These Almond Horns Cookies are easy marzipan cookies made with 5 simple ingredients, no eggs, no fat, no dairy. They are the perfect addition to your Christmas cookie platter.
Almond horn cookies are traditionally made in Germany around Christmas using marzipan paste from the store and almond flour. My version is easier, made with simple pantry ingredients, no egg whites, no fat, and no dairy. Because the cookies have no fat and use powdered sugar, it create a soft, chewy, sticky almond cookie. It’s like eating baked marzipan.
I like to decorate the horn cookies by adding a few sliced almonds on top of the center of each horn cookie for crispiness and then dip each ends into melted dark chocolate. That’s how the traditional almond horn cookies are served in eastern France where I am coming from.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need 4 ingredients for the dough (including water!). Here’s how to pick them.
- Almond Flour – Almond flour is the primary ingredient that forms the base of these cookies, creating their signature chewy and moist texture and keeping them gluten-free. You can use almond meal (which is coarser), but the cookies will turn darker and grainier. You cannot use gluten-free flour in this recipe or coconut flour.
- Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar sweetens the dough and helps bind it into a marzipan-like consistency. Replace the sugar with powdered erythritol or allulose for a sugar-free option.
- Water – Water adds moisture to create a sticky dough. Adjust as needed to achieve the right consistency.
- Almond Extract – Almond extract boosts the marzipan flavor essential for these cookies. Substitute with vanilla extract for a milder taste or omit if preferred.
- Sliced Almonds – These add texture and crunch when pressed onto the cookies. You can also use slivered almonds or not add anything.
- Dark Chocolate Chips – If you want to create a fancier look, dip the cookies in chocolate. Any dairy-free chocolate chips, including white or semi-sweet, can be used.
- Coconut Oil – Coconut oil helps melt the chocolate for dipping and gives it a glossy finish. Substitute with light olive oil or skip for a slower hardening process.
How to Make Almond Horns Cookies
If you prefer pictures over words, here are photos of all key steps.
Combine the dough ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Work the dough until it’s sticky.
Grease your hands and take a small portion of dough to form a ball.
Roll the ball into a cylinder.
Bend the cylinder of dough to form a horn and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies on the center rack of the oven for 12-13 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Melt the chocolate chips with coconut oil and dip the cookies into it.
Freeze the cookies for 10 minutes for the chocolate to set.
Expert Tips
Let me share a few more tips to make sure you make the best ever cookies.
- Use a Food Processor – A food processor simplifies mixing the sticky dough, ensuring all ingredients are evenly combined with less mess.
- Grease Hands Generously – To handle the sticky dough, use refined coconut oil or light olive oil on your hands. Reapply as needed to prevent sticking.
- Work Quickly with Sticky Dough – If the dough starts to stick excessively, rinse and dry your hands, then reapply oil before shaping.
- Form Consistent Shapes – Roll dough evenly to ensure uniform baking. Aim for a consistent thickness and length to maintain a neat appearance.
- Adjust Dough Texture – If the dough is too dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until sticky like marzipan paste. If too wet, incorporate a bit more almond flour.
- Avoid Overbaking – Watch for lightly golden edges but ensure the tops remain pale. Overbaking will dry out the cookies.
- Cool Before Dipping – Let the cookies cool completely before dipping in chocolate to prevent melting or breaking.
- Set Chocolate Quickly – Place the dipped cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden the chocolate fast and maintain a clean finish.
- Maintain Color – For traditional pale cookies, use finely ground almond flour rather than almond meal.
- Store Properly – Keep cookies in an airtight container in the fridge to retain their moist, chewy texture. They also freeze well for longer storage.
More Almond Flour Cookie Recipes
Did you buy too much almond flour? Here are a few more cookies to make with it!
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Almond Horns Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Almond Flour - (note 1)
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar - (note 2)
- 2 tablespoons Water
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract - (note 3)
Optional – to decorate
- 3 tablespoons Sliced Almonds
- ⅓ cup Dark Chocolate Chips - (note 4)
- 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil - (note 5)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl or in a food processor, add the almond flour, water, powdered sugar, and almond extract.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together and form a sticky almond marzipan paste. I like to use my hands to squeeze the dough. It's messy because the dough is very sticky but that's what you want. If too dry, add a little extra water, 1 teaspoon at a time. If too liquid, add extra almond flour. It should form a sticky almond paste.
- Generously oil your hand, grab a tablespoon of dough, and roll it into a small cylinder of about 1.5 inches (4cm), then bend it into a horn shape.
- Place each horn on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a thumb of space between each. Repeat until no more dough left.
- Press some sliced almonds on the top center of the horn cookies.
- Bake the cookies on the center rack of the oven for 12-13 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until lightly golden brown on the edges. They should stay quite pale to be soft and chewy cookies.
- Let the cookies cool down at room temperature for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then cool down on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
- If you want to decorate the edges, melt 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Microwave in 30-second bursts until fully melted and the chocolate is shiny.
- Dip each cookie end into the melted chocolate. Make sure you wait for a few seconds above the bowl to let the excess melted chocolate drip down the bowl.
- Place the dipped cookies on a plate covered with parchment paper and freeze them for 10 minutes to quickly set and harden the chocolate shell.
When do you put the slivered almonds on them, please.
Thank you
Step 6 says press the sliced almonds on top of the cookies before baking
what is a substitute for coconut oil please…
the coconut oil is used only to melt the chocolate chips, you can use it or not, it helps melting the chocolate. You can use other oil like light olive oil or avocado oil. If you skip it, it will take longer for the chocolate shell to firm up.
Are you able to freeze these cookies ?
Absolutely! They freeze quite well.