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    Emily Fabulous » Recipes » Recipes

    Christmas Almond Sugar Cookies

    Published: Dec 19, 2020 · Modified: Aug 28, 2023 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links · 26 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Make these Christmas Almond Sugar Cookies for your next Christmas celebration or cookie swap. Made with amaretto, cream cheese, and chocolate kisses, these cookies taste like chocolate-covered cherries!

    almond kiss cookies on the table
    Jump to:
    • Why I Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients Needed for This Recipe
    • More Holiday Recipes to Try
    • How to Make These Cookies
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Expert Tips for This Recipe
    • Christmas Almond Sugar Cookies
    • Did you Make This Recipe?

    Why I Love This Recipe

    These Christmas Almond Sugar Cookies are so delicious and taste just like a chocolate-covered cherry! Since these drop cookies have cream cheese in the dough, they are soft, chewy, and delicious.

    almond kiss cookies on a plate

    Ingredients Needed for This Recipe

    All-Purpose Flour: AP flour provides the structure and texture to the dough of these cookies. Just regular all-purpose flour you have in your pantry will work.

    Baking Powder: Baking powder helps the cookies rise and create air inside.

    Salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the cookies and balances the sweetness.

    Unsalted Butter: Butter provides flavor and richness to the cookies. Make sure the butter is at room temperature so that it's easier to cream with the sugar. Unsalted is best to control the salt level, but if you use salted butter, omit the salt.

    Cream Cheese: Cream cheese adds to the creamy texture of these cookies and adds moisture. Just like the butter, having the cream cheese at room temperature helps it mix in more easily.

    Sugar: Sugar sweetens the cookies and adds to their overall flavor and texture.

    almond kiss cookies ingredients

    Eggs: Eggs act as a binding agent in the cookie dough and help with the moisture and structure. These should also be at room temperature for best results, but if you forget, it's ok.

    Amaretto: Amaretto is a sweet almond-flavored liqueur that adds a little extra something special to these cookies. While most of the alcohol will bake off, you can substitute more almond extract if you don't want to add liqueur.

    Almond Extract: Almond extract creates the almond flavor in the cookies. It's usually very strong, so don't add too much!

    Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract compliments the almond flavor and adds depth and complexity to the cookie's flavor.

    Holiday Sprinkles: Holiday sprinkles make these cookies extra special and give them their festive appeal. You can make these cookies any time of the year and switch up the colors.

    More Holiday Recipes to Try

    • reindeer cake pops on a cake stand1
      Reindeer Cake Pops
    • baked gingerbread donut with holiday sprinkles
      Gingerbread Donuts
    • boozy-candied-cranberries-in-a-bowl-with-sugar
      Boozy Sugared Cranberries
    • candy cane cupcakes with candy cane buttercream
      Candy Cane Cupcakes

    How to Make These Cookies

    Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine everything then set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese until light and fluffy.

    almond sugar cookie dry ingredients whisked together

    Add the egg and mix in. Then add the amaretto, almond extract, and vanilla extract and thoroughly mix in. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

    almond kiss cookie dough

    Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a ball while wrapping it up. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

    Once your dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350° and prepare cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

    Scoop the dough and roll it into equal-sized balls using your hands. Roll each ball in the bowl of sprinkles and place it on the prepared cookie sheet.

    raw almond cookies with sprinkles

    Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until set. While the cookies are cooling on the pan, place a chocolate piece on top and gently press down.

    almond sugar cookies with kisses on a baking sheet

    Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Recipe FAQs

    What If I don't want to add Amaretto?

    Although most of the alcohol is baked off in these cookies, you can make a version without alcohol at all if you would like. Just substitute an additional ½ teaspoon of almond extract instead of the Amaretto.

    How should I store these cookies?

    Make sure the cookies cool completely before storing them. They will last 4-5 days in a sealed container.

    Can I freeze these cookies?

