These iced cherry almond linzer cookies are as lovely to look at as they are to eat, and there’s no special cookie decorating skills required. You can use any small cookie cutters you have to cut the almond cookie dough into your choice of shapes, and the filling is simply store-bought cherry preserves. These beautiful sandwich cookies actually taste best on day 2, so they’re a wonderful make-ahead holiday cookie option.
Between the cherry filling and the sweet icing on top, the taste and texture of these linzer cookies actually make me think I’m eating a fancy pop-tart! These nutty almond linzers are crunchy right out of the oven, but after icing the top and sandwiching jam in the center, they begin to soften. The magic happens on day 2 when the icing and jam settle into the cookies, making the whole sandwich cookie tender, soft, and deliciously crumbly.
Why You’ll Love These Iced Cherry Almond Linzer Cookies
- Impressive & beautiful, without requiring special decorating skill (not today, royal icing & piping tips!)
- Flavors of almond & cherry pair so well, just like in these cherry pie bars
- Save time by using store-bought cherry preserves/jam for the filling
- Easy 3-ingredient icing comes together in seconds
- Linzer cookie cutter set not required—you can use any small cookie cutters you have
- Cookies’ taste & texture are even better the next day, so this is a great make-ahead cookie option
What Are Linzer Cookies?
Linzer cookies are traditionally made from a nutty almond-based cookie dough. The dough is rolled out, cut into shapes, and baked… just like sugar cookies. Then the cookies are sandwiched together with a filling, usually a sweet fruit jam. These festive, stained glass window-esque cookies are easily some of the prettiest cookies around, especially on holiday cookie trays.
Fun fact: Linzer cookies originate from an Austrian treat called linzertorte, a type of pastry filled with a fruit preserve and topped with a lattice design.
I adore linzer-style cookies, and have a few varieties already published including raspberry pistachio linzer cookies and caramel hazelnut linzer cookies. If you have a copy of my cookbook Sally’s Cookie Addiction, you’ll find a recipe for raspberry almond linzer cookies on page 65.
Almond Linzer Cookie Dough
Here’s what you need to make these cookies:
You need whole almonds for this cookie dough, which you’ll grind down so they are crushed. You do not, however, want almond meal or almond flour because both are too fine. You’ll be much happier with the final cookie with the extra texture from the coarser pieces of nuts.
A small food processor is helpful for coarsely chopping the almonds:
I usually use brown sugar in linzer-style cookies. Today, however, I chose regular granulated sugar so it doesn’t take away from the almond and cherry flavors.
After that, the dough comes together easily with a stand mixer. Expect a thick, crumbly dough:
Refrigerate the Dough
Divide the dough in half. If you have a food scale, it helps to evenly divide the dough. If you don’t, however, that’s fine, too. Just eyeball it. This dough weighs about 850g, so each piece should weigh about 425g.
Flatten each piece of dough into a disc and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the two wrapped discs of dough for at least 3 hours.
Similar to this gingerbread cookie dough, when it first comes out of the refrigerator the dough will be really hard. Let it sit out for 10 minutes before you start to roll it out. When you first start to roll it out, the edges may crack a bit, but as you work it, the oils from the almonds release a bit and it quickly becomes more workable.
Roll Out & Cut Shapes
I decided on a 3-inch tree-shaped cookie cutter (the smallest one from this set) for today’s iced almond cherry linzer cookies, but you could really use any 2- to 3-inch cookie cutter for these. I love these fluted-edge cookie cutters for a more classic linzer cookie look, which I use to make these raspberry pistachio linzer cookies and chocolate gingerbread sandwich cookies.
To make the cutout in the top cookie, so the filling shows through, you need another cookie cutter that’s really small—about 1 inch. You can simply make a round center hole, but it looks extra festive with a little star or heart shape. For the pictured cookies, I used the star from this linzer Christmas cookie cutter set.
What if I Don’t Have a Super Small Cookie Cutter for the Center?
If you don’t have any cookie cutters that small, don’t worry! Try using the end of a straw to make a small round hole in the center, or use a small paring knife to carve a few tiny holes (which would look like red ornaments on tree-shaped cookies!).
