I bake both trays at one time, and the air needs to circulate.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/8-inch thick.
- You’ll want to work quickly to ensure the dough remains cold and firm! Use a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut out as many rounds of dough as you can and place them about 2 inches apart on your cookie sheets. Gather the scraps, rewrap, and chill until firm enough to reroll.
- Once the cut dough is on the cookie sheets, cut out 1-inch holes in the center of half of the cookies.
- Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- On the cookie’s base (the ones without the hole), spread about 1 teaspoon of strained raspberry jam. Spread the jam out, but not quite to the edge.
- Dust the top halves of the cookies (with the hole in them) generously with powder sugar, then carefully place them on the jam-covered bottoms. Press to seal, gently, so you don’t break the top half.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Linzer Cookies
- The dough is very soft and has to remain cold for easy handling. If it gets too warm while rolling and cutting, chill it in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes before proceeding.
- Traditionally, Linzer cookies are round, but you can use any shape you like — personally, I love hearts!
- We love raspberry jam for these cookies, but you can also try filling them with Homemade Ganache, Salted Caramel Sauce, Dulce de Leche, or Homemade Nutella! Or, of course, any other jam you prefer (just make sure you strain it!).
- Straining your jam: Heat and pass your jam through a small sieve to remove the seeds and any lumps. This leaves you with a smooth, silky jam.
- Don’t like waste? I bake up the cookie tops’ cutouts for little garnishes to put on top of ice cream or for those little hands and mouths that need to sample everything while baking!
- If you don’t have almond flour, you can Make Your Own Almond Flour using whole almonds. For this recipe, grind 1 cup (5oz/142g) of raw almonds together in a food processor until very finely ground.
How Do I Store Linzer Cookies?
Linzer cookies taste best the day they are made because the cookie does tend to absorb some liquid from the jam, but you can store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also make the dough in advance and store the raw dough for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 8 weeks in the freezer!
Make More Cookies At Home!
- Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
- The Easiest Soft Sugar Cookies
And don’t miss my New Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook, available now!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Classic Austrian Linzer Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (7 ½ oz/213g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (2oz/57g) almond flour
- 1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (6oz/170g) butter softened
- ¾ cup (5oz/142g) granulated sugar
- 2 small eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (5oz/142g) strained raspberry jam*
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until it is pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until well mixed.
- Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined.
- Wrap the dough well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least two hours and up to 3 days.
- When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) fan assisted. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I do a fan here because you will have to put 2 trays of cookies into the oven and you need the air to circulate)
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about an 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. (You can also roll this dough on a floured piece of parchment for even easier handling)
- Working quickly while the dough is still cold and firm, use a 2 ½ inch (6cm) cookie cutter to cut out as many rounds of dough as you can and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Gather any scraps, rewrap, and chill until firm enough to reroll.
- Once the cut dough is on the cookie sheets, cut out one inch (2.5cm) hole out of the centers of half of the cookies. (See above video for step-by-step)
- Bake for roughly 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the base of the cookie, spread about 1 teaspoon of strained raspberry jam onto ½ of the cookies, spreading the jam out a bit but not quite to the edge.
- Dust the top halves of the cookies (with the cut-out circle) generously with powdered sugar, then carefully place the tops on the jam covered bottoms. Press to seal very gently so you don’t break to the top half.
- These cookies are best enjoyed the day they are made. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The raw dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 8 weeks.
Have you ever tryed the Hungarian linzer? Comparing the 2 recepe I found the hungarian variant tastier 🙂
Hi Gemma! I made this and it was sooo good, this should seriously be on the best-ever section, thanks for the awesome recipe!
I love cookies like this, but I am allergic to some nuts, almonds included. What would you recommend?
They came out extremely sticky and my kids couldn’t cut anything out as they kept sticking.
Hi Gemma, I want to make these for my son’s work. Can I make the cookies but don’t put jam until just before he leaves?
This recipe was a fail for me unfortunately. I’m thinking it’s because my eggs were larger, so the dough was too hydrated. I let the dough chill overnight in the fridge, but it became way too soft to roll, even though I worked quickly. I put the dough in the freezer to salvage it, but it was still too soft to roll the next day. If I attempt this recipe again, I would use one egg instead, but I’m not sure if that would make the cookie taste bad.
no sall eggs in my area will 1 lg egg work 4 2 smalleggs?
Hi Gemma. I made these before and they were fabulous. I want to make these to take to our Christmas dinner at my daughter-in-law’s and a couple of the folks are vegan. Can I use a flax egg instead of an egg here? Thanks.
This is the stickiest dough I’ve ever worked with. Made 2 separate batches and had a hard time rolling it. Had to keep adding flour to keep from sticking. Wha am I doing wrong?
Hi Gemma. Is it possible to use almond pulp instead of almond flour?