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These Vanilla Almond Smash Cookies are my favorite kind of Christmas cookies – they’re easy to make and don’t require decorating.
These powdered sugar cookies have a flaky, crumbly texture with a mildly sweet, nutty flavor and a totally intoxicating vanilla scent.
They are reminiscent of the beloved Russian tea cakes, also known as almond snowball cookies or Mexican wedding cookies. This classic Christmas cookie has a texture similar to buttery shortbread cookies and, like shortbread, contains no eggs.
When the holiday season arrives, they’re always one of the first batches I bake.
They’ve always been my mom’s favorite Christmas cookie, and they’re definitely my favorite cookies to have with coffee or tea! And they’re a great addition to any Christmas cookie tray.
Ingredients
With only six simple ingredients, these almond Christmas cookies will be ready for enjoying in no time. Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour. Although I have not tested this recipe using gluten free flour, you should be okay using a one-to-one gluten free flour blend.
- Unsalted butter. Be sure to start with room temperature butter, always.
- Almonds. For best results, use slivered almonds. They will be easier to grind. If you can’t find slivered almonds, whole almonds can be substituted. You’ll just need to process them longer.
- Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla extract
How to make this powdered sugar cookie recipe
Process the Almonds
You’ll need a food processor and a mixer for these cookies. Either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer will work.
First, pulse the almonds in a food processor until they’re nice and fine. Be sure not to overprocess the nuts or you’ll end up with almond butter.
Combine the almonds with remaining ingredients
Then, place the ground almonds into a large bowl and beat them together with the butter, sugar and vanilla. The flour goes in last.
Now, form the dough into balls the size of golf balls. You’ll bake them that way at first.
Smash the cookies midway through the baking process
If you left these cookies as balls, they’d be very similar to almond snowball cookies. But trust me – the smash is where it’s at.
A few minutes before they’re finished baking, pull the cookies out of the oven and smash them down with a fork. A few more minutes in the oven, post-smash, will finish them off.
The cookies will still appear pale in color, but if you check the bottoms, they should be golden brown. That’s how you’ll know that they’re done.
Coat the cookies in powdered sugar
Allow the cookies to cool completely before you coat them in the powdered sugar. The best way to get powdered sugar to stick to the cookies is to coat them not once, but twice, in the powdered sugar.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Can you Make these cookies ahead of time?
Making these powdered sugar cookies ahead of time will make your busy holiday season easier! Here are two make ahead options:
1. Make the dough ahead of time. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Because the dough is so crumbly, be sure to allow it to come to room temperature before forming it into balls and baking. It will be easier to work with when it’s warmer.
2. Make the cookies ahead of time. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
How to Store Vanilla Almond Smash Cookies
Storing these perfect Christmas cookies is easy!
Because there is no frosting or any decorations, you won’t need to worry about storing them in a single layer. Feel free to stack them in an airtight container or freezer bag for storage. They will stay fresh at room temperature for up to one week.
If you’d like to keep them for longer, store them in the freezer. Allow the cookies to thaw at room temperature before enjoying them again.
When you make these Vanilla Almond Smash Cookies, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more Christmas cookie recipes, try these:
For more anytime cookie recipes, try these:
- Best Snickerdoodle Cookies (Crumbl Copycat)
- Lemon Shortbread Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (No Butter Recipe)
Vanilla Almond Smash Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 sticks of unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups slivered almonds
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Pulse the almonds in a food processor until fine. Do not overprocess. Transfer almonds to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter, sugar and vanilla and beat together on medium speed. (Alternatively, do this part with an electric hand mixer).
- Stir in the flour until combined. Form the dough into balls the size of golf balls. Place cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake cookies for 12 minutes, then remove from oven.
- Using the back of a fork, smash the cookies down, making a crisscross pattern. Return to the oven and bake another 2-4 minutes, until slightly golden on the bottom.
- Transfer cookies from the cookie sheet to a wire rack. Place confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl. Once cooled, dip the cookies in powdered sugar to coat both sides. Tap off the excess sugar and dip them again to coat both sides.
Are the almonds meant to be processed into almond flour or to be coarser than what is commercially available? If so can you provide either the weight of the slivered almonds or what the equivalent almond flour measure might be?
Hi Elizabeth! You want to process the slivered almonds until they’re finer, but not as fine as flour. They should have a sandy texture. The 2 cups of slivered almonds that the recipe calls for should equal about 12 ounces. Hope this helps 🙂
Can I substitute walnuts for almonds?
Hi Donna! I have not tested this recipe using walnuts, but I imagine it would be fine to swap them in for almonds. Let me know how it goes!