Name: Walnut Crescent Cookies (German Nusskipferl)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 1 cup butter (softened); ¾ cup powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup ground walnuts; 2 cups all-purpose flour; Powdered sugar (for coating)

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These little walnut crescent cookies are buttery, nutty, and so tender they practically melt in your mouth. Each one gets a snowy coat of powdered sugar, and they look so pretty on a cookie plate. One bite and you’ll see why they’re a classic in German kitchens.

They’re also wonderfully simple. Just six ingredients, no eggs, and no fancy tools. Mix the dough, chill it, shape it into little half-moons, and bake. That’s it!

Watch Me Make This Recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These buttery crescents are a cookie tray favorite. Here’s why you’ll want to bake a batch:

Only 6 ingredients. Butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, walnuts, flour, and more powdered sugar for the top.
Melt-in-your-mouth texture. Soft, crumbly, and buttery in every bite.
No eggs needed. Great for when you’re out of eggs.
A big batch. You’ll get about 4 dozen cookies.
Perfect for sharing. They look beautiful on a cookie plate or packed in a tin.

What Are Walnut Crescent Cookies?

Walnut crescents are small, crescent-shaped butter cookies made with ground nuts and rolled in powdered sugar. In Germany and Austria, they’re called Kipferl, and the walnut version is known as Nusskipferl (nut crescents).

They’re a close cousin of the famous Vanillekipferl, which are usually made with almonds or hazelnuts and coated in vanilla sugar. This walnut version has a slightly richer, earthier nut flavor that I just love. You’ll also find similar cookies in other countries, like Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, but those are rolled into balls instead of crescents.

Ingredients You Need

These cookies use simple ingredients, but each one matters. Here’s what you’ll need.

Butter: Softened butter gives these cookies their rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Leave it on the counter for about an hour before baking.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the dough and makes it extra tender. You’ll also need more for coating the cookies at the end.
Vanilla extract: Adds a warm, sweet flavor that goes perfectly with the walnuts.
Ground walnuts: The star of the show! You can buy them already ground, or grind your own (see my tip below).
All-purpose flour: Holds the dough together.

Equipment You Need

You don’t need anything special for these cookies. Here are the simple tools I use:

Hand mixer: For creaming the butter and powdered sugar.
Food processor: For grinding your own walnuts.
Small cookie scoop: For making all the cookies the same size.
Baking sheets: Two baking sheets make baking go faster.
Parchment paper: Keeps the cookies from sticking.
Wire cooling rack: For cooling the cookies.

How to Make Walnut Crescent Cookies

These cookies are easy, but chilling the dough is important, so plan a little time for that. Here’s how to make them.

1: Grind the walnuts. If your walnuts aren’t already ground, put them in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Pulse in short bursts until they look like coarse sand. The flour keeps them from turning into walnut butter.

2: Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and ¾ cup powdered sugar with a mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

3: Add the vanilla and walnuts. Mix in the vanilla and ground walnuts until everything is blended.

4: Add the flour. Add the flour and mix on low just until a soft dough forms.

5: Chill the dough. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it for 1 to 2 hours. Cold dough is much easier to shape and holds its crescent shape in the oven.

6: Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7: Shape the crescents. Break off a tablespoon-sized piece of dough. Roll it between your hands into a little log about 2½ inches long, with slightly thinner ends. Gently bend it into a half-moon shape.

8: Place on the baking sheet. Set the crescents about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.

9: Bake. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are set and just starting to turn light golden on the bottom. They should stay pale on top.

10: Cool a little. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. They’re very delicate while hot, so be gentle.

11: Coat with powdered sugar. While the cookies are still warm, gently roll them in powdered sugar, or dust them with a sifter. Set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

12: Coat again. Once they’re completely cool, give them a second roll or dusting of powdered sugar for that pretty, snowy look.

Debbie’s Tip

Coat them twice. The first coat of powdered sugar, while the cookies are still warm, melts a little and sticks to the cookie like glue. The second coat, once they’re cool, stays snowy white and beautiful. This little trick makes them look like they came straight from a German bakery.

Variations & Substitutions

This simple dough is easy to change up. Here are a few ideas:

Vanillekipferl style: Use ground almonds instead of walnuts, and roll the cookies in a mix of powdered sugar and German vanilla sugar.
Hazelnut crescents: Swap the walnuts for ground hazelnuts.
Pecan crescents: Ground pecans work great too.
Chocolate-dipped: Skip the powdered sugar and dip the ends of the cooled cookies in melted chocolate.
Cinnamon sugar: Add a pinch of cinnamon to the powdered sugar coating.

Storage & Freezing

These cookies keep really well, and many people think they taste even better after a day or two.

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze baked cookies: Freeze without the powdered sugar for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then roll in powdered sugar.
Freeze the dough: Wrap the dough tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before shaping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions I hear most about walnut crescent cookies.

Why did my crescents crack when I shaped them?
The dough is probably too cold. Let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes until it’s a little softer, then try again.

Why did my cookies spread and lose their shape?
The dough was too warm. Chill the dough well, and if your kitchen is warm, put the shaped cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.

Can I use chopped walnuts instead of ground?
Finely chopped walnuts work, but ground walnuts give a smoother, more delicate texture that’s closer to a traditional German Kipferl.

Why do my cookies break when I roll them in sugar?
They’re still too hot. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes first. They firm up as they cool.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! Keep the wrapped dough in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

What’s the difference between these and Vanillekipferl?
They’re very similar! Vanillekipferl are usually made with almonds or hazelnuts and rolled in vanilla sugar. These use walnuts and plain powdered sugar.

More Recipes You’ll Love

If you love German cookies, try these next:

From My Kitchen to Yours

There’s something so cozy about a plate of snowy little crescents next to a cup of coffee. German cookies like these are simple, buttery, and made with love, just the way cookies should be. I hope they become a favorite in your home too. Bake a batch, share them with the people you love, and don’t be surprised if they disappear fast.

If you make them, I’d love to see them! Tag me on Instagram or pin them to your cookie board on Pinterest.

Enjoy every bite,