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!
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Why I Love This Recipe
These Christmas Almond Sugar Cookies are so delicious and taste just like a chocolate-covered cherry just like my Chocolate Covered Cherry Mice! Since these drop cookies have cream cheese in the dough, they are soft, chewy, and delicious like my Crumbl Cookie Copycat Recipe.
I also love this recipe because of the festive sprinkles. You can never go wrong with sprinkles. If you are looking for more festive dessert recipes, check out my Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats and my No-Bake Bailey's Mini Cheesecakes which you can make festive with more sprinkles!
Key Ingredients Needed for This Recipe
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- Chocolate Kisses: Top these delicious almond cookies with unwrapped chocolate kisses.
*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make These Cookies
Make the Dough: 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.
Chill the Dough: Add the egg and mix it in. Then add the amaretto, almond extract, and vanilla extract and thoroughly mix in. Mix in the dry ingredients just until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
Form and Bake the Cookies: Scoop out the chilled dough and roll it into equal-sized balls using your hands. Roll each ball in the bowl of sprinkles, place it on the prepared cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Add Chocolate and Cool: While the cookies are cooling on the pan, place a chocolate piece on top and gently press down. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Recipe FAQs
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.
Make sure the cookies cool completely before storing them. They will last 4-5 days in a sealed container.
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.
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!
More Holiday Recipes to Try
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Christmas Almond Sugar Cookies
Equipment
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
- 36 choclate kisses, unwrapped
- 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
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Gina Abernathy says
such pretty and festive cookies for the holiday season.
Emily says
Thanks, Gina!
Giangi says
You had me at chop! Delicious recipe for the holidays
Leslie says
Perfect cookie recipe for the Holiday season!
Kay says
Amaretto is my fav spirit! Can't wait to try them out!
Emily says
It's one of my favorites too and it adds great flavor to these cookies!
Kris says
Delicious!
Ramona says
These cookies were really good, exactly as described. Will be making them again.
Emily says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them, Ramona! They will work for other holidays as well, not just Christmas.
Sunrita says
These are such festive looking cookies. Perfect for this season! Love them
Emily says
Thank you, Sunrita!
Raquel says
A new favorite cookie!
Emily says
That makes me so happy to hear!
Sue says
I always know that any cookie dough containing cream cheese is going to be good. But the amaretto and chocolate kiss make these AMAZING!!!!
Emily says
I totally agree, Sue! Cream cheese makes everything better.
Marita says
Hmm... These look delicous. I will make them with the almond extract so my kids can eat them x
Emily says
Your kids are going to love these cookies! My son keeps asking for the pointy chocolate cookies...LOL!
Alyssa Hixenbaugh says
I love amaretto and almond extract! The flavors in these cookies sound fantastic, and they are so pretty too.
Emily says
It's such a perfect combination for the holidays. Thanks, Alyssa!
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
Amaretto and almonds, a perfect combination that reminds me of my time in Italy! Great idea to try for the holidays, thanks for posting this recipe!
Emily says
You are welcome, Mihaela! I need a vacation to Italy and then I will make sure to eat some almond amaretto cookies!! LOL
Jeannie says
😍 perfect holiday cookies that will add as accent on the table. I have not tried baking with alcohol and I dont mind putting some. Thanks for this easy recipe.
Emily says
Jeannie, you are going to love these cookies, and the Amaretto just adds a nice compliment to the almond. Enjoy!