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    Cookies

    Home > Recipes > Desserts > Cookies > Vanillekipferl

    Vanillekipferl

    By Maike | Published: December 6, 2019 | Modified: November 30, 2022

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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    Get ready for your tastebuds to explode. Almond Crescent Cookies (also known as Vanillekipferl) are traditional German cookies that are buttery, nutty and sweet. They will quite literally melt in your mouth.  #cheerfulcook #germancookies #germanfood #omasrecipes #vanillekipferl #almond #christmas ā™” cheerfulcook.com via @cheerfulcookGet ready for your tastebuds to explode. Almond Crescent Cookies (also known as Vanillekipferl) are traditional German cookies that are buttery, nutty and sweet. They will quite literally melt in your mouth.  #cheerfulcook #germancookies #germanfood #omasrecipes #vanillekipferl #almond #christmas ā™” cheerfulcook.com via @cheerfulcook

    Vanillekipferl are traditional German-Austrian cookies with a wonderful vanilla-almond flavor and distinct texture. These sweet and buttery crescent-shaped cookies will quite simply melt in your mouth.

    A plate of freshly baked almond crescent cookies also known as Vanillekipferl

    Best of all, these shortbread cookies are easy to make. Their distinctive almond and vanilla flavor combination make them incredibly addicting.

    Dusted with vanilla-infused sugar, these delicious cookies will have everyone reaching for more.

    Table of Contents show
    1 Why This Recipe Works
    2 Ingredients
    3 Variations
    4 How To Make Almond Crescent Cookies
    5 How To Store The Cookies
    6 Freezing The Cookies
    7 Vanilla Sugar
    8 Cookie History
    9 Just For Dog Lovers
    10 More Easy Cookie Recipes
    11 Vanillekipferl (Almond Crescent Cookies)

    Why This Recipe Works

    INGREDIENTS - All of the ingredients are staples you can easily find in your local supermarket.

    COOKIE EXCHANGE - These cookies are also a great recipe for a cookie exchange. As an added bonus, when baking these German cookies, your house will be filled will the most wonderful Christmas-y aromas.

    Ingredients

    Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.

    Ingredients needed to make Vanillekipferl (Almond Crescent Cookies).
    Ingredients needed to make Vanillekipferl (Almond Crescent Cookies).

    ALMONDS - Use 1 cup of almonds and grind them in a food processor. I've always ground the almonds myself but technically speaking, you could also use almond meal (not almond flour) like the ones you can find at Trader Joe's.

    FLOUR - Use all-purpose flour for this recipe.

    BUTTER - Be sure to use unsalted butter. Allow the butter to rise to room temperature.

    SUGAR - We’ll need three types of sugar for this recipe:

    • Vanilla Sugar - you can find Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar in the baking aisle of most major supermarkets. For this recipe, you will need 4 sachets.
    • Granulated sugar - Regular, plain sugar.
    • Confectioners sugar - also known as powdered sugar. If you don't have any, you can make your own by blending granulated sugar in a food processor until it's superfine, powdery sugar.

    Variations

    NUTS - Although I always use almonds for my Vanillekipferl cookies, you can also try ground hazelnuts or ground walnuts.

    How To Make Almond Crescent Cookies

    Collage of steps showing how to make Vanillekipferl Cookies.
    1. ALMONDS - Grind almonds in a small food processor until they have the consistency of bread crumbs. Set aside.
    2. DOUGH - Beat granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, butter, and flour, and gradually add ground almonds. Once the dough becomes sticky and crumbly, shape it into a large dough ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.
    3. CRESCENT SHAPE COOKIES - Use a small cookie scoop to make small cookie balls. Shape each ball into a 4-inch crescent.
    4. BAKE - the cookies for 20 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
    5. SUGAR COAT - Remove the cookies from the oven. Set aside for 2-3 minutes. The cookies should still be warm. Combine the confectioners and powdered sugar. Give the warm cookies a quick sugar dusting.

    RECIPE TIP - You will have to work quickly once the cookies are ready to be rolled in the sugar mixture. And I recommend baking off the cookies one baking tray at a time because if you bake multiple trays in one batch, the cookies might cool too much, and the sugar won't stick.

