Soft Orange Amaretti Cookies (Italian Amaretti Morbidi all’ Arancio)
Rich with the flavour of orange, these Soft and chewy Orange Amaretti Cookies (Amaretti Morbidi all’ Arancio) are authentically Italian and simple to make. They’re also naturally gluten free and dairy free. Perfect with coffee or to give as a gift.
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Orange Amaretti Cookies – Flourless Italian almond-citrus treats
I adore Italian Amaretti (almond) cookies and have been working through all the flavour possibilities. These are my latest Amaretti Morbidi all’ Arancio… Soft Orange Amaretti Cookies that are infused with a summery citrus tang. They’re perfect served alongside a feisty cup of coffee. And because they’re easy to make (and last well), they make a wonderful gift to someone special.
They’re soft and chewy (Amaretti Morbidi) and downright DELICIOUS! Shared (as always) from my Italian heritage… With love. 🧡
Which are more authentic… Crunchy or Soft Amaretti Cookies?
Amaretti cookies come as crunchy biscuits and soft cookies. The crunchy variety are often individually wrapped in colourful paper wrappers. But whether crunchy or soft, both are authentically Italian… served at celebrations, gifted or just enjoyed alongside a cheeky espresso in the cafes of Italy.
This recipe for Orange Amaretti Cookies is most definitely of the soft variety… Amaretti Morbidi as they are known in Italy.
One bite and you’re smitten… The crisp, cracked exterior yielding to a perfectly chewy almond-rich, almost marzipan centre. It is (without a doubt) my favoured version (regardless of flavour). Bring in a citrus hit of orange however and they are utterly divine!
Orange Amaretti Cookies are naturally gluten free AND dairy free
Orange Amaretti Cookies will be devoured by anyone who tries one. However, for those of us who are Coeliac (Celiac), they are extra special. Why? Because they are NATURALLY gluten free AND dairy free. No switches or ingredient subs… Just pure Coeliac-safe enjoyment exactly as it is meant to be.
Made with just a handful of basic ingredients (egg white, ground almonds, sugar and orange in the form of zest, extract and juice (or orange liqueur), they are simple to make… But do remember to check any labels for hidden gluten or ‘may contain’ warnings if making for someone with a gluten or dairy-related health condition. If you’re new to label-checking or cross-contamination, head over to my page ‘Coeliac Disease + Food’ for more information.
Ingredients for Orange Amaretti Cookies and possible name differences
If there’s one thing I find as fascinating as it is confusing, it’s the variations and different names given to ingredients around the world. So what do you need to know about the ingredients used to make my Orange Amaretti Cookies?
Egg white
The recipe at the end of this post specifically gives the weight of egg white needed. This is partly because egg size and weight vary around the world. But it also helps to ensure more consistency in the Amaretti batter.
Whether you use fresh egg from cracked, separated eggs or egg white from a carton is up to you. However, the egg white MUST be pure from any egg yolk or grease, or it won’t whip to stiff peaks.
Thus, the mixing bowl should be completely clean. To make certain, wipe the inside with a little lemon juice to remove any residual traces of oil.
Ground Almonds
The ground almonds used to make Orange Amaretti Cookies have been blanched and deskinned before being ground into a fine ‘meal’ (not a powder). In the US, this product is known as either almond flour or almond meal. Either way, be sure to use a product that has had the skins removed.
Sugar
The dough contains standard white caster sugar (known as super-fine sugar in the US).
In addition to caster sugar, icing sugar (also known as powdered sugar) is used for dipping and coating the cookies before baking.
Orange
To ensure a strong citrus flavour, these amaretti cookies contain orange from three sources…
- Finely Grated Orange Zest
- Orange Extract (made from natural oil of orange)
- Orange Liqueur (I use Cointreau) or orange juice.
Tips for rolling Amaretti cookie dough
Making the dough for Orange Amaretti Cookies is really simple. But rolling them can be very sticky! Here are my top tips to make it as easy as possible…
- BEFORE you start rolling, prepare the two sugar bowls for easy dipping and coating.
- Wear food-safe gloves to roll the dough. They prevent sticky fingers and make it much easier to roll into balls.
- Drop each scoop of dough into the caster sugar to partially coat before picking it up. This makes handling the dough less sticky and easier to roll.
- Roll and double-dip one ball at a time… Then place it on the baking tray before starting on the next.
Alternatives to Orange Amaretti Cookies
If the idea of Orange Amaretti Cookies doesn’t excite you, try another flavour. At Gluten Free Alchemist, we have recipes for:
- Original soft Almond Amaretti Cookies
- Lemon Amaretti Cookies
- Coffee Cappuccino Amaretti Cookies
- Chocolate Amaretti Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Amaretti Cookies
Ready to make Orange Amaretti Cookies?
And with that, here is the recipe for my delicious Italian Amaretti all’ Arancio. (scroll down a little further!). If you have any questions, just shout. You can contact me by comment below or through messaging on social media (Facebook; Instagram; Pinterest). I hope you love them.
