Homemade Linzer Cookies are the cutest treats for the festive period! Delicate almond-flavored sugar cookies sandwiched with sweet raspberry jam filling, and dusted with powdered sugar.
Linzer cookies may be a classic holiday treat, but getting them just right takes more than a festive cookie cutter. I've drawn from my experience as a professional recipe developer to fine-tune this Linzer cookie recipe and solve some of the most common issues - like dough that spreads, cookies that turn out dry, or jam that makes the centers soggy. This version gives you crisp, buttery cookies with a hint of almond, a perfectly balanced jam filling, and clean, sharp edges every time.
These pretty sandwich cookies are inspired by the Austrian Linzer Torte, and they're also a bakery staple in Germany, where I was born. I grew up spotting them in shop windows during Christmas visits with family - so it was really important to me to create a version that stays true to tradition but still works beautifully for home bakers.
Whether you're baking for Christmas, Valentine's Day, or just because - this Linzer cookie recipe is simple, reliable, and gives you bakery-worthy cookies that taste as good as they look.
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Why You'll Love this Linzer Cookies Recipe
- Easy holiday baking recipe to make with the kids.
- Helpful tips to get the best possible Christmas cookies.
- Thoroughly tested to give the perfect tender texture and flavor balance.
Linzer Ingredients
These buttery cookies use simple ingredients, many of which you may already have.
- Flour - All-purpose flour will work best.
- Almond Flour - Also known as ground almonds - the nuts will add crumbly texture and delicate almond flavor to your Linzer cookies.
- Butter - Make sure you use unsalted butter that is room temperature.
- Sugar - Regular white sugar, known as granulated sugar in the UK.
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon will give the cookies a warm, cozy flavor.
- Vanilla - Extract or Vanilla pods will work great.
- Almond Extract - To enhance the almond flavor.
- Jam - Use a seedless jam (homemade jam or store-bought jam are both good). Raspberry jam is traditional for these cookies, but you can use any kind you like ( strawberry jam is also delicious. You can also make some homemade berry puree).
- Powdered sugar - For a beautiful dusting.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer - You can also use an electric hand mixer or just mix by hand.
- Cookie Sheets
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutters - I use a 2-inch round cutter with flute edges for the cookies, and a smaller heart-shaped cutter for the middle. You can use whatever shapes or sizes you'd like!
- Sieve - You'll need a fine mesh sieve for the dry ingredients, as well as for dusting your finished cookies.
How to Make Linzer Cookie Dough
Linzer Cookies are similar to the British classic biscuit - Jammie Dodgers, but use egg to add softness to the cookies, whilst the cinnamon and almond infuse a Christmassy flavor.
Cream Butter
In the bowl of a stand mixer
or a large bowl with a wooden spoon, beat together the room temperature butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Wet Ingredients
Add in the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat until fully incorporated.
Add Almonds
Sift the almond flour into the butter mixture to prevent any lumps. Mix together until a thick paste is formed.
Dry Ingredients
Through a sieve, add in the flour, cinnamon, and salt.
Combine just until the mixture forms into a dough, it's important not to over-mix at this step.
Knead
Once the dough has formed, transfer it onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to gently knead it into a smooth ball.
Wrap and Chill
Shape the cookie dough into a flat disc shape, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, or for a maximum of 2 days.
Measuring Ingredients: I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale, rather than using measuring cups. It's very difficult to measure accurately with cups and this can mess up your bakes.
Roll Out the Dough
Unwrap the chilled dough and roll it out on a floured work surface until it's about ⅛ inch thick.
If it feels too firm, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes to soften up.
Cut Cookies
Use a round cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can from your rolled dough.
My cookie cutter is 2-inches wide with fluted edges, which created 36 filled cookies, but you can use whatever shape or size you wish.
Cut-Out Hearts
Separate your cut-out cookies in two halves - these will be the bottoms and tops of the cookies - and place them onto prepared baking sheets.
It's a good idea to put the 'tops' and 'bottoms' on separate baking sheets, as the bake time for the cookies with cut-out hearts will be slightly shorter (P.S. I know the pictures show different - it was a learning curve!).
Using a smaller cookie cutter, cut out a heart shape from the middle of half of the cookies.
Chill
Place your cookies in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before they go in the oven - this will help them hold their shape and prevent any spreading.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350° / 180°C (160° fan-assisted).
Bake and Cool
Bake until the cookies are a lovely light golden brown color. This will take around 9 minutes for the 'tops' and 12 minutes for the 'bottoms'.
Take the cookies out of the oven, and let them sit on the tray for 5-10 minutes. Afterwards, transfer them over to a wire rack to cool.
How to Fill Linzer Cookies
These Linzer Cookies use a super simple design that is so effective for any dessert table. See the variations section for more cookie filling ideas.
Dust and Fill
Once the cookies have cooled, generously dust the top cookies with powdered sugar. It's best to do this before sandwiching them - otherwise, the sugar will hide those lovely jam-filled heart windows.
Next, spread a teaspoon of jam onto each of the 'bottom' cookies. Be careful not to use too much, otherwise it may spill out when you sandwich the cookies.
Assemble
Carefully place the dusted cookies on top of the jam cookies and press down gently, creating gorgeous sandwich cookies.
Troubleshooting
Here are some of the common mistakes I see people making with this recipe and how to avoid them:
- Sticky Dough - Dough with a sticky texture isn't great as it can be hard to work with. It usually occurs if your butter is a bit too warm; either when you first mix it in, or if the dough has been over-mixed with warm hands, evidently heating up the butter. This mishap can often be resolved by chilling your dough for longer, or by dusting some extra flour to your surface before kneading.
