These almond paste cookies, German Mandelhörnchen or almond horns, are almond-flavored cookies that are dipped in chocolate. They’re dense, chewy and can be made weeks ahead of time! They can be made with or without almond paste and with or without a food processor. They’re also naturally gluten-free and have paleo and vegan options.
This recipe comes from the German equivalent of Allrecipes, which is called Chefkoch. I made a few changes, like using vanilla extract in place of lemon juice, adding vanilla extract and adding salt, but other than that, it’s the original German recipe.
I thought I’d start my post with that tidbit because there’s another blogger (or actually, several) who used the Chefkoch recipe in her post. But she didn’t credit Chefkoch and I don’t want people to think I copied this other blogger. It’s the most popular and highly-reviewed recipe when you google Mandelhörnchen, so it’s the one I used.
Anyway. I personally find German cookies to be quite bland. Yes, they use less fat and less sugar than American cookies but the trade-off is less flavor.
But with the almond/vanilla extracts and the chocolate, these are some super flavorful cookies. They’re also not low in sugar. The result is definitely my favorite German cookie recipe!
And I think they’re quite impressive looking. I’m guessing that a tray of these cookies along with my other almond paste cookies, these pignoli cookies, would be the hit of any cookie exchange (which I guess aren’t really happening this year, but hopefully next!). These chewy gingerbread cookies, molasses cookies and peanut butter cookies would also be a great addition.
What are German Almond Horn Cookies?
They’re crescent-shaped, almond paste-based cookies that are covered in sliced almonds. The ends are dipped in chocolate.
They’re dense, perfectly chewy and similar to marzipan cookies. You can find them all over Germany, and they’re especially popular for Christmas. I’ll be making them and these Gluten Free Linzer Cookies for my gift bags this year!
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Should I use a food processor?
I tested this recipe with and without one. It’s certainly quicker and easier with one.
But there’s no need to worry should you not have one. It only takes a few minutes more to do it by hand.
If you’re looking to buy one, this Ninja Foodi has a container that you can use to make super creamy nut butter, and another one that works more like a regular food processor. I recently got one (April 2023), and it works great for this cookie recipe.
With or without almond paste
Like the pignoli cookies, this recipe can be made with this homemade almond paste recipe, with store-bought almond paste or you can make the version without almond paste, which you find in the notes below the recipe.
The version without almond paste uses exactly the same ingredients and amounts as the version with the almond paste. It’s just that you combine them all at once instead of making almond paste first. I hope that makes sense!
If you use store-bought almond paste, you need 1 package. If you use homemade, then you need 1/2 of the batch.
The almond paste recipe calls for 1 egg white, so you, unfortunately, can’t just make a half batch of the almond paste. Or, well, you can, but then you need to measure out 16 grams of egg white. It’s not that hard and something I’ve done countless times recently but still, a bit of a pain.
It’s better to just make the whole batch of almond paste and then freeze the rest for later.
The version without almond paste
If you go the almond paste route, you’d need 1 1/2 eggs whites to make the cookies from scratch. That’s also annoying to measure and you’d be leftover with 1 1/2 egg yolks. So for the almond paste-less version, I used 1 egg + 1 egg yolk and used the leftover egg white to brush over the cookies.
That helps the almonds stick. It worked great! You don’t need nearly the whole egg white, so you’ll still be leftover with some egg white, but at least the measurements are easy.
The paleo version
For the paleo version, you make the almond paste-free version, and just use coconut sugar in place of the powdered sugar. And the texture is just as good! They’re wonderfully chewy.
I do recommend using a little more almond extract, though. Like I said in the pignoli cookie recipe, I was surprised that coconut sugar works well in an almond-flavored recipe. But a little extra almond extract helps.
The coconut sugar version is less sweet than the powdered sugar version. I used just 1/2 cup (100 grams) of coconut sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups (168 grams) powdered sugar in the regular version.
But they don’t really taste all that less sweet than the regular version. I would say that they’re an excellent paleo Christmas cookie option! As are these chai spiced cookies, paleo gingerbread men cookies and paleo double chocolate cookies.
Because coconut sugar is so much darker than powdered sugar, the cookies are much darker in color. Here’s what the paleo version looks like. I hadn’t intended on taking photos and don’t care what our cookies look like so pardon the terrible looking cookies and photos.
