We have a classic beauty on todayโs menu: linzer cookies. The dough can be made with either pistachios or almonds, and your favorite flavor of jam for the filling. These stunning sandwich cookies taste best on day 2, so theyโre a wonderful make-ahead holiday cookie option!
This recipe was first published in 2017, and now includes both pistachio and traditional almond versions, plus fresh photos and helpful new success tips.
What Are Linzer Cookies?
Linzer cookies originated in Austria, as a twist on linzer torte, a type of pastry filled with fruit preserves and nuts. These festive, stained glass window-esque cookies are easily some of the prettiest cookies around, especially on holiday cookie trays.
Linzer cookies are traditionally made from a nutty almond-based cookie dough, like my cherry almond linzer cookies. For this classic linzer cookie recipe, you can use either almonds or pistachios. Or feel free to use hazelnuts, like we use for these caramel hazelnut linzer cookies.
The dough is rolled out, cut into shapes, and bakedโฆ just like sugar cookies. Then the cookies are finished with a light dusting of confectionersโ sugar, and sandwiched together with sweet jam.
I especially love the combos of almond cookies + apricot jam as well as the slightly salty pistachio cookies + sweet raspberry jam. Play around with the flavors and find your favorite!
What to Expect
- Texture: Theyโre nutty and deliciously textured. Linzers are crunchy right out of the oven, but after sandwiching jam in the center, they begin to soften. The magic happens on day 2 when the jam melts down into the cookies, making the whole sandwich cookie soft and tender. Without question, they taste BEST when made ahead of time.
- Flavor: Trust me when I tell you that they taste even better than they look. Nutty pistachios or almonds pair perfectly with sweet brown sugar, jam, and cinnamon, resulting in a remarkably flavorful cookie. Moreover, theyโre totally customizableโsimply use your favorite jam and cookie cutters.
- Ease: Theyโre stunningly beautiful, yet deceptively easy to make! Youโll need to make the dough and chill it for some time, then roll out the dough, cut them into shapes, and bake. Once cooled, you simply dust the โdonutโ top cookie with confectionersโ sugar, spread jam onto the base cookie, and sandwich them together. If you’ve made these chocolate gingerbread sandwich cookies before, you know the drill!
- Time: In addition to the preparation of the dough and the baking, youโll need to chill the dough for at least 3 hours. If you want to save time, consider whipping up a batch of dough in advance and storing it in the freezer (see recipe Notes). When youโre ready to bake, simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Overview: How to Make Linzer Cookies
The full printable recipe is below, but letโs walk through it so you understand each step before you get started.
Pulse the pistachios or almonds together with brown sugar into a fine crumb.ย Use a food processor for this step.
Whisk the dry ingredients, then beat the wet ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients and ground nutsโthe dough will look crumbly but comes together quickly. Divide the dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill for at least 3 hours.
Roll each dough half to 1/4 inch, cut out rounds, and cut center holes in half of them. I call the cookies with holes in the center “donut cookies.”
Bake the solid rounds and โdonutโ rounds separately. Once the cookies have cooled, dust the donut tops with confectionersโ sugar, then spread jam on the bottoms and sandwich together.
Favorite Cookie Cutters to Use
Linzer cookies can be cut into any shape, but I love them with scalloped edges. Youโll need 2 cookie cutters: one cookie cutter that is 2 inches in diameter and another thatโs 1 inch. Some options include this fluted-edge cookie cutter set, which includes many sizes, or this holiday linzer cookie cutter set.ย You can make a simple round center hole, or get a little fancy with a little heart, star, or diamond shape.
All the cookies will be cut with the 2-inch cookie cutter, but only HALF will be cut again into a โdonutโ cookie.
Fillings for Linzer Cookies
I especially love these with both apricot preserves and raspberry jam, but honestly, any flavor works. I love the almond-cherry pairing in these iced cherry almond linzer cookies. Or use hazelnuts in the dough like we do in these caramel hazelnut linzer cookies, and fill with caramel, or try Nutella. Blackberry preserves, orange marmalade, or even lemon curd… try a few options and discover your favorite linzer cookie fillingโit may surprise you!
And here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Print
Classic Linzer Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: 32 sandwiches
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Austrian
Description
These classic Linzer cookies start with a nutty almond- or pistachio-based dough, then bake into tender, lightly spiced rounds sandwiched with sweet jam. Beautiful on holiday trays and even better on day 2, this make-ahead recipe includes detailed rolling, cutting, and freezing instructions.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (65g) almonds or pistachios*
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled), plus more for rolling out
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsaltedย butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (about 150g)ย jam or preserves, such as raspberry or apricot
- 2 Tablespoons confectionersโย sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Place the nuts and brown sugar in a food processor. Pulse into a very fine crumb. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the flour mixture and the ground nut mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. It will be crumbly at first, but will come together after a couple minutes of mixing.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, gently flatten into discs, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill the discs in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 4 days.ย
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (180ยฐC). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside. If the dough chilled for longer than 3 hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before rolling because the dough will be quite hard.
