Almendrados (Spanish Almond Cookies)

Written by
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
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Lisa & Tony Sierra
Updated 09/26/19
Easy Spanish almond cookies recipe

The Spruce / Katarina Zunic
  • Total: 25 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yield: 24 to 30 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
133 Calories
9g Fat
12g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24 to 30 servings
Amount per serving
Calories 133
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 13mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Protein 4g
Calcium 44mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The Spanish have used almonds in desserts and sauces or centuries. Everything from St. James cake and bienmesabe (Spanish almond cream) to polvorones and panellets cookies.

Almendrados are Spanish almond cookies, which are very simple to make and make a light, sweet dessert or snack. Many Spanish prepare them at Christmas, too. Egg whites are beaten to a stiff peak, then sugar, egg yolks, and ground almonds are mixed together and baked.

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 pound almonds (ground)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 360 F/180 C degrees.

    Ingredients for Spanish almond cookies
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  2. Zest the lemon, avoiding the white part of the peel because it is bitter.

    Zest lemon
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  3. Separate the yolks from the egg whites. In a small glass or ceramic mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to a stiff peak.

    Separate yolks
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  4. Place the egg whites into a medium mixing bowl and gently stir in the egg yolks. (No need to mix thoroughly).

    Place egg whites in bowl
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  5. Add the granulated sugar, lemon zest, ground almonds, and optionally the cinnamon, mixing thoroughly.

    Add lemon zest
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  6. Using your hands, shape the cookies into mounds or pyramids and place on a greased cookie sheet, or one covered in ​parchment paper.

    Shape cookies
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  7. Bake in ​an oven on center rack for approximately 15 minutes until cookies turn a golden color.

    Bake in an oven
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  8. Remove from oven and gently loosen the cookies using a spatula. Do this quickly because if they cool on the sheet, they will harden and become too brittle to remove. Cool them on a rack.

    Remove from the oven
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic

  9. Serve and enjoy or store in a tightly covered container or tin.

    Serve and enjoy
    The Spruce / Katarina Zunic