A vegan version
I was about to hit publish when I figured it wasn’t very nice of me to not offer a vegan option. I had thought it was pointless to even try.
But I just tried with chia eggs and it worked perfectly. In the almond paste-free version and the paleo version.
I didn’t bother brushing the tops of the crescents with chia eggs because I didn’t think it was needed. The dough was stickier than the other non-vegan versions and this allowed the sliced almonds to stick to the dough.
Without the egg white wash, the cookies are more fragile but super tasty and the texture just the same.
A perfect make-ahead or send in the mail cookie
One really great thing about these cookies is that they last for several weeks. So if you want to send cookies in the mail or give these to your mailman but you don’t know when you’ll see him next (our current situation!), this is your recipe.
And they’re not fragile, even with the almonds. Sure, some almonds might break but the cookies themselves are very sturdy. I’m not sure about sending the vegan version, though, since they’re not as sturdy.
While you’re at it, these candied almonds and candied pecans would also be a great treat to send in the mail.
A few notes on the ingredients
Make sure to use finely ground blanched almond flour. I recommend this one from Bob’s Red Mill because it’s very finely ground. If you don’t use one that’s finely ground, your dough will be sticky and hard to manage and the cookies will spread too much.
Also, note that almond flour may be called ground almonds in your country. You don’t want to use deoiled/defatted almond flour, which is what ‘almond flour’ is in the UK, Germany and several other countries outside of the US.
If you live outside of the US, weigh your eggs. 30-32 grams is the correct amount for 1 egg white. In Germany, I always use medium eggs in place of large eggs if the recipe is from the US.
In the US, a large egg = 50 grams and in Germany, a medium egg = 50 grams. So weigh those eggs! And don’t worry – my recipes are written for a US audience. So when I say large egg, I mean a US large egg.
Read the questions section below if you’re thinking of making any changes at all to the recipe. :)
Substitution questions about these almond paste cookies?
- Can I use marzipan instead of almond paste?
No, as it’s a different product. They’re pretty similar so it could work, but I wouldn’t want anyone to waste their expensive ingredients to find out!
I wrote about the differences between marzipan and almond paste in my almond paste recipe so go read that out if you’re interested. - Can I use something other than almond flour?
Regular wheat flour or a gluten-free baking mix will definitely not work. Another nut flour/meal might work but I haven’t tried it.
I’m pretty sure that the cookies will spread more as other types of nut flours aren’t as finely ground as almond flour (at least in my experience). - Can I use something instead of powdered sugar?
If you want to use coconut sugar, make the paleo version. Liquid sweeteners won’t work (I’ve tried). I haven’t tried making a keto version but think that could possibly work if you have a good 1:1 sub for powdered sugar.
- Can I reduce the granulated sugar?
They’re not overly sweet so I wouldn’t recommend it. If you reduce it, they’ll be less sturdy and more cakey.
- How can I replace the eggs?
I’ve only tried these with chia eggs and they worked great. Other egg subs might work but I haven’t tried them so I can’t say for sure.
You need to make the almond paste-free version, use chia eggs in the dough and omit the egg wash (see notes below the recipe for the vegan version). - Can I use something instead of almonds?
You can use whatever type of nut you’d like to coat the cookies. But since they have a strong almond flavor, I went with almonds.
If you want to use a different type of nut, you could make the almond paste-free version, use more vanilla extract in place of the almond extract and then you wouldn’t have a strong almond flavor. It’d probably be very subtle.
If you give these almond paste cookies a try, let me know how they turn out for you!
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Almond Paste Cookies - German Almond Horns
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 17 cookies
For the paleo and version without almond paste, see the notes below the recipe.
Ingredients
- one 7-ounce pack of almond paste or 1/2 batch homemade almond paste
- 1 cup (100 grams) blanched almond flour (ground almonds in the UK)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract2
- 1 cup (100 grams) powdered sugar3
- 1 large (32 grams) egg white4
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large (32 grams) egg white
- 1 cup (100 grams) sliced almonds
- 2/3 cup (113 grams) chopped semi-sweet chocolate, melted (I used Enjoy Life for dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Dough:1
On the outside:
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Break up the almond paste into about 2" chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Add the remaining dough ingredients and pulse until a dough forms. It'll be sticky but workable.
