Almond Cherry Macaroon Cookies (Amaretti all’Amarena)
Last Updated on February 27, 2026 by Kiersten James
Soft and chewy almond cherry macaroon cookies made with almond paste and maraschino cherries – flourless and naturally gluten-free.
These are the almond cookies you see in Italian bakeries with the bright red cherry pressed into the center. They’re soft, chewy, fragrant, and unmistakably almond.
Technically, they’re called macaroons, but not the coconut kind. In Italian bakeries, these are also known as amaretti all’amarena – almond paste cookies topped with cherry.
If you already make my pignoli cookies, these will feel very familiar. It’s the same exact dough, just shaped differently and finished with cherries instead of pine nuts.
When I make these, I always do a double or triple batch and turn half into pignoli cookies and half into these almond cherry macaroons. They look beautiful together on a platter and freeze perfectly for later.
Why You’ll Love These Almond Cherry Macaroon Cookies
- Classic Italian bakery-style almond cookies
- Soft and chewy, not dry or crunchy
- Naturally gluten-free (no flour)
- Same dough as pignoli cookies – one mix, two cookies
- Not overly sweet, thanks to maraschino cherries instead of candied fruit
Macaroons vs Amaretti
These are macaroons in the original sense of the word – almond paste cookies made with sugar and egg whites.
They’re not coconut macaroons, and they’re definitely not French macarons.
In Italian bakeries, you’ll often see these labeled as amaretti, especially when topped with cherry. Calling them “Almond Cherry Macaroon Cookies” helps keep things clear for folks who aren’t familiar with the Italian names.
Ingredient Overview:
Almond Paste: This is the most important ingredient. Use a reputable brand that isn’t overloaded with sugar. Cheap almond paste will make the dough loose, overly sweet, and hard to pipe.
Good almond paste should be:
Sugar: You don’t need much. The almond paste already contains sugar, which is why candied cherries tend to push these over the edge, sweetness-wise.
Egg Whites: Enough to bind the dough and give it that classic chewy interior.
Maraschino Cherries: I use jarred maraschino cherries, cut in half. Candied cherries are too sweet here, especially combined with almond paste. The maraschino cherry adds color and moisture without overwhelming the cookie.
Texture & Flavor:
These are extremely chewy. Not cakey or crisp.
They explode with almond flavor and leave a beautiful bakery aroma in the kitchen long after they’ve cooled.
If you place them among checkerboard icebox cookies, cream cheese thumbprints, and raspberry-filled Italian butter cookies, they anchor the platter.
Every Italian cookie tray needs them.
How to Make Almond Cherry Macaroon Cookies
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 pound almond paste
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 15 marachino cherries, drained and cut in half
Make The Dough:
Preheat oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add the almond paste and sugar to a food processor. Blend until the mixture looks like damp sand and no large chunks remain.
Add the egg whites. Blend again until a thick, smooth paste forms.
The dough will be very wet and sticky – more like a thick batter than traditional cookie dough.
Scrape the dough into a bowl. Trying to scoop directly from the food processor bowl is super awkward and frustrating, especially when doubling or tripling the batch.
Pipe:
Spoon 1/3 of the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Pipe cookies into rosettes about 1 1/2″ wide, spacing them about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
Press one half of a maraschino cherry into the center of each cookie.
Bake + REST:
Bake at 325°F on the middle rack for about 20 minutes, then move the pan to the upper rack and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly golden.
Pale with lightly golden edges is correct. They should feel set but still soft in the center – overbaking will dry them out.
Remove from the oven and slide the parchment onto a rack to cool completely. Once fully cool, gently peel the cookies off the parchment or use a metal spatula. These are delicate and sticky while warm.
Storage & Freezing:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Freeze fully baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Almond Cherry Macaroon Cookies (Amaretti all’Amarena)
Soft and chewy almond cherry macaroon cookies made with almond paste and maraschino cherries - flourless and naturally gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 pound almond paste
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites
- 15 marachino cherries, drained and cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the almond paste and sugar to a food processor.
- Blend until the mixture looks like damp sand and no large chunks remain.
- Add the egg whites. Blend again until a thick, smooth paste forms. The dough will be very wet and sticky - more like a thick batter than traditional cookie dough.
- Scrape the dough into a bowl. Trying to scoop directly from the food processor bowl is super awkward and frustrating, especially when doubling or tripling the batch.
- Spoon 1/3 of the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
- Pipe cookies into rosettes about 1 1/2" wide, spacing them about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Press one half of a maraschino cherry into the center of each cookie.
- Bake at 325°F on the middle rack for about 20 minutes, then move the pan to the upper rack and bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly golden. Pale with lightly golden edges is correct. They should feel set but still soft in the center - overbaking will dry them out.
- Remove from the oven and slide the parchment onto a rack to cool completely. Once fully cool, gently peel the cookies off the parchment or use a metal spatula. These are delicate and sticky while warm.
Storage & Freezing:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Freeze fully baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
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