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    Almond Crescent Cookies (German Vanillekipferl)

    Nov 5, 2019 · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    3.7K shares

    Read in: Deutsch

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    a hand holding vanillekipferl on a plate next to a mesh sieve full with powdered sugar

    Vegan almond crescent cookies are one of the most loved German Christmas cookies ever! Let me show you how to make Vanillekipferl without eggs and dairy!

    vanillekipferl german christmas cookies served on a plate

    Crispy and crumbly with a wonderful vanilla flavor wrapped in powdered sugar – that’s exactly what makes a perfect almond crescent cookie. They are as soft as butter and melt almost on the tongue – who can say to such a thing?

    No wonder are these Kipferl cookies one of the most loved Christmas cookies ever! It’s a traditional German cookies recipe, which is also known under the German name Vanillekipferl!

    almond crescent cookies served on a plate

    Vegan Almond Crescent Cookies

    It’s easy to make these crescent cookies vegan. Most recipes call for an egg, which can be left out without hesitation. Furthermore, you must replace dairy butter with dairy-free butter or margarine, which you can nowadays buy in any large supermarket.

    That’s all the magic! No fancy egg replacement or special ingredients needed.

    You see, baking vegan Christmas cookies is easy. Further down is a list with links to even more delicious and easy vegan Christmas cookie recipes!

    Almond Crescent Cookies Recipe

    This cookie dough is made with ground almonds, which gives them a wonderful aroma and mild taste. You must use peeled almonds for this recipe, also known as blanched almonds. This is very important because peeled almonds have a milder flavor than unpeeled almonds. It’s also the only way to get those snow-white vanilla crescents cookies.

    Almond flour is always made with peeled almonds and is perfectly suitable for this recipe. Don’t use almond meal, as this one is made with unpeeled almonds.

    I always buy ground almonds, but if you have a food processor at home, you can make it yourself. Pulse blanched almonds until they are fine but still slightly crumble.

    a hand holding vanillekipferl on a plate next to a mesh sieve full with powdered sugar

    How To Make This Vanillekipferl Recipe

    • Identically with most cookie recipes, you must first mix the dry ingredients: White flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, and a pinch of salt.
    • Add the butter in pieces and mix with a stand mixer or hand mixer until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
    almond crescent cookies recipe step 1
    • → The dough is now very crumbly (as you can see in the picture below), almost like breadcrumbs. That’s how it should be.
    almond crescent cookies recipe step 2
    • Use your hands to knead the crumbly mixture into a smooth dough and form into a ball.
    almond crescent cookies recipe step 3
    • Wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about an hour. → It is very important to cool the dough before forming crescents with it. Warm dough is very hard to handle.
    almond crescent cookies recipe step 4
    • After you have formed the dough into crescents (see further below or in the video how to form them), you can bake them immediately. No need to cool them again, which is a huge timesaver.

    Cooling: It is best to cool the dough in the fridge for an hour. If you are in a hurry, chill it for 15 minutes in the freezer.

    Baking: They are good as soon as the ends start to turn into a very light brown, but the rest of the crescent is still white. You don’t want brown Vanillekipferl.

    Sugar-Coating: Sprinkle the cookies with the sugar coating (powdered sugar & vanilla sugar) while still warm to ensure that the coating sticks. Take them out of the oven, place them on a cooling rack, and sprinkle immediately with the sugar coating using a small fine-mesh sieve or flour sifter. → Place a clean parchment paper under the rack to collect and reuse any topping that didn’t stick on the cookies.

    Vanilla Sugar: This is a very common Swiss and German baking ingredient. It’s nothing else than regular sugar with vanilla bean. If you can’t buy vanilla sugar in your country, you can make your own by mixing 2 tablespoons of caster sugar with the scraped out seeds of one vanilla bean. Mix well and use it for the recipe. I don’t suggest replacing it with vanilla extract!

    Powdered Sugar: It is very important that you use powdered sugar and not granulated sugar to make the cookie dough.

    How to Form Crescent Cookies

    There are different methods on how to shape Vanillekipferl in its typical crescent shape.

