Bitterkoekjes Recipe {Dutch Almond Macaroons}

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

Enter your email below and we will send it straight to your inbox. Plus you will get great new recipes from us every week!

A plate of round, golden bitterkoekjes sits on a red plaid cloth, with a ceramic snowman decoration blurred in the background.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

4.35 from 70 votes

Bitterkoekjes Recipe {Dutch Almond Macaroons}

Bitterkoekjes are almond macaroons with a crisp exterior and a soft center. This macaroons recipe is made with almond paste and without coconut. A Dutch treat that my husband's family devours on Christmas Day!

Prep Time10

Cook Time11

Total Time21

Calories: 7361kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

2.3 lb. almond paste
7 egg whites
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Combined room temperature almond paste with egg whites in mixing bowl until mixed well. Add granulated sugar, mix well. Slowly add powdered sugar one cup at a time.
Drop the macaroons on to parchment paper using a #40 ice cream scoop and slightly flatten the tops of the cookies with a damp finger.
Bake at 340º for 11 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom and the tops have set and stopped bubbling. Cool on baking tray for five minutes. Slide parchment off of tray on to cooling rack, and then put cookies on the cooling rack in the freezer for five minutes before removing the cookies from the parchment.

Notes

Scoop Size Matters: A #40 ice cream scoop yields perfectly uniform cookies that are approximately 1.6 ounces each, ensuring even baking and professional-looking results.

Underbaked Appearance: The cookies will appear slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven - this is correct. They'll continue to set as they cool and develop that ideal chewy texture.

Cooling Process: Don't skip the cooling steps: five minutes on the tray, then five minutes in the freezer on the parchment. This process is key to removing the cookies without breakage.

Temperature Tip: The egg whites should be at room temperature to blend more easily with the almond paste. Cold egg whites won't incorporate as smoothly into the mixture.

Cracked Tops: These cookies naturally develop characteristic cracks on top during baking - this is a sign of authentic bitterkoekjes and adds to their rustic, homemade charm.

Nutrition