These gorgeous Linzer Cookies are made with your choice of jam sandwiched between two crunchy, chewy, and delicious almond sugar cookies. They’re easy to make and even easier to customize with fun shapes and colors.
This classic Linzer Cookie Recipe is a must for your holiday baking this year!
If you aren’t familiar with these beautiful jam-filled sandwich cookies, let me tell you a little bit more about them.
Linzer cookies come from Austria, where they have been baked and enjoyed for hundreds of years. They are, in essence, a miniature version of a Linzer Tarte or torte, which is a nut-based cake filled with fruit, that resembles a pie.
These Linzer Tart Cookies are made following a classic recipe that uses almond flour for flavor and texture in these crisp and chewy shortbread cookies.
A layer of your favorite fruit jam (my favorite is raspberry linzer cookies!) is placed in between two cookies, and the cookie on top of each sandwich has a window cut out of it for the prettiest presentation.
Want to try your hand at some other sandwich cookie recipes? You’ll love my homemade Nutter Butter Cookies and Chocolate Macarons.
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Linzer Cookie Recipe Highlights
- Cut Outs with a Twist – These are different than normal cut-out cookies, because they are made into sandwiches with beautiful window cut-outs on top! It’s easiest to use Linzer cookie cutters specifically made to cut Linzer cookies, but you can also use two different sizes of the same shape.
- Easy to Customize – You can of course use any flavor of jam and any cookie cutter shapes to make these cookies. You can also add other flavors to the dough, like lemon zest, almond extract, or cinnamon.
- Fun and Festive – These cookies will be more than welcome on your holiday cookie trays this winter, but they’re also fun to make any time of the year!
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Flour: This recipe will work well with regular all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour blend.
- Almond Flour: For best results and a delicate texture, I suggest using finely ground almond flour, sometimes labeled as “superfine”.
- Butter: Make sure that your unsalted butter is softened to room temperature so that it can easily be blended with the sugar.
- Granulated Sugar: To add the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Egg: One large egg will bind all of the ingredients together. For best results, use a room-temperature egg.
- Vanilla Extract: Good quality vanilla extract will enhance all of the other flavors in the cookie dough.
- Jam: You can use any flavor or brand of jam that you enjoy. Here, I’m using red strawberry jam and orange apricot jam.
- Powdered Sugar: Some goes into the shortbread dough. The rest is for dusting the cookies after they’ve been baked.
How To Make Linzer Cookies
How to Shape and Bake Linzer Cookies
How to Fill and Top Linzer Cookies
Top Tips
- Pay attention to your measurements. Dry or crumbly cookie dough is almost always an issue of flour being over-measured. Be sure to measure the flour by scooping and leveling, rather than dipping it into the flour canister.
- Yes, please chill the dough. For cut-out shortbread cookies that won’t spread while baking, the butter in the dough needs to be cold. Chill this dough for at least 1 hour, or longer.
- Don’t overbake. These cookies are meant to be light and delicate. You’ll know that they’re done when the edges just start to turn brown.
How to Store Linzer Cookies
Once baked, you can store linzer cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. As they sit, the moisture from the jam will soften the cookies a bit. This is not necessarily a problem, but if you want them to be crisp, you will want to serve them right away.
How to keep linzer cookies crisp: Another option for keeping linzer cookies fresh and crisp is to avoid adding jam to them until just before serving. The cut-outs can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
How to freeze linzer cookies: The best way to freeze linzer cookies is to freeze them without the filling. When you’re ready to serve, bring the cookies to room temperature, then fill them with jam and dust them with powdered sugar.
Other Desserts You Should Try
These classic cookies are sure to be loved by everyone you share them with!
Recipe FAQs
How Thick Should Linzer Cookies Be?
Because we’re making sandwiches with these cut-out cookies, you want them to be on the thin side. Roll out the dough until it is about ¼” thick. This will leave you with finished sandwich cookies that are a little more than ½” tall.
Are Linzer Cookies Shortbread?
Yes! This is a shortbread cookie recipe made with almond flour. The cookies are crisp around the edges with chewy centers, and should not spread much while baking.
Can Linzer Cookies Be Made Without Almond Flour?
It is traditional to make Linzer cookies with almond flour, but you can make adjustments if you need to. Try using a different nut flour such as hazelnut flour or walnut flour.
For nut-free linzer cookies, I suggest starting with a classic shortbread cookie recipe. Cut into shapes and bake as directed here!
These time-tested Linzer Cookies are so pretty and will be a perfect addition to your holiday baking this year. Don’t forget to Pin the recipe and share it with all of your favorite bakers too!
Linzer Cookies
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup jam any kind, or multiple kinds
- ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat well.
- Mix in the flour, almond flour, and salt until the dough forms and no dry streaks remain.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C fan oven. Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until it is about ¼” thick, then use your cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes, half solid and half with a cutout “window” in the middle.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Allow to cool completely, then flip the solid cookies so that the cooked side is facing up. Spread with a thin layer of desired jam, then press the cutout cookie on top. Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Pay attention to your measurements. Dry or crumbly cookie dough is almost always an issue of flour being over-measured. Be sure to measure the flour by scooping and leveling, rather than dipping it into the flour canister.
- Chill the dough. For cut-out shortbread cookies that won’t spread while baking, the butter in the dough needs to be cold. Chill this dough for at least 1 hour, or longer.
- Don’t overbake. These cookies are meant to be light and delicate. You’ll know that they’re done when the edges just start to turn brown.
- Storing. Keep these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, wait to fill the cookies with jam until just before serving.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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