By Becky Hardin
Updated Dec 11, 2025
Linzer Cookies are Christmas classics that never disappoint! Buttery homemade cookies are sandwiched together with sweet jam and dusted with powdered sugar to make them truly picture perfect. I like to bake them up for cookie exchanges and leave a few out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
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Easy Linzer Cookie Recipe
For me, nothing quite says Christmas like a beautiful Linzer Cookie. These classic cookies have been baked in kitchens all over the world since the 1600s—now that’s truly timeless!
Linzer cookies get their inspiration from the classic Austrian dessert Linzertorte . I like to think of them as its adorable, handheld cousin—a buttery dough pressed into a tart, layered with jam, and finished with a signature lattice-style top. The cookies capture all the charm and flavor of the original dessert, just in a much smaller (and snackable) form.
I love a cookie that looks just as good as it tastes, which is why I put together this easy, no-fuss recipe. It gives you classic, bakery-style results—without any of the extra steps.
Tips for Beginners
- Almond flour. If you can’t find any, you can make your own by adding 48 grams of almonds to a food processor and processing them until fine.
- Work with the sticky dough. The dough may become sticky as you work with it, because it is so buttery. Work in small batches, leaving the rest in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Flour your cookie cutters . This helps keep the dough from sticking.
- Increase the almond flavor. Add 1 tsp almond extract to the dough in step 2.
- For nut-free cookies . Swap the almond flour for ½ cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour.
- Choose your favorite jam. I’m using cherry jam, but you could use any jam you like. Strawberry and apricot are the most traditional jams used in Linzer cookies.
- Any window shape works. Form any shape you want in the little windows.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter 226g, room temperature (2 sticks)
- ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- ▢ 1 large egg 50g, room temperature
- ▢ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 4g
- ▢ 2½ cups all-purpose flour 300g, spooned and leveled
- ▢ ½ cup almond flour 48g
- ▢ 1 tsp baking powder 4g
- ▢ ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ▢ ¼ cup powdered sugar 28g
- ▢ ½ cup cherry jam 170g
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla. Mix to combine. 1 large egg, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. 2½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup almond flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Divide the dough into 2 discs and wrap them in plastic wrap. Place them in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to ¼-inch thick.
- Cut out 3-inch shapes (circles, stars, trees, etc.) from the dough and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You’ll want to cut out 36 cookies.
- Using a 1-inch cookie cutter of the same shape, cut the center out of half of the cookies. This will allow us to see the jam filling in the final Linzer cookies!
- Chill the cookies in the freezer (or refrigerator) for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until they are just golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the tray.
- When the cookies have cooled, generously dust the tops of the cookies with a hole in the center with powdered sugar. ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Spread 1 tablespoon of jam onto the center of each whole cookie and carefully place a powdered sugar dusted cookie on top of the jam. ½ cup cherry jam
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheet
- Linzer cookie cutter
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Linzer Cookies Step by Step
Cream the butter and the sugar : Beat 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add egg and vanilla: Stir in one egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together 2½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup almond flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp kosher salt in a separate, medium-sized bowl.
Combine dry and wet: Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the dough into 2 discs, and wrap them in plastic wrap. Place the discs in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Roll and cut the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to ¼-inch thick. Cut 3-inch shapes (circles, stars, trees, etc.) from the dough and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You’ll want to cut 36 cookies.
Shape the cookies: Using a 1-inch cookie cutter of the same shape, cut the center out of half of the cookies. This will allow us to see the jam filling in the final Linzer cookies!
Chill the cookies: Place the cookies in the freezer (or refrigerator) for 30 minutes to chill. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until they begin to just turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the tray before dusting with the powdered sugar.
Dust and add the jam: Once the cookies have completely cooled, generously dust the tops of the cookies with a hole in the center with powdered sugar. Spread 1 tbsp of jam onto the center of each whole cookie.
Top and serve: Place a powdered sugar dusted cookie on top of the jam and serve. Enjoy!
How to Store
If you want to get a head start, Linzer cookie dough can be made through step 5 and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Baked Linzer cookies can be made up to 2 days before you plan to serve them. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 4 days. I like to let mine come to room temperature before enjoying them.
Freeze Linzer cookies, filled or unfilled, in a Ziplock bag for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before filling and enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
I love to bake around the holidays, and pulling together a cookie tray for dessert is something I look forward to each year. Along with these Linzer cookies, I like to prepare no-bake avalanche cookies , some crunchy pignoli cookies , and one of my family’s favorites— Italian anise cookies .
more holiday desserts
Christmas Bark
Chocolate Butter Cookies
Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe (Creme de Menthe Thumbprint Cookies)
Molasses Cookies
Linzer Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheet
- Linzer cookie cutter
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 226g, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 1 large egg 50g, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 4g
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour 300g, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup almond flour 48g
- 1 tsp baking powder 4g
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar 28g
- ½ cup cherry jam 170g
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla. Mix to combine. 1 large egg, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. 2½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup almond flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Divide the dough into 2 discs and wrap them in plastic wrap. Place them in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to ¼-inch thick.
- Cut out 3-inch shapes (circles, stars, trees, etc.) from the dough and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You’ll want to cut out 36 cookies.
- Using a 1-inch cookie cutter of the same shape, cut the center out of half of the cookies. This will allow us to see the jam filling in the final Linzer cookies!
- Chill the cookies in the freezer (or refrigerator) for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until they are just golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the tray.
- When the cookies have cooled, generously dust the tops of the cookies with a hole in the center with powdered sugar. ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Spread 1 tablespoon of jam onto the center of each whole cookie and carefully place a powdered sugar dusted cookie on top of the jam. ½ cup cherry jam
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
