These are truly the best Linzer cookies—soft, sweet, lightly buttery, and filled with raspberry jam. Inspired by the cookies my husband loved in Germany, this easy and kid-friendly recipe is perfect for gifting, sharing, and making memories in the kitchen.
How These Linzer Cookies Differ From Traditional Linzer Cookies
Traditional Austrian Linzer cookies are made with almond or hazelnut flour, giving them a nutty, crumbly shortbread texture and are typically filled with red currant jam.
My version is simpler, softer, and more allergy-friendly. These cookies are made with regular or gluten-free all-purpose flour, no nuts, and have a softer, sweeter, more tender texture. They come together quickly with everyday ingredients, work with any jam, and can easily be made vegan using a flax egg.
They’re approachable, kid-friendly, and inspired by the Linzer cookies my husband loved in Germany — a sweet, modern twist on a classic.
Equipment Needed
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Rolling pin
- Plastic wrap
- Cookie cutters (one large shape + one small shape for the “window”)
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Parchment-lined baking sheet
- Wire cooling rack
- Optional: Stand mixer with paddle attachment (you can mix the dough by hand or let the stand mixer do the work)
Linzer Cookies Ingredients
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup melted butter (regular or vegan)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon milk (regular or plant-based)
- 2 cups regular or gluten-free all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- Jam of choice (we use seedless raspberry)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Vegan Option:
You can make these Linzer cookies completely vegan by replacing the egg with a flax egg (2 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 2 tablespoon hot water). Allow it to thicken for 5 minutes before using.
How To Make The Most Delicious Linzer Cookies
Step 1: Make the Linzer Cookie Dough
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl), crack one egg or add your prepared flax egg. Add the sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Whisk or mix well until smooth. Add the flour and mix again until a thick cookie dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Roll Out the Dough
Once the dough has rested, flour a clean work surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. If the dough sticks, sprinkle additional flour as needed. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and carefully transfer them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 3: Add the Jam Filling
Scoop ½ teaspoon of jam onto the center of each cookie on the baking sheet.
Step 4: Create the Linzer “Window” Tops
Gather the dough scraps, roll them out again to ¼-inch thickness, and cut the same shapes. Use a mini cookie cutter to create the classic Linzer “window.” Place these top cookies over the jam-filled bottoms.
Step 5: Bake the Cookies
Bake for 10–12 minutes:
- 10 minutes = soft Linzer cookies
- 12 minutes = lightly golden and chewy
Step 6: Cool and Dust With Sugar
Cool the cookies on a wire rack, then dust generously with powdered sugar before serving or packaging as gifts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The dough can be prepped 24–48 hours ahead. Keep it wrapped tightly and refrigerated. Let it soften slightly before rolling.
Seedless raspberry jam is traditional, but apricot, strawberry, blackberry, and mixed-berry all work beautifully. Choose a thicker jam to prevent leaking while baking.
Yes! Replace the egg with a flax egg (2 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 2 tablespoon hot water). Let it thicken for 5 minutes, then use it just like a regular egg. Pair that with vegan butter and plant-based milk for fully vegan Linzer cookies.
Linzer Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Linzer Cookies Ingredients
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup melted butter regular or vegan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon milk regular or plant-based
- 2 cups regular or gluten-free all purpose flour plus more for rolling
- your favorite jam we went with seedless raspberry
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
How To Make The Most Delicious Linzer Cookies
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, crack one egg. Add your sugar, butter, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well. Add your flour and mix until a thick cookie dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic. Place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
- After the linzer cookie dough has rested, flour a clean surface to begin rolling out your dough. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a ¼ inch thick slab. If the dough is still sticking to the counter surface or to the rolling pin, sprinkle more flour. Use your cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes and carefully transfer them onto a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper.
- Use a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop out your jam and place it in the center of each cookie on your cookie sheet.
- Take the scraps of the dough and roll them back into a ball. Roll the dough back out on the floured surface into another ¼ inch thick slap. Use your cookie cutters to cut out the exact same shapes that you cut before. Then use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a small window into the cookies. These will become the top of your linzer cookies where the jam peaks through. Place each of these on top of the cookies on the baking sheet.
- Bake the lizner cookies in the oven for 10-12 minutes. At ten minutes, you will have a softer baked cookie and at twelve minutes you will have a more golden chewy cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a wire cooking rack and then dust them with powdered sugar before sharing with the ones you love!
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