Introduction

Almond Crescent Cookies are delicate, buttery treats with a subtle almond flavor and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a simple afternoon snack, these cookies are dusted with confectioners’ sugar for an elegant finish.

A round wire cooling rack holds about a dozen crescent-shaped cookies, each covered with a thick layer of white powdered sugar, giving them a soft, powdery texture that contrasts with their light golden-brown base. The cookies are arranged in a loose pile at the center of the rack. Around the cookies, whole almonds with a rich brown color and smooth texture are scattered on the white marbled surface, adding a warm touch of natural color to the scene. The photo is bright and clean, highlighting the soft powder on the cookies and the simple, rustic presentation photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

⅔ cup (95 g) whole almonds, blanched*
½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
⅓ cup (42 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (104 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (62.5 g) confectioners’ sugar, for rolling and dusting

Instructions

Step 1: Pulse almonds into coarse sand. Add the almonds to a food processor and pulse until very finely ground, resembling coarse sand but not a paste. You should have about ½ cup of ground almonds.
Step 2: Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Then mix in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and kosher salt.
Step 3: Add flour gradually to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
Step 4: Fold in the ground almonds gently; avoid overmixing. If the dough feels dry or crumbly, knead lightly with your hands until it comes together.
Step 5: Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour to make it easier to shape.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 7: Shape dough into crescent shapes. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and shape each into a 2-inch crescent. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. You should get approximately 17 cookies.
Step 8: Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden but the tops remain pale.
Step 9: Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. While still slightly warm, gently roll each cookie in the remaining confectioners’ sugar.
Step 10: Once fully cooled, dust the cookies with a second layer of confectioners’ sugar before serving for a beautiful finish.

Tips & Variations

For a more intense almond flavor, toast the almonds lightly before grinding.
You can substitute blanched almonds with almond flour if pressed for time, but the texture will be slightly different.
Try adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough for a warm spice variation.

Storage

Store the Almond Crescent Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months. When reheating, let the cookies come to room temperature naturally to preserve their delicate texture.

How to Serve

The image shows about twenty crescent-shaped cookies arranged loosely on a white marbled surface, each cookie covered with a light dusting of white powdered sugar that gives a soft, textured look. The cookies are pale golden-brown with a slightly crumbly texture visible under the powdered sugar. One cookie near the top has a bite taken from it, revealing a crumbly inside. There is powdered sugar scattered around the cookies, with a small black bowl filled with more powdered sugar placed in the bottom left corner. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use raw almonds instead of blanched almonds?

Yes, but blanched almonds are preferred for a smoother texture and a lighter color in the cookies. Using raw almonds may result in a slightly coarser texture and darker color.

How do I prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking?

Make sure the dough is well chilled before shaping and baking. Cold dough holds its shape better and reduces spreading in the oven.

Almond Crescent Cookies Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.4 from 69 reviews

These Almond Crescent Cookies are delicate, buttery treats with a tender crumb and a subtle nutty flavor. Ground almonds are folded into a smooth, mildly sweet dough flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, then shaped into crescent moons and baked until just golden. Finished with a generous dusting of confectioners’ sugar, these cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings or as an elegant everyday snack.

Author: Kai
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 17 cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

Nut Base

⅔ cup (95 g) whole almonds, blanched

Cookie Dough

½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
⅓ cup (42 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (104 g) all-purpose flour

For Dusting

½ cup (62.5 g) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Pulse almonds into coarse sand. Add the blanched almonds to a food processor and pulse until very finely ground, resembling coarse sand rather than a paste, yielding about ½ cup of ground almonds.
Beat butter and sugar. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the unsalted butter and ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Mix in extracts and salt. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and kosher salt to the creamed butter mixture and mix until combined.
Add flour gradually. Slowly add the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
Fold in ground almonds. Gently fold the ground almonds into the dough, taking care not to overmix. If the dough seems dry or crumbly, knead lightly with your hands until it holds together.
Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour to make it easier to shape.
Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape dough into crescents. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and shape each piece into a 2-inch crescent. Space them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. This recipe makes approximately 17 cookies.
Bake the cookies. Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden but the tops stay pale.
Cool and roll in sugar. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While still slightly warm, gently roll each cookie in the ½ cup confectioners’ sugar to coat.
Dust again after cooling. Once the cookies are completely cooled, dust them with a second layer of confectioners’ sugar before serving for a beautiful snowy finish.

Notes

Blanching almonds removes the skins for a smoother texture and color; if you buy pre-blanched almonds, you can skip this step.
Do not overmix the dough after adding flour and almonds to keep the cookies tender.
Chilling the dough is essential for easy shaping and better cookie texture.
Cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend.

Keywords: almond crescent cookies, buttery cookies, nut cookies, holiday cookies, easy almond cookies, crescent shaped cookies