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Old World Linzer Cookies with Jam
Try these lovely little butter cookies for the holidays!
Linzer Cookies are made with toasted almonds, a hint of cinnamon and lightly sweetened with jam. They’re the perfect holiday treat!
I love the idea of making a cookie recipe that’s been around for hundreds of years. According to what I’ve read, Linzer Cookies were originally based on the “Linzertorte one of the oldest known tarts with a recipe discovered in an Austrian abbey around 1653.”
While I haven’t been baking Linzer Cookies for that long, I have enjoyed making these delicious and festive sandwich cookies for decades!
Fill Linzer Cookies with your favorite jam.
Raspberry jam is a very popular filling for Linzer cookies, but we also enjoy apricot too. It’s fun to mix it up with a variety of flavors, and colors, all in the same batch.
You can use seedless or seeded raspberry jam in this recipe, it’s all good. The slight hint of cinnamon in the cookie dough and the fruity, sweet jam is a wonderful combination! To change it up, try smearing on a layer of hazelnut spread like Nutella.
What can use another nut in place of toasted almonds for Linzer Cookies?
Our favorite Linzer cookie is made with toasted, finely ground sliced almonds. You can substitute almond flour, or almond meal, for the toasted almonds if preferred.
However, if using almond meal you’ll lose that toasted goodness that adds a nice depth of flavor. Feel free to substitute hazelnut flour or pecan meal for the almonds too, it’s all good!
Can you freeze Linzer Cookies?
Can you use different shaped cookie cutters for Linzer Cookies?
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Old World Linzer Cookies
Equipment
- 2 ½-inch round fluted cookie cutter, and a ¾-inch round fluted cookie cutter
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups sliced almonds toasted * (3 ¾-ounces or 105g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (112g)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (102g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (290g)
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (8-ounces or 226g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg plus one egg yolk
- 1 cup raspberry jam or apricot jam
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
To toast the almonds:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the sliced almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Cool before processing.
To prepare the cookie dough:
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the almonds and granulated sugar. Process until the nuts are finely chopped and almost ground.
- Add the powdered sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and flour. Pulse a few times to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Blend until combined. Add the flour and almond mixture. Beat on low until the dough starts to come together and all ingredients are incorporated.
- Divide the dough in half and form each into a disc. Seal tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight. If chilled overnight, allow the cookie dough to soften at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.
To bake the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out on a heavily floured work surface to ⅙ or ⅛-inch thick. Cut the dough into rounds using a floured 2 ½-inch cookie cutter. Using a floured ¾-inch cutter, cut a hole in the center of half the cookies.
- Transfer the cookies to the parchment lined baking sheet, about 1-inch apart. Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cookies. The cookies brown quickly so watch them carefully. They are best when slightly underbaked and just set, not browned. Transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack, and cool completely before filling.
- Gather the scraps of dough and refrigerate while rolling out the remaining disc. Repeat by rolling out the dough, cutting into rounds and baking.
To fill the cookies:
- Spread jam on the bottom of the solid cookies. Lightly sift powdered sugar over the tops of the cookies with the cutout centers. Place the cutout cookie on top of each jam topped cookie bottom creating a sandwich. Refrigerate until ready to serve, to set the jam.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or seal and freeze.
Recipe Notes
- Freeze plain cookies. Fill with jam and dust with powdered sugar after they are thawed.
- Adapted from a recipe in Holiday Cookies, by Elisabet der Nederlanden
- This recipe makes 36 to 42 cookies depending on the size of the cookie cutter
Nutrition
Fluted Cookie Cutters
For these Linzer Cookies, I use my set of 6 stainless steel fluted, double sided cookie cutters with a plain edge perfect for biscuits. Click on the photo for more information or to purchase from Amazon.
Saving Room for Dessert is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program ~ I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, which I use to pay for web hosting and services for this blog.
Here are a few more recipes you might also enjoy:
Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Oatmeal Jammys
Almond Tea Cakes with Wild Blueberry Jam
Originally published November 2012, updated December 2019
Paola
The recipe looks delicious but the only inconvenient is 2 and 1/4 cups of flours wasn’t enough to make the dough and be able to work with it I had to be adding little by little until I got the desire dough consistency but the longer cookies were delicious
Tricia Buice
Hi Paola. Yes the dough is soft and is supposed to be. The directions say to heavily flour the work surface because the dough is soft. Glad you enjoyed them anyway!
Bernadette Rollins
Love these cookies! The recipe was easy to follow (I used almond flour) and the results were perfect! The ingredients combined to create a delicious experience, especially with a good raspberry jam! I’ll be making them again. Thank you!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Bernadette. I LOVE the jam and cookie combination and the nutty undertones in the dough. Now I’m craving these cookies again!
Chris Scheuer
You make the most beautiful cookies, Tricia. I’m in awe of these and I’m pretty certain eating one of these would carry me straight to Vienna!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Chris – I think you make the most beautiful cookies 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
These are the prettiest cookies! I love the colours of the jam peaking through. Perfectly festive 🙂
Tricia Buice
Thank you Jennifer 🙂
2 Sisters Recipes
Amazing Tricia!! All the best from you, as always! Love these cookies and will try to make them this year!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Anna! Have a blessed holiday
Erin M.
I just made these and they turned out beautifully!! Thank you for the recipe!
Tricia Buice
So glad they worked out for you Erin and thanks for taking the time to let us know! Have a wonderful week 🙂
The Café Sucré Farine
So pretty Tricia! I love Linzer cookies – they always make me feel like I'm someplace in the Alps, someplace very beautiful and romantic like Salzburg or Innsbruck! I love all the photos, so beautiful!
Erin
Oh yum. These cookies are gorgeous and perfect for Christmas. I think I would fill them with chocolate (or I like your suggestion of nutella!)
Angie's Recipes
These linzer cookies look fabulous!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I love these cookies (or any cookies that leave you with sugar all over the cleavage).
Debra Bledsoe
Love this recipe over others because it incorporates powder sugar in batter and takes the time to toast and grind the almonds rather than using almond meal.
Little things matter in process. I make these every Christmas and sometimes Valentines. Plan to do them as bunnies for baby shower tea party.
Always raspberry jam…one that is a bit tart.
Tricia Buice
Thanks for the wonderful, thoughtful feedback Debra! I bet these will be adorable as bunnies. What a great idea. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.
Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow
Tricia, those cookies are b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l!!! Almost too perfect to eat! Almost!
Chatty Crone
The cookies look delish. Sandie
Mary
Tricia!!! You read my mind! I have linzer cookies on my list of treats I wanted to research this year!! They are just beautiful and I have not had one in years.
Blond Duck
I've never made those, but I always thought they were gorgeous!