Sea salt caramel amaretti are traditional Italian Amaretti cookies with an upgrade in ingredients as flavor capturing the essence of Autumn in every single bite with a chewy inside featuring melted caramel morsels and a crisp sea salted exterior.
I know what you are thinking, “can these Chewy salted caramel amaretti cookies taste better than basic amaretti Italian cookies?
The answer is YES! The caramel salted amaretti are delicate and bold at the same time and when combined with caramel and sea salt they treat your palate to a next-level love affair capturing the best of Autumn flavors in every bite!
For all of you who love Italian, almond-flavored baked goods, these sea salt and caramel Amaretti Cookies will delight you and zap your craving for tasty homemade baked goods!
Why You’ll Love Chewy Salted Caramel Amaretti Cookies
In fact, many refer to Amaretti as Italian almond biscuits, and they are probably one of the most uncomplicated, yet sophisticated-looking cookies you can bake.
Did you know that these cookies are a great beginner’s amaretti recipe because you honestly just need to read the recipe and follow it and I know because one of my friends does not bake and she tried the sea salt caramel amaretti recipe and it truend out AS GOOD AS if not better than mine!
From uncomplicated ingredients to basic kitchen appliances necessary, this recipe for the almond-flavored cookies with caramel and a hint of sea salt hit an Italian baked good food-lovers dessert home run!
- ✅You can and should make the caramel and sea salt amaretti ahead of time
- ✅ Expect this salted caramel cookie recipe to turn out consistent each and every time you bake them, creating a bakeshop-quality cookie.
- ✅ Make the caramel salted Amaretti and transport them to any Autumn gathering!
- ✅The ingredients for the caramel salted amaretti are really easy to find!
- ✅You’ll be able to make a batch of sea salt caramel amaretti (a spin on the traditional Italian almond cookies) quickly
- ✅There is no white flour in this Italian almond cookie and it is a Gluten-Free favorite cookie with nibbles of caramel and hints of sea salt.
As a culinarian in my own little home space, I bake a lot of cookies and these are one of my most coveted masterpiece cookies.
I think the only issue you will have with the sea salt caramel amaretti is the face that you might want to eat more than you should!
What Kitchen Essentials Will You Need to Make Caramel and Sea salt Amaretti
As I mentioned earlier there are no special kitchen appliances needed for the caramel salted amaretti recipe.
In fact, creating the recipe lends itself well to a beginner’s Italian Amaretti cookie recipe that won’t challenge those who are baking for the first time or relatively new to making homemade cookies, but the cookie recipe will elevate your skills!
- 2 separate bowls, 1 larger bowl, and 1 medium-sized bowl – the large is for the overall sea salt caramel amaretti recipe
- spatula
- 2 rimmed medium bowls to hold sugar for coating
- mixing spoon
- measuring cups
- commercial grade measuring spoons
- hand mixer or stand mixer whatever you have
- parchment paper (optional)
- plate
- Oven or toaster oven
- baking trays – and I suggest my favorite trays that I use for every single cookie recipe that I make and I can offer you an exclusive discount of 25% off the purchase price! (I’ll explain more by the recipe card at the end!)
Ingredients For Your Sea Salt Caramel Amaretti
Again, there are not really any hard-to-find ingredients that you will need to seek out but instead, essential everyday items you can find in your grocery store, local big box retailer, or online, however, you purchase your groceries!
- You’ll be using eggs, and cream of tartar, as well as finely ground sugar.
- Almond flour is your gluten-free base
- Almond extra, liqueur, caramel, and sea salt
- dusting sugar is created from a mixture of confectionery sugar and powdery processed (by you) sugar and you can skip below to read how to do that.
How To Make Sea Salt Caramel Amaretti
Here I will provide a brief overview of what you can expect (nothing complicated) when you make these cookies.
You can refer to the recipe card below for the exact specifications on how to make Italian almond-flavored cookies and you can print the recipe too!
First Prep Your Workspace and Your Caramel Salted Amaretti Ingredients
You will preheat your oven and while you are preheating the oven you will prepare your baking trays and your milled powder sugar (see recipe for instructions)
Add a silicone baking mat to your baking trays or use parchment paper if you prefer a faster cleanup time.
Prep your rimmed bowls with the coating sugars.
Additionally, measure out your dry ingredients and add them to your mixing bowl, and then set all of your prep work items and ingredients aside for now.
Start the Caramel Amaretti Base with Egg Whites To Stiff Peaks
Using your stand mixer (Or hand mixer) you’ll combine the egg whites and the other ingredients that are called for in this portion of the recipe, mixing until the whites are stiff without overmixing (refer to recipe card for exact instructions)
Once your egg whites are stiff you’ll fold in the dry ingredients and incorporate them using a rubber spatula.
Fold In The Other Ingredients Both Dry And Wet To Finish The Dough
You will be folding in, sugar, salt, almond extract, Amaretto, and flour mixture.
Next fold in the caramel pieces.
Once combined well, you will then proceed to roll the cookies.
