Traditional German Almond Christmas Cookies
Delight in the holiday season with these German Almond Christmas Cookies! Lightly crisp on the outside, they’re bursting with almond flavour and make the perfect festive treat.
Almond Christmas Cookies have a lot of history. I have a recipe passed down to me from my German mother-in-law, which was passed down to her, etc. Called Friesenkekse in German, these white cookies contain a lot of almonds inside the dough and as decorations. These are my kids’ favourite Christmas cookies to this day, so I had to share the vintage recipe!
History
Friesenkekse comes from Northern Germany and is usually served with black tea. Germans tend to cook their multitudes of fantastic cookies only around the Holiday season. This version of almond cookies is no exception. They come from way back, and the family changed a thing or two from what I could see online. The usual recipe contains no almonds; it’s basically a sablé cookie. But this version got some in and out of the cookie, making it much nuttier.
Technique
It’s a type of ‘dry cookie,’ not chewy, and falls apart quickly. While mixing the dough, you’ll see it’s dry and needs to be squeezed well to hold it together. The technique is the same as sugar cookies: you roll the dough into a cylinder and let it wrap up in the fridge until it’s firm. A minimum of 2 hours, but frankly, the recipe says 24 hours. Then, once firm and cold, you cut it into thin slices and decorate it with extra shaved almonds. Like sugar cookies, you want to keep the heat low; you don’t want to colour the cookies. They need to stay as white as possible.
Texture Fix
Add an extra egg yolk if your dough still doesn’t hold well after a long mixing process. The absorption levels can differ from the protein amount in the flour, which varies depending on your location.
Rolling
When it’s time to roll the cookie into cylinders, help yourself with a sushi mat or a wooden table mat to make it as round as possible. Make sure to squeeze it firmly on the side to make it compact and not break the side when cutting.
*Thanks, Julia, for passing down your Oma recipe!
Almond Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 500 g all purpose flour
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 250 g sugar
- 250 g almond flour
- 30 g vanilla sugar
- 2 egg
- 2 tsp baking soda
- salt
Topping
- 30 g shaved almonds
Instructions
- Start by mixing the dry ingredients in a big bowl.
- Add the butter and the egg and mix until it holds together when squeezed.
- Cut the dough into three parts, wrap one part in plastic, and roll and shape firmly into a cylinder.
- Do the same with the other two rolls and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours.
- Cut the cylinder into thin slices.
- Add the shaved almonds on top.
- Cook in the oven at 150°C (320°F) for 15 minutes.
- Let them cool before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying a full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share your thoughts on it! Leave a comment or share a picture and tag me @littlenomadsrecipes on Instagram.
Looks delicious, and I love that there are only a few simple ingredients required. Thanks for sharing!
Simplicity goes a long way!
Omg! These look so delicious. Love that you have the nutrition content posted. I am saving these to bake tomorrow night with a girlfriend, cannot wait to try them. Thanks for taking the time to share this recipe.
My pleasure! Let me know how they turn out!
Such a simple cookie recipe! Will try this weekend, I’ll be in high altitude so may add that extra egg yolk. I might also brown the butter for half the batch …
Yeah, difficult to be precise sometimes with all the different flours out there! Let me know how it goes!
Such an easy recipe for those busy days in the kitchen during the holidays. Definitely making these for our family dinner.
easy and yummy!! Hope you like it too!
These look delicious and simple to make. I’ve never had almond cookies before but now I want to try them. these seem like a great addition to holiday baking. Can’t wait to try them.
You’ll make it a tradition every Xmas, I bet! enjoy!
I love almonds. And I am going to try this delicious recipe.
Enjoy!
i haven’t almond cookies for a long time. This recipe hit the spot and was so easy to make!
A simple, delicious German recipe. They know their cookies! Enjoy!
These cookies were delicious and the video was very helpful! Thanks:)
Thanks! I like watching videos, sometimes there are details in there you wouldn’t know otherwise.
Absolutely delicious with a cup of tea!
Yep, in Northern Germany, always consumed with tea!
Germans sure know how to make good cookies. These look very tasty. Will add this recipe to my holiday cookie list!
I know, they are Christmas cookie Gods! I mean, so many types!
Okay, I’m looking for one more cookie recipe this year and this one may be it! Great tip using the sushi mat for rolling, it never even crossed my mind!
One question. Do you use special almond flour? I find the almond flour here is not so fine as say, European almond flour.
Oh! interesting! I have no clue about the almond flour in Canada. In Spain it’s fine, but not as fine as actual flour… I should investigate on this further. I’ll let you know.
Can you make this dough ahead of time? If so, how long?
Thank you!
Yes, of course, you can make it and wrap it up in plastic and leave in the fridge for a day or two.
Dough is crumbly and cookies do not bake well. They are just sand. Followed the recipe to a tee. Waste of time and ingredients. And almond flour and vanilla sugar sure aren’t cheap!
Hi, I am so sorry to hear that the cookies didn’t turn out quite right for you! Almond cookies can be a little bit finicky because of their delicate texture.
If they felt too sandy or crumbly, it is often due to one of a few things:
Flour Measurement: If you used measuring cups instead of a scale, it’s very easy to accidentally pack in too much flour, which dries out the dough. I always recommend weighing the flour for the best results!
Dough Resting: Did the dough have enough time to chill in the fridge? This step is crucial because it allows the almond flour to fully hydrate, which prevents that sandy texture.
Mixing: Sometimes the dough just needs a little more ‘love’—kneading it with the warmth of your hands for an extra minute can help the butter bind everything together perfectly.
Baking Time: They may have stayed in the oven just a minute too long. Almond cookies are best when pulled out just as they set, as they firm up significantly while cooling.
I hope you’ll give them another try! If the dough feels too dry next time, try adding a teaspoon of water or milk to help it come together before chilling. Thank you so much for your feedback!