These homemade Linzer cookies are soft, buttery shortbread cookie sandwiches filled with festive fruit preserves and dusted with powdered sugar. They’re easy to make and look amazing on a holiday dessert table!
I love traditional cookie recipes at Christmastime. If you’re craving more nostalgic Christmas cookies, try my homemade Polish kolaczki, classic lemon thumbprint cookies, and these easy Danish butter cookies.
Why I Love This Linzer Cookie Recipe
If you’ve never tried fruit-filled, sugar-dusted Linzer cookies before, you’re in for such a treat. Linzer cookies are assembled like homemade alfajores, another favorite Christmas sandwich cookie. I’ve been eating them forever, at the holidays and beyond! Here’s why I’ve fallen in love with this easy cookie recipe year after year:
- Festive. Linzer cookies are so pretty! They’re delicate shortbread cookies filled with colorful fruit preserves, topped with a snowy, powdered sugar finish. They look great on a cookie plate next to more treats like sugar cookies, classic rugelach, and peanut butter balls.
- Sweet and soft. Biting into a Linzer cookie is always super satisfying. I love the contrast of the crisp, buttery shortbread against the sweet and soft fruit jelly filling.
- Easy ingredients. Even though they look impressive on a dessert table, this is one of my easiest holiday cookie recipes. You can count the ingredients on one hand.
- Adaptable. Linzer cookies are so much fun to make and adapt with different jams and flavors. I change up the filling, add citrus zest, or use flavoring extracts to customize these Christmas cookies in any way that I like.
What Are Linzer Cookies?
Austrian “Linzer Augen” or Linzer Eyes, are shortbread cookie sandwiches with small, round cut-outs (“eyes”) in the upper cookies where the fruit filling peeks through. Linzer cookies are named after the Linzer torte, a pastry filled with preserves and topped with a lattice crust. The main difference between a Linzer cookie and a Linzer torte, aside from the assembly, is that the fruit filling in the cookie is unbaked. These are a perfect Christmas cookie filled with nostalgia, you’re going to love them!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Linzer cookies are similar to shortbread cookies, made from pantry staples like softened butter, flour, and sugar (plus your choice of jam for the filling). These are some quick ingredient notes, and you’ll find a printable ingredients list in the recipe card after the post.
- Butter – Brought to room temperature. I like to bake with salted butter, but unsalted butter is perfectly fine, too.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar works best in shortbread cookie recipes. You could also use light brown sugar like I use for my brown sugar cut-out cookies.
- Vanilla – You could also substitute vanilla extract with almond extract for almond cookies.
- Flour and Salt – Classic Linzer cookie recipes call for almond flour, but I like to use all-purpose for convenience’s sake. I also prefer the texture. If you’d rather use almond flour in your Linzer cookies (like in a traditional torte), consider using ¾ cup of almond flour per 1 cup of regular flour.
- Fruit Preserves – I like to use raspberry or strawberry preserves, but you can fill these Linzer cookies with any jam or fruit filling you’d like. Other good choices are black currant, peach or apricot jam, cherry, and fig preserves. See the Tips section later on for more easy variations.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar, for dusting over the sandwich cookies.
How to Make Linzer Cookies
Even if this is your first time making homemade Linzer cookies, this recipe is foolproof. It does call for chilling the dough, but the steps are quick. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Make the cookie dough. First, you’ll prepare a simple shortbread cookie dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and pop it into the fridge to chill for an hour.
- Roll and cut out the cookies. Now, take out the dough and roll it out to ¼” thickness. Use a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out the dough into 2” rounds. Then, cut a small hole or shape in the center of one-half of the rounds. These will be the tops of your Linzer cookies.
- Chill. Arrange the cut-out cookie dough on a lined baking sheet. Place the whole thing into the freezer while the oven preheats.
- Bake. Afterward, bake the cookies at 350ºF for 18-10 minutes. Finally, cool the cookies on a wire rack.
- Assemble. Line up your solid cookies (without the holes in the centers). Spoon jam preserves over each cookie, and gently press a top cookie over the filling to make a sandwich. Once your Linzer cookies are all assembled, dust the tops with powdered sugar, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Measure the flour correctly. This recipe makes a drier cookie dough, but it should not crumble apart. If your dough is too dry, it could be due to overmeasuring. Make sure that you measure the flour properly using a food scale, or by spooning the flour into the measuring cup before leveling it off. Don’t scoop the flour straight from the bag or you’ll end up with too much flour in the dough.
