Orange Almond Cookie Bars

A recipe for Orange Almond Cookie Bars! These crisp and chewy cookies have a fragrant blend of flavors with orange, cardamom, and almond.

I first came across the idea for these Orange Almond Cookie Bars over on Little Life of Mine and they continue to be a fun addition to the cookie platter during the holidays.

A basic cookie dough is flavored with orange zest, almond extract, and cardamom, then formed into flatted logs. To finish, they are brushed with milk and covered with sliced almonds before baking until golden.

While still warm, the baked cookie sheets are cut on the diagonal into individual bars. Once cooled completely, they are topped with an orange almond glaze for even more flavor.

The resulting texture is fantastic with the sweet glaze, crisp edges, and chewy center.

Notable Ingredients

Green Cardamom is a highly aromatic, warm citrus-like spice. You can buy cardamom whole or ground, but the seeds quickly lose their flavor once the pods are cut.

I have been able to find the pods in the spice section of larger grocery stores, specialty spice stores, and markets featuring South Asian ingredients.

A Few Orange Almond Cookie Bar Tips

Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.

Mix the flour into the egg mixture just until a smooth dough comes together. If even after mixing it is still a little dry and crumbly, add a small splash of milk. If too wet and sticky to handle, dust your hands and work surface with a little flour to form into the ropes.

Sprinkle plenty of sliced almonds (not toasted) over the tops of the cookie bars. The dough and sliced almond topping will spread as they bake in the oven.

Bake the cookies just until set and golden around the edges. This should take about 20-22 minutes in a 325˚F (163˚C) oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then cut into slightly diagonal slices while still warm.

Use a sharp knife to cut through the sliced almond topping with minimal amount of crumbling.

Wait until the cookies have cooled to room temperature before adding the glaze. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, add a little more orange juice. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

Once the glaze has set, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Separate the layers of the Orange Almond Cookie Bars with parchment.

Want even more almond flavor? These Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices) have a rich orange almond filling in the center.

Looking for more orange-based recipes?

Try my:

• Orange Lemon Smoothie
• Roasted Vegetables with Orange Vanilla Vinaigrette
• Chocolate Orange Ganache Tartlets

This recipe was originally posted in December 2012 and updated in November 2025.

Orange Almond Cookie Bars Recipe

Adapted from Little Life of Mine

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Orange Almond Cookie Bars

A recipe for Orange Almond Cookie Bars! These crisp and chewy cookies have a fragrant blend of flavors with orange, cardamom, and almond.

Course Dessert

Cuisine N/A

Keyword almond, cardamom, cookie, cookie bar, orange

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 30 -35 Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

• Milk
• Sliced Almonds

Glaze:

• 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 milliliters) freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325˚F (163˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to evenly mix, followed by the orange zest and almond extract.
• Mix in the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt until just combined and a smooth dough forms.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
• Roll each piece into a rope about 14 inches (35.5 centimeters) long.
• Place the ropes lengthwise on the parchment-lined baking sheet at least 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) apart and lightly flatten until they are each about 2 1/2 inches (6 centimeters) wide.
• Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle heavily with the sliced almonds.
• Bake in preheated oven until the cookies spread and are lightly browned around the edges, 20-22 minutes.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, while still warm, use a sharp knife to cut one of the sheets into individual cookie bars slightly on the diagonal about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide. Repeat with the other sheet and transfer the bars to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
• In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and almond extract. Whisk in the orange juice until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.
• Drizzle the glaze on cooled cookie bars.
• Allow to set briefly before serving.