Easy Christmas Linzer Cookies Recipe
Linzer cookies are a timeless holiday favorite. These snowflake linzer cookies are a twist on the classic jam-filled sandwich cookie typically made with almond flour. Rather than using almond flour, I used finely crushed pecans to create soft, buttery, almost crumbly cookies that are filled with jam and sandwiched together. A snowflake cutout on the top cookie showcases the raspberry jam below.
In keeping with tradition, my snowflake linzer cookies are dusted with powdered sugar. It’s almost like a sweet dusting of “snow” over these melt-in-your-mouth linzer cookies. Even if you’ve never made linzer cookies, don’t worry. My easy, straightfoward recipe with lots of details spells it all out out for you. For those linzer tart cookie pros here, feel free to scroll down all the way to the recipe card section and skip my tips, tricks, photos, and chatter.
Ingredients in Raspberry Linzer Cookies
As I mentioned above, I made these linzer cookies without almond flour. They still ave that same buttery, shortbread-esque flavor, but they require no special ingredients. To make these Christmas linzer cookies, which hail from Austria traditionally, you’ll need the follow common fridge and pantry ingredients:
Pecans Salted butter Granulated sugar Confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting Salt Large egg + yolk Vanilla bean paste OR vanilla extract All-purpose flour Raspberry jam OR jam/jelly of choice
How to Make Raspberry Linzer Cookies
To make snowflake linzer cookie dough, follow my easy, straightforward steps: Step 1: Place chopped pecans in a food processor and process until you have pecan flour. Step 2: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, both sugars, salt, and beat together. Step 3: Add the eggs and beat together.
Step 4: Add the vanilla and beat together. Step 5: Add the flour, pecan flour, and stir to incorporate. Step 6: Turn dough out, place it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Rolling Out Linzer Cookie Dough
After you’ve chilled your snowflake linzer cookie dough, you’re ready to proceed with the following steps: Step 1: Roll out the dough to rough ¼-inch thick rectangle.
Step 2: Using a 2 ½-inch scalloped edge cookie cutter, cut 32 cookies.
Step 3: Use a small snowflake cookie cutter to cut snowflakes out of the center of 16 cookies. Tip: You can use another shape cutter like a circle or heart.
Step 4: Place the cookies onto prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 ½ inches of space between each cookie.
Step 5: Bake the cookies and then allow them to cool completely. Step 6: Once the cookies have cooled, spoon 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of jam onto the centers of the whole cookies.
Step 7: Place a snowflake cookie on top of the jam cookies and lightly press them all together. Step 8: Dust with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy!
Can I Substitute Pecans for Another Type of Nut?
Most classic linzer cookie recipes call for almond flour as well as all-purpose flour. I used pecans. Specifically, chopped pecans (love Trader Joe’s for this). Put 1 cup chopped pecans in your food processor and process until you have fine dust. Don’t over-process because you don’t want a paste which is essentially pecan butter. However, 1 cup of hopped walnuts or shelled pistachios would be a great swap for pecans. If you have a nut allergy or don’t want nuts in these cookies, unfortunately these aren’t the cookie for you because nuts of some variety are required.
What Kind of Jam or Jelly Is Best in Linzer Cookies?
Tradtionally, linzer tart cookies were made with black currant jam, which seems to have evolved to using raspberry jam. However, you can use whatever flavor of jam you like. As I did with my Thumbprint Cookies, you can use a mixture of jams such as raspberry, strawberry, and peach or apricot. Linzer cookie recipes tend to call more for jam more often than jelly, but really either are fine. Another classic filling is lemon curd. If you’re a lemon dessert lover, you can also make or buy lemon curd and fill your snowflake linzer cookies with it.
How to Store Linzer Cookies
I prefer to store my raspberry linzer cookies airtight at room temp for up to 1 week. You can also store them in the fridge, although I find the storing baked goods in the fridge tends to dry them out unnecessarily. For lemon curd-filled linzer cookies, you should store them airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can get away with longer, they just may not taste quite as fresh.
Can Linzer Cookies Be Frozen?
Linzer cookies will also keep airtight in the freezer for up to 4 months. However, you will need to dust them with confectioners’ sugar after thawing otherwise it will tend to “disappear” because it will just melt into the cookies as they thaw.
Tips for the Best Linzer Cookies
For anyone who is excited to get ready and make these snowflake linzer cookies that are perfect Christmas cookies, here are some extra tips to help you out:
When measuring the pecans (or almonds, walnuts, or pistachios if using), add 1 cup rough, small-chopped nuts into your food process, process them, and what you end up with is the amount of nut flour you should use. Likely is will be about 3/4 to 7/8 of a cup, but not quite 1 cup since you won’t get 1 cup of nut flour ever, from just 1 cup of nuts. These cookies are best baked cold, so when waiting to rotate pans through the oven, place them into the fridge to keep the cookies from spreading when baking.
If the jam is too thick to spread easily when filling, pop it into the microwave for 15 seconds to make spreadability slightly easier. Use a toothpick to spread it to the points of the snowflakes once the cookies are sandwiched together if desired. Do not worry about covering up the jam with powdered sugar as you’re dusting it on. The powdered sugar melts into the jam after a few minutes, revealing the snowflake shape. This cookie dough freezes well. Wrap it well with plastic wrap or place it in a freezer baggie and freeze it for up to 4 months. When you are ready to bake it, let it set at room temperature for 1 hour before rolling it out.
Enjoy!
More Traditional Christmas Cookie Recipes:
25 Holiday Cookie Favorites – The tried-and-true favorites are all here! If you need a holiday cookie recipe, this collection has you covered!! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
Thumbprint Cookies – These easy thumbprint cookies are tender, buttery, and the 3 different types of jelly turns into chewy little jewels that make these nostalgic family favorite cookies! Great for holiday entertaining, cookie exchanges, showers, or just because! No one can resist the allure of these classic thumbprint cookies!
Classic Gingerbread Cookies – Soft and chewy cutout gingerbread cookies filled with plenty of ginger and warming spices! Decorated with a sweet, soft royal icing and topped with cinnamon candies, these gingerbread men are a nostalgic favorite Christmas cookie that everyone adores!
Glazed Eggnog Cookies — Soft, buttery tea cakes topped with a creamy eggnog glaze are a Christmas treat that everyone will love!! EASY to make, not at all dry, and great for cookie exchanges or hostess gifts!!
Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies – These traditional sugar cookies are just like Grandma used to make!! They’re thin but still soft, topped with a simple 2-ingredient royal icing, and loaded with sprinkles! So festive and perfect for cookies exchanges or hostess gifts!!
Soft and Chewy M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookies – If you’re looking for a new M&M cookie recipe, this is THE ONE! Soft, buttery, and irresistible!!
Soft Frosted Holiday Sprinkles Cookies – Tender, buttery cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and loaded with sprinkles! Easy, no-roll holiday cookies that everyone goes crazy for!
Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!
Santa’s Kitchen Sink Cookies — Santa and everyone else won’t be able to resist these AMAZING cookies loaded with everything but the kitchen sink!! EASY, festive, salty-sweet treats with a FUN ingredients list!!
Chocolate Covered Christmas Oreos – Oreo cookies dipped in chocolate and loaded with sprinkles are an irresistible holiday treat! Fast, EASY, no-bake, can be made in advance! Perfect for cookie exchanges and hostess gifts. Get ready to break out the sprinkles and have fun making and then eating these family favorite Christmas cookies!