- Break up the almond paste into about 2" chunks. Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. You can use a hand mixer or your hands to get it all combined. It'll be sticky but workable.
- Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl (big enough to dip dough logs in).
- Form about a 1.5" (24-gram / 20-gram for paleo) ball and roll into a little log.
- Beat the egg white a little with a fork and brush egg white all over the cookie.
- Dip the cookie into the sliced almonds.
- Form into a crescent shape. Place them about 2" apart on the baking sheet. They'll puff up quite a bit.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, combine the melted chocolate + coconut oil in a small bowl.
- Dip the ends of each cookie in the chocolate. Place back on a parchment-lined sheet and let them harden completely. I put them in the fridge for 30 minutes and that does the job.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 weeks. They can also be frozen for several months.
If using a food processor:
If not using a food processor:
Notes
- If making the version without almond paste, this is your dough recipe:
– 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (213 grams) blanched almond flour (ground almonds in the UK)
– 1 1/2 cups (168 grams) powdered sugar (sifted if lumpy)
– 1 large (50 grams, out of shell) egg
– 1 large egg yolk (18 grams)
– 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
– 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
– 1/8 teaspoon salt
Put everything together in a food processor bowl fitted with an S-blade and pulse until a dough forms. It'll be sticky but workable. To make it without a food processor, put the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir and then add the dry ingredients. You can use a hand mixer or a big spoon and then use your hands to get it all combined. It'll be sticky but workable. Continue to Step 4 above. - Or more vanilla if you don't want a very obvious almond flavor
- For the paleo version: Use the above dough recipe except use 1/2 cup very tightly packed cup (100 grams) coconut sugar in place of the powdered sugar AND use 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract and 3/4 teaspoon almond extract instead of the amounts in the recipe above. Make sure to use paleo chocolate.
- For a vegan version, make the above homemade version without almond paste. Use 1.5 chia eggs in place of the egg in the recipe. You need 1.5 tablespoons ground chia seeds + 4.5 tablespoons water. Mix together until gloopy like an egg. Omit the egg white used for brushing the dough logs. The dough will be sticky enough for the almonds to stick, but they'll be more fragile once baked. Make sure to use paleo chocolate.
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56 comments on “Almond Paste Cookies (Christmas German Almond Horns)” — Add one!
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Hi, since I first mixed up this dough and froze some for later, I have subsequently gotten on the calorie counting bandwagon. Do you happen to have a calorie count for this dough by the ounce, or for a baked and chocolate dipped cookie by the ounce? I still allow myself treats but I log everything to make sure I don’t overdo it!!
Hi Erin. I have 2 questions. I could only find unbleached almond flour and I can’t find coconut oil. Can I use the unbleached almond flour and can you suggest another oil for me? Thanks, because I really want to make these
Hi! Do you mean unblanched almond flour? Because bleached almond flour isn’t a thing. :) If you use unblanched almond flour (which is called almond meal), you can use it, but there will be specks from the almond skin. Someone a few comments down used it and said they loved the cookies. You could use butter instead of coconut oil, or any type of hard fat, like shortening. You can also just omit it if necessary. The coating will still work. :)
can I make the dough ahead … and if yes, refrigerate or leave out and how long?
This has eggs in it, so you definitely want to refrigerate it. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Oops, I forgot to do the star rating with my last review. Five stars all the way! Thanks again.
You’re welcome! And thank you for leaving another comment just to leave stars. :) I so appreciate it!
I made about 60 of these for a Christmas Cookie Exchange last weekend and they turned out amazing! I followed your directions exactly except I stupidly didn’t pay attention to what “blanched” meant so I ended up buying unblanched almond flour as well as unblanched sliced almonds. Well, they still turned out beautiful and they tasted fantastic, perfect texture and chewiness. They just looked darker and more speckled than yours. Mine looked like they were made in a hippie bakery rather than an upscale bakery. I will definitely make them again (with the blanched almond flour and almond slices next time). This recipe will definitely be a keeper in my file. Thank you!
Haha. I love the hippie bakery vs. upscale bakery comment. 😂 That is a perfect comparison! I’m so glad that the cookies worked out well and that the recipe is a keeper. :) I hope that you’ll enjoy them (or rather, their beauty ;)) even more with blanched flour and almonds! Thanks a ton for your feedback, and I wish you a great weekend.
