Almond crescent cookies, with their delicate almond flavor, crumbly shortbread texture, and sweet powdered sugar coating, are a holiday classic. But honestly, they’re so delicious, they should be enjoyed year-round! This recipe is super easy with just one bowl, and the chill time is quick too!

One of my friend, Fiona, shared this: “These are excellent! I followed the recipe exactly. I made them twice, and the second time I toasted the almonds like you suggested. They were even better! Great recipe—this is now my go-to! ★★★★★”

These cookies, shaped like little moons and dusted with powdered sugar, are totally a familiar sight around the holidays. But their buttery, nutty flavor and snow-white coating make them a staple in Italian baking. While there are tons of ways to make almond crescent cookies, this recipe is the one I tested and perfected. It might not be the most traditional, but trust me, it hits all the right notes!

Almond Crescent Cookies Recipe Breakdown:

• Texture: Think snowball cookies—soft and crumbly, with no eggs or leavening agents. The sweet powdered sugar coating melts in your mouth, revealing a sandy, crumbly interior.
• Flavor: We’re using vanilla and almond extracts to give these cookies that perfect, buttery flavor.
• Ease: This is a super simple, one-bowl recipe. You’ll need an electric mixer to make it come together, and shaping the cookies into crescents is the only slightly tricky part.
• Time: The dough needs to chill for just 30 minutes before baking (pretty quick for cookies!), and the cookies need to cool completely before you coat them in powdered sugar.

These cookies are the perfect match for a hot mug of coffee, tea, or cocoa. They’re a classic “tea cookie” that pairs well with just about anything warm!

Key Ingredients & Why You Need Them:

• Butter: Creamed butter is the base of these shortbread-style cookies.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness. I’ve found that using powdered sugar in the dough can make the cookies too dry, so granulated is the way to go.
• Vanilla & Almond Extracts: These add so much flavor, especially if you’re using homemade vanilla extract. Don’t skip the almond extract—it’s crucial for the signature taste of these cookies.
• Flour: This gives the cookies their structure.
• Cornstarch: A little bit of cornstarch keeps these cookies from getting too hard and crumbly. It’s not a traditional ingredient, but it really helps with the texture.
• Ground Almonds: Grind raw sliced almonds in a food processor until they’re finely chopped but still a bit gritty. This gives the cookies that almond flavor you crave.
• Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: After baking, you roll the cooled cookies in powdered sugar for that perfect snowy finish. The cookies themselves aren’t too sweet, so the sugar adds a lovely sweetness.

This recipe is egg-free!

Can I Use Almond Flour?

I highly recommend grinding up your own almonds for that coarse, gritty texture. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop sliced almonds as finely as you can with a sharp knife. If you’re in a pinch, you can use store-bought coarse almond meal, but don’t use fine almond flour—it won’t work the same way, and your cookies will turn out dry.

Expect a Crumbly Dough:

The dough comes together easily in just one bowl. It’s super thick, and at first, it might seem like it’s not going to form, but trust me—it will! Just keep mixing, and you’ll see the dough come together beautifully.

Once you’ve got your dough ready, scoop out tablespoon-sized portions, and shape them into crescent shapes with your hands. Don’t worry about them being perfect—they’ll still taste amazing!

Chill the shaped cookies for at least 30 minutes (up to a day) to help them hold their shape before baking.

Let them cool completely, then roll each cookie in powdered sugar. Make sure they’re fully cooled before you do this, or the sugar will just melt into the cookies!

3 Tips for Success:

1. Room-temperature butter: This is key! If your butter is too soft, the dough won’t hold up, and the cookies will spread too much, tasting greasy.
2. Let them cool completely: If you roll them in powdered sugar while they’re still warm, the sugar will melt, and you’ll need to coat them again after they cool.
3. Use ground almonds, not almond flour: Ground almonds give the best texture for these cookies.

Almond Crescent Cookie Variations:

While these cookies are already perfect as-is, here are a few fun twists to try:

• Citrus Zest: Add a tablespoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest for a bright, zesty flavor.
• Different Nuts: Swap the almonds for ground pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts. You can even toast the nuts first for extra flavor (just pop them in a 300°F oven for about 8 minutes). Don’t forget the almond extract, though, even if you’re using a different nut!
• Chocolate: Drizzle the cooled cookies with melted chocolate or dip one end in chocolate and top it with sliced almonds before it sets. Delicious!