These Linzer raspberry cookies are made with almond flour to create a soft, chewy texture. Each cookie sandwich is filled with a tart raspberry jam, to capture the bright essence of Austrian Linzer torte.
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Traditional Linzer cookies are named after Linzer torte, which is a delicious Austrian cake made with an almond crust, raspberry filling, and lattice top. This decadent torte is named after the Austrian city of Linz.
These Linzer raspberry cookies take all their inspiration from traditional Linzer torte. The dough is made with almond flour so the cookies have a mildly nutty flavor and chewy texture. And raspberry jam is just like the torte's fruity raspberry filling. Finally a little cut-out on the top cookie mimics the fancy lattice top of the torte.
The recipe for these raspberry Linzer cookies were inspired by my other European jam cookies including Swiss Spitzbuben and German jam thumbprint cookies. Got extra jam? Put it in cookies!
Growing up in Germany, we’d often enjoy these Austrian cookies. As a kid, I loved the fruity jam center and the buttery, delicate cookies. We’d sometimes get the packaged version from IKEA, but homemade Linzer raspberry cookies are far better!
Ingredients and Notes
- Unsalted butter - Allow the butter to soften to room temperature so it can be beaten to add air to the dough.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the cookies and helps whip air into the butter creating light & tender cookies. I don't recommend using brown sugar, which will darken the color of the cookies.
- Egg - Binds the ingredients together and helps the cookies rise just a little in the oven, since there are no other leavening agents.
- Almond extract - Enhances the almond flavor in the cookies; you can also use vanilla extract.
- Salt - I recommend using non-iodized table salt or fine sea salt (not kosher salt) for the best flavor and texture.
- All purpose flour - Provides the base structure for soft and light cookies.
- Almond flour - You can also use finely ground almonds or hazelnuts, or almond meal. Note that almond meal is a little heavier and denser than almond flour.
- Raspberry jam - Adds a pop of red color and fruity flavor. You can substitute any flavor of fruit jam.
- Powdered sugar - Dusted on top of the cookies to add sweetness and a fancy look. I recommend sifting the powdered sugar on top, so it's not clumpy.
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Beat the softened butter until it’s light and fluffy, after about 1 minute.
2. Add the sugar and beat until it’s fluffy, after about 1 minute.
3. Add the egg and almond extract, and beat on low speed.
5. Separate the dough in half and form them into discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge.
7. Use a cookie cutter to cut circles and place them on a baking sheet.
9. Bake the cookies at 350°F, for 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with the second batch, rolling, cutting chilling & baking.
4. Mix in the salt, all purpose flour, and almond flour.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough discs to about ⅛ inch thickness.
8. Chill the cookies for about 20 minutes, to ensure the butter is cold.
10. Let the cookies cool. Dust the ones with cut-outs with powdered sugar, and sandwich them with jam in between.
Pro Tip: The cookies might stick to your counter once you roll them and cut out the shapes. Use a thin spatula or bench scraper to scrape them off the counter and onto your baking sheet.
Recipe Tips
- Cool Down: If your house is really warm, stick a baking sheet in the freezer. Roll your dough and cut out your cookies on the frozen baking sheet to prevent the butter from melting.
- Warm Up: Let the dough sit out for 15 minutes at room temperature if it’s too cold and hard to roll out.
- Jam Filling: Don’t add too much jam filling. About one heaping tablespoon is good. Otherwise when you take a bite, the jam will ooze out from the sides.
- Size: Most Linzer cookies use a 2-inch round cookie cutter, but you can make them any size or shape you like!
Variations
- Instead of raspberry jam, you can use other flavors like strawberry jam, lingonberry jam, lemon curd, or apricot preserves.
- If you don’t have a round cookie cutter for the cookies, use the rim of a drinking glass to cut out the circles in the dough.
- You don’t have to cut out a little “window” from the top cookie, but it is the traditional appearance of Linzer cookies.
- If you don’t have a tiny cookie cutter for the top cookie cut-out, you can use the wide end of a piping nozzle, or a paring knife to cut out the mini circles.
- You can substitute the almond flour with hazelnut flour for a slightly different nutty flavor.
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store assembled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze Dough: Store the plastic-wrapped dough discs in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the dough to thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely and store them in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature, then add the raspberry filling and assemble.
- Storage Tip: To prevent the powdered sugar topping from getting messed up, place a piece of parchment paper in between each layer of stacked cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they called Linzer cookies?
Raspberry Linzer cookies are made to look and taste similar to a fancy Austrian Linzer torte, which originated in the city of Linz.
What is a torte?
A torte is basically a really fancy layered cake made with thin layers of whipped cream, buttercream, chocolate, mousse, jam, or sliced fruit.
Related Recipes
Are you looking for more tasty cookie recipes like this? Try these:
Linzer Raspberry Cookies
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla extract)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour (or finely ground almonds or hazelnuts)
- ½ cup raspberry jam
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, use an hand mixer to beat the softened butter until it’s light and fluffy, after about 1 minute.
- Add the granulated sugar and beat again until it’s fluffy and pale yellow, after about 1 minute.
- Add the egg and almond extract and beat again for 1 minute until it’s combined.
- Add the salt, all purpose flour, and almond flour and mix on low speed until it forms a crumbly dough.
- Separate the dough in half and form them into discs. Wrap each individually in plastic cling wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Working in two batches to bake the cookies, take one dough disc out of the fridge, and unwrap it from the plastic wrap. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ⅛ inch thickness.
- Use a round cookie cutter to cut circles. Use a smaller circle cookie cutter, a paring knife, or the wide end of a piping nozzle to cut out a small circle in the center of half of the circles of dough. Scrape the cookies off your counter with a spatula and place them on the prepared baking sheet spread out at least ½ inch apart.
- Chill the cookies for about 20 minutes, to ensure the butter is cold and firm before they go in the oven.
- Bake the cookies just until the edges turn golden, for about 8 to 10 minutes.You can bake the cut-out pieces too, for about 4 to 6 minutes. While the first batch of cookies bakes, roll out and cut circles of the other disc of dough and chill them. Bake them once the first batch of cookies comes out of the oven.Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Dust the cookies with the centers cut out with powdered sugar.Spread about one tablespoon of raspberry jam on each of the cookies without the center cut out. Gently press the powdered sugar-covered cookies with the center cut out on top of the jam to form cookie sandwiches. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Cool Down: If your house is really warm, stick a baking sheet in the freezer. Roll your dough and cut out your cookies on the frozen baking sheet to prevent the butter from melting.
- Warm Up: If the dough is too cold and hard to roll out, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to soften.
- Shaping Cookies: The cookies might stick to your counter once you roll them and cut out the shapes. Use a thin spatula or bench scraper to scrape them off the counter and onto your baking sheet.
- Storing: To prevent the powdered sugar topping from getting messed up, place a piece of parchment paper in between each layer of stacked cookies.
- Jam Filling: Don’t add too much jam filling, just about a heaping tablespoon spread out is good. Otherwise when you take a bit, the jam will ooze out of the sides.
Shanon
I remember having these in Germany, this recipe is just as good!
Carissa Erzen
Thank you! These are one of my faves! 🙂