- Different flavors. Play around with different flavors by adding citrus zest, like lemon or orange zest, or spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to the cookie dough.
- Don’t want to use fruit filling? Try filling your Linzer cookies with Nutella, dulce de leche, peanut butter, or cookie butter instead.
Want to Make Ahead?
Linzer cookie dough is great to make ahead of time. It comes in handy during the busy holiday season! I’ll usually prepare the dough, flatten it into a disc, and wrap it for the fridge as written. Instead of refrigerating, freeze the dough for up to 2 months. Thaw the dough in the fridge and it’ll be firm and chilled to hold the shape of the cookie cutter, just as the recipe asks for.
Storing and Freezing Linzer Cookies
- To store. While the Linzer cookie dough needs to be refrigerated before baking, you can keep the baked and assembled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll last for 3-4 days.
- Freeze. To freeze the finished Linzer cookies, seal them in an airtight container or freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookies on the counter and give them a fresh dusting with powdered sugar before serving.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
Linzer Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chilling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Festive, homemade Linzer cookies are soft, buttery shortbread cookie sandwiches filled with fruit preserves and dusted with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup raspberry or strawberry preserves
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
- Turn mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until just combined.
- Remove the dough, flatten it into a disk and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 10 minutes, to take the chill off.
- Dust a clean counter with flour and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4- inch thick.
- Cut out the dough using a round 2- inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter. In half of the rounds, cut out circle (or shape) in the centers. You can use a small cookie cutter, or even the back of a piping tip.
- Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and place baking sheet in the freezer.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. When the oven is preheated, remove the baking sheet from the freezer and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Transfer the cookie to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, spread about 1 teaspoon of preserves on the bottoms of the solid cookies. Gently press the cut out cookies on top of the preserves.
- Dust all the cookies with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 141
- Sugar: 8.9 g
- Sodium: 32.2 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.5 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 18.3 mg
I am looking forward to making this recipe, could you let me know when I should add the almond extract and how much would be good? thanks!
You would add it the same time as the vanilla extract, and I would start with 1/2 teaspoon
Thank you for a Linzer cookie recipe without nuts. I’ve always wanted to make them but my daughter is allergic to all nuts. We will definitely be adding these to our Christmas cookie list.
Just made this for the 4th of July….a HUGE hit…I will be adding this to my Christmas cookie list..Thank you for such a delicious cookie!
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed them!
This recipe works pretty well, but i did end up adding an egg since my dough was a little crumbly. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!
This recipe is amazing. I followed it except I used almond extract instead of vanilla. They tasted delicious and came out looking beautiful and tasting great. Mine for some reason, we’re golden at 16 mins instead of 18, so I took them out. They were perfect. Must be my oven. Thanks Shelly for the recipe. Jeanne
So glad you liked them!!!
Thank you so much for lovely blog. Linzer Cookies Are A Classic Christmas Cookie Recipe!
Great keep it |
First time making this recipe, followed to a T, and I cannot roll it out it’s so crumbly.
What can I do to save this batch?
Help!
Allow the dough to warm up slightly and it will be great!
Hi Shelly,
I have not done the cookies yet, noticed that your receipy does not have egg. Please let me know if this is correct.
Thanks,
That is correct, no egg!
Hi Shelly,
When you say 40 cookies do you mean 40 sandwiches or 40 individual cookies and 20 sandwiches?
Thank you!
Sandwiches 🙂
Hi Shelly. My dough never came together it was just dry loose crumbs that would not form a dough ball. I threw it back in the mixer and added two eggs. These turned out well in the end but am very Leary of sharing this recipe!
That’s very strange. I have never had that issue ever with this dough and have made it many times! Glad it worked out for you!
Hi Shelly! I just mixed up the dough….or tried to. Is the flour amount correct? It seems like far too much flour and all I have is crumbs that don’t stick together well. I even only gradually added 3 cups. I am looking forward to making these!
I have the same recipe which I absolutely love but could you mean 3/4 lb of butter and not cup?
Oh my goodness, yes! Thanks so much for catching this!! All updated 🙂 1 1/2 cups!
Ok Peggy, I am SO sorry, but I realized I made typo in the recipe that is why you’re experiencing this! It’s 1 1/2 cups of butter, not 3/4 cups. Just let the butter come up to room temp and mix it in and chill the dough to fix yours!