Almond Sugar Cookies

frosted sugar cookie with bite out of it on top of second cookie.

These buttery, soft almond sugar cookies are quick, easy, with the best flavor and texture! They’re bite-sized and perfect for any occasion.Frost them with our simple almond icing or our fluffy almond buttercream frosting,

Course Cookies

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Additional Time 10

Total Time 35

Servings cookies

Calories 185.8

Author Alyssa--In Fine Taste

Ingredients

Almond Sugar Cookies

1 cup room temperature butter salted or unsalted (226 grams)
¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (280 grams)
½ teaspoon baking powder

Almond Icing (Your choice use icing or buttercream)

2 cups powdered sugar (218 grams)
1 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons water
Sliced almonds for decoration, optional

Almond Buttercream Frosting

½ cup room temperature (salted or unsalted) (113 grams)
½ teaspoon vanilla
½-1 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
2 cups powdered sugar (218 grams)
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream can substitute milk or half and half
Sliced almonds for decoration, optional

Instructions

Almond Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat. Add butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and almond extract to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix on high for 2-3 minutes until mixture has paled in color and looks light and fluffy.
1 cup room temperature butter, 1 teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla , ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup granulated sugar
Add dry ingredients—cornstarch, baking powder, and flour. Mix on low until a soft dough forms. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl making sure there are no pockets of flour.
2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder
Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Place on baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of your palm or the flat bottom of a measuring cup. Leave about 1 ½ inches of space between cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing or frosting.

Almond Icing

Add powdered sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Give it a good whisk to get out any lumps. Then add salt, almond extract, and water to powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth.
2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract, Pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons water
If the icing is too thick add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until desired thickness is desired. If icing is too runny, add an additional ¼ cup of powdered sugar at time until icing is thick enough. You want the icing to be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough it won’t run off the cookies.
Once cookies are cool, use a spoon to carefully spoon the icing on in the center of the cookie, using the spoon to gently encourage the icing to the edges. Top with sliced almonds, if desired.
Sliced almonds

Almond Buttercream Frosting

Add butter, vanilla, almond extract, salt, and half the powdered sugar. Use a hand mixer and mix until smooth. Add the other half of the powdered sugar and cream and mix on high for 3-4 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
½ cup room temperature, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½-1 teaspoon almond extract, Pinch of salt, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
Add frosting to a piping bag and pipe a swirl of frosting on top of the cookies, or you can use a knife or offset spatula to frost the cookies.
Decorate with sliced almonds.
Sliced almonds

Notes

Don’t Over Bake. Over baked cookies will be dry and crumbly instead of soft with that melt-in-your-mouth feel. When checking on the sugar cookies before you pull them out, look at the center of the cookies. They might look slightly under done, but they won’t look shiny/oily in the center. Remember: they cookies will continue to cook at set from the residual heat of the pan as they cool.

Nutrition