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Almond Butter Sticks are a melt-in-your-mouth delicious and tender cookie made with a cream cheese dough and an almond extract sugar filling.
Sometimes I make these around the holidays and each time I do, I wonder why they aren’t on our dessert tray every Christmas. It may not be the first cookie the kids grab but that’s because they don’t know any better – and we should keep it that way.
The tender cream cheese dough is a dream to work with.
Roll into a 12″ x 12″ square, spread with softened butter and cut it in half.
Mix granulated sugar with almond extract then spread on half the buttered dough.
Seal the two pieces together and brush with a lightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and a teaspoon of coarse sugar.
Cool before cutting these almond butter sticks, then store in an airtight container.
That is “if” you have any left. The recipe makes about 24-28 cookies you won’t have to worry about storing them for long.
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Almond Butter Sticks
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (170g)
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (196g)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon (divided) (113g plus 15g)
- 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature (170g)
- 1 egg separated (white reserved for glazing)
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds (32g or 1 ⅛ oz)
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and almond extract; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
- In a large mixing bowl combine 8 tablespoons (½ cup) butter and cream cheese. Beat on low until blended. Add the egg yolk and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend again. Add half the flour mixture and beat on low until combined scraping the sides as needed. Add the remaining flour and blend just until the dough starts to come together.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Knead by hand about 25 strokes until the dough is pliable. Roll or press into a 12x12-inch square. Spread with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Cut the dough in half and place one half on the prepared cookie sheet, butter side up.
- Spoon the sugar mixture to within ½-inch of the dough edges all the way around. Place the remaining dough half, butter side down, over the sugar. Press the edges tightly to seal.
- Brush the dough with a lightly beaten egg white. Sprinkle with almonds and coarse sugar.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. It's best removed from the oven when you think it needs one or two more minutes.
- Cool at least 30 minutes.
- Cut the pastry in half lengthwise and then into ½-inch by 2 ½-inch strips crosswise.
- Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
- Slightly adapted from a recipe by Pillsbury
Nutrition
Here are a few more recipes you might also enjoy:
I absolutely love these Scandinavian Almond Bars from The View from Great Island. I’ve had them and they really are fantastic. If you love almond extract and almond flavoring as much as I do, I bet you’ll love these gluten-free Italian Almond Cookies from Barefeet in the Kitchen. I’m also drooling over these pretty Chocolate Dipped Almond Cookies from Foodiecrush. And don’t miss my most popular cookie recipe ever, for Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints. All wonderful holiday cookies!
MaryC763
These almond bars were amazing and yes, a big hit, at our Christmas get together. I just added a little extract almond paste on top of one half (on top of the sugar), to give it a little more almond flavor. I also added a little vanilla extract and almond extract to the dough as well. Obviously, I can never have enough almond flavor, LOL. Thank you for sharing the recipe!!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Mary C! I personally adore these cookies and love your additions / changes. Thank you for taking the time to comment, too. Bravo! Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Vivian
I wonder if you could use Almond flour instead of AP flour? We try to be gluten free
Tricia Buice
Hi Vivian. I have not tested these cookies using almond flour so I can say. If you want to give them a try, I would do part almond flour and part gluten free baking flour mixed. I fear all almond flour would be too moist for these cookies which are pretty tender. Good luck! Let us know how they turn out for you.
Cathy Euzenas
I made these last night, didn’t realize I didn’t have almond extract, so used orange extract and some orange zest in the sugar mixture…OMG so GOOD! Not a crumb left on the plate, can’t wait to try it with almond extract.
Tricia Buice
Oh wow thank you Cathy! I love that you used orange zest. That’s an absolutely brilliant adjustment. Good for you and thanks for letting us know. I can’t wait to hear how much you LOVE the almond flavor, too. Yum!
Leslie
How much zest?
Tricia Hinaman
These cookies are delicious!!! Dough was very easy to work with, will definitely be making more!! Also made the fig cookies, they also were easy to do.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Tricia! So glad you tried these almond butter sticks. They are so tasty and the fig cookies, too. Thanks for taking the time to comment! Have a wonderful holiday season.
Stacey Piland
Made these for my book club and they were a HUGE hit! Making them again this weekend for a bridal shower. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Tricia Buice
I LOVE these cookies. One of my all-time favorites for sure. Glad your group enjoyed them. Stay safe and happy holidays!
Denise
These are the bomb!! I have made these before! It has become my favorite and hubby said it’s his favorite too! It has it all! It’s crunchy soft sweet but not too sweet with awesome flavor!! It’s a keeper in my favorite book of recipes!!!
Tricia Buice
I LOVE these cookies, too Denise. So glad you enjoy them. The flavor is soooo good. Thanks for trying the recipe and for the feedback!
joany Klotzsche
Hi I made these today. They were a big hit. Easy and super delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Joany! These are truly one of my all-time favorite cookies. Such a treat! That cream cheese dough is a dream to work with 🙂
JILL HANSEN
Viewing your pictures, it looks as though you rolled the dough to about an 18 inch rectangle rather than a 12×12 square. Could you possibly have meant roll dough to 24″x12″ rectangle and then after cutting in half you’d have a 12×12 once placed on top of the other half. However, the finished product looks more rectangular than square. This sounds so delicious, but I’d appreciate clarification before I begin.