All the cookies will be cut with the larger cookie cutter, but only HALF will be cut with the smaller one, for the top cookies. So roll out your first disc of dough, leaving the other disc in the refrigerator for now. Cut out the cookies and bake. These are your bottom cookies:
Then roll out your second disc of dough, cut out the cookies the same way as before, but then use the small cookie cutter to make the little cutout shape in the center of each cookie before baking. These are your top cookies:
Assembling These Iced Cherry Almond Linzer Cookies
Once the cookies have baked and cooled, it’s time to ice, fill, and sandwich them.
Typically, linzer cookies get a pretty dusting of confectioners’ sugar on top. But I wanted something different here, and almond icing is just SO GOOD.
For the icing, you need confectioners’ sugar, a little milk, and almond extract. You want the icing consistency to be semi-thick, so it’s not too runny. Dip each of the top cookies into the icing, and let any excess drip off.
Set the iced top cookies aside to dry, and turn your attention to the bottom cookies.
For the filling, I used cherry preserves, but honestly… any flavor works. If your cherry preserves are pretty chunky, you can use your small food processor to give them a few pulses and smooth out the texture, which is what I did. Pureeing it too much results in a too-thin sauce, though, so go easy.
Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of cherry preserves onto the bottom side of each bottom cookie, then gently place an iced top cookie on top to create a cookie sandwich. It’s fine if the icing hasn’t fully set yet, just hold the cookies carefully by the edges.
Let the assembled iced cherry almond linzer cookies sit out for a few hours for the icing to set, and then you can stack and store them.
It definitely takes some time to make and assemble these linzer cookies, but if you love the look of cut-out cookie cutter cookies, and don’t want to go to the trouble of decorating, these are a fantastic—and just as beautiful—alternative. Plus, again, they’re like a fancied-up cherry pop-tart. 😉
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
- White Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies
- Cookies in a Jar
- Maple Walnut Tassies
- Almond Butter Sparkle Cookies
- Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies
and here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Cherry Almond Linzer Cookies
- Prep Time: 4 hours (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 22–25 3-inch sandwich cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These iced cherry almond linzer cookies are as lovely to look at as they are to eat, and there’s no special cookie decorating skill required. You can use any small cookie cutters you have to cut the almond cookie dough into your choice of shapes, and the filling is simply store-bought cherry preserves. Take your time with these cookies, especially when handling the dough and sandwiching the cookies together.Â
Ingredients
Dough
- 2/3 cup (100g) salted roasted almonds (see Note if you use unsalted)
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for rolling
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
Filling & Topping
- 1/2 cup (160g) cherry preserves (or other flavor; see Note)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1–2 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or pure vanilla extract (or 1/4 teaspoon each)
Instructions
- Make the dough: Place the almonds in a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are finely chopped, but not so finely that it’s turning into almond flour. See photo above for a visual.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the chopped almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be thick and crumbly, and weigh about 850g.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions (about 425g each, or just eyeball it), 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).Â
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Cut out and bake the cookies: Remove 1 disc of chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator. After chilling, the dough will be very hard. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes (or 30 minutes, if the dough chilled for longer than 3 hours) before you try to roll it. Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and the rolling pin. Roll out the disc to about 1/4-inch thickness. If the dough is cracking a lot when rolling out, wait a few more minutes for it to soften up a bit more. The more you work with it, the softer and easier to work with it will become. Using a 2-inch or 3-inch cookie cutter, cut dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with the second disc of dough. You should have about 44–60 cookies, depending on the size of cookie cutter you use.
- Using a small (1-inch) cookie cutter (see Note if you don’t have one), cut a hole into the center of half of the cookies. Let’s call these the “top cookies,” and the ones without a hole the “bottom cookies.”
- Arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies for about 11–12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before assembling.
- Make the icing:Â In a small bowl, whisk together (I usually use a fork) confectioners’ sugar, 1 Tablespoon milk, and extract(s) until smooth. If the icing is too thick to whisk, add a little more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches desired consistency. You want to keep it on the thicker side.
- Lightly dip the surface of each top cookie into the icing, and let any excess icing drip off. Place the iced top cookies on a wire rack or parchment paper. It’s ok if the icing is not completely set before sandwiching the cookies.