Did you know we also have a huge Gluten Free Recipe Index with over 500 recipes all shared for free? So grab a coffee, head over and be inspired… And if there’s something you miss, let me know!
Happy baking
Italian Soft Orange Amaretti Cookies (gluten free; dairy free)
Key equipment
Ingredients
- 70 g egg whites (approx 2 large UK egg whites)
- 200 g ground almonds (blanched, skinned almond meal/US almond flour (not fine ground))
- 170 g caster sugar
- 2 oranges zest – finely grated (from washed oranges)
- 1 tbsp orange liqueur (eg Cointreau) or 15 ml (1 tbsp) orange juice
- ½ tsp orange extract (from natural orange oil)
To Coat
- 2½ tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2½ tbsp icing sugar (confectioners/powdered sugar)
Instructions
- Line a couple of baking trays with baking paper.
- Pre-heat the oven to 170 C/325 F/Gas 3.
- In a large very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. (Wipe the bowl with lemon juice, hot water and a clean sheet of kitchen towel before starting to remove any residual grease and take care not to get any egg yolk in the mix).
- Fold in the almonds, sugar and orange zest.
- Gently stir through the liqueur/orange juice and extract. You should now have a very thick, sticky dough.
- Tip the caster sugar and icing sugar for coating the cookies into two, separate shallow bowls.
- Scoop out walnut-sized chunks of the dough using a teaspoon and roll into balls using your hands (the mix is very sticky, so food gloves may be helpful). It helps to drop the scoop of dough into the sugar to coat slightly before rolling.
- Dip and coat each ball as you make it in the caster sugar followed by the icing sugar and place on the baking tray, leaving a slight gap between them.
- Bake for 14 to 17 minutes until crisp on the outside, but still quite pale in colour.
- Check the bake part-way through. If concerned that they may be browning, turn the oven down slightly.
- Leave to cool on the baking tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2026 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Orange Amaretti Cookies shared with
- Full Plate Thursday #721 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
My cookies spread flat. I won’t make this one again ☹️
Hi Pippin
That’s a shame. It sounds as though your mixture wasn’t right. My guess is that either the egg whites were not whipped long enough, or that there was a small amount of fat from the bowl or a drop of egg yolk that found it’s way into the white so it couldn’t stiffen and set properly. It’s also possible that too much liquid was added.
The recipe has been highly tested, so I am confident that is not the cause of the collapse.
Have a great Christmas.
Hi Kate,
I made these again at the weekend and they were easy, quick and tasty. I often keep grated orange/lemon in the freezer which came in useful for this recipe. I used the egg yolks(making up the required egg volume) in your toad in the hole recipe which is the best one I have ever tried.
Thanks again for all your recipes, we are gradually working our way through them .Sarah
Thank you Sarah. I do love my amaretti cookies, so I’m really pleased they are being enjoyed.
So happy you love the toad batter too. 😆♥️
Thank you as always, for coming back and leaving such a lovely comment xxx
These were delicious! I had to add more fresh squeezed orange juice for these as they didn’t hold together and crumbled too easily. That worked out fantastic! Love them!
Thank you Teri.
I’m glad you enjoyed these.
Thank you for letting me know your experience and for the helpful feedback.
I’m confused about the crumbliness. I literally make these all the time (whenever I have spare egg whites) and they’ve always worked well. I’m assuming that you weighed the egg white. But if not, it could be an egg size issue depending on where you live. Egg size varies from country to country and in the UK, large eggs are bigger than in North America.
Either way, I’m really glad you worked out a way to circumvent the crumbliness and that they turned out fine in the end.
xx
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! Have a fantastic weekend.
You’re welcome Helen. You too xx
Hi Kate,
These were lovely. I baked half the amount (10 instead of 20) yesterday and we finished them off this morning, they didn’t last long. Mine were flatter as I think the egg white was a large amount or perhaps I didn’t whisk the egg white enough?
I thought the recipe was easy to follow and it was a quick bake. I will now try the other flavours and try not to scoff them all so quickly next time.
Thank you for another recipe. Our GF baking continues. Sarah
You are so welcome Sarah. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed them and that your baking continues.
Re the slight flatness… Possibly one of three likely reasons for this… Either the egg white wasn’t whipped stiff enough… Or there was slightly more liquid… Or the bowl or whisk head had a bit of grease oil on it (or egg yolk). I’m fastidious about wiping off the bowl with hot lemon water and soaking my whisk heads (and letting them air dry) after I had a couple of flat results.
Best wishes
Kate xx
Wow, this recipe looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it out this weekend. Thanks for sharing 🤗!I recently discovered FoodHub, and it’s been a game-changer for me! I love how easy it is to find new recipes, meal ideas, and even local restaurants all in one place. It’s like having a personal foodie guide at my fingertips!
Thank you. Enjoy!