These Italian Almond Snowflake Cookies are absolutely stunning, dusted with powdered sugar, they resemble snowflakes, each one unique. They are made with almond flour, egg whites, and sugar, slightly crisp on the outside and chewy in the center.
They’re a super unique cookie that you won’t find elsewhere, and the perfect mini dessert bite.
These snowflake cookies are a riff on classic Italian Almond Cookies that are round in shape with a thick, chewy centers. I first had them on a recent food-centric trip to Rome at a bakery not far from the Campo de’ Fiori Market.
🔔 Need More Holiday Baking Ideas? Try these: Cut Out Sugar Cookies, Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies, Peppermint Cocoa Cookies, and Cinnamon Pinwheel Cookies.
Recipe Testing
- Dough Consistency: I made this recipe eight times to determine both how much almond flour is needed to ensure that the snowflakes retain their shape while baking, but also preventing the dough from becoming too thick to pipe onto the baking sheet.
- Cookie Shape: I experimented with all sorts of piping tips to find the shape that highlighted the unique consistency of the dough. I landed on this snowflake or star shape, which highlights the golden brown edges of the cookies dusted with powdered sugar, presenting such an elegant and warm contrast.
Ingredients
Below are the four simple ingredients needed to make these Italian Almond Snowflake Cookies. These cookies require a piping bag with a large star tip. If you do not have one, make these classic Italian Almond Cookies instead.
- Egg Whites: Use egg whites from two large eggs. They are whipped until they have soft peaks, which takes only a minute.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar. This keeps the sugar flavor profile simple and enables the almond flavor to stand out.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour can be found at many grocery stores in the baking area. It is different from ground almonds or almond meal which is not as fine in texture and includes the almond skins.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar, this gives the cookies their elegant look.
Variations: The cookies I had in Rome had all different flavorings like lemon and pistachio. If you want to add an extra flavor note, add ½ teaspoon lemon extract or almond extract.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Italian Almond Snowflake Cookies
Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Italian Almond Snowflake Cookies.
Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with a wide opening (I use Wilton 1M). The wider the opening, the easier it is to pipe the dough.
Step 1. Make the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed for 1 minute until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and combine. Add the almond flour and combine.
Step 2. Shape the Cookies: Scoop the dough into the prepared piping bag so that the piping bag is roughly halfway full (if it’s too full, you won’t have the leverage to pipe the dough through the tip).
Press a small amount of the dough from the piping bag onto a baking sheet into a snowflake shape. Release, lift up the piping bag, then press again without turning to create a second “snowflake” on top of the first one. This creates one cookie. Continue making snowflake cookies on the baking sheet with a half inch of room in between each cookie, creating 25 cookies on the baking sheet. Repeat with a second baking sheet for 50 cookies total.
Step 3. Bake: Bake the cookies, one baking sheet at a time, at 350°F for 9 minutes or until browned along the tops and edges but still white in places that have less direct exposure to the heat. Remove, let the cookies cool for 2-3 minutes. Then remove the cookies to a plate or wire rack. Do not wait to transfer the cookies from the baking sheet or the sugar will harden on the baking sheet, making them much more difficult to remove.
Step 4. Powdered Sugar: Let the cookies cool fully, then dust lightly with powdered sugar.
Tips for Making the Best Italian Almond Piped Snowflake Cookies
- Start Small: When starting to pipe the cookies, add only a small amount of the cookie dough to the piping bag to get the hang of it. The less dough that there is in the bag, the easier it is to press the dough through the piping tip. It also gives you a chance to practice without committing all the dough to the bag.
- Practice Piping: You can practice creating the snowflake shape on a plate before creating them directly on a baking sheet. If you’re happy with how they look, you can gently transfer them to the baking sheet, or add the dough back to the bag and create new ones, now that you’ve honed your piping skills.
- Large Piping Tip: Use a large star-shaped piping tip. Smaller piping tips are not wide enough to press the dough through. I find that sometimes the prongs of the star tip get pressed inwards (when cleaning or pushing it into the piping bag). This makes it more difficult for the dough to move through the piping tip. You can gently encourage the prongs slightly outward, creating a larger opening to help make pressing the dough easier.
- Test Cookies: If this is your first time making this recipe, I would recommend making just a few test cookies first (3-4) to make sure that the timing, oven temperature, and dough consistency are right before making a full batch of 25.
- Oven Temperature: Oven temperatures can vary widely, and the display temperature is not always accurate. You can use a separately purchased in oven thermometer to verify the temperature. Otherwise, keep a close eye on the cookies and use visual cues to know when the cookies are done. Use the stated baking time as a guideline rather than a fixed number.
Storage and Serving Tips
- To Serve: I recommend serving the cookies on a dark colored plate, if you have one, for maximum contrast to allow the cookies to really stand out and sparkle.
- To Store: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
- To Freeze: The cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. I don't recommend freezing the dough since it's super quick to make (it takes all of 3 minutes). It doesn't save you much time to freeze it for a later time.
For More Cookies You May Love
If you make these Italian Almond Snowflake Cookies or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
Italian Almond Snowflake Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 148g
- 1¾ cup almond flour 168g
- ½ cup powdered sugar 56g
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with a wide opening (I use Wilton 1M). The wider the opening the easier it is to pipe the dough.
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites at medium speed for 1 minute, until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and combine. Add the almond flour and combine.
- Piping Bag: Scoop the dough into the prepared piping bag so that the piping bag is roughly halfway full (if it’s too full, you won’t have the leverage to pipe the dough through the tip).
- Shape the Cookies: Press a small amount of the dough from the piping bag onto a baking sheet into a snowflake shape. Release, lift up the piping bag, then press again to create a second “snowflake” on top of the first one. This creates one cookie. Continue making snowflake cookies on the baking sheet with a half inch of room in between each cookie, creating 25 cookies on the baking sheet. Repeat with a second baking sheet for 50 cookies total.
- Bake: Bake the cookies, one baking sheet at a time, at 350°F for 9 minutes or until browned along the tops and edges but still white in places that have less direct exposure to the heat. Remove, let cool for 2-3 minutes. Then remove the cookies to a plate or wire rack. Do not wait to transfer the cookies or the sugar will harden on the baking sheet making them much more difficult to remove.
- Powdered Sugar: Let the cookies cool fully, then dust lightly with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Start Small: When starting to pipe the cookies, add only a small amount of the cookie dough to the piping bag to get the hang of it. The less dough that there is in the bag, the easier it is to press the dough through the piping tip. It also gives you a chance to practice without committing all the dough to the bag.
- Practice Piping: You can practice creating the snowflake shape on a plate before creating them directly on a baking sheet. If you’re happy with how they look, you can gently transfer them to the baking sheet, or add the dough back to the bag and create new ones, now that you’ve honed your piping skills.
- Large Piping Tip: Use a large star-shaped piping tip. Smaller piping tips are not wide enough to press the dough through. I find that sometimes the prongs of the star tip get pressed inwards (when cleaning or pushing it into the piping bag). This makes it more difficult for the dough to move through the piping tip. You can gently encourage the prongs slightly outward, creating a larger opening to help make pressing the dough easier.
- Test Cookies: If this is your first time making this recipe, I would recommend making just a few test cookies first (3-4) to make sure that the timing, oven temperature, and dough consistency are right before making a full batch of 25.
- Oven Temperature: Oven temperatures can vary widely, and the display temperature is not always accurate. You can use a separately purchased in oven thermometer to verify the temperature. Otherwise, keep a close eye on the cookies and use visual cues to know when the cookies are done. Use the stated baking time as a guideline rather than a fixed number.
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