    How To Store The Cookies

    Traditionally, in Germany, Christmas cookies are stored in tin cans like this one. Vanillekipferl are a modified shortbread cookie recipe. And shortbread cookies last for weeks without spoiling.

    So you can easily store these cookies for 4-6 weeks without losing flavor. That said, I've never seen a batch of Vanillekiperfl last this long. At least not in a house full of 'cookie aficionados.'

    You can also store the cookies in airtight cookie jars, which will last for several weeks.

    A closeup of a Spekulatius cookie (with a deer impression made my using a cookie stamp).

    RELATED RECIPE

    SPEKULATIUS - Classic German spice shortbread cookies. Made with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and even a dash of white pepper. These sweet shortbread cookies are simple and incredibly delicious.

    Freezing The Cookies

    But what happens if you've accidentally made too many batches and want to freeze them? No problem.

    Store the cookies in a ziplock bag, and make sure to squeeze out as much air as possible. Due to their low water content, these cookies freeze beautifully and retain their flavor after defrosting.

    Vanilla Sugar

    Vanilla sugar is a standard ingredient in a lot of German baking recipes.

    While in the US, we use vanilla extract, in Germany, we use vanilla sugar. You could use vanilla extra to make the dough, it wouldn't work for the sugar coating. So you have a couple of choices. Buy some at your local supermarket or make your own.

    Making Vanilla Sugar From Scratch

    You can also easily make your own vanilla sugar. My Oma (grandmother in German) always made her own vanilla sugar.

    Store granulated sugar in a dedicated airtight container and add a used vanilla bean to the sugar.

    The vanilla bean will have tons of flavor, and you can keep it in the jar for weeks and months. Over time the aroma of the vanilla bean infuses the sugar and turns it "vanilla sugar."

    Purchasing Vanilla Sugar

    But since you'll probably want to make the recipe straight away, I recommend buying or ordering Dr. Oetker's Vanilla Sugar.

    Most major supermarkets (except Whole Foods or Trader Joe's) carry this sugar. You'll find it in the baking aisle.

    Closeup of an Almond Crescent Cookie (Vanillekipferl).

    Cookie History

    This recipe has roots in several countries, and you'll find different versions in Austria, Hungary, the former Czech Republic, and Slovakia. All of these now-independent countries were once part of the mighty Austrian-Hungarian empire.  

    Without going too deep into European history, simply said empires came and fell, and people moved a lot in the first half of the 20th century - and they took their recipes to their new homes.

    As with many other German recipes, this is a traditional recipe and the recipe I was taught at home. But depending on where your family comes from, recipes might vary. 

    So, for instance, someone from another region might have a recipe made with eggs or egg yolks. I've even seen recipes using baking powder. This sounds all wrong to me because you don't want a leavening agent in this type of cookie. But of course, it's not wrong for the person who grew up with this recipe variation. 

    Is there a difference between Vanillekipferl, Almond Crescent Cookies, and Vanilla Crescent Cookies? No. But you can easily see how a recipe that's so popular in many parts of Europe ends up with a variety of names.

    Just For Dog Lovers

    Now I understand not everybody feeds their dog human food. But I think it's ok to share a special treat with your favorite pup - in moderation, of course.

    Before we give anything to our pup, we make sure it's dog-friendly. It turns out dogs love the taste of almonds. That being said, almonds can also be difficult to digest for dogs.

    So if you want to spoil your pup and share a cookie, make sure he or she doesn't have a super sensitive stomach.

    I've crumbled a bit of almond cookie over Riley's dry food and had a very happy pup who was busy licking his food bowl.

    More Easy Cookie Recipes

    CINNAMON TWISTS - Inspired by German "Zimtstangen," this recipe has just four simple ingredients.

    KEY LIME COOKIES - Light and airy cookies. Try making these with Meyer's Lemons!

    PISTACHIO PUDDING COOKIES - Simple, soft, chewy, and delicious!

    STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE COOKIES - Tender and moist cookies are always gone in no time and are a great, no-bake cookie recipe.

    OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES - Soft, chewy, and quick to make. This is my go-to recipe when anyone in my family is craving cookies.

    Click stars to rate now

    Vanillekipferl (Almond Crescent Cookies)

    These German cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
    Servings: 36 cookies
    A plate of freshly baked almond crescent cookies also known as Vanillekipferl.
    PREP TIME: 20 minutes
    COOK TIME: 20 minutes
    Chill Time 15 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes
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    Ingredients

    FOR THE DOUGH

    • 1 cup butter unsalted, room temperature
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 packs vanilla sugar *see notes
    • 1 cup almonds grind with food processor
    • 1 ¾ cups flour all-purpose

    FOR THE SUGAR COATING

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 2 packs vanilla sugar *see notes

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
    • Grind almonds in a small food processor.

    DOUGH

    • Beat butter, granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, and flour in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually add in the ground almonds. Continue to beat until the dough becomes crumbly.
    • Transfer the dough onto a work surface and shape it into a large dough ball. Wrap the dough ball in plastic and chill for 15 minutes.
    • Use a cookie scoop to make tablespoon-sized dough balls. Shape the dough balls into about 4-inch rolls and form them into crescent shapes. Place the cookies onto the baking sheet.
    • Bake for 20 minutes at 350º Fahrenheit. Allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes. They should still be warm but not hot.

    SUGAR COATING

    • Combine powdered sugar and vanilla sugar in a shallow bowl.
    • Dust the warm almond crescent cookies with the sugar mixture. Transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack until they have completely cooled.
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    Notes

    Substituting Vanilla Sugar with Vanilla Extract

    Although you could substitute vanilla sugar with vanilla extra for the dough, it will not work for the sugar coating. So you will need to either make your own vanilla sugar (see blog post for instructions) or you purchase it.
    Look for Dr. Oetker Vanilla Sugar which you'll find in the baking aisle of most major supermarkets and on Amazon.
    Nutrition
    Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.4mg

    Tools

    1 Rolling Pin
    1 Food Processor (small) a blender works, too
    1 Baking Sheet (18x13) any size baking sheet will work, however the linked on is my favorite baking sheet
    Author: Maike
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    November 30, 2022
    Hi, friends. My name is Maike. Nice to meet you. I am the blogger behind the Cheerful Cook. A Comfort Food blog where we celebrate easy German American recipes all year long
    About the AuthorMaike
    Hi There, I’m Maike! A German girl turned American sharing hundreds of easy, homemade comfort food recipes perfect for everyday cooking.
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Beth

      January 05, 2020 at 11:13 pm

      5 stars
      These are seriously the best! Love the tip for freezing them!

      Reply
    2. Jeannette

      January 05, 2020 at 11:44 pm

      5 stars
      Any almond cookie is one of my favourites! Thanks for sharing this wonderful version!

      Reply
    3. Veena Azmanov

      January 06, 2020 at 12:51 am

      5 stars
      Definitely sensing the aroma in my Kitchen. Love the Almond effect to these delicious cookies. Best for a snack or gift too.

      Reply
      • Maike

        January 06, 2020 at 11:57 am

        Yes, they are perfect for neighbors, coworkers, friends. I love to put them into a craft bag and add a cute sticker. It's personal and budget-friendly. šŸ™‚

        Reply
    4. Adriana

      January 06, 2020 at 1:17 am

      5 stars
      I grew up eating these cookies but the recipe was lost and couldn't make them anymore. I am so happy you published it as I was able to bake them this Christmas. And were fantastic.

      Reply
      • Maike

        January 06, 2020 at 11:56 am

        Oh, I'm so delighted to hear that!

        Reply
    5. Tonje

      January 06, 2020 at 1:34 am

      5 stars
      These are absolutely delicious, and the recipe was so easy to follow!

      Reply

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    Hi, friends. My name is Maike. Nice to meet you. I am the blogger behind the Cheerful Cook. A Comfort Food blog where we celebrate easy German American recipes all year long

    Hi there, I’m Maike!

    A German girl turned American who loves to share my favorite comfort food recipes. Browse through hundreds of easy, homemade recipes perfect for everyday cooking. LEARN MORE… 

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