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My crisp, buttery Linzer Cookies are about to become your favorite sandwich cookie recipe. With almond-scented cookie dough and a sweet raspberry filling, this classic Christmas cookie recipe will stand out from the cookie swap competition.
These easy Linzer Cookies are a fruity, European alternative to your everyday sandwich cookie. Think of them like a mash-up between Thumbprint Cookies and Golden Oreos. They’re even tastier than they sound!
Linzer Cookies have roots in Linz, Austria, and are a single-serving twist on the classic linzer torte. (That torte is thought to be one of the oldest torte recipes in history; dating back to an Austrian abbey circa 1700.) The linzer torte landed in America in the mid-1800s. It’s traditionally made with a ground nut-boosted butter pastry (often, almonds or hazelnuts), a fruit preserve filling, and a lattice topping.
Linzer Cookies take that same concept and shrink it down to the perfect size to star on your cookie platters. In the U.S., these sandwich cookies often feature almond cookie dough, raspberry jam filling, and a “Linzer eye” (that peek-a-boo part) that’s shaped in a circle, heart, or diamond.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Equipment and ingredient notes
- Linzer cookie cutter set: You can use any cutters to make Linzer cookies such as biscuit cutters for the outside and any small cutters for the inside. If you’re looking for crimped edges and classic cut-outs, though, I really liked the Wilton Linzer cookie cutter set, and that’s what we used in the photos.
- Ground nuts: I start with whole almonds and grind them, in this recipe, but hazelnuts and walnuts are other good choices. To toast the nuts, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until fragrant and the papery skin starts to crack, stirring occasionally, 10 to 20 minutes. The exact time depends on the size of the nuts. Start checking after 10 minutes and immediately remove from baking sheet.
- Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger. If it still seems too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
- Seedless raspberry jam: Try currant jelly, plum jelly, strawberry jam, apricot jam, fig jam, or even orange marmalade. Or fill Linzer Cookies a variety of the above (one flavor per cookie) for a multicolor cookie platter and a menu of options to please every sweet tooth.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a food processor or grinder; process the hazelnuts or almonds using short pulses until finely ground. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt to make the flour mixture.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed, or with an electric hand mixer, beat butter until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, add sugar, and continue to beat until well combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, and ground almonds.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt mixture and beat until just combined.
- Turn out the dough on to a floured surface and divide into two portions. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove one portion of dough from the refrigerator (keep the other one chilled). Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/4-inch.
- Using a cookie cutter 2 to 3 inches in diameter, cut out cookies. In half of the cookies, cut a hole in the center 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter and remove. Repeat with remaining portion of dough and any remaining scraps. If the dough becomes soft or sticky, chill in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes. You should have about 24 cookies total, half with holes cut in the middle.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheet using an offset spatula.
- Bake about 12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges and firm. Loosen the cookies on the baking tray but do not transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
- To assemble the cookies, spread the bottom center of half of the cookies (no holes) with a thin layer of raspberry jam.
- Dust the top cookie halves or the whole cookies with confectioners’ sugar, then set on top of cookie bottoms. Spoon more jam to fill the cut-out holes.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Linzer Cookie recipe, made a 2- to 3-inch cookie cutter, should yield about 24 cookie halves or 12 sandwich cookies.
- Storage: Store Linzer cookies in an airtight container at room temperature (or you can store them on your chilly patio or in your garage if you live in a cold climate). You can also store them in the fridge.
- Freezer: After wrapping the dough in plastic wrap, label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before rolling out. Or, freeze cooled cookies between layers of parchment paper for up to 2 months. See my full tutorial on how to freeze cookie dough.
- More flavors: I use vanilla extract in these cookies, but you could use a tsp almond extract, lemon zest, or other citrus zest in the cookie dough. Or, dust the final cookies with cinnamon.
- More fillings: Raspberry jam is the classic Linzer filling, but there’s nothing stopping you from getting creative. Nutella is an exceptional filling especially if you make your cookies with ground hazelnuts. You could also filling the cookies with peanut butter, cookie butter, chocolate ganache, or caramel.