- Assemble the cookies: Spread about 1/2 teaspoon of cherry preserves on the bottom side of each bottom cookie. Carefully top each bottom cookie with a top iced cookie and press together very gently to create a cookie sandwich. Icing will set in a few hours, so you can stack, store, transport, and gift the cookies.
- Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing 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. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for more information. Iced sandwich 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 | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper Sheets | Rolling Pin or Adjustable Rolling Pin | 2- to 3-inch cookie cutter, such as the small tree from this set, or this fluted-edge cookie cutter set | Linzer Christmas Cookie Cutter Set | Cooling Rack
- Almonds: I love using salted roasted almonds in this dough, and I recommend them for extraordinary flavor. If you only have raw and/or unsalted almonds, that’s fine, too. An extra pinch of salt in the dough is great if you’re using unsalted almonds.
- Cherry Filling: For the cookies pictured here, I used the Bonne Maman brand of cherry preserves, and gave it a few pulses in the food processor to smooth out some of the chunks. You can really use any preserves/jam in these cookies such as raspberry, apricot, or strawberry. If what you’re using is particularly chunky, pulse a few times in a food processor to smooth out. Lemon curd is also delicious in linzer cookies!
- If You Don’t Have a Small Cookie Cutter for Center: If you don’t have any small (1-inch) cookie cutters for the center, don’t worry! Try using the end of a straw to make a small round hole in the center, or use a small paring knife to carve a few tiny holes (which would look like red ornaments on tree-shaped cookies!).
- Can I Skip the Icing? Yes, absolutely. Instead of icing the top cookies in steps 10 and 11, dust the cooled top cookies with 2 Tablespoons (16g) of sifted confectioners’ sugar.
I love this recipe
This is the second recipe of yours I have made in about a week. The first was the cherry shortbread ball cookies. Both recipes required at least double the time in the oven. Also I don’t understand the 2 inches between the cookies on the cookie sheet! 2 inches, really? They don’t spread. I put mine about a 1/2 inch apart.
We love these cookies!!!! They came out perfect…..only thing I had to do is my preserves were a little loose and added some clear jel from King Arthur….these cookies are OUTSTANDING…Made a double batch…and now measuring for another double batch….(I did not double the recipe made two separate batches)
Hi! I want to try out these cookies for Christmas but i wanted to make them with lemon, as i have family members with nut allergies. I see that you mentioned in your notes that lemon curd could be used. How would I adjust the recipe to incorporate that?
I love every recipe i’ve ever found on this site, so thank you for helping me be a better baker!
Hi Asha! You can use lemon curd in the place of jam for filling. You can use plain sugar cookies instead of this almond version for a nut-free dessert.
I just made these. The dough was a bit finicky at first, but eventually found a method that worked when placing them on the cookie sheet. (Kept the mini cutter in the dough when transplanting onto cookie sheet.) They are delicious! Half my family doesn’t like jam (crazy kids, I know) so, I followed the recipe for half with sour cherry preserves & icing, and then used your salted caramel sauce for the other half and drizzled chocolate over them. A mash up of your Hazelnut Caramel Linzers and your Striped Fudge Cookie Sandwiches. SO GOOD! Thank you and happy holidays!
Meant to apply 5 stars to my comment!
These turned out perfect! Can’t wait to share at my cookie exchange. Thanks for the recipe!
Just made these a few days ago. They are delicious and beautiful! I used a star cookie cutter.
Thank you so much for all your hard work experimenting with recipes. I know when I make one of your recipes, they are going to turn out great from all your hard work! They look like a professional baked them on my cookie tray.
I am a big fan of your recipes. These almond linzers are great. The first time I made them, I thought the dough would make great cut out cookies. I was not a big fan of dipping the cookies, so I painted the icing on my second batch. They came out great. Less sugar and less mess.
Thank you for all the inspiration.
