Learn how to make these popular German almond horn cookies called Mandelhörnchen with just 6 simple ingredients! Roll them in sliced almonds and dip them in dark chocolate for the ultimate coffee break treat.
These German almond horns cookies (called Mandelhörnchen) are also known as almond crescent cookies, since they're shaped in a curve that doesn't quite make a full circle. It's reminiscent of a crescent moon or the horns of an animal like a bull.
These popular German pastries are quite sweet, so the ends are usually dipped in bittersweet chocolate. This adds a rich, bitter contrast to the sweet cookie flavor.
Overall these almond crescents are light, sweet, and delicate, but they pack a punch of hearty almond flavor.
Enjoy these delicate, chewy treats for breakfast, a snack, or dessert along with a mug of tea, coffee, or chai. Plus these cookies are naturally gluten free, since they're made with almond flour!
Growing up in Germany, I usually went for simple pastries when we would visit the Konditorei (confectionary) like waffles.
But now that I'm adult and my palate has broadened, these delicate almond horn cookies are one of my favorites!
And if you're looking for heartier German sweets, try Pfeffernüsse cookies or Lebkuchen.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Almond paste - Provides a firm texture in the cookies along with a strong almond taste. Almond paste has a coarser texture and is less sweet compared to marzipan.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the cookies. Don't substitute brown sugar, which will add too much moisture to this already sticky dough.
- Salt - I recommend using table salt or fine sea salt. Kosher salt grains are too big for these delicate cookies.
- Ground almonds or almond meal - You can also substitute almond flour, which has a finer texture. Almond meal provides a heartier texture, common in German baking.
- Egg whites - Provide essential structure to the Mandelhörnchen, along with the necessary moisture to form a dough that sticks together.
- Almond extract - Adds another layer of almond flavor. You can substitute vanilla extract which will still help enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Sliced almonds - This optional topping adds a delicious crunchy texture on the outside of the cookies. And the almonds get toasted in the oven, adding yet another layer of almond flavor.
- Bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate - Both of these types of chocolate add a rich, slightly bitter flavor, that helps balance these sweet cookies. Bittersweet chocolate contains less sugar than dark chocolate and is therefore more bitter.
How to Make Almond Crescent Cookies
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the almond paste, sugar, salt, and ground almonds to form a crumbly mixture.
3. Take a few tablespoons of the dough and roll it between your hands or on a clean work surface into a log about 4 inches long.
5. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes at 350°F, until the cookies are dry on the top and golden on the bottom.
2. Add the egg whites and almond extract to the mixing bowl, and mix until it forms a smooth, wet, sticky dough.
4. Roll the dough log in sliced almonds. Place it on the baking sheet, and bring the two edges together to form a crescent shape.
6. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and dip the ends of each cookie in the chocolate.
Recipe Tips
- If your almond paste is really hard or dry, you can shred it with a cheese grater or pulse it into fine crumbs in a food processor before mixing it with the other ingredients.
- You can use an electric hand whisk to mix the dry ingredients of the cookie dough, but I usually mix it with my hands. The almond paste I get is usually too dry for a mixer to break it up easily, so I break up the almond paste by squeezing it between my fingers until the mixture forms crumbs.
- Because the dough is so sticky, it helps to wet your hands with cold water when shaping and handling the dough. This prevents the dough from sticking to your hands as you roll and shape it. Keep a small dish of water nearby to wet your fingers as needed.
Storing
Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
I don't recommend storing them in the fridge, since they could absorb moisture and lose their crispy exterior texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
While the two contain really similar ingredients, they are different and should not be used interchangeably. Marzipan contains more sugar, which will affect the texture and flavor of the cookies. They'll be too sweet and too firm.
If you can't find almond paste in the store, you can always make almond paste at home with just a few simple ingredients!
You don't need to toast the sliced almonds, since they get toasted in the oven, deepening their nutty flavor. If you toast them beforehand, they might burn when they go back in the oven on the cookies.
The dough for these almond horn cookies is really sticky and wet, kind of similar to macarons. If the dough is sticking to your hands, rinse off the dough and lightly wet your hands with cold water. This will help prevent the dough from sticking too much as you shape the cookies.
Some recipes for German Mandelhörnchen use powdered sugar. But this recipe uses granulated sugar to develop a slightly crispy exterior and a deliciously chewy interior.
The melted chocolate is optional (but highly recommended). Bittersweet and dark chocolate are both relatively bitter, adding a nice contrast to these sweet, nutty cookies. Milk or white chocolate would be too sweet and overwhelming.
More German Baking Recipes
- Zwiebelkuchen mit Äpfeln (German Onion Tart)
- German Spiced Cookies (Pfeffernüsse)
- German Gingerbread Cookies (Lebkuchen)
- German Marble Cake (Marmorkuchen)
German Almond Crescent Cookies (Mandelhörnchen)
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup almond paste (about 8 ounces)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table salt or fine sea salt
- ½ cup ground almonds or almond meal (or almond flour)
- 2 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (can substitute vanilla extract)
Topping
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sliced almonds in a bowl, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the almond paste, sugar, salt, and ground almonds. Mix it with your hands, breaking up the almond paste by squeezing it between your fingers until the mixture forms fine crumbs. (You can also use an electric hand whisk for this, but the almond paste I get is usually too dry for the mixer to break it up easily.)
- Add the egg whites and almond extract to the mixing bowl, and mix with a wooden spoon or an electric hand whisk until it forms a smooth, wet, sticky dough.
- Take a few tablespoons of the dough and roll it between your hands or on a clean work surface into a log about 4 inches long. (Because the dough is so sticky, it helps to wet your hands with cold water when shaping and handling the dough. This prevents the dough from sticking to your hands as you roll and shape it.)
- Roll the dough log in the bowl sliced almonds to coat it.
- Place the almond-coated dough log on the prepared baking sheet, and bring the two edges closer together to form a crescent shape.
- Continue with the remaining dough to shape it, roll it, then bend it into a crescent. Place the cookies at least 1 inch apart on your baking sheet, since they'll spread a little bit in the oven.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are dry on the top and golden on the bottom.The cookies will still be soft when they’re done baking. Gently transfer the cookies to a cooling rack with a spatula to cool and become firm, for about 20 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on 30 second intervals, stirring after each time.
- Dip the ends or half the crescent cookies in the melted chocolate, then return the cookies to the parchment paper-lined baking sheet to allow the chocolate to cool and harden, for at least 1 hour. Enjoy!!
Notes
- If your almond paste is really hard and/or dry, you can shred it with a cheese grater or pulse it into fine crumbs in a food processor before mixing it with the other ingredients.
- You can use an electric hand whisk to mix the dry ingredients of the cookie dough, but I usually mix it with my hands. The almond paste I get is usually too dry for a mixer to break it up easily, so I break up the almond paste by squeezing it between my fingers until the mixture forms crumbs.
- Because the dough is so sticky, it helps to wet your hands with cold water when shaping and handling the dough. This prevents the dough from sticking to your hands as you roll and shape it. Keep a small dish of water nearby to wet your fingers as needed.
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