- Thick Jam - If you jam is a bit too thick to spread smoothly, pop it in the microwave for 5 seconds and stir to create a spreadable texture.
- Soggy Cookies - The last thing you want is a soggy bottom - Bake Off lovers know the drill! This may happen if your jam is too runny, or if you haven't let the cookies cool completely before decorating. Try using a thicker jam, or strain out any excess liquid before filling.
Variations
The best way to change up classic Linzer cookies is by swapping out one yummy filling for another yummy filling. Here are some filling ideas for your next cookie creations:
- Marshmallow - Someone needs to try this! What better way to make those heart cut-outs pop? Have a look at the marshmallow I use in my S'mores Brownies if you want to give this a go.
- Chocolate - Chocolate is always a good idea...Swap your jam filling for a silky chocolate ganache or Nutella, or dip the classic Linzer cookie in melted chocolate, just like these Pistachio Shortbread Cookies.
- Pumpkin - The perfect Thanksgiving alternative! Try out my sweet Pumpkin Curd recipe.
- Lemon - Fill your Linzer cookies with zesty lemon curd for a fresh alternative.
- Peanut Butter - PB and Jelly cookie sandwich? Yes please. Spread some good-quality peanut butter onto your 'bottom' cookies before topping them with jam for the ultimate combo.
- Strawberry - A slight alternative to the classic raspberry flavored filling. My Strawberry Puree recipe is the perfect way to try this version.
- Pistachio - If there's one thing to know about me, it's that I LOVE pistachio desserts. Spread some delicious pistachio cream in your Linzer cookies.
- Maple - My Maple Butter is a sweet, creamy substitute that never misses! I think it would pair so beautifully with the almond flavors of this classic sandwich cookie.
Storage
Store your Linzer Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. You can line the bottom of the container with paper towels to help prevent the cookies from getting soggy. They will be good like this for 3 days.
Linzer cookies are best assembled on the day you plan to eat them, as they may start to go a little soft once filled. You can store the unfilled cookies in an airtight container and decorate and assemble them on the day you plan to serve.
Linzer Cookies FAQs
If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered here, feel free to write it in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Traditionally, linzer cookies use a seedless raspberry jam, this contrasts really nicely with the almond flavor in the cookie dough. They also work really well with strawberry jam or homemade berry puree.
Linzer Cookies are little round sandwich cookies filled with a sweet layer of raspberry jam, and dusted with powdered sugar. They are characterized by their almond flavor and love-heart cut-out design - making them perfect treats for the festive period.
Linzer cookies originate from Austria, specifically from a city called Linz - explaining where their name comes from. They are mini, cookie versions of a Linzer Torte, which is one of the oldest desserts ever, dating back to the 1600s!
Yes! Linzer cookies are great for freezing. Just be sure to free the cookies separately before sandwiching with jam to prevent them from going soggy.
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Recipe
Linzer Torte Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks Unsalted Butter 227g (room temperature)
- ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar 130g
- 1 Large Egg (room temperature)
- 1 Large Egg Yolk (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 cup Almond Flour 90g
- 2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour 220g
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ cup Raspberry Jam
- Powdered Sugar for dusting
Equipment
- 1 Round Cookie Cutter 2-inches
- 1 Small Heart Cookie Cutter
- Cookie Sheets
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or just do this by hand with a wooden spoon.2 sticks (227 g) Unsalted Butter, ⅔ cup (130 g) Granulated Sugar
- Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until combined.1 Large Egg, 1 Large Egg Yolk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Almond Extract
- Pass the almond flour through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl and mix it in to form a thick paste.1 cup (90 g) Almond Flour
- Sift in the flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix just until combined into a soft dough - be careful not to overmix.2 ¼ cups (220 g) All-Purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon (½ tsp) Salt, ¼ teaspoon (¼ tsp) Ground Cinnamon
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently until a smooth ball forms. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
- Unwrap the dough and roll it out until it is about ⅛ inch thick. If it's too hard to work with, let it sit on the counter to warm up for a few minutes first.
- Use a round cookie cutter (with or without fluted edges) to cut out rounds. I used a 2-inch cookie cutter, which made about 36 cookies - but you can use any size (or shape) you like.
- Transfer the cookie rounds to two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cut a heart shape out of the middle of half of the cookies. Tip: Keep the 'tops' and 'bottoms' on two different cookie sheets as they bake faster with the middle cut out.
- Put the cut out cookies in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes before baking - this will help them to hold their shape. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan-assisted).
- Bake until lightly golden brown, this will take roughly 12 minutes for the bottoms and 9 minutes for the tops. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the tray for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
- Once cooled, dust the top cookies (the ones with the hearts cut out) generously with powdered sugar - it's better to do this before assembling so you don't get any powdered sugar on the jam heart windows.Powdered Sugar
- Spoon about a teaspoon of jam onto each of the bottom cookies and spread it out evenly. Don't overfill them or the jam may ooze out of the sides.½ cup (170 g) Raspberry Jam
- Place the top cookies on top of the bottom cookies and press down gently.
Chris Radwanski
Like a Jammie dodger but so much better. I LOVE these!
Jules Grasekamp
Nothing says 'Christmas time' like a plate of Linzer cookies on the counter! I hope you all love this recipe as much as my family does!