These delicious Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam are the perfect combination of buttery cookies, sweet-tangy raspberry, and a dusting of powdered sugar, making them a holiday favorite.
If you want to add some variety to your Christmas cookie platter, these Linzer Cookies pair well with Double chocolate cookies and chewy M&M cookies.
Recipe Details
These Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam embody the classic Christmas spirit, especially when made with a snowflake cookie cutter. They are ideal for parties and cookie platters, so consider making a batch this season!
- TASTE: Rich, buttery, and sweet, these Linzer Cookies are enhanced by the tangy richness of cream cheese and a slightly tart jam.
- TEXTURE: The buttery cookies complement the sticky and thick jam perfectly.
- TIME: It only takes an hour and 40 minutes to make them.
- EASE: This recipe is easy to follow with step-by-step photos to help you make amazing Linzer cookies for your next gathering.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Butter- Provides the buttery flavor and texture of the cookies. Use unsalted butter because salt will be added later.
- Cream cheese- Adds tangy flavors and richness to the Linzer cookies.
- Jam- Homemade or store-bought jam can be used.
- Baking powder- Helps the cookies rise and become thick and sturdy.
- Powdered sugar- Used to dust the tops of the cookies. Confectioners’ sugar can also be used.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add poppy seeds- Add poppy seeds to the cookie dough for extra flavor and texture.
- Substitute another jam- Try this cookie with 3 Ingredient Strawberry Jam (no pectin), lemon curd, currant jam, or apricot jam.
- Make them gluten-free- Use all-purpose gluten-free baking flour or almond flour in this recipe to make it gluten-free.
- Substitute different shapes- Circles with star cutouts and squares are also popular designs for these Linzer cookies.
How to Make Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam
- Sift together the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
- Cut the butter and cream cheese. Cube the butter and cream cheese and then use a pastry cutter to cut it into the dry ingredients, working until the butter cubes are pea-sized.
- Beat the egg and sugar. In a small bowl, beat the sugar and egg together with a fork.
- Combine. Take the egg mixture and pour it into a well in the center of the butter/flour mixture, then work the dough with your hands into a solid shape.
- Form the dough. Split the dough into 2 sections, cover each with plastic wrap, and place them in the refrigerator to chill until firm, about 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough. Roll out one piece of dough with a rolling pin until it is about 16 inches in diameter and about 1/8-inch thick.
- Cut out cookie shapes. Use a 3 1/2-inch snowflake cookie cutter to cut shapes in the dough. Then, use a smaller snowflake shape to cut out the centers of half of the larger snowflakes. The whole ones will form the cookie bottoms and the others will be the tops.
- Re-roll the dough scraps. Roll out the dough scraps to 1/8-inch thick and cut out the snowflakes until the dough is gone. Do the same with the other refrigerated section.
Pro Tip: To make these a little extra Christmasy, I used snowflake cookie cutters, but you are welcome to use any shape you have on hand, as long as it’s about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Bake. In a 350ºF oven, bake the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 10 minutes, until they are golden brown.
- Add the raspberry jam. Once the cookies have cooled on a wire rack, add a teaspoon of jam to the bottom cookies, with most of it in the center. Then, place the tops over them and sprinkle each sandwiched cookie with powdered sugar.
Recipe Tips
- Scoop and level the flour- Scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with a knife rather than scoop it with the measuring cup to avoid overfilling and getting dry cookies.
- Use a pastry cutter- While a fork can work, too, a pastry cutter is best for getting those little pea-sized chunks of butter and cream cheese that will moisten these cookies.
- Keep the cookies thin- Roll them out to about 1/8 of an inch to keep them thin. Too thick and these Linzer cookie sandwiches will be a mouthful when combining the top and bottom with jam.
- Spread most of the jelly in the center- To avoid jam oozing out the sides, place most of the jam in the center where the cut out will be and just a little toward the sides to act as glue holding the halves together.
FAQs
If your jam or jelly is too runny for your Linzer cookies, then place it in a saucepan with a tablespoon of cornstarch and cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken. Let it cool before adding it to your cookies.
You do not need to refrigerate cookies with a little bit of jam like these Linzer cookies. They can stay at room temperature for days, though you can place them in the fridge if you like.
Serving Suggestions
This Linzer Cookie recipe is perfect for holiday get-togethers. Serve them on cookie platters, with cakes, and alongside other sweet treats and coffee.
- Cookies: Serve these with Gingersnap Cookies, Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies, Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, or Lofthouse Frosted Sugar Cookies (VIDEO).
- Cakes: Pair these jam cookies with a slice of Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake, or New York Style Cheesecake.
- Sweet treats: Enjoy these Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam alongside some Chocolate Covered Dates, Apricot Rugelach (VIDEO), Candied Pecans, or Pumpkin Creme Brulee.
- Beverages: Have a Linzer cookie with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Caramel Macchiato, Brown Sugar Boba, or Iced Matcha Latte.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: Since these cookies can be stored for nearly a week or frozen, they can easily be made ahead of time and then dusted with powdered sugar when you’re ready to serve them.
Storing: If you place these Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam in an airtight container, they will last at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Separate the cookies with parchment paper so that the jam does not cause the cookies to stick to each other (jam doesn’t freeze solid) and place them in a tightly lidded container. Raspberry Linzer cookies can last for up to 1 month in the freezer.
If you plan to freeze these cookies, it is best to not dust them with powdered sugar until they have thawed, otherwise, they absorb the sugar.
More Yummy Christmas Cookies!
- Chewy Nutella Cookies
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies (VIDEO)
- Classic Shortbread Cookies
- “`htmlChewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Full Recipe Instructions
Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam
Print
Pin
Rate
24
sandwiched cookies
160
kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (cold)
- 4 oz cream cheese (cold)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Raspberry jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
- Slice the butter and cream cheese into cubes and cut it into the flour using a pastry cutter. Continue cutting into the butter until it resembles the size of peas.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the sugar and egg with a fork.
- Pour the egg mixture into the flour/butter mixture and work the dough into a solid shape with your hands.
- Separate the dough into 2 portions and wrap each piece with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until firm.
- Roll one piece of dough into a circle about 16 inches in diameter. The dough should be about 1/8 inch thick.
- Using a 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut as many snowflakes from the dough as possible. Then using a smaller snowflake cookie cutter, cut through the center of half the cookies. These will be the cookie tops. The whole cookies will be the cookie bottoms. Gather up the dough scraps and roll it back into 1/8 inch thick and repeat the cutting process. Continue steps 6-7 with the remaining refrigerated dough.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden-brown.
- Once the cookies are cooled, spread about 1 tsp of raspberry jam onto the cookie bottoms leaving most of the jam dolloped in the center. Then place the cookie tops on top. Lightly sift powdered sugar on top of each sandwiched cookie.
Notes
- Scoop and level the flour- Scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with a knife rather than scoop it with the measuring cup to avoid overfilling and getting dry cookies.
- Use a pastry cutter- While a fork can work, too, a pastry cutter is best for getting those little pea-sized chunks of butter and cream cheese that will moisten these cookies.
- Keep the cookies thin- Roll them out to about 1/8 of an inch to keep them thin. Too thick and these Linzer cookie sandwiches will be a mouthful when combining the top and bottom with jam.
- Spread most of the jelly in the center- To avoid jam oozing out the sides, place most of the jam in the center where the cut out will be and just a little toward the sides to act as glue holding the halves together.
Nutrition
mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
This recipe was originally published on December 7, 2017, we have updated it since.
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