Soft and Sweet Linzer Cookies Recipe tastes like buttery shortbread hugging a bright, jammy center, with a tender bite that almost melts as you chew. It works perfectly for bakers who want a bakery-style cookie in about 1 hour total, including chill time. I first baked these for a neighbor’s holiday party, and they disappeared so fast that I had to hide a few in a container labeled “leftover broccoli.”
Why Make This Soft and Sweet Linzer Cookies Recipe at Home
Homemade Linzer cookies stay softer, taste fresher, and carry way more flavor than store-bought versions. You control the jam, the thickness, and the sweetness, so every cookie tastes exactly how you like it.
You also skip weird additives and use real butter, real vanilla, and your favorite jam. The dough comes together easily in one bowl with a mixer, so even newer bakers can handle it without stress.
“These soft and sweet Linzer cookies taste like a fancy bakery treat, but the recipe felt simple and totally doable at home. ★★★★★”
Ingredients You Need
Dry ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- Use a standard unbleached flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal for consistent texture.
- 1 cup (100 g) finely ground almond flour
- Superfine almond flour works best; avoid coarse almond meal, which can make the cookies gritty.
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Optional, but it adds a warm, cozy flavor that pairs beautifully with jam.
Wet ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
- Use real butter, not margarine; European-style butter gives richer flavor, but standard butter works great.
- 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Use a real vanilla extract, not imitation, for the best flavor.
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- This boosts the nutty flavor; skip it if you prefer a milder taste.
Filling and finishing
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
- You can swap in strawberry, apricot, or blackberry jam; choose a thicker jam so it does not run.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting
- Sift it so it sprinkles evenly and does not clump.
Pantry shortcuts and substitutions
- Use store-bought jam from a brand you already love; I often use Bonne Maman or Smucker’s seedless raspberry.
- If you do not have almond flour, pulse blanched almonds in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of the sugar until very fine, then measure.
- Gluten-free version: swap the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend that includes xanthan gum; keep the almond flour as written.
- Dairy-free version: use a good quality plant-based butter stick that stays firm and not a soft tub spread.
Equipment list
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer with large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl for dry ingredients
- Rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Two cookie cutters: one larger round or fluted cutter (about 2 to 2.5 inches) and a smaller cutter (heart, star, or circle) for the window
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Wire cooling racks
- Fine mesh sieve for dusting powdered sugar
- Small offset spatula or spoon for spreading jam
Tips & Mistakes
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes so the cookies hold their shape and stay tender, not tough.
- Roll the dough to an even thickness, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, so the tops and bottoms bake at the same rate.
- Cut the same number of solid bottoms and window tops; count as you go so you do not end up with extra halves.
- Use cool baking sheets lined with parchment; hot pans can cause spreading and uneven baking.
- Do not overbake; pull the cookies when the edges look just set and pale golden, not brown.
- Dust the tops with powdered sugar before you sandwich them, so the jam stays glossy and clean.
- Stir the jam to loosen it slightly; if it looks runny, chill it for a few minutes so it thickens.
- Let the cookies cool fully before filling, or the jam can melt and slide out.
- Store filled cookies in a single layer or with parchment between layers to prevent sticking.
- Bake a test cookie first if you worry about oven temperature; adjust time by a minute or two as needed.
How to Make Soft and Sweet Linzer Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and cinnamon to a medium bowl. Whisk until everything looks evenly combined and no almond flour clumps remain. Set the bowl aside.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar
Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy and slightly paler in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through so everything mixes evenly.
Step 3: Add egg and extracts
Crack the egg into the butter mixture and add the vanilla and almond extracts. Beat on medium speed until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl again to catch any streaks.
Step 4: Combine wet and dry
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients in two additions. Mix just until the dough comes together and no dry flour shows; stop as soon as it looks uniform. Use a spatula to press any loose bits into the dough so it forms a soft, slightly sticky ball.
Step 5: Chill the dough
Divide the dough into two equal portions and flatten each into a disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours, so the dough firms up and the flavors deepen.
Step 6: Prep the oven and pans
Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Keep one dough disc in the fridge while you roll the other so it stays cool.
