Bitterkoekjes are well-known and much-loved Dutch cookies. Although the Italian version, amaretti, had been on Laura’s Bakery for quite some time, it wasn’t until recently that I tried my hand at a bitterkoekjes recipe. And guess what? They’re incredibly easy and delicious. From now on, I’ll only be making them myself.
You know I love Dutch cookies and these Dutch bitterkoekjes are another favorite and super easy to make. You need only four basic ingredients to make these almond-based cookies. They’re the perfect easy cookies for the Christmas season but you can make them year round.
The name bitterkoekjes (literally translated this means bitter cookies) already suggests that they contain a bitter ingredient, but when making them for the first time, I wouldn’t have immediately guessed that it was the almonds.
Traditionally, these cookies are made with bitter almonds, which are ground and balanced with the sugar in the recipe. This makes the cookies wonderfully sweet with a slightly bitter undertone.
These days, bitter almonds are difficult to find, and in the Netherlands we mainly use sweet almonds. That’s why most recipes call for bitter almond extract to give the cookies their characteristic bitter almond flavor.
The funny thing is that to make these delicious and traditional almond cookies you only need four ingredients! Make sure to always check the recipe card for the exact details.
BAKING TIP: Bitterkoekjes get their distinctive shape from being piped onto the baking sheet with a piping bag. Use a round piping tip, fitted into a (reusable) piping bag.
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix to a smooth paste.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a ⅜-inch (1 cm) round tip and pipe 1¼-inch (3 cm) rounds.
Bake the bitterkoekjes for about 13-16 minutes, until golden brown.
Store at room temperature for up to one week.
I’ve discovered that storing bitterkoekjes can be quite a challenge, simply because they’re so delicious. If you manage to eat no more than one a day and follow the tips below, you should be fine. 😉
You can store bitterkoekjes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. When they first come out of the oven, the edges may still be slightly crisp, but after a few hours the cookies will develop their signature chewy texture.
Bitterkoekjes freeze very well. It also makes it a little easier to resist eating them all at once. Stored in an airtight container, they’ll keep in the freezer for up to three months.
You’ve probably noticed that I love cookies. After all, I published an entire book (in Dutch) filled with cookie recipes, 50 of them!
Dutch cookie recipes in particular have earned a special place in my heart. There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about them, and Dutch cookies are simply incredibly delicious. Here are a few examples:
Yes, absolutely! That’s the traditional way to make these cookies. In that case, use blanched almonds without their skins. Use the same weight listed for the almond flour in the recipe: 150 grams (5.3 oz) for 20 cookies.
Grind the almonds together with the sugar in a blender or food processor until you have a fine flour. Then use a spatula to mix in the egg whites and almond extract.
You can, but the cookies won’t have that distinctive almond flavor. You can buy bitter almond extract online. If you can’t find it, the best alternative is almond extract made from sweet almonds.
You probably used too much egg white. Next time, try using smaller eggs. That should solve the problem.
I haven’t tried this myself, but I can imagine that this recipe would also work well with something like hazelnut flour. Nuts have distinctive flavors of their own, though, so in that case I would leave out the almond extract or replace it with vanilla extract.
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