These orange almond crescent cookies are an absolute must-make. Buttery, nutty and filled with orange flavour, they’re perfect for morning tea or anytime with a cuppa.

Want more easy cookies? Try these cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies and soft ginger cookies too.

A batch of almond crescent cookies on a metal tray.

Why you’ll love them

Similar to shortbread but with an even more melt-in-the-mouth texture, these cute little cookies taste buttery, orangey and nutty and are quick and easy to make.

The orange in these really stands out but you’ll get a subtle flavour of almonds from the almond meal (almond flour) used in them too. They’re a crumbly cookie but a soft kind of crumbly and incredibly moreish.

Similar to cookies like Viennese crescents, Mexican wedding cookies and Greek kourabiedes, these cookies are irresistible.

Tools you’ll need

Ingredients for almond crescents

The ingredients are very basic in these almond crescent cookies and you’ll likely have most, if not all of them, on hand.

Ingredients for crescent cookies on a marble surface.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Flour: Regular plain flour / all purpose flour is part of a trio of flours in this recipe.
  • Cornflour (cornstarch): Cornflour / cornstarch in these cookies, helps to keep them melty and tender.
  • Almond meal / almond flour: Very finely ground almonds, known as almond meal or almond flour are the 3rd part to our flour base. It’s easy to find in stores and gives them their unique almond flavour.
  • Butter: Butter plays a big role in these cookies giving them a buttery flavour and tender texture.
  • Icing sugar (powdered sugar): For sweetness, we use icing sugar (aka powdered sugar) in these almond crescents which helps to give them their melt in the mouth texture.
  • Salt: Always add a touch of salt to all sweets as it intensifies the flavours.
  • Vanilla: Just a little pure vanilla extract balances the flavour in these cookies. You can leave it out.
  • Orange zest: The dough for these cookies has the zest of one whole orange which gives them a pronounced zingy orange flavour. Feel free to swap it for lemon zest or leave it out completely if you prefer.

How to make almond crescents

A collage of 4 images showing how to make orange almond crescent cookies.

Detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Dry ingredients: Start by whisking together the dry ingredients (photo 1), then set them aside.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar: Beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until lightened and fluffy (photo 2).
  3. Add the flavouring: Add the orange zest and vanilla (photo 3) and beat that in.
  4. Add the dry ingredients: Beat in the dry ingredients until the dough is clumping.
  5. Roll and bake: Roll small balls of dough into logs, then bend slightly and place on a baking tray (photo 4). Bake for 9-10 minutes.
  6. Coat: Once cooled, toss the cookies gently in icing sugar to coat well all over.
A crescent cookie broken open to show the inside.

Tips and tricks

  • Size: About 20g of dough is the perfect amount for these cookies. They expand while baking. I find rolling them to about 8.5cm / 3 ½ inches works best. Bend them, then press the ends into points to get the crescent shape.
  • Chilling: I do not chill these cookies but it’s always a good idea to test bake 1 cookie first. If you experience spreading, chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before baking.
  • Be gentle: The cookies are delicate after baking so don’t try to move them for at least 5 minutes and, even, then be very careful. Once cooled, they aren’t quite so fragile but it’s best to coat them one at a time so they don’t break.

How to store them

These orange almond crescent cookies store well in a cool place, in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

You can freeze them too. Use an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.

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A hand picking up a cookie crescent off a metal tray.

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A batch of almond crescent cookies on a metal tray.
5 from 2 ratings
Buttery, melt in the mouth cookies, with a good kick of orange, these orange almond crescent cookies are irresistible. So easy to make, they’re great for giving as gifts at the holidays too.

Ingredients

  • 195 g plain (all purp) flour (1 ½ cups / 7oz)
  • 70 g cornflour (cornstarch) (½ cup / 2.5oz)
  • 100 g almond meal (almond flour) (1 cup / 3.5oz)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 226 g unsalted butter, room temperature (1 cup / 2 sticks / 8oz)
  • 1 ½ cups icing (powdered) sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Zest of one medium orange (roughly 1 tablespoon)

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160 fan forced. Line 3 cookie trays with baking paper.
  • Whisk together the flour, cornflour, almond meal and salt in a medium mixing bowl then set aside.
  • Set aside ¾ cup of the icing sugar for coating at the end.
  • Beat together the butter and remaining ¾ cup of icing sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and orange zest and beat through.
  • Add the flour mixture and gently beat through until combined.
  • If very soft and sticky, chill the dough for 15 minutes
  • Roll roughly tablespoons (20g) of cookie dough to a 8.5cm (3.5 inch) log. Bend it gently to create a curve, then pinch the ends to points. I get a better and smoother shape rolling between my hands than rolling on the bench.
  • Bake cookies for 10 minutes or until tips are turning golden.
  • Let them cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Once completely cool gently toss in the remaining ¾ cup of icing sugar.

Notes

  1. Size: About 20g of dough is the perfect amount for these cookies. They expand while baking. I find rolling them to about 8.5cm / 3 ½ inches works best. Bend them, then press the ends into points to get the crescent shape.
  2. Chilling: I do not chill these cookies but it’s always a good idea to test bake 1 cookie first. If you experience spreading, chill the cookies in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before baking.
  3. Be gentle: The cookies are delicate after baking so don’t try to move them for at least 5 minutes and even then be very careful. Once cooled, they aren’t quite so fragile but it’s best to coat them one at a time so they don’t break.
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Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.