Vanillekipferl Recipe
This Vanillekipferl Recipe creates delicate Austrian crescent cookies made with butter, almond flour, and vanilla. Soft, crumbly, and dusted with vanilla sugar, these traditional holiday cookies melt in your mouth and are perfect for festive baking.
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Servings: 40 cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 200 g unsalted butter about 7 oz / 1¾ sticks, softened
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g almond flour ground almonds
- 245 g all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla paste or seeds from ½ vanilla pod
For Dusting
- 55 g confectioners’ sugar icing sugar
- 8 g vanilla sugar about 1 packet
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
Cream the butter and sugar
- Cut the butter into small pieces and place it in a mixing bowl with the granulated sugar. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes smooth, pale, and slightly glossy.
Add the dry ingredients
- Add the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and vanilla paste or vanilla seeds to the butter mixture. Mix until the ingredients begin to combine into a soft dough. If necessary, finish incorporating the dough by gently kneading with your hands until a cohesive dough forms.
Chill the dough
- Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Chilling the dough helps firm the butter and makes the dough easier to shape.
Shape the Cookies
Prepare the oven and baking sheets
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Form the crescents
- Remove a portion of dough (approximately one-eighth of the dough at a time) from the refrigerator. Roll or press the dough into a log about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick. Cut pieces approximately 2 inches (5 cm) in length.
- Gently shape each piece into a crescent by curving the ends inward. Place the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Smooth any cracks gently with your fingers or the back of a knife.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake the Cookies
Bake the Vanillekipferl
- Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, or until they appear dry on the surface but remain pale. The cookies should not brown significantly and will remain slightly soft immediately after baking.
Dust the Cookies
Prepare the sugar coating
- While the cookies are baking, combine the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla sugar in a small bowl.
Coat the cookies
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for approximately 1 minute. Using a fine sieve or small strainer, lightly dust the cookies with the vanilla sugar mixture.
- After a few minutes, dust them again to ensure a generous coating. If desired, carefully dip the bottoms of the cookies into the excess sugar mixture on the baking sheet.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 8–10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
To prepare a gluten-free version of this Vanillekipferl Recipe, substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that includes xanthan gum or a similar binding agent.
Because gluten-free flour absorbs moisture differently, allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1½ hours to ensure proper hydration and easier shaping.
Additionally, confirm that the vanilla sugar and confectioners’ sugar used are certified gluten-free, as some brands may contain trace additives.
The resulting cookies will remain tender, delicate, and flavorful, though they may be slightly more fragile than the traditional version.