Name: Ricciarelli Cookies – Delicious, Gluten Free and Low carb!
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 16 cookies
Ingredients: 2 cups (200g) almond flour; 1 ⅔ cups (200g) powdered Erythritol (or icing sugar); ¼ cup (60g) egg whites ((from 2 large eggs)); ½ tbsp Earl Grey tea (optional); zest of 1 unwaxed lemon; 1 tsp lemon juice; a couple drops almond extract; 2 drops liquid stevia

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What Are Ricciarelli Cookies?

A cup of tea / coffee deserves a little treat alongside it and I have just the thing for the occasion – Ricciarelli cookies!

These simple almond cookies originate from Sienna in Italy and they are incredibly easy to make.

You only need a handful of ingredients – egg whites, icing sugar and almond flour plus a little almond extract and orange or lemon zest to flavour.

The cookies are rolled in icing sugar before baking and have a rustic, slightly cracked exterior when they cool down.

They resemble French macarons which are made from same ingredients but so much less tricky to make!

How to Make Ricciarelli Cookies

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Using a stand or hand mixer, whisk the egg whites and lemon juice until you have soft peaks.

Sift the icing sugar and ground almonds over the whisked eggs and add the zest and almond extract. Fold everything together until you have a fairly firm paste. Form the paste into a log shape, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for an hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 160C (325F). Line two heavy trays with baking paper. Fill a shallow plate with icing sugar. Cut walnut sized chunks out of your paste and shape into little balls on the palm of your hand.

Flatten to a disk (or shape them as you like – diamond shape is traditional) and then roll in the icing sugar and place on the prepared tray. Bake for 12-15 minutes then cool on a wire rack.

Easy Keto Cookies

Ricciarelli cookies are gluten free and very easy to make Keto friendly! Simply replace the icing sugar with a powdered keto sweetener and… that’s it.

Some keto sweeteners such as Erythritol have a slightly weird aftertaste and a bit of a cooling taste on the tongue. You can counteract this by adding a few drops of liquid Stevia.

Other sweeteners that are suitable for this recipe are Confectioners Swerve or Sukrin Icing.

These low carb cookies are also suitable for Slimming World, Weight Watchers and other popular weight loss plans.

HAVE YOU MADE MY RICCIARELLI COOKIES? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde and make my day!