Almond Crescent Cookies

Treat yourself to these delicious Almond Crescent Cookies! These lovely powdered sugar-covered cookies are easy to make and have a buttery, nutty flavor that's absolutely irresistible. Make a batch for Christmas, or bake them anytime of year!

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Ginnie's Take

I'm so excited to share these scrumptious Almond Crescent Cookies with you today! You can find variations on this classic Christmas cookie in many cultures (including Austrian, Greek, and Italian), but this recipe is based on my favorite holiday cookie: my grandmother's Pecan Fingers! I make those pecan-filled treats every holiday season, and I always get questions about using different nuts. So this year, I adapted the recipe to use almonds, and the cookies turned out so well. I may just have a new favorite, and I know you're going to love them just as much as I do!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Delicious - These yummy cookies have a rich, buttery, nutty flavor and a crumbly texture that's similar to shortbread. These beautiful cookies are so tasty that it's impossible to stop at just one!
• Easy to Make - The dough is made with minimal ingredients, and it's simple to prepare. You'll have fun shaping the cookies before baking them, too!
• Festive - With their cute crescent moon shape and amazing flavor, these tasty cookies are sure to impress! They'll be the perfect addition to your Christmas cookie rotation, and they're great for holiday cookie exchanges, too. Don't save this recipe just for the holidays though, because these cookies are so delicious that you'll want to enjoy them year round!

Ingredients

These old fashioned Christmas cookies are made with just a few basic ingredients! Here's what you'll need:

• Nuts - I used slivered almonds, but sliced almonds will also work. Tip: I don't recommend using almond flour, because it won't have the same texture as the ground nuts.
• Flour - You'll also need some all-purpose flour for the dough.
• Sugar - The cookies are sweetened with powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar), and you'll also roll them in powdered sugar after they're done baking.
• Butter - This recipe uses unsalted butter.
• Extract - The cookies are flavored with a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract.
• Salt - You'll also need some salt. (I recommend using Kosher salt.)

You'll Also Need

Get out your food processor or a nut grinder to finely chop the almonds, as well as a stand mixer to prepare the dough, and a couple baking sheets to cook the cookies.

How to Make Almond Crescents

These delicious Almond Cookies are fun and easy to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's a quick over of the steps.

1. Grind nuts. You'll start by grinding the nuts into small pieces using a food processor (or a nut grinder). Tip: The nuts should be chopped into little pieces, not processed so much that they turn into almond flour.
2. Combine butter, sugar, and extracts. Next, you'll cream together the butter and sugar, then you'll blend in the almond and vanilla extracts, along with a little water.
3. Add flour, nuts, and salt. Mix the flour, almonds, and salt into the dough until well blended. Shape the dough into a flat rectangle, then wrap it with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.
4. Shape cookies. Once the dough has chilled, you'll shape them into a crescent shape. Tip: Don't worry if they're not perfect! The powdered sugar you'll coat them in after baking will hide most flaws.
5. Bake. Next, you'll bake the cookies just until they're lightly colored on the bottom (they should not be browned). Tip: The cookies are cooked at a lower temperature and for a longer time than most Christmas cookies.
6. Roll in powdered sugar. Let the cookies cool a bit, then roll them in powdered sugar until well coated.

Okay, time to enjoy your classic Almond Crescent Cookies. Get ready to fall in love at first bite!

Variations

Feel like experimenting? Here are a few ways you can easily change up this traditional Almond Crescents recipe:

• Nuts - You can substitute other nuts (such as pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts) for the almonds. For a slightly different flavor, toast the nuts (then let them cool), before grinding them.
• Extracts - Another way to easily change the flavor is by using different extracts. Vanilla extract is a classic flavoring that will go with any nut variety. But other types, such as maple or even coconut, would also be tasty. You can also pair different extracts togethers, as with the almond and vanilla I used in creating this recipe.
• Zest - Mix in a tablespoon of lemon or orange zest.
• Shape - You do not have to shape the cookies into crescent moons. To speed up the process, shape them into a log / finger shape instead.
• Chocolate - Drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate (or dip them in chocolate).

