We have a classic beauty on today’s menu: linzer cookies. The dough can be made with either pistachios or almonds, and your favorite flavor of jam for the filling. These stunning sandwich cookies taste best on day 2, so they’re a wonderful make-ahead holiday cookie option!
This recipe was first published in 2017, and now includes both pistachio and traditional almond versions, plus fresh photos and helpful new success tips.
What Are Linzer Cookies?
Linzer cookies originated in Austria, as a twist on linzer torte, a type of pastry filled with fruit preserves and nuts. These festive, stained glass window-esque cookies are easily some of the prettiest cookies around, especially on holiday cookie trays.
Linzer cookies are traditionally made from a nutty almond-based cookie dough, like my cherry almond linzer cookies. For this classic linzer cookie recipe, you can use either almonds or pistachios. Or feel free to use hazelnuts, like we use for these caramel hazelnut linzer cookies.
The dough is rolled out, cut into shapes, and baked… just like sugar cookies. Then the cookies are finished with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar, and sandwiched together with sweet jam.
I especially love the combos of almond cookies + apricot jam as well as the slightly salty pistachio cookies + sweet raspberry jam. Play around with the flavors and find your favorite!
What to Expect
- Texture: They’re nutty and deliciously textured. Linzers are crunchy right out of the oven, but after sandwiching jam in the center, they begin to soften. The magic happens on day 2 when the jam melts down into the cookies, making the whole sandwich cookie soft and tender. Without question, they taste BEST when made ahead of time.
- Flavor: Trust me when I tell you that they taste even better than they look. Nutty pistachios or almonds pair perfectly with sweet brown sugar, jam, and cinnamon, resulting in a remarkably flavorful cookie. Moreover, they’re totally customizable—simply use your favorite jam and cookie cutters.
- Ease: This is an intermediate baking recipe because there’s precise shaping involved. I recommend trying linzer cookies if you’re looking for a fun baking project or an elevated addition to your lineup of Christmas cookies!
- Time: In addition to the preparation of the dough and the baking, you’ll need to chill the dough for at least 3 hours. If you want to save time, consider whipping up a batch of dough in advance and storing it in the freezer (see recipe Notes). When you’re ready to bake, simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Overview: How to Make Linzer Cookies
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through it so you understand each step before you get started.
Pulse the pistachios or almonds together with brown sugar into a fine crumb. Use a food processor for this step.
Whisk the dry ingredients, then beat the wet ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients and ground nuts—the dough will look crumbly but comes together quickly. Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours.
Roll each dough half to 1/4 inch, cut out rounds, and cut center holes in half of them. I call the cookies with holes in the center “donut cookies.”
Bake the solid rounds and “donut” rounds separately. Once the cookies have cooled, dust the donut tops with confectioners’ sugar, then spread jam on the bottoms and sandwich together.
Favorite Cookie Cutters to Use
Linzer cookies can be cut into any shape, but I love them with scalloped edges. You’ll need 2 cookie cutters: one cookie cutter that is 2 inches in diameter and another that’s 1 inch. Some options include this fluted-edge cookie cutter set, which includes many sizes, or this holiday linzer cookie cutter set. You can make a simple round center hole, or get a little fancy with a little heart, star, or diamond shape.
All the cookies will be cut with the 2-inch cookie cutter, but only HALF will be cut again into a “donut” cookie.
Fillings for Linzer Cookies
I especially love these with both apricot preserves and raspberry jam, but honestly, any flavor works. I love the almond-cherry pairing in these iced cherry almond linzer cookies. Or use hazelnuts in the dough like we do in these caramel hazelnut linzer cookies, and fill with caramel, or try Nutella. Blackberry preserves, orange marmalade, or even lemon curd… try a few options and discover your favorite linzer cookie filling—it may surprise you!
And here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Description
These classic Linzer cookies start with a nutty almond- or pistachio-based dough, then bake into tender, lightly spiced rounds sandwiched with sweet jam. Beautiful on holiday trays and even better on day 2, this make-ahead recipe includes detailed rolling, cutting, and freezing instructions.
- Place the nuts and brown sugar in a food processor. Pulse into a very fine crumb. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the flour mixture and the ground nut mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. It will be crumbly at first, but will come together after a couple minutes of mixing.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, gently flatten into discs, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill the discs in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 4 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside. If the dough chilled for longer than 3 hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before rolling because the dough will be quite hard.
- Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and rolling pin. The dough may become sticky as you work, so have extra flour nearby to use as needed. Alternatively, the dough may crack when rolling out. If that happens, wait a few minutes for it to soften up, then try again. The more you work with it, the softer and more manageable it will become. Roll out the first disc of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles. Re-roll the dough scraps and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with the second disc of dough. You should have about 64 circles.
- Using a 1-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut a hole into the center of 32 of the circles. Let’s call these 32 cookies the “donut cookies” because of that center hole.
- Arrange the whole circles and the donut cookies 2 inches apart and on separate baking sheets (because the donut cookies take 1 less minute to bake).
- Bake the whole circles for about 11 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges, and bake the donut cookies for about 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Using a sieve or sifter, dust the “donut cookies” with confectioners’ sugar, then transfer all of the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before assembling.
- Spread 1/2 teaspoon of jam on the bottom of each whole cookie. Carefully top each with a donut cookie and press down gently to create a cookie sandwich.
- Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (see step 5), but you can also freeze it for up to 3 months. If you opt for the latter, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before rolling out in step 7. Cookies freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Rolling Pin | 2.5-inch Cookie Cutter (Round or Fluted) | 1-inch Cookie Cutter (Round or Fluted) | Fine Mesh Sieve | Cooling Rack
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Nuts: Use salted or unsalted almonds or pistachios, either work. I prefer salted for a subtle sweet-and-salty balance. Roasted or raw are fine as well, though roasted nuts add the most flavor.
- Jam/Filling Options: I especially love these with both apricot preserves and raspberry jam, but honestly, any flavor works. I love the almond-cherry pairing in these iced cherry almond linzer cookies. You could also try fig jam, orange marmalade, or blackberry jam.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