Roll The Caramel Amaretti Dough Into Balls
You will ball the amaretti caramel dough into the palm of your hand and then roll it into the salted sugars one at a time.
Once you’ve completed this, you will place each rolled and dusted raw amaretti biscuit ball onto the prepared tray and lightly press it enough to make it slightly depressed because it will further crack when baking.
Bake and then remove from the oven and allow the chewy authentic Italian amaretti cookies to cool them before transferring to a cooling rack.
You’ll then transfer and store these in an airtight container!
Pro Tip: How To Make The Powdery-Like Consistency Rolling Sugar
Even as a food writer, and nonstop baker, I don’t keep powdery-like granulated sugar in my home but I always have the ingredients in my pantry to create the powdery sugar that is used in the caramel amaretti biscuit recipe!
For clarity, I do not use Cane sugar in this recipe, but I have been known to use Stevia!
Skipping the step to create the powder-like consistency of the dipping sugar will ruin the cookie (I tried that and learned it for you!)
In order to create the powdery-like consistency in your basic white sugar (you can use Stevia as well), you will be milling your sugar in either a food processor or in a coffee grinder, whatever you have!
The result of using milled sugar(also known as caster sugar in case you want to read more) in this recipe is to create a much lighter cookie consistency making it possible to keep the interior chewy and the exterior crunchy.
You will almost need to double your sugar when you mill it in order to come out with a 1:1 ratio. Milling sugar in the food processor or the coffee grinder creates less sugar from the initial measure, even though there is still the amount you placed in.
So, you’ll need to make sure that when you are done processing your sugar you have an equal 1:1 ratio of 1 cup for 1 cup.
This is important to note because you can unknowingly throw your recipe off balance if you just measure a cup of white sugar, process it, and place it in the recipe, it is NOT enough. (weight it if you want to check this use a food scale measuring ounce to ounce or gram to gram!)
The process takes very little time and I keep any extra in a marked zipped baggie.
Caramel And Sea Salt Amaretti Cookies FAQs
Let’s look at a few very popular questions I am asked via email over and over and I’ll answer them for you too!
Can I Eliminate the Caramel Morsels From The Salted Caramel Amaretti Cookies?
Sure, but then they are no longer salted caramel amaretti and instead just salted amaretti!
Can I Make The Italian Chewy Amaretto Cookies Without The Almond Liqueur?
Yes, you can and you just substitute a tablespoon of water with almond extract, however, if you have used this recipe or are reading it you will notice something about my recipe that makes it extra delicious. However, I personally prefer the Amaretto liqueur and never make my amaretti biscuits without adding that to my batter. Again, personal preference so alter the recipe and see what you think! There is no right or wrong answer it is all about the taste you prefer.
Can I Skip Using The Egg Whites
No. The Egg whites in this recipe are non-negotiable, the only thing you could do instead is to use egg whites in a carton rather than cracking eggs, following the directions on the box to make sure to measure out the right amount of egg whites.
Can I Make The Italian Amaretti With Sea Salted Caramel Crisp Inside and Out Instead Of Chewy?
Yes, just extend the baking time but do not allow the cookies to burn. Refer to the recipe notes for more information on this!
How To Store The Sea Salt Caramel Amaretti
Over the first 24 hours, I DO not put the sea salt caramel amaretti in a sealed container.
I allow the cookies to fully cool and then I do store them in an airtight container for up to a week if the caramel amaretti are even last that long from all those sneaking them into my home!
I do freeze the caramel salted amaretti, to stow a few away for later using a plastic freezer safe bag for up to 6 months.
What Else Can You Serve With Caramel Salted Amaretti?
Ice cream is a wonderful great that accompanies these tasty cookies.
Don’t forget that a nice glass of dry red wine tastes delicious with the sea salt caramel amaretti and I suggest purchasing a dry red that has been vinted in a bourbon barrel!
My Personal Pro Tip For Baking Sea Salt Caramel Amaretti
While I don’t suggest many different products for baking in your kitchen essentials, I do have one simple suggestion for baking trays, as a baking pan can either make or break your cookies!
So to answer the #1 question I am asked over and over is, “How do your baked goods always turn out perfect?”
It’s all in these lovely long, cookie baking trays (360Bakeware Stainless Steel Cookie Sheets) that can be lined with parchment paper, and that allows homemade baked goods to just turn out perfect every time because they heat evenly which is one of the hardest things to find in a cookie baking tray!
The answer is simple: I use these, my favorite baking pans, for almost every cookie and pastry recipe because you just can’t go wrong with them.
I want you to own the same 360Bakeware Stainless Steel cookies sheets and if you bake cookies at any time of the year, grab this deal and take advantage of 25% off, exclusively available from my website!
If you want your own, click HERE or touch the photo below and my discount to you of 25% off is AUTOMATICALLY applied to your shopping cart.
Other Delicious Cookie Recipes To Inspire You
Here are a few more of my favorite recipes that are for easy-to-make Italian cookies and drinks, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do at Casa Vento!
- Try my holiday drink made with amaretto
- or my amaretto sour shots!