Storage

Store leftover Crescent Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will stay fresh for about one week. You can also freeze the cookies for up to one month, then defrost before eating. Tip: I have one of these pie storage containers, and it's perfect for storing cookies!

Related Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, try my Pecan Finger Cookies and Snowball Cookies next! The recipes are quite similar to this one. You'll love these other cookies, too:

• This Stamped Cookie recipe has been the most popular cookie recipe on Hello Little Home for years! They're so beautiful and much easier to make than you'd think.
• Craving peppermint? Then you have to try these Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies and these Peppermint Thumbprints.
• My mom's Honey Cookies and these unique Poppyseed Kiss Cookies have been family favorites for generations!
• These Cranberry Walnut Cookies are simple to make and so delicious.
• Love a cut out cookie? Make these tender Sour Cream Cut Outs or these flavorful Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies!
• These Black Bottom Cupcakes are another family fave. They're basically mini cheesecakes (so delish).

Check out all my cookie recipes for even more ideas, like these irresistible Coffee Cookies or these unique Lavender Lemon Cookies!

Looking for even more cookie recipes? Then you're in luck, because I'm joining Erin from The Speckled Palate and Susannah from Feast + West for the Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange! If you're looking for creative cookie recipes, then you'll love this awesome virtual cookbook with hundreds of delicious cookie recipes from my fellow food bloggers.

Help support a great cause! I'm especially excited about this year's exchange, because we're raising money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative, and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer. Since 2008, Cookies for Kids' Cancer has granted $23 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 140+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers across the country. From these grants have stemmed 60 treatments available to kids battling cancer today.

Please join me supporting this wonderful organization by making a donation. This year OXO is matching all donations through the end of 2025 for up to $100,000. So anything you donate will be doubled!!

Donate Now

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5 from 1 vote

Almond Crescent Cookies

Treat yourself to these Crescent Moon Almond Cookies! These delicious cookies are easy to make and so delicious!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Chilling Time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 48 cookies

Author: Ginnie

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks / 8 ounces / 227 grams)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (plus additional for rolling cookies)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups finely chopped almonds (see note)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Equipment

• Food Processor (or Nut Grinder)
• Stand Mixer
• 2 Large Baking Sheets

Instructions

• Cream butter and powdered sugar together using a stand mixer.
• Mix in vanilla extract, almond extract, and water.
• Add flour, almonds, and salt. Mix until well combined.
• Shape dough into a flat rectangle, then wrap in plastic wrap. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C).
• Divide dough into 48 equal pieces (see note below), then shape each piece into a crescent shape. Place cookies on baking sheets.
• Bake cookies for 50 to 60 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned on bottom (tops of cookies should not be browned).
• Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Place about 1 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl. Gently roll cookies in sugar, coating all sides of cookie.
• Transfer sugar-coated cookies to a baking rack, then let cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes

Almonds - I recommend using slivered almonds (like I did) or sliced almonds for this recipe. You want to finely chop the nuts (using either a food processor or a nut grinder), not completely pulverize them into a flour. I used slightly less than 12 ounces (340 grams) slivered almonds to get 2 cups of ground almonds.

Extract - For a milder almond flavor, use just one teaspoon almond extract.

Chilling the Dough - Don't forget to chill the dough! The cookies will melt together in the oven if you skip this step.

Shaping the Cookies - To speed up the cookie forming process, shape the dough into a flat rectangle before refrigerating. Once the dough is chilled, use a knife to divide the dough into 48 equal pieces. For example, I divided my dough into 4 long rows, then I divided each row into 12 equal pieces (4 x 12 = 48). Once the dough is divided, you can shape it into a crescent shape, or you can shape the dough into logs (much faster).

More Tips - Check out the info before this recipe card for helpful tips, step by step photos, recipe variations, and more!

Did you make this recipe?I love hearing from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or tag @HelloLittleHome or #hellolittlehome on Instagram!