Linzer Star Christmas Cookies

These crunchy, nutty Linzer Cookies are filled with a smooth and creamy hazelnut spread and are the perfect holiday cookie.

A simple almond shortbread cookie you can easily customise with different shapes and fillings. Dust with a sprinkle of icing sugar for a snowy finish.

three round cookies with heart shaped cutouts on white plate with milk bottle and red berries in background

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Nutella Linzer Cookies.

These Linzer cookies might just be my new favourite Christmas biscuit. A traditional Austrian holiday cookie made from almond flour and jam they can be circles, flowers, stars or hearts.

Instead of the usual jam, these Linzer cookies are filled with hazelnut chocolate spread making them a chocolate lovers dream. Each one has a pretty cutout star-shaped window making them perfect to use as a Christmas or New Years cookie.

You can make them in any shape as long as you have both a large and small cookie cutter. Wouldn’t they be cute with a bunch of tiny stars or even a cutout Christmas tree shape?

Bake a batch and bring them to a cookie swap or holiday bake sale. They’d look so fun and festive on a Christmas table.

round cookies being cut out of dough next to an image of star shapes being cut out of circles on baking paper

Tips for making Linzer Star Sandwich Cookies.

As the dough is very soft and buttery it needs to be refrigerated for about an hour before you can work with it.
This dough is extremely soft and can be hard to work with. Make sure you have a heavily floured work surface and rolling pin.
Before rolling the cookie dough out let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. This will help prevent cracking.
Use a spatula to help transfer your cut out cookies onto a baking sheet.
When making the cookie tops, transfer them to a baking sheet first before you cut out the middle star shape. This will help them hold their shape and not warp.
The tops of the cookies will bake faster than the bottoms so make sure to bake them in separate batches.

three round cookies with heart shaped cut outs on white plate

Ingredients for Linzer Star Cookies.

2 cups flour (all-purpose)

1 cup fine almond flour - you can either buy pre-ground or buy around 120 grams of blanched almonds before toasting them and grinding them yourself.

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature so it mixes easily with the sugar.

½ cup granulated white sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Nutella for filling

Powdered sugar for dusting

round cookies with heart shaped cutouts on wire cooling rack with red and white checked tea towel in background

How to make Nutella Linzer Stars.

Making the cookie dough.

1. Mix together the flour, almond flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Set aside for later.

2. In a separate bowl beat together the butter and sugar until creamy.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fully combined and smooth.

4. Mix in the dry ingredients and beat together until a soft dough forms.

5. Divide the dough in half and form it into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.

flat disc of chilled cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap

Rolling out the dough.

6. When the cookie dough has chilled remove one disc from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for around 5 minutes.

7. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out until it’s around 1/8 inch thick.

8. Use a round scalloped edge cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Transfer the cut-out dough circles to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

9. Keep half the cut-out cookies as full circles. Use a smaller star-shaped cookie cutter to cut a star out of the middle of the remaining cookies.

10. Transfer the cookies on the baking sheets back to the refrigerator and chill for another 30 minutes.

Baking the cookies.

11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees/Gas Mark 4.

12. Bake the chilled cookies for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Remember that the cookies with the cut-outs will bake quicker than the whole cookies so make sure to keep an eye on the cookies to make sure they don’t overcook.

13. Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

round cookies with stars cut out on baking sheet covered in icing sugar next to round cookies with nutella on top on wire rack

Assembling the cookies.

14. When the cookies are cool use a fine-mesh sieve and lightly shake some powdered (icing) sugar over the top of the cookies with the cut-out centres.

15. Flip the other cookies over so the bottom is facing up and spread a thin later of Nutella over each cookie.

16. Place the powdered sugar cookies on top of the Nutella cookies and press gently to secure in place.

17. Repeat with the remaining cookies and enjoy.

close up of linzer cookie with star shape cut out and nutella filling

How to store Linzer Cookies.

The cookies can be eaten immediately for a crisp biscuit or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. The longer you leave the cookies the softer they become as they absorb the moisture from the Nutella filling. They still taste pretty fantastic though, I promise!

If you don’t want to bake the cookies immediately you can store the cookie in the fridge for 1-3 days before rolling and cutting.

linzer star cookies on wire rack with red and white checked tablecloth in background

Must-Have Resources:

When making Linzer Star Nutella Cookies at home you really need the following things on hand: