Delicious soft centred Lemon Amaretti Biscuits. So easy to make, crisp on the outside, chewy in the middle and packed with lemon flavour. They’re naturally gluten-free too.
There are some recipes that wouldn’t be on here if it weren’t for all of you out there and this recipe for Lemon Amaretti Biscuits is one of those.
Until a couple of weeks ago it hadn’t occurred to me to try this particular flavour combination. I received a comment on my original Amaretti Biscuits recipe saying they had seen my dark chocolate version and asked if I’d ever experimented with a lemon flavour. It immediately struck me what a great idea it was and so since then I’ve been testing things out in the kitchen, and here they are!
Just like the original biscuits, they’re crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, but these ones are jam packed with lemon flavour from lemon zest and either limoncello liqueur or lemon juice.
If you’ve not tried making Amaretti Biscuits before then there is a quick video over on my YouTube channel which will show the basic principle of how to make them (it’s my original biscuits, not these lemon ones, but you should get the gist).
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Lemon Amaretti Biscuits
Print Rate SaveINGREDIENTS
- 2 large egg whites
- 200 g ground almonds
- 150 g caster sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 tbsp limoncello liqueur or lemon juice
- 3 tbsp icing sugar - for rolling the biscuits in prior to baking
- 3 tbsp caster sugar - for rolling the biscuits in prior to baking
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 170ºC/150ºC fan.
- Line your baking sheet with baking parchment or a reusable non-stick baking liner.
- Finely grate the zest of two lemons. Put the lemon zest, ground almonds (200g), caster sugar (150g) into a large bowl.
- In a different bowl, beat your eggs whites (2 large) on a medium speed until they form a firm peak. Once firm, add the egg whites to the other ingredients and fold in the egg whites. Once combined add the limoncello/lemon juice (1 tbsp) and stir until you have a smooth paste.
- Put the icing sugar (3 tbsp) and caster sugar (3 tbsp) onto separate plates. Split the mixture into 16 balls (about 2-3cm in diameter). Roll each ball in the caster sugar and then the icing sugar and place onto the baking sheet. Allow about 3cm between each ball as they will spread a little in the oven.
- Cook for 15-17 minutes until you can see they're just starting to brown underneath the icing sugar.
- Take them out of the oven, leave to cool for a couple of minutes on the tray and then place onto a cooling rack.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary and product recipes can change over time.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Peanut-Free (contains almonds)
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Lupin-Free
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Joyce says
Fabulous!! I also made a batch with chocolate and almond essence and they were great too so easy. Def a winning recipe..My favourite site for baking, never had a fail yet!
Joyce says
Just made half the quantity to try them out and they are so delicious I now wish I’d made the full amount!!! Def will make these again.. so quick too. Charlottes recipes are always perfect!!
Liz says
This has become a favourite in our home. Would I be able to substitute orange peel and juice to make orange amaretti?
Charlotte Oates says
You can although its worth noting that orange juice is not as strong in flavour as lemon juice so you may need to rely on the zest a little more.
Mary says
Hi Charlotte, these turned out so well first time! How long will they keep?
Charlotte Oates says
Amaretti store really well so they are ideal for gifting.
You can keep the biscuits in a well sealed bag or container for at least 14 day
Liz says
These are absolutely wonderful and a huge hit whenever shared. Can they be frozen?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes
Helen (UK) says
My first attempt at these were such a hit with the choir I shared them with, everyone wanted the recipe! Easy and totally delicious – thank you Charlotte 🙂 x
Victoria Hamilton says
A very quick tasty bake looking forward to trying more of your recipes Thankyou
Tracey says
Just tried the lemon amaretto biscuits.
They are absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Definitely will be doing more.
Lalla says
Thank you
I have made this recipe four times now – absolutely delighted with the results (I’ve used lemon, orange and mandarin). Thank you – will try other recipes on your site.
Helen Hoekman says
Made them for a friend who loves lemon – perfection in flavour, texture and taste. Mine were s little smaller. Dainty to have with coffee. Thank you! About to make another batch for my husband. Helen South Australia
Sam says
Have made these several times…also nice with cointreau instead if you prefer orange over a lemon flavour.
Charlotte Oates says
Ooh, I love that idea. I’ll have to give it a try
Jayne says
I did them with lemoncello & they were delicious, I’m thinking of making some for little extra Christmas pressies.
Mel says
Made these today and they were absolute delicious. I had the plain almond ones growing up and never knew how to make them. The lemon flavour was a perfect touch! Will 100% make them again!! Thanks for the recipe.
Caroline Reddecliffe says
We were given a gift off lemon amaretti biscuits from our hotel in Sardinia last week and they were so delicious I had to find a recipe to make them myself. This recipe is absolutely spot on and so easy to make. Stupid to say but they taste every bit as good as the genuine Italian amaretti we sampled. Highly recommend this recipe. Delicioso!
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
What a fab idea… I hadn’t considered lemonising amaretti cookies before, but I will definitely have to try this x
Charlotte Oates says
Definitely do!
Healthy Kitchen 101 says
Lemon flavor seems really tasty. Since my favourite taste is always sweetness, I rarely try sour biscuits. Ok’, I hope to give a try soon
– Natalie Ellis
Helen Hoekman says
They are not sour. Still sweet with a beautiful lemon taste. My husband does not like sour and he loves them. Helen