Pignoli Cookies are a slightly sweet, chewy cookie made from almond paste and covered with pine nuts. They are a favorite of my husband's family and they are a must at Christmas. This easy recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly. 
I don't think I ever tried Pignoli Cookies before I met my husband. They are divine but pricey. At the local Italian bakeries, these are $22 a pound. I don't blame them based on the price of pine nuts. They are considerably cheaper to make but still expensive enough I only make them once a year for Christmas. At Costco, pine nuts are about $24 for 24 oz. I used 8 oz in this recipe. Add in the cost of almonds and sweetener and this was about a $10-12 recipe to make 26 cookies. But I promise it's worth it. If you like pine nuts and you like cookies (does anyone not like cookies?) this will be your new favorite recipe.
With only four ingredients this is the simplest cookie recipe I have. It is dairy and sugar-free, low carb, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly. I won't need to cheat at Christmas with these on the dessert table.
Pignoli Cookies Ingredients:
2 cups slivered almonds
½ cup Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet (or my sweetener blend)
¼ cup egg whites
8 oz pine nuts
finely ground sweetener for dusting, optional
How to Make Pignoli Cookies
First, you need to make almond paste. To make almond paste process the almonds and sweetener in the food processor for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally.
Next, add the egg whites. Process until the dough comes together and is about the consistency of a nut butter.
Then roll balls of dough in the pine nuts. Bake and sprinkle with powdered sweetener.
Can I use another type of nut?
Yes. This recipe also works with other types of nuts coating the cookies. If you are on a budget try them with almond slivers or chopped walnuts instead of the pignoli nuts!
More Low Carb Christmas Recipes:
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Ingredients
- 2 cups slivered almonds
- ½ cup Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet or my sweetener blend
- ¼ cup egg whites
- 8 oz pine nuts
- finely ground sweetener for dusting optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Process the almonds and sweetener in the food processor for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally. Add the egg whites. Process until it comes together and is about the consistency of peanut butter.
- Put the pine nuts in a shallow bowl. Drop tablespoons of the dough into the pine nuts. Roll the balls of dough around covering them with nuts. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden. Cool completely and dust with finely ground sweetener, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Laurie says
If I should try the almond flour do you think it would still be 2 cups since it's already grounded up?
Taryn says
Yes, I've tested it both ways and 2 cups works.
SUsan says
Sweeteners in hand or Swerve and monk fruit. Either work here?
Taryn says
I have not tested them but I think either will work.
Triveni says
love the recipe, glad to see that you've shared the low card and sugar free version. Surely gonna try this, thanks for sharing.
march says
First recipe I tried for this type of cookie, I rarely bake. The directions were easy, I found parchment paper worked much better than silpat. It also took a few extra minutes in the oven than specified, but they came out perfect and tasted great!
Cathy says
What is the serving portion for the carbs? Is it per cookie? Thanks!
Taryn says
The nutrition is calculated per cookie.
Theresa Gwozdz says
I made these cookies today.. A little disappointed.. Seemed like there was a lot of oil that was released from processing.. I followed the recipe, added splenda, added a teasp. of almond extract.. seemed like it needed a boost..
When it was time to roll, too much oil in the batter.. even had a hard time with having the pine nuts stick to it..
baked for 20 minutes and they actually stayed like a ball when I made them. I was making these for a friend, I'm sure he'll they are delicious. I do make traditional pignoli cookies for the holiday, thought this would be a wonderful treat. It is definitely a different taste, I guess that's too be expected.. I will let you know how my friend liked these.. I would like to try these again, any pointers?? Thank you!!
Taryn says
I didn't use splenda when I made them so that must have made the difference. It isn't always possible to swap out sweeteners. If your almond extract had oil that might have messed things up too. Sorry they didn't work for you.
Gerri says
Would almond butter work? If so, how much? Thanks!
Taryn says
I don't think so. Sorry.
Liza says
Hi I don't have slivered almonds , just flour and whole almonds. What would you use out of those two or should I wait till I get the slivers? Thanks
Taryn says
I don't know if either of those will work. You could use the whole almonds if you remove the skins but that is a pain in the butt. I've done it before. The almond flour might work but make sure it looks like my picture before making cookies out of it. It would stink to waste the pine nuts.
Tanya Brillhart says
These look soooo good....alas I can't stand pine nuts. Wondering if any other nut could be subbed?
Taryn says
Sure. You could roll them in more slivered almonds or any other chopped nut.
Merry says
I was thinking of subbing almond slivers.
allison Gismondi says
OMG these are our favorite cookies for Christmas!! I will be making these for sure. I cant believe how easy it looks too!! Thank you so much for this recipe!