- Chocolate Brownie Coconut Biscotti (OMG are these good)
- Birthday biscotti
- Lemon Blueberry Biscotti
- Italian Almond Strawberry Biscotti
- Apple Caramel Sea Salt Biscotti
Make Sure To Come Back And Tell Me How Your Sea Salt Amaretti Cookies Turned Out!
If you bake these tag me on Pinterest @dana.vento & Instagram
And don’t forget to grab a set of the 360 Bakeware Stainless steel cookie sheets you will love them for ALL of your holiday baking year-round!
Naturally, anyone who loves natural, simplistic ingredients that come together to form a flavorful cookie will also love these fall celebratory flavored cookies (sea salt and caramel amaretti) with chewy bites of caramel and tasty flecks of sea salt that combine for a fabulous bakeshop quality cookie!
Enjoy ~ Dana XO
The Recipe To Print For Sea Salt Caramel Amaretti
Chewy Salted Caramel Italian Amaretti Cookies
Authentic Italian Amaretti cookies are chewy on the inside and crisp on the exterior, are simple Italian cookies to make, and boast a delicate yet bold almond flavor while some may refer to Italian Amaretti cookies as macaroon-like, I believe they are nothing like a macaroon except for the chewiness.
The cookie appears cracked and it is coated in its sugar before it is baked using a special powder-like sugar you will make! Easy. Traditional Italian cookie recipe you have to try at least once!
Ingredients
- 3 Large Egg Whites if medium eggs use 4
- 3/8 tsp cream of tartar or you could use lemon juice but you need a different measurement
- 1/8 Tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 C Finely Ground Sugar mill it (transitioning granulated to powder-like)
- 3 Cups + 1 Tablespoon of Almond Flour not almond meal
- 2 Tsp Almond Extract
- 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 2 Tablespoons of Amaretto Liqueur
- 3/4 C Kraft Caramel Bits
- Coating Sugar For Before Baking
- 1/4 C milled granulated sugar (you may need more and mix this with the sea salt amount below)
- 3 Teaspoons Freshly milled sea salt (or sea salt flakes)
- 1/4 C Powdered Sugar (and you might need more)
- 2 small rimmed plates (Bowls) for coating ball in
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325° F
Prepare baking trays with silicone baking mats.
Now prepare rimmed trays with each sugar and set them aside.
In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder,
To Mix, in your stand mixing bowl, combine egg whites and tartar sauce.
Mix to stiff, without over-mixing* (read notes below)
Once egg whites are stiff it's time to add in the other ingredients by HAND (folding)
You will be folding in, sugar, salt, almond extract, Amaretto, the flour mixture, and the caramel bits DO NOT MIX with a mixer.
Use a rubber scraper initially to incorporate all ingredients.
Then create a mound.
Using a teaspoon (or a cookie dough baller) create a scoop and place it in your hand, rolling to a 1" ball.
Take each ball and roll quickly and lightly through sugar mixtures.
First, run the ball through the very light milled sugar, then roll the ball through the powdered sugar.
Place each ball onto the tray, spacing about 1" apart and lightly depressing the ball into a slightly pressed cookie.
Just lightly press on each, enough that the cookie will crack while baking.
Place the tray on the bottom rack, and allow it to bake without OPENING the oven to prevent temperature loss.
Bake for 20-24 minutes, the tops will crack further and may appear moist, but the bottoms will be just very lightly brown, take them out. You can also give these a light Clank on the counter when they come out to increase that crinkle if you like.
Allow these amaretti to SIT On the baking tray for at least 5 minutes to set up before transferring to a cooling rack.
*OPTIONAL: For those that prefer an all-crunchy cookie, let them bake 5 minutes past this timing (just do not expect the interior to be as chewy)
Next transfer cookies to the cooling tray for at least 15 minutes
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Enjoy. Dana XO
Notes
Chewy Salted Caramel Italian Amaretti Cookies + Batter PRO TIP
You must whip the egg whites for about 7 minutes to get them to form a peak.
Stiff, but not over-whipped is key to this recipe.
Yes, I did use alcohol, you do not have to use it in your recipe.
Sugar Milling Process for Chewy Salted Caramel Italian Amaretti
Even as a pro-baker, I don't keep powdery-like granulated sugar in my home.
Creating a powder-like sugar that I use for quick coating (the cookies I make) is important.
I make it on demand always for recipes and honestly, this is ONE you must try on. You'll simply use a food processor or a coffee mill to create the powder-like sugar you'll need to produce these salted caramel biscuits.
Do note that you will use the powder-like sugar for both the cookie batter as well as what you roll the cookie in!
The resulting baked cookie, when using milled sugar is a lighter cookie.
Why? The milled longer sugar is powdery (not CONFECTIONER'S Powder) and that results in it dissolving more quickly.
Because there are just a few recipes that really need this (at least the ones I bake) and I can make my own and I do always.
Just toss the sugar amount you need into a coffee mill (that does not have any leftover taste or is reserved just for baking).
Alternatively, a food processor can do this.
You are taking the sugar from more granular to a more powder-like consistency and it's fast and easy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 28 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 106Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 315mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 2g
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