Hi! In the intro you mention adding salt where the typical German recipe does not. I agree! A little salt makes so many cookie recipes great. But I couldn’t find how much salt for this. I’m thinking ¼ to ½ a teaspoon?
Also, any tips for keeping it from sticking to your hands so much as you work?
I can’t wait to make these tomorrow for a big family Christmas party!
Love the double meaning in your blog name. Ich habe auch in Deutschland mal gelebt, und liebe so viele Dinge die mit Deutschland zu tun haben oder die aus Deutschland kommen .💖💗❤️🩷💜
Hi Amy! Oh my goodness. I even said I added salt to the recipe, but then failed to actually add it to the recipe I posted. 🤦♀️ I checked my notes, and I used 1/4 tsp! Thanks so much for pointing that out. I fixed the recipe. To avoid stickiness, make sure to use finely ground almond flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill, and it worked great. I’m not sure how other brands are. But you can see in the video that it’s not really hard to manage at all and doesn’t stick to your hands. :) And how neat that you lived in Germany! Cool that you can still speak German. :) Thanks for your comment and I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies!
I had one of these cookies at a Christmas market, paid about $6 (CAD) for one, oh the best cookie I have ever had.
I baked one batch yesterday with this recipe (doubled), I am unsure how but even at 175C these were overdone, significantly. I loved them regardless but still looking for the softer batch.
I make another batch today, hoping to pull them out earlier.
Hi! I’ve been making these all week and haven’t had a batch come out close to being overdone. Did you make any subs to the recipe? Change anything at all about the recipe? Are you perhaps using a black or very dark grey pan to bake with? Or putting the tray almost at the very bottom of the oven? I’d love to figure out the issue!
Love this!!! I made this recipe and created mini cookies to be part of my daughter’s dessert bar at her wedding. Delicious! And great dairy free/gluten free dessert option
I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I’m so glad that the cookies came out well. And wow at you making mini cookies. A labor of love. :) I hope the guests loved them and that your daughter had a great wedding. Thanks so much for your feedback!
I absolutely love these cookies. Thank you so much for posting them. I did add more almond extract because I have 8 oz. Instead of 7 oz. And they worked out very well. Thank you again. I also doubled this recipe. Thanks again. SINCERELY,Maralyn
You’re welcome! I’m so happy that the cookies came out well! More almond extract is always a good idea. ;) Thanks a ton for your feedback.
Question…. can you make the dough and refrigerate overnight for baking the next day?..thanks
Hi! Yes, that’s no problem. :)
After paying $4.00 for one almond horn cookie at a bakery the other day, I bought the ingredients and just baked my own. They came out great. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. So easy and quick!! I’m having company tonight. I can’t wait for them to try my cookies!
Aww, yay! I love this. I hope that your company was impressed! $4 is outrageous. I’m pretty confident these are cheaper. 😂 Thanks a ton for your feedback!
What happens if you use marzipan instead of almond paste? What do the Germans use?
What kind of marizpan? The Germans use something that translates to “marzipan raw mass,” but if you look at the ingredients, they’re the same as almond paste. Marzipan isn’t meant to be baked with. I can’t say how it’d work out, but I’m not too hopeful.
Hello. I have made these with homemade marzipan and they were fantastic.
That’s good to know! Thanks for the tip. :)
Made this past Christmas Husband could not stop raving about them. Just made again today at his request. Thanks great recipe
I’m terribly sorry for just now seeing your nice comment! I’m really glad that your husband liked them so much that he wanted them even after Christmas. :) That’s so nice to hear. Thanks a ton for your feedback and my apologies again!
I’m making this for the third time, this time doubling the recipe. I find breaking up almond paste in food processor, blending in egg white and extracts with almond paste in food processor then mixing almond flour and sugar in bowl the easiest. Had the hardest time getting the dough out of my food processor theorist time. Love this recipe. Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m glad that you’ve been enjoying them so much. :) I haven’t had that problem with my food processor, but all food processors are different. Thanks for the tip and your feedback!