    Let me explain to you how I shape them:

    • It’s important to work with a cold dough! Divide the dough into 3-4 equal pieces and roll each into a rope of about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. → No need to work on a floured surface.
    • Divide each rope into ∼0.4 inches (1 cm) slices. → Use a dough scraper or a knife.
    • Roll each piece between your hands into a thin rope. It is ok if the roll is a little thicker in the middle and thinner at the ends.
    • Finally, form it into a crescent using your fingers.
    almond crescent cookies recipe step 5

    That’s all the magic there is. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

    → Make sure to watch the recipe video to see how to make and form almond crescent cookies!

    Recipe FAQ

    How to store the cookies?

    Store them in a Christmas Cookie Tin or in an airtight container at room temperature.

    How long does it keep fresh?

    You can keep them for at least one week.

    • vanillekipferl recipe served on a plate next to a mesh sieve full with powdered sugar
    • vegan crescent cookies served on a plate with starts next to it

    More Christmas cookies recipes you’ll love:

    • Vegan Linzer Cookies
    • Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Cinnamon Star Cookies (German Zimtsterne)
    • Austrian Linzer Tart Cookies

    Did you try this recipe?

    I would love it if you leave me a 5-star rating or comment. This way, I better get to know which recipes you like and can make more of them.

    Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to see more tasty shiny food pictures! I would be thrilled to welcome you to my community!

    a hand holding vanillekipferl on a plate next to a mesh sieve full with powdered sugar

    Almond Crescent Cookies (German Vanillekipferl)

    Aline Cueni
    Vegan almond crescent cookies are one of the most loved German Christmas cookies ever! Let me show you how to make Vanillekipferl without eggs and dairy!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 12 mins
    Additional Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 42 mins
    Course Süsses
    Cuisine Vegan
    Servings 25
    Calories 73 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    Dough

    • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup (60 g) almond flour (ground blanched almonds)
    • ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
    • 1 tbsp vanilla sugar see notes
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ½ cup (113 g) vegan butter or margarine

    Sugar Coating

    • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
    • 1 tbsp vanilla sugar see notes

    Instructions
     

    Cookie Dough

    • Mix flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt in a bowl.
    • Add the butter in pieces and mix using a stand mixer or hand mixer until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
    • Use your hands to knead the crumbly mixture into a smooth dough and form into a ball. Wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. *see notes
    • Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the sugar topping in a small bowl.

    Form & Bake

    • Preheat your oven to 355°F/180°C.
    • Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a rope of about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Divide each rope into ∼0.4 inches (1 cm) slices using a dough scraper or knife.
    • Roll each piece between your hands into a thin rope and form into a crescent.
    • Transfer them on a with parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. They are good as soon as the ends start to turn into a very light brown, but the rest of the crescent is still white.
    • Place them on a cooling rack and sprinkle with the sugar coating (using a flour sifter or a small fine-mesh strainer) while still warm. → Place a clean parchment paper under the rack to collect and reuse any topping that didn’t stick on the cookies.

    Notes

    • Vanilla Sugar: Vanilla sugar is a very common Swiss/German baking product. If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you can make your own by mixing 2 tbsp caster sugar with the scraped out seeds of one vanilla bean.
    • Cooling Time: If you are in a hurry, store the dough for 15 minutes in the freezer instead of 1 hour in the refrigerator. Cold dough is much easier to form.
    • Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
    • Keeps fresh for at least one week.
    • Sugar Coating: Sprinkle the cookies with the sugar coating while still warm to ensure that the coating sticks.

    Recommended Products

    KitchenAid Stand Mixer
    Hand Mixer
    Baking Sheet
    Cooling Rack
    Cookie Tins

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Almond Crescent Cookies (German Vanillekipferl)
    Amount Per Serving (1 g)
    Calories 73 Calories from Fat 45
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 5g8%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
    Cholesterol 10mg3%
    Sodium 53mg2%
    Carbohydrates 7g2%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 1g2%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Cinnamon Star Cookies (German Zimtsterne) »

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