Dear Sally & your team,
I have been a baker literally my entire life. My mom was a pastry chef and had me carving out sugar bells for wedding cakes from age 5. I decided to go into a different profession after my stint at The Cordon Bleu in Paris and returning home only to be hired at a restaurant and made mostly White Chocolate Mousse for two years and I spent the next 35 years as a Kitchen Designer and loved every minute of it. And just cooked for myself and my neighbors and hosted all holidays because it seems I’m the only one in the family that could serve 22 people all hot food at the same time. I just wanted to wish you and your team the happiest of holidays and as usual await your next creation and enjoy mashing-ups with all of your different parts from your recipes. You are the most creative Blogger Plus person on the internet and just want you to keep up the good work. Now that I am retired I have much more time to devote to making recipes that brighten the lives of me my family, and the neighbors. I wish you continued success and not a burnt cookie in your future. Happy Holidays
Thank you so much for your kind note, Peter—we’re so glad you enjoy the website and wish you a happy holiday season as well!
Can I freeze dough once cut with cookie cutter? Lay each piece in a zip lock bag
Hi Deb, you could, but it would take a lot of plastic bags and you’d be have to be really careful when placing them inside the bags. A better way would be to freeze the cut-out cookies first on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat, then after an hour or so transfer the frozen cookies to a zip-top bag or freezer-safe container. Read our best recommendations for how to freeze cookie dough here.
Would it work to make this recipe be made as thumbprints? Feelin lazy…
Hi Valerie, the dough may crack before and after chilling it when you shape it into a thumbprint. I’m afraid it may not work.
If I wanted to use almond flour instead of grinding up almonds, would it be 100 grams?
Hi Cheryl, we tested this recipe with almond flour and the results were disappointing in comparison to the version with whole almonds. If you’d liek to try it, you’ll have to reduce the flour down to 2 and 1/3 cups (291g). And yes, add 100g of almond flour.
Wondering if you’ve tried making these with almond flour instead of regular flour? My mother in law is allergic to gluten and most gluten free flours. Thank you!
I have; not these exact cookies, but another linzer cookie recipe I have published. The recipe does not work. Here are some gluten free recipes you can browse instead.
I purchased cherry emulsion while in Amish country (Lancaster, PA) recently. Do you think I could use it in lieu of the vanilla to enhance the cherry taste in this recipe?
Absolutely! I can’t see why not.
If you don’t have salted almonds may I add salt, if so how much?
I go to your website so much I wish you had an app!!!
Hi Diana, An extra pinch of salt in the dough is great if you’re using unsalted almonds. So glad to hear you enjoy our recipes!
Any suggestions on substitutes for almonds if someone has an allergy? Or should I just try another type of cookie?
Hi EJ, here are our raspberry pistachio linzer cookies, caramel hazelnut linzer cookies, or chocolate gingerbread sandwich cookies instead. You could use any of those recipes with this shape and icing. Hope they’re a hit!
Curious if you can use one of your sauces (blueberry, strawberry, etc.) you keep on hand, perhaps thickened, as the filling. Not sure you had a cherry sauce but prefer making it myself as a fan of sweet/sour cherries. I suppose the preserves you mention are great assuming not too sweet or have added sugar.
Best, Eric.
Hi Eric, I’m sure you could use one of the sauces/dessert toppings on my site and perhaps reduce it down even more. When first testing this recipe, I was going with cranberry sauce. I halved the recipe, and pulsed it in the food processor a few times to break down the cranberries. It was good, but the team & I really preferred the cherry preserves. The cookies themselves aren’t incredibly sweet; compared to other cookies with this much butter and flour, there’s isn’t too much sugar.
These look amazing! I assume 2/3c almonds is prior to processing them. If I was to use store bought grounded almonds, do you know the measurement needed? Thanks!
I don’t know the exact cup measurement; close to 2/3 cup. But the weight would be the same.
These are beautiful!! How would they do being shipped?
Hi Debbie, the icing will likely get a little messy during shipping. I’m sure they will be fine with a pretty quick shipping method, though.
These are beautiful! I love Linzer cookies and would love to make these for my family. My granddaughter has Celiac disease. Do you think these would make up nicely with gluten free flour?
Hi Cathy, I haven’t tested it, but you can certainly try it. Let me know how they turn out. If you’re interested, here’s my section filled with gluten free recipes.
Thank you so much! I will check out these recipes!