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Powdered-sugar coated crinkle cookies on a wire rack, on newsprint parchment on a dark background.

Vegan Amaretti Cookies

These soft and chewy almond cookies are completely vegan, made with whipped aquafaba (chickpea liquid) in place of the typical egg whites.
Yield: 26 cookies
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups / 240 g almond flour, sifted
  • ¾ cup / 170 g granulated sugar*
  • ¼ cup / 60 g aquafaba*
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • confectioners’ sugar, as needed

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Stack two matching, heavyweight, light to medium colored cookie sheets one inside the other (stacking two cookie sheets together keeps the bottoms of the cookies from getting too brown). Line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour and sugar until evenly incorporated.
  • In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip aquafaba and lemon juice until they hold stiff peaks (it should stay in the bowl if you flip it upside down; if it starts to slide, keep beating it a bit longer).
  • Add aquafaba and almond extract to dry ingredients and stir until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough, kneading with your hands if necessary.
  • Lightly dust your hands with powdered sugar. Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough into 1-inch balls. Roll into a smooth ball, then roll in powdered sugar. Arrange on parchment or silicon-lined baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between cookies.
  • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until tops are cracked and bottoms are just starting to darken (if you are NOT using doubled cookie sheets your cookies will brown more quickly, so start checking after 25 minutes or so). Remove from oven; let cool a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  • Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight bag or container for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • If you are serving these to vegans, be sure to buy organic sugar or sugar that is specifically labeled as vegan. Most non-organic white sugar and powdered sugar is processed with bone char which makes it decidedly not vegan.
  • Aquafaba is the liquid drained off from a can of chickpeas. Be sure you shake the can well before you drain it off to ensure the proteins are distributed evenly. I have not tested this recipe with chickpeas cooked from dried beans, just the liquid from canned chickpeas. (If your chickpeas are unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the almond flour and sugar).