    Yes, you can freeze these cookies in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Freeze them on a baking sheet first, and then add them to the container for best results. They will last up to 3 months.

    christmas sugar cookies cooling on a wire rack

    Expert Tips for This Recipe

    • Once you place the chocolate kiss on top of the baked cookies, don't touch them until they have completely cooled! The chocolate will become very soft from the warmth of the cookies straight out of the oven.
    • These cookies don't spread very much, but make sure you still give them a little room to grow on the pan.
    • Since this batter is so sticky, silicone mats work amazing for these cookies. If you don't have one, use parchment paper so your cookies don't stick.
    • I found that a regular spoon worked the best to scoop out the dough onto my hands to create a ball.
    • You need A LOT of sprinkles to make all of these cookies. Nonpareils seemed to work the best and have a nice crunch. Regular sugar sprinkles melted just a bit but still looked good. Use your favorite or a few different types as I did!
    almond kiss cookies on the table

    Christmas Almond Sugar Cookies

    Almond Kiss Cookies are made with amaretto, cream cheese, and chocolate kisses and taste like chocolate-covered cherries!
    5 from 49 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 18 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Chill Time: 2 hours hours
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 36 cookies
    Calories: 94kcal
    Author: Emily
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • stand mixer or hand mixer
    • stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl
    • medium mixing bowl for dry ingredients
    • small mixing bowl for sprinkles
    • silicone or rubber spatula
    • silcone mats or parchment paper
    • cookie sheet pan
    • cooling rack

    Ingredients

    • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temp (1 ½ sticks)
    • ½ cup cream cheese, room temp
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • 1 large egg, room temp
    • 2 tablespoon amaretto
    • 1 teaspoon almond extract
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • holiday sprinkles of choice!

    Instructions

    • Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine, and then set aside.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl and a hand mixer), cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 5 minutes.
    • Add the egg and mix in. Then add the amaretto, almond extract, and vanilla extract and fully combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until combined. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and give a few more turns to get everything mixed in.
    • Put down a piece of plastic wrap and place the dough on top. Form a ball with the dough while tightly wrapping it up. Chill the dough in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
    • Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper and place the sprinkles in a small mixing bowl for rolling.
    • Scoop the dough and roll into equal-sized balls using your hands. Roll each ball in the bowl of sprinkles and place it on the prepared cookie sheet.
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until set. The cookies will continue to firm up once removed from the oven. Gently press a chocolate piece on top of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • These cookies will last 4-5 days in a sealed container.
    • If you don't want to use Amaretto, just substitute an additional ½ teaspoon almond extract instead of the alcohol
    • Once you place the chocolate kiss on top of the baked cookies, don't touch them until they have completely cooled! The chocolate will become very soft from the warmth of the cookies straight out of the oven.
    • These cookies don't spread very much, but make sure you still give them a little room to grow on the pan.
    • Since this batter is so sticky, silicone mats work amazing for these cookies. If you don't have one, use parchment paper so your cookies don't stick.
    • I found that a regular spoon worked the best to scoop out the dough onto my hands to create a ball.
    • You need A LOT of sprinkles to make all of these cookies. Nonpareils seemed to work the best and have a nice crunch. Regular sugar sprinkles melted just a bit but still looked good. Use your favorite or a few different types as I did! 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.3g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 5.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4.9g | Calcium: 10mg

    Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @EmilyFabulous_Blog or tag #emilyfabulous!

    Did you Make This Recipe?

    If you get a chance to make these Almond Kiss Cookies, don't forget to leave a comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me!

    If you love fun and delicious recipes and cocktails, follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my email list so you never miss a recipe!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JR says

      December 11, 2022 at 9:47 am

      Can these be frozen?

      Reply
      • Emily says

        December 11, 2022 at 11:22 am

        Yes, you can freeze these cookies. Ensure they have fully cooled before freezing. For the best results, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe air-tight container. Enjoy!

        Reply
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