My dear, if you find German cookies to taste bland, you haven’t tried real German baked goods yet. I find they are full of favor, so creative and often complex and usually so much better and tastier than the sugar loaded same tasting things in the American/Canadian kitchen. Please don’t take offence, this is no personal attack on anyone, just stating facts 😄
Sorry for just now seeing this! I guess we just have the exact opposite opinion, and that’s okay. 😆🤷♀️ I’ve been living in Germany since 2009 and haven’t had any really tasty German cookies yet. My German friends and in-laws have said that I’ve ruined German sweet baked goods for them. 😄 And same to you – no offense. ;) I will say German bread is WAY better than US bread!
Do you toast your almonds first?
Nope. They get toasted in the oven while baking on top of the cookies.
I’ve made these using the almond paste several times & they’re great. I want to try the recipe without the almond paste next. But that recipe calls for a whole egg & an egg yolk, while the other recipe only uses an egg white, & the recipe to make almond paste only uses egg white. Can you please share why yolks are used in the version not using almond paste? Thanks!
I’m glad that you enjoy them! I explain why in the middle of the post where it says, “The version without almond paste.” I hope that helps. :)
These were so delicious and yummy! I can’t wait to make them again!
I hope that you’ll enjoy them! Thanks for your comment. :)
I made the almomd paste then looked up cookies with almond paste and found these. Absolutely delicious, and now everyone who tried them is bugging me for more! Oh oh…what did I do?
I’m so glad that they were a hit! I hope you were able to give the people what they wanted. 😄 Thanks a ton for your review! I appreciate it.
I make my own almond paste which I have on hand. Most (all?) recipes have weights/measures of ingredients. How much almond paste is needed in this recipe in oz. or grams please. Thanks.
I’m not sure what you mean. The recipe calls for “one 7-ounce pack of almond paste or 1/2 batch homemade almond paste.” The homemade almond paste linked to in the recipe is my recipe for almond paste and that yields 14 ounces. That’s why it says 1/2 batch. If you have your own almond paste on hand, then you would use 7 ounces of your homemade version. 7 ounces of store-bought = 7 ounces of homemade. I’m sorry if I’m misunderstanding the question!
I made one batch with almond paste a d one without . For the first one I found then easier to roll into logs but had a harder time getting the almonds to stick. The color was paler as well after baking .
For the second batch (no almond paste) the dough was sticker making it harder to roll into logs however the almonds stuck to these way easier .
I really thought I’d like the ones with almond paste in them more but I like them better without it .
I did bake mine for 14 minutes &they were perfect!
These cookies are definitely worth making again which I will be because I have ten people I’m baking for Christmas.
Thanks for the great recipe !
Hello Jennifer! I don’t know how I missed your comment from over a year ago. 😔 I really appreciate all the time you took to share your findings! And it’s awesome that you preferred the version without almond paste. I hope that the people you made them for were also happy with them! Thank you (and sorry!) again. :)
I really want to try these as I LOVE almond horns!
Please tell me how many calories and how many carbs per cookie.
Thanks,
Arlene
I hope you’ll enjoy them! :) I don’t have that info but you could use this recipe analyzer for the nutritional profile.
I made these for our surrogate for her birthday, and she gave them glowing reviews. She said they taste like the cookies she had at a bakery in New York. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Hi Amber! I seem to have missed a bunch of comments on this post somehow. I’m so sorry for just now seeing your nice feedback! I’m really happy that your surrogate enjoyed the cookies. :) Thanks for your comment and sorry once again for just now seeing it!
I love these! They are perfect when I need a sweet treat!
Gave these a try yesterday and they did not disappoint! Such a fun and tasty cookie; easily, a new favorite treat!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Love how light and delicate these are!
These almond paste cookies sound delicious! Dangerously good…
I made them and they are a total hit! I will be making them to have on hand. Everyone I gifted them to through the holidays raved about them. So uber easy to make it would be a shame not to make them again.
Hi Teresa! I’m so sorry for just now seeing your comment. I don’t know how I missed it. I feel ridiculous replying so late, but wanted to thank you for your very nice comment about these cookies! I’m really happy that everyone raved about them. :) Thanks (and sorry!) again!
These look so good Erin. I’ve been wanting to make your almond paste since you posted it and now all these yummy cookie recipes. I need to catch up! Happy Holidays 🌲
Happy holidays, to you, too! I will write you back soon. Things are a little hectic right now. I hope that you’ll enjoy the cookies! Thanks for your comment. :)