Step 7: Roll out the dough
Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Place one dough disc on the surface and roll it out to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Rotate the dough occasionally and dust with a tiny bit more flour if it starts to stick, but keep it minimal so the cookies stay tender.
Step 8: Cut the cookie shapes
Use the larger cookie cutter to cut as many rounds as you can from the rolled dough. Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps, press them together gently, chill for a few minutes if they feel soft, then roll and cut again.
Step 9: Cut the windows
Half of the cookies will become tops. Take those rounds and use the smaller cutter to cut a window in the center of each one. Place the cut-out centers on the baking sheet too; you can bake them as tiny bonus cookies.
Step 10: Chill the cut cookies briefly
Place the baking sheet with the cut cookies in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes. This quick chill helps the shapes stay sharp and keeps the cookies soft. Use this time to roll and cut the second dough disc.
Step 11: Bake the cookies
Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Pull the cookies when the edges look set and just start to turn light golden; the tops should still look pale. The small cut-out centers may finish a minute sooner, so check them early.
Step 12: Cool completely
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 3 to 4 minutes so they firm up slightly. Transfer them carefully to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Step 13: Prep the jam and sugar
While the cookies cool, place the jam in a small bowl and stir until smooth. If the jam looks very loose, chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes so it thickens. Sift the powdered sugar into another bowl so it sprinkles easily.
Step 14: Dust the tops
Separate the solid bottoms and the window tops into two groups. Place the tops on a baking sheet or piece of parchment. Use a fine mesh sieve to dust the tops generously with powdered sugar.
Step 15: Fill and sandwich
Spread about 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of each bottom cookie, leaving a small border around the edge. Gently place a sugared top cookie over each jam-covered bottom and press lightly so the jam spreads to the edges and fills the window. Let the cookies sit for 15 to 20 minutes so the jam sets slightly before serving.
Variations I've Tried
I swap raspberry jam with apricot jam and add a tiny pinch of cardamom to the dough for a softer, slightly spiced version. I also love a chocolate twist: I spread a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut spread on the bottom cookie and a small dollop of raspberry jam in the center. Citrus fans can mix a bit of orange zest into the dough and use strawberry jam for a bright, fruity cookie.
For a nut-free version, I replace the almond flour with an equal amount of all-purpose flour and add a bit more vanilla extract to keep the flavor rich. I also tried a sprinkle of finely chopped toasted almonds on the jam before sandwiching, which gave a nice crunch with the soft cookie.
How to Serve Soft and Sweet Linzer Cookies Recipe
Serve these soft and sweet Linzer cookies on a pretty platter with the cut-out centers piled in the middle as bite-size treats. They pair beautifully with hot chocolate, coffee, black tea, or a cold glass of milk. You can pack them in cookie tins with parchment layers for gifts or party favors. I also like to serve them slightly chilled on warm days so the jam feels cool and the cookies taste extra tender.
How to store
- Store filled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days; keep them in a single layer or separate layers with parchment so they do not stick.
- In the fridge, store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week; let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the texture softens.
- To freeze unbaked dough, wrap each disc tightly in plastic and then in a freezer bag; freeze for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling.
- To freeze baked cookies, freeze the plain cookies (without jam) in a container for up to 2 months, then thaw, dust with sugar, fill with jam, and serve.
- If the cookies feel slightly firm after storage, warm them on a baking sheet in a 275°F (135°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes, then cool before adding jam so they stay soft but not hot.
Soft and Sweet Linzer Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cinnamon (if using). Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour or until firm enough to roll.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter, then use a smaller cutter to remove the centers of half of the cookies for the tops.
- Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheets and chill for 10 minutes to help them keep their shape.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, dust the cutout tops generously with powdered sugar.
- Spread about 1 teaspoon of jam on the flat side of each solid cookie bottom, then gently press a dusted cookie top onto each one to form sandwiches.
- Let the cookies rest for at least 30 minutes so the jam can set slightly before serving.
Notes
Approximate per 1 cookie (1 of 24): 150 calories; fat 8 g; saturated fat 5 g; carbohydrates 18 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 9 g; protein 2 g; sodium 65 mg. Values will vary based on exact ingredients, jam type, and portion size.
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