Classic gluten-free Italian almond macaroons are super easy to make. These low carb cookies are perfect for sharing with family and friends.
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Last week, I was cleaning out a storage box in my closet and found an old craft book. It's a book I started to put together about 20 years ago.
I used to be into holiday crafts and amongst the granny squares I used to make, was a three ring notebook where ideas were collected. To be honest, I don't think I ever made any of the projects.
However, I did collect some holiday recipes that would make nice gifts. One of them was an Italian Almond Macaroons recipe.
The original recipe called for blanched almonds to be ground. Back then, almond flour wasn't a regular item so it had to be made from skinless whole almonds.
Other than the sugar, the rest of the ingredients are low carb friendly. I did change up one of the ingredients, though.
The original recipe called for a few drops of bitter almond oil. This is a specialty item and not readily available. So, I used pure almond extract instead.
There's only five ingredients needed for these Italian almond macaroons which makes them super simple to make. My three year old did most of the work.
Now that we've tested the recipe out, we'll be making another batch of these low carb cookies for Christmas. They will look great mixed into a cookie assortment.
The sweetener I used in the cookies was LC Foods white erythritol. And, I topped them off with a dusting of LC Foods confectionery powdered sweetener.
Most erythritol blend sweeteners have a cooling taste. But, the LC Foods erythritol sweetener blends do not have this cooling effect.
I prefer the taste of the LC Foods erythritol sweeteners because they add more sweeteners to the blend. This practically eliminates any aftertaste.
Why do the LC Foods erythritol sweeteners taste better? They use four low carb sugar substitutes: erythritol, chicory root, stevia, and monk fruit.
Since moving to the low carb lifestyle, I've never given cookies as gifts for the holidays. This year, I want to start a new tradition.
I plan to bake a few of my favorite low carb cookies this month. And, I'll be putting them in small tins to gift to my family and friends for Christmas.
In addition to these Italian almond macaroons, I'll be including my cream cheese cookies, peanut butter blossoms, and cranberry almond biscotti. Keto coconut macaroons are also a favorite low-carb cookie for the holidays.
Are you planning to bake a low carb cookies for the holidays? What's your favorite recipe?
Gluten Free Italian Almond Macaroons
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Recipe
Italian Almond Macaroons - Gluten Free
Video
Ingredients
- ½ pound almond flour about 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons
- ¼ cup low carb sugar substitute
- 2 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons Lakanto powdered monk fruit sweetener
Instructions
- Combine almond flour with white sweetener, egg whites, and almond extract.
- Knead mixture with hands until dough is formed.
- Form dough into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter (you should have about 45 balls).
- Place balls on parchment paper lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
- Bake at 250F at bottom of oven for 55-60 minutes.
- Remove warm cookies from baking pan to wire rack and dust with confectionary sweetener while still warm.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Kimberly
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but am looking forward to it. These sound delicious. I have a question prior to making these. Can I forego the monkfruit powder and add the additional 1 tablespoon of the other sweetener, which I intend to use Erythritol? Is there a real need for the other sweetener, meaning will it really impact texture or flavor? I personally don’t care for desserts that are too sweet anyway. Thank you!
Lisa MarcAurele
The powdered sweetener is only added for dusting the outside of the cookies. You shouldn't need to add any additional sweetener if the powder is omitted.
Diana Franco Lopez
Super easy to make, but It took a bit longer to cook than the 50-60 min, they were still wet in the center, like if they were raw so I leave it a bit longer.
I powder them with equal parts of powder milk and sugar-free substitute ( almost like if it was confectionary sugar), pretty good.
I also use the flour with skin on it and add cinnamon powder and clove powder, coconut essence, and vanilla because I had no almond and for sugar substitute, I use monk fruit powder. I am sorry I chopped the recipe but I use what I have in hand since we can't leave our houses right now. Thanks for the recipe
Cinnamon
I wanted to make these today but I didn’t have the Almond flavoring, so I substituted with Lemon flavoring. All I can say is OMG HALLELUJAH!!!!!
Lisa MarcAurele
Sounds like a yummy substitute!
Nicole
This was super easy and pretty good but not fantastic. Nevertheless, I will definitely make again because it has a true cookie consistency, something hard to find in keto recipes. To give it more flavor I tried adding salt bc the uncooked batter seemed to need it, but I added too much, dang it.
Definitely think it would be tastier by adding chopped pecans. Maybe also nutmeg or some other spice to give it more flavor? It's so quick and easy that I'm comfortable experimenting with different options.
Lisa MarcAurele
A little chopped nuts and nutmeg would definitely be good adds. Thanks for writing in.
Sabrina
I could only get 24 out of this recipe. Any smaller and there'd be nothing. Tasted the dough. Can't wait to try one. They are baking as we speak.
Lisa MarcAurele
I used a small cookie scoop and got 24 but number can vary.
Trisha
Why do you have to blanch whole almonds,
Lisa
Not necessarily if you don't mind the skins.
Moddie
Question: 1/2 lb of almond flour and there are zero net grams of carbs per cookie? 1/4 cup has 3 net carbs on my Bob's Red Mill almond flour package. So each cookie is near 1/2 net gram, and it comes up as zero because it is less than 1 gram? Then, if I ate 10, I would have to count 5 net carbs into my daily intake, right? Also, is it the superfine almond flour? Thank you very much. ( I'm being extremely careful because I have made some errors on my first 2 weeks on Atkins and had to start over.)
Lisa
These are small cookies and I would count about 1 gram carb per cookie just to be safe.
Lyn
I am very confused, I just made these cookies, they are in the oven as I type. I couldn't understand a dough forming from just using 2 egg whites to the 2 cups 2 tablespoons of almond and it didn't. By the time I'd added 5 egg whites it was still a dry mix that would no way form a ball no matter how much kneading I did, I ended up adding all told a good half cup of egg white as well I was running out of eggs and did get a dough but if I rolled it in my hands it just crumbled. I was also out of egg whites now so had to gently form it into what looks like somewhat a ball shape. Am I doing something wrong?? I'd say mine took about 12 egg whites to do.
Lisa
Did you use the LC Foods sweetener or a different one? I also weighed my almond flour.
Lyn
I used Swerve, we just tried one and they are as dry as the desert, can't eat them. I tested the 2 cups plus 2 tbsps and it did come out to the weighed amount you said.
Lisa
I made them twice and the dough did come together both times with kneading. My almond flour was fairly fine (Anthony's brand). I'm thinking it's the sweetener. I'll try another batch with Swerve and see if I can write something up in the notes. I may need to add some butter or coconut oil.
Lyn
I also made chocolate chip cookies that were as dry as anything so I threw out my almond flour, expensive as it was and got new and your cookies turned out amazing as did the chocolate chip so there had to be something wrong with that bulk almond flour I bought. Thx for the help and Merry Christmas.
Lisa
Good to know! That is very strange. I wonder if it was old. I keep my almond flour in the refrigerator after opening to help keep it fresh.
Jackie
Lisa, any ideas for substituting the almond flour and amounts? Thanks.
Lisa
You could use sunflower seed flour or another finely ground nut.
Pam
Do you use the "Low Carb Erythritol Granular Sweetener" or the "Low Carb White Sugar Sweetener - Erythritol"?
Lisa
I used the White Sugar Sweetener - Erythritol and then dusted with the confectioner version.
Nanci
Just double checking...bake at 250F?
Lisa
Yes. You want to slow bake at the bottom of the oven. You may even want to cover loosely with foil to prevent browning.
SkinnyMe
Yum! These would be perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
Lisa
Yes! They are perfect with a hot beverage. Especially on these cooler days.