- DIY Jam: If you have a bounty of citrus, consider making Orange Marmalade. It’s not a traditional filling for Linzer cookies, but it’s absolutely delicious.
- Thumbprints: Do you love jam-filled cookies? Buttery and tender-crisp, Thumbprint Cookies shine like gems on your Christmas cookie plate. Fill them with any jam you love and watch them disappear.
- More cut-outs: If you love working with cookie cutters, you’ll love making Christmas Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies. While not holiday themed, Circus Animal Cookies are fun cut-out cookie too!
Frequently Asked Questions
If I opt to make hazelnut Linzer Cookies, how do I remove hazelnut skins?
To remove skins from hazelnuts (if applicable), rub the nuts in a clean kitchen towel immediately after they come out of the oven, while they’re still warm.
Can I use almond flour instead of ground almonds in Linzer cookies?
Yes, if you happen to have almond flour on hand, just substitute that and save the stuff of grinding nuts.
More holiday cookies
Christmas Recipes
Christmas Sugar Cookies
Cookie Recipes
Molasses Cookies
Cookie Recipes
Thumbprint Cookies
Cookie Recipes
Spritz Cookie Recipe
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Linzer Cookies
My crisp, buttery Linzer Cookies are about to become your favorite sandwich cookie recipe. With almond-scented cookie dough and a sweet raspberry filling, this classic Christmas cookie recipe will stand out from the cookie swap competition.
Equipment
- Linzer Cookie Cutter Set (see note 1)
Ingredients
- 1 cup slivered almonds or hazelnuts, toasted (see note 2)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick, see note 3)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (see note 4)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a food processor or grinder; process the hazelnuts or almonds using short pulses until finely ground. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
- In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed, or with an electric mixer, beat butter until pale and fluffy. Add sugar and continue to beat until well combined. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, and ground almonds.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt mixture and beat until just combined. Turn out the dough on to a floured surface and divide into two portions. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Remove one portion of dough from the refrigerator (keep the other one chilled). Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper to a thickness of 1/4-inch.
- Using a cookie cutter 2 to 3 inches in diameter, cut out cookies. In half of the cookies, cut a hole in the center 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter and remove.
- Repeat with remaining portion of dough and any remaining scraps. If the dough becomes soft or sticky, chill in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes. You should have about 24 cookies total, half with holes cut in the middle.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to prepared baking sheets using an offset spatula. Bake about 12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges and firm. Loosen the cookies on the baking sheets but do not remove until completely cooled.
- To assemble the cookies, spread the bottom halves (no holes) with a thin layer of raspberry jam. Dust the top cookie halves with powdered sugar, then set on top of cookie bottoms. Spoon more jam to fill the cut-out holes.
Notes
- Linzer cookie cutter set: You can use any cutters to make Linzer cookies such as biscuit cutters for the outside and any small cutters for the inside. If you’re looking for crimped edges and classic cut-outs, though, I really liked the Wilton Linzer cookie cutter set, and that’s what we used in the photos.
- Ground nuts: I used ground almonds in this recipe, but hazelnuts and walnuts are other good choices. To toast the nuts, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until fragrant and the papery skin starts to crack, stirring occasionally, 10 to 20 minutes. The exact time depends on the size of the nuts. Start checking after 10 minutes and immediately remove from baking sheet.
- Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power for 1 minute. Gently press on the butter with your finger. If it still seems too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
- Seedless raspberry jam: Try currant, plum, apricot, fig jam, or even orange marmalade. Or fill Linzer Cookies a variety of the above (one flavor per cookie) for a multicolor cookie platter and a menu of options to please every sweet tooth.
- Yield: This Linzer Cookie recipe, made a 2- to 3-inch cookie cutter, should yield about 24 cookie halves or 12 sandwich cookies.
- Storage: Store Linzer cookies in an airtight container at room temperature (or you can store them on your chilly patio or in your garage if you live in a cold climate).
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 235kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 55mgPotassium: 90mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 257IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