Thank you.
Tricia Buice
Hi Jill. The recipe is correct as written. In the video and photos, I rolled the dough into a 12×12-inch square. I cut the 12×12 in half and placed the now 6×12-inch half over the other 6×12-inch half. Once baked and cut in half you have two 3×12-inch sections which are cut into 1×3-inch cookies.
Julie
Simply amazing! I’ve made three batches this Christmas; they are a HUGE hit! I spread a very thin layer of raspberry jam on top of the butter for my third batch; it added a nice layer of additional flavor. This recipe is as keeper!?
Tricia Buice
Thank you Julie! These are so good and surprising unique. Have a Merry Christmas and happy baking!
Tracy Rowan
I used to make these cookies for Christmas every year, but lost the recipe decades ago. I’ve been looking for it online for the last ten years or so, and I am SO thrilled to see it here. Thank you!
Tricia Buice
Hi Tracy -so glad you found it! We adore these cookies. I’ve tweaked the recipe from the original but I think you’ll be thrilled with the results. Good luck and thanks!
Tracy Rowan
Hi Tricia! Could I trouble you for a copy of the original? I’m curious about your tweaks as well as what it was I was doing all those years ago. Happy Hols!
Tricia Buice
I don’t know where it is right now Tracy. It was part of a group of recipes with a common starter mix. Sorry!
Foodiewife
A few years ago, somebody brought a plate of these (at least, I think they are the same) to a potluck. I kept filching more and more– they were so addicting! I have been looking for that recipe for so long and am so glad that I finally found it! Thank YOU!
Tricia Buice
Thank you – hope it’s the right recipe, but if not, it’s a great one! Enjoy 🙂
sue | the view from great island
These look so dreamy and butter, love the new video, I just shared it!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Sue! These have been a favorite for decades 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Marcia
These are deserving of “high tea” and I sure tasted them the entire time I was reading the recipe. Because I’m Swedish, there’s coffee with an egg thrown in along with your almond cookie that warms my heart. My mom used a similar dough rolled out with almond paste and kept it in a whole piece (like a coffee cake.) I can’t wait to try these! Thank you.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Marcia – I can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you. I love these little bites of heaven 🙂
Maggie
Hi,
Is there anything that can be substituted for egg yolk?
Tricia Buice
Hi Maggie – I Have not tried anything else so I’m not able to say what might work. Maybe an egg substitute?
Sarah
These look fabulous. Does anyone know if the cookies freeze well? I think they would be okay to freeze, but I’ve never tried freezing cookies with almond paste before. I like to bake a little bit ahead for my holiday cookie trays since I don’t have time to bake everything at once!
Tricia Buice
Hi Sarah – I am not sure if they freeze but I think they would be fine. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out so I can share with our readers. Thanks so much! Great question 🙂
Foodiewife
Years ago, I went to a church function and there was a dessert buffet table. I grabbed a cookie that looked just like these. It was love at first sight. I’m a marzipan addict, and I kept filching more of those cookies. I wish I could have found the baker who brought them, because I would’ve begged for the recipe. I think I found it! It’s past Christmas, but that won’t stop me. Thank you!
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much! We love, love, love these cookies – and I love your blog!
Kate
I am new to your blog! It is lovely! I have enjoyed taking a tour; reading your stories and seeing your lovely photographs, recipes. Thank you for sharing. While I was going to NOT bake in the new year, I see that I must make an exception!!
Tricia Buice
So happy you stopped in for a visit Kate! Can’t wait to explore your blog too 🙂 If you are going to bake, this would be a great recipe to try – so very tasty! Happy New Year!
Muna Kenny
Hi Tricia,
I came back to tell you that these cookies are amazingly delicious and mind blowing! I made them and posted the recipe on my blog, of course I linked back to your post. I loved these cookies so much I wanted my readers to experience the same.
Thank you for posting and sharing this recipe 🙂
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Muna – I am thrilled you liked them – we love them too and can’t get enough of that almond flavor. Thanks again and please come back any time!
Susan
I just read that you are expecting another granddaughter! What great news! There is cause for lots of celebrating the new year for us both 🙂 Yours in pink and mine in blue!
Denise
These are amazing! I was wondering if you could use coconut or almond flour? I’d like to make them for a friend who’s gluten free!
Tricia Buice
I think it’s worth a try Denise – perhaps you can use the 1 to 1 gluten free flour. The almond flour sounds great, too. Let us know how it turns out for you if you give it a try.
Susan
Oh my, these look good and I thought I was done baking too 🙂 I think I may have everything I need! Merry Christmas, Tricia, to you and your family.
Susan
Just had to tell you I made these yesterday. SO GOOD!!! Thanks for the recipe, Tricia.
Tricia Buice
Yeah!!! Wooohoo! I love them and they are just not your typical cookie. That little crunch of almond flavored sugar is awesome!