These classic linzer cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies! They're lightly dusted with powdered sugar and filled with your favorite fruit jam!
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What are Linzer Cookies?
Linzer cookies are the cookie version of the Austrian dessert, linzertorte. The tart has a crust made from flour and ground almonds and is filled with fruit preserves and a lattice crust. Linzer cookies are a fun sandwich cookie which have a similar almond flour dough and are filled with jam.
Traditionally linzer cookies are made with a combination of flour and ground almonds, which helps give them their light, crumbly texture. You can toast and grind the almonds yourself if you prefer, but I always have a huge bag of almond flour on hand for baking!
You can use any jam that you have on hand to fill linzer cookies. Raspberry, current, and chocolate hazelnut are all popular choices! Linzer cookies are also a perfect way to use up a Bonne Maman Jam sampler!
You might also like these snowflake cranberry linzer cookies or these heart shaped raspberry linzer cookies!
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few simple ingredients (and your favorite jam) to make these classic linzer cookies!
Almond Flour - I like substituting a portion of the all purpose flour with almond flour in all my cookies! It yields a more tender cookie with just that slight almond flavor.
Cinnamon - This is optional, but I like to add a little cinnamon to flavor the cookie dough!
Jam - You can use any flavor of jam to fill the linzer cookies! They're also the perfect way to use up a Bonne Maman Jam sampler! You can also fill linzer cookies with caramel sauce or Nutella!
Linzer Cookie Cutters - You can use whatever cookie cutters you prefer, but I like to use these classic linzer cookie cutters where you can swap out the inside shape! There's also variations with Christmas shapes or other fun themes!
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Classic Linzer Cookies
Add the softened butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.
Add in the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until just combined.
Press the dough into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours minimum but up to 24 hours).
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ¼ inch thick and use your linzer cookie cutter to stamp out the cookies. Re-roll and cutout the scraps, making sure to have an even number of tops and bottoms for the cookies.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for a minimum of 20 minutes (or the fridge for 40 minutes) before baking to allow the cookies to firm back up. This ensures the cookies won't spread during baking.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are set. Bake on the middle rack of the oven and rotate the pan halfway through baking for the best results.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then remove and let them finish cooling on a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before assembling.
Once the cookies are cool, dust the tops of the linzer cookies with powdered sugar.
Then spread the bottom cookies with about 1 teaspoon of your favorite jam and top with the powdered sugar half.
Linzer cookies are best eaten the same day!
Tips for Perfect Cookies
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, crumbly cookies that don't spread.
Make sure your oven is the proper temperature! Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is exactly 350°F. If the oven is too cold, the cookies will spread too much and if it's too hot they centers won't bake all the way through. For example, my oven is about 20 degrees off. So I have to set the oven to 370°F in order to get it to bake at 350°F.
Use a lightweight, light colored baking sheet for best results! Believe it or not, a lighter pan makes the cookies bake more slowly than a dark pan, which helps keep them from spreading too much. My favorite pans for baking cookies are:
You also want to use either parchment paper or silicone mats on your cookie sheet to help keep the cookies from spreading.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, on the center rack. This will ensure all your cookies cook evenly and the bottoms don't burn. Then let the cookie sheet cool completely between batches. This ensures the cookies cook evenly and don't spread too much by being put on a hot pan.
Always under-bake the cookies! If you slightly under-bake the cookies (so the centers are still soft when you remove them from the oven), they'll stay soft and chewy for days!
Do the cookie scoot! In order to get perfectly round cookies, use a large cookie cutter to gently scoot them around as soon as they come out of the oven!
Recipe FAQ's
The cookies themselves will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to up to a week. However, once they've been filled with jam and dusted with powdered sugar, the cookies will begin to soften and are best eaten within a day or two.
Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrate a bit and ensures the butter is super cold. This keeps your linzer cookies from spreading too much and ensures they'll hold their shape.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Cookie Recipes You Might Like!
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Recipe Card
Classic Linzer Cookies
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Linzer Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Filling & Topping
- 1 cup fruit jam
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Add the softened butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
- Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add in the flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until just combined.
- Press the dough into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours minimum but up to 24 hours).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ¼ inch thick and use your linzer cookie cutter to stamp out the cookies. Re-roll and cutout the scraps, making sure to have an even number of tops and bottoms for the cookies.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for a minimum of 20 minutes (or the fridge for 40 minutes) before baking to allow the cookies to firm back up. This ensures the cookies won't spread during baking.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are set. Bake on the middle rack of the oven and rotate the pan halfway through baking for the best results.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then remove and let them finish cooling on a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before assembling.
- Once the cookies are cool, dust the tops of the linzer cookies with powdered sugar.
- Then spread the bottom cookies with about 1 teaspoon of your favorite jam and top with the powdered sugar half.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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