- Generously flour a work surface, as well as your hands and rolling pin. The dough may become sticky as you work, so have extra flour nearby to use as needed. Alternatively, the dough may crack when rolling out. If that happens, wait a few minutes for it to soften up, then try again. The more you work with it, the softer and more manageable it will become. Roll out the first disc of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles. Re-roll the dough scraps and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with the second disc of dough. You should have about 64 circles.
- Using a 1-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut a hole into the center of 32 of the circles. Letโs call these 32 cookies the โdonut cookiesโ because of that center hole.
- Arrange the whole circles and the donut cookies 2 inches apart and on separate baking sheets (because the donut cookies take 1 less minute to bake).
- Bake the whole circles for about 11 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges, and bake the donut cookies for about 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Using a sieve or sifter, dust the โdonut cookiesโ with confectionersโ sugar, then transfer all of the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before assembling.
- Spread 1/2 teaspoon of jam on the bottom of each whole cookie. Carefully top each with a donut cookie and press down gently to create a cookie sandwich.
- Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (see step 5), but you can also freeze it for up to 3 months. If you opt for the latter, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before rolling out in step 7. Cookies freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Rolling Pin | 2.5-inch Cookie Cutter (Roundย orย Fluted) | 1-inch Cookie Cutter (Round or Fluted) | Fine Mesh Sieve | Cooling Rack
-
Nuts: Use salted or unsalted almonds or pistachios, either work. I prefer salted for a subtle sweet-and-salty balance. Roasted or raw are fine as well, though roasted nuts add the most flavor.
- Jam/Filling Options: I especially love these with both apricot preserves and raspberry jam, but honestly, any flavor works. I love the almond-cherry pairing in these iced cherry almond linzer cookies. You could also try fig jam, orange marmalade, or blackberry jam.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Could you use your raspberry cake filling in place of the raspberry jam?
Hi Kelly, our raspberry cake filling thickens to a jam-like consistency, so that should work here. Please do let us know if you try it!
Hi! Are these supposed to be raw pistachios or roasted?
Hi Karishma, you can use either. We like the extra flavor from salted roasted pistachios, but the cookies will be good either way!
Would it be ok to replace pistachio with ground almonds?
Absolutely.
Hey Sally! I dont have a food processor, and was wondering if just smaching the pistachios with a rolling pin (like grahahm crackers for cheesecake crust) will work.
Thanks and God Bless!
Hi Anie, you can certainly try it, but it may be more difficult to get the pistachios crumbs down to the size you need them here.
If I want to make it in advance, can I just bake the cookies for example 3-4 days in advance and assemble the cookies with the jam on the same day that I serve them?
Hi Liza, that should be fine. Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Hi sally, could I make these with hazelnuts instead of pistachios? Can I sub 1:1?
Yes, absolutely.
Can you form the cookies and then freeze them formed and bake them off when ready? I was thinking of doing this rather than baking them and then freezing the cookies
Can’t see why not, Michael!
if I freeze just the baked cookies, is it better to assemble them after thawing? Just wondering if the jam would soften the cookies after thawing?
Hi Donna, we would recommend letting the cookies thaw, and then assembling them with the jam after. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, these liner cookies look so festive and sound absolutely scrumptious. Just wondering if I can double this recipe or if I need to make separate batches? Thank you!
Hi Brianne, so long as your mixer can handle the added volume, you can simply double this recipe. Enjoy!
Hi, very excited to try this! Just wondering, what raspberry jam do you use? Do you make it or is there a specific brand you favor to fill these with? Thanks in advance
Hi Ellie! Use your favorite brand of jam ๐
Great! Do you by chance know the brand Sally used?
Hi Ellie, we love Bonne Maman jams!
Quick question: If I use salted pistachios, do I leave out the salt?
Hi Frances, we actually prefer using salted pistachios here, so no need to leave out the salt. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Despite the amount of work involved, this is one of my favorite cookie recipes on your blog! I’d like to share them at my work’s annual Treat Day celebration, but I’m wondering if I can make them half-sized? (There are so many cookies/treats available, most people go for bite-sized options to get the most variety). What baking times would you recommend for 1-inch round cutters instead of 2-inch rounds? If you don’t recommend making them that size, my backup idea is to simply cut them in half after they’re baked and share them that way.
Hi Steph! You can definitely make them smaller. We’re unsure of the bake time, so keep an eye on them and look for slightly golden edges.
Delicious! This is a terrific recipe. I used my smallest fluted cutter and to cut the donut centers I used a tiny plastic screw top from a piping set. Worked out great! Made these for friends and by making a smaller size cookie, I was able to get 50 sandwich cookies. There were none left to take home at the end of the evening and that makes me happy. Glad I managed to snag a couple for myself at the get-together, so I could try them.