These Italian Gluten-Free Walnut Cookies are one of the easiest cookies that you will ever make. They are nutty and gently sweet, chewy on the outside and tender on the inside and you can have them baked in about 40 minutes. They contain just five ingredients and as they do not contain butter and we use ground walnuts instead of flour, they are naturally dairy and gluten-free. I feel confident that after you try them, they will be a welcome addition to your baking repertoire.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- This is a great way to use up leftover egg whites.
- The cookies are quickly and easily made, taking about 40 minutes until you are removing them from the oven.
- If you are new to baking, or you are an experienced cook, you will love how easy it is to make these Gluten-Free Walnut Cookies.
- This recipe is naturally both gluten-free and dairy-free, so they are suitable for many people with specific dietary requirements.
- They freeze well so you can always have some on hand. (And they defrost quickly, which is a bonus!)
Recipe Inspiration: adapted from my Pistachio Cookies and Amaretti, I made these Italian Walnut Cookies (Dolci di Noci), in memory of my father and his best friend. The cookies originated in the south of Italy and as his best friend, also my Godfather, was from Calabria, I know they would both have enjoyed them. With an espresso of course!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Walnuts: we grind fresh walnuts to a fine consistency, and this replaces flour. It is essential that the walnuts are of good quality. If they are rancid, they will ruin the recipe.
- Caster/superfine sugar: dissolves more readily than granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract: for the best flavour, use vanilla that has been naturally extracted from the vanilla bean, not artificially flavoured.
- Egg whites: to bind the mixture, we use large, free range egg whites.
- Pure icing/powdered sugar: before baking, we roll the cookies in the icing sugar; it is naturally gluten-free. Rolling the cookie dough in icing/powdered sugar gives the cookies their slightly crinkled appearance.
Variations:
Orange/lemon zest: I enjoy the natural flavour of the walnuts, but for variety, you could add some citrus zest.
How To Make Walnut Cookies:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Grind the walnuts:
Add the walnuts and caster/superfine sugar to a small food processor and blend until finely ground.
2 – Lightly whisk the egg whites:
In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites with a fork.
3 – Combine the mixture:
Add the ground walnuts and sugar to a medium bowl along with vanilla and egg whites. Mix well then set aside for five minutes.
4 – Shape the cookies:
Roll the mixture into small balls and then roll in the powdered sugar.
5 – Place on your baking tray:
Place the cookies onto the prepared baking trays. Bake in your preheated oven until you see a light golden shade through the crinkles of the cookies
6 – Bake and enjoy:
Remove from the oven and gently place the cookies onto a cooling rack.
Hint: the cookies are much easier to roll if your hands are slightly damp.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Once cooled, you can store them in an airtight container for up to one week.
Yes, they can, they freeze very well. Store them in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to two months.
In Australia, we more commonly use the British term “biscuit” for the sweet treat we enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, but occasionally we are asked why we use the term “cookies”. It is to avoid confusion, as in the USA a biscuit is closer to what we call a scone. Their sweet treat which may accompany tea, coffee or a glass of milk is a “cookie”. So, whilst in Australia, we may call a biscuit a cookie, in the USA a cookie is not a biscuit.
Top Tip:
To achieve the best result, it is essential that the walnuts are fresh. Walnuts tend to become rancid very quickly so you need to ensure that the store you obtain them from has a very good turnover. My preference is to buy walnuts in the shell as they are less likely to be rancid. There is a little effort involved in shelling them, but I feel it is worth it.
Serving Suggestions:
There are so many occasions to serve these delicious cookies. Some suggestions are:
- For morning or afternoon tea, accompanied by a cup of tea or coffee.
- Alongside an Affogato, a classic Italian dessert. They are fantastic together.
- Add them to your Christmas cookie selection along with our Gluten-Free Cashew Cookies and Coconut Macaroons.
- Serve alongside our very easy No-Churn Orange Ice Cream.
- They are an ideal homemade gift. Just add some to a pretty jar or box and tie with a ribbon.
I am confident that these Gluten-Free Walnut Cookies will be a welcome addition to your baking repertoire. Please let me know how you enjoy them.
Alex xx
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Gluten-Free Walnut Cookies
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Walnut Cookies:
- 270 g (9.5 oz) walnuts – fresh + good quality a must! This is the weight after shells removed. See Note 1
- 125 g (½ cup + 2 tsp) caster/superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large (70 g) egg whites – at room temperature
For coating the Cookies:
- 3 tablespoon pure icing/powdered sugar – sifted if necessary See Note 2
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C (355 F).Line two sheet pans with non-stick baking paper.
- In a small food processor, add the walnuts and caster sugar. Blend until the walnuts are finely ground. I give the mixture a quick stir a couple of times to ensure everything processes evenly.Tip the walnut and sugar mix into a medium sized bowl.
- In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg whites with a fork until frothy.
- Add the egg whites and vanilla to the nuts and sugar and stir until everything is well combined. Stand the mixture for five minutes.
- Give the mixture a quick stir. Using a 2 tsp/small cookie scoop, scoop out 26 balls of cookie dough and place on your prepared trays.
- Lightly dampen your hands to stop the mixture from sticking. Roll each cookie into a ball.
- In a flat dish, add the icing/powdered sugar, and roll each cookie ball to coat. Gently toss the cookie between your hands to remove any excess icing sugar and place on your prepared tray.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until you can see a light golden colour coming through the crinkles of the cookie.Remove from the oven and gently place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
Notes
- Walnuts: when buying walnuts, it is important to purchase from a supplier with a good turnover as walnuts become rancid very quickly. Look for plump, pale nuts. They should have a sweet, nutty aroma. Avoid those that are shrivelled or a dark colour. I prefer to buy walnuts in the shell and crack them open with a meat mallet as this way, they’re nice and fresh. Unfortunately, we have found many a store bought packet has had at least one rancid walnut and this can ruin the whole batch.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Pure icing sugar/powdered sugar: is naturally gluten-free. If you prefer to use an icing mixture, check that it is gluten-free.
- Storage: store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freezing: the Walnut Cookies freeze well. Store in an airtight container, with a layer of parchment paper separating layers of cookies. The frozen cookies can be defrosted on the bench top. The cookies will keep in the freezer for two months.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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