Italian Cookies are soft, lightly sweet cookies topped with a simple almond glaze and colorful sprinkles. Traditional versions are often flavored with anise, but our family prefers almond extract for a sweet bakery-style flavor that everyone loves.
These cookies are easy to make, fun to shape, and make a big batch, which is why they are especially good for Christmas cookie trays, parties, and gifting. The cookies stay pale and tender when baked, and the thin glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness.
For more favorite holiday cookies, try our Italian Christmas Cookies, Spritz Cookie Recipe, Sugar Cookies, and our classic Christmas Cookies.
Why You’ll Love It + Why It Works:
- Soft + Tender. Baking just until the tops are set keeps the cookies pale and tender instead of dry.
- Easy to Flavor. We love almond extract, but anise, vanilla, lemon, or orange can give the cookies a completely different flavor.
- Great for Gifting. This recipe makes a large batch, making it perfect for Christmas cookie trays, parties, and neighbor gifts.
- Chilling Helps Them Hold Their Shape. Cold dough is easier to handle and helps the cookies keep their rounded or shaped form while baking.
Italian Cookie Ingredients
- Eggs (2): Bind the dough together and help give the cookies structure. Room temperature eggs mix in more easily than cold eggs.
- Vegetable oil (6 tablespoons): Keeps the cookies soft and tender while adding moisture to the dough. Avocado oil or a mild olive oil can also be used.
- Granulated sugar (½ cup): Sweetens the cookies and helps create their soft, tender texture.
- Almond extract (1 teaspoon): Gives the cookies the sweet almond flavor we love. For a different variation, use vanilla, orange, lemon, or ½ teaspoon anise extract.
- All-purpose flour (2 cups): Gives the cookies structure so they can be rolled and shaped. Measure the flour carefully so the cookies do not turn out dry.
- Baking powder (2 teaspoons): Gives the cookies a little lift and helps keep the centers soft instead of dense.
- Salt (1 pinch): Balances the sweetness and brings out the almond flavor.
- Optional mix-ins (up to 1 cup): Add extra flavor and texture. Chopped almonds, walnuts, or mini chocolate chips all work well.
Glaze
- Powdered sugar (2 cups): Creates the smooth, sweet base for the glaze. Sift it first to help prevent lumps.
- Almond extract (1 teaspoon): Flavors the glaze so it matches the cookies. If you use a different extract in the dough, use the same flavor in the glaze. Lemon or orange zest can also be added.
- Salt (1 pinch): Keeps the glaze from tasting overly sweet and helps balance the almond flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream or milk (3 to 4 tablespoons, warmed): Thins the glaze to a smooth dipping consistency. Add it gradually until the glaze is thin enough to dip but still coats the tops of the cookies.
- Optional sprinkles: Add color and make the cookies easy to customize for holidays and celebrations. We love classic nonpareils, but holiday sprinkles or sugar crystals work too.
How to Make Italian Cookies
COOKIE DOUGH. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, sugar, and almond extract. Then use an electric mixer to mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. The dough will be soft. If it becomes sticky while shaping, chill it rather than adding a lot of extra flour.
CHILL. Roll dough by tablespoonfuls into balls. Chill balls of dough for at least an hour, or freeze for 15-20 minutes. Place cold dough balls on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Chilling the shaped dough helps firm the soft dough so the cookies hold their shape while baking.
BAKE. Bake at 350°F for about 9 minutes, just until the tops are set. The cookies should stay pale on top, with only the bottoms lightly browned. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
GLAZE. Combine powdered sugar, almond extract, salt, and 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream in a small bowl. Mix until smooth, adding warm cream as needed until the glaze is thin enough to dip but thick enough to lightly coat the tops.
- Dip the tops in glaze and immediately add sprinkles before the glaze begins to set.
Make Different Shapes
- Flat. Place the dough balls on the baking tray and use a glass cup dipped in flour or powdered sugar to gently press the tops of the balls a bit flat.
- “S” or knot. Roll the dough balls into a short rope and form it into a small “s” shape or tie it into a knot.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Keep Them Pale. Bake just until the tops are set and the bottoms are lightly browned so the cookies stay tender.
- Chill the Dough. Chilling the shaped dough firms it up and helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven.
- Watch the Glaze Consistency. Add warm cream a little at a time until the glaze is thin enough for dipping but still coats the tops.
- Decorate Right Away. Add nonpareils or sprinkles immediately after glazing so they stick before the glaze begins to set.
- Switch Up the Flavor. Use almond, anise, vanilla, lemon, or orange extract in both the cookies and glaze for different variations.
- Freeze Before Glazing. For the best appearance, freeze baked cookies without the glaze, then thaw and decorate before serving.
Italian Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon anise extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract, or vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 3-4 tablespoons cream or milk, warmed
Instructions
- Whisk eggs, oil, sugar, and extract in a mixing bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Roll dough by tablespoonfuls into balls. Chill balls of dough for at least an hour, or freeze for 15-20 minutes. Place cold dough balls on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350°F for about 9 minutes, just until the tops are set. The cookies should stay pale on top, with only the bottoms lightly browned. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar, almond extract, salt, and 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream in a small bowl. Mix until smooth, adding warm cream as needed until the glaze is thin enough to dip but thick enough to lightly coat the tops.
- Dip the tops in glaze and immediately add sprinkles before the glaze begins to set.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
Over-baking or adding too much flour can make the cookies dry. Bake only until the tops are set and keep them pale.
The tops should be set but still pale, while the bottoms are only lightly browned.
Fridge. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezer. Wrap in log form, or freeze cookie dough balls. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.
Let the glaze set completely before stacking or packaging the cookies. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For the cleanest glaze and sprinkles, freeze cookies unglazed and decorate after thawing.
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This recipe was originally published December 2018.
Agree with many others. Very sticky…oily and completely a mess.
It can be tricky to determine why a recipe does not work for some people while others have great success. The dough may turn oily if the oil is overmeasured, the eggs are extra large, the flour is undermeasured, or the dough is not chilled long enough. For more consistent results, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping it directly from the bag.
I didn’t like these cookies at all. They had no taste to them. I’ve made these many times using a different recipe and they couldn’t compare at all. Sorry…..
Thanks for giving them a try and for your honest feedback.
These make wonderful cookies! Nice & soft. I can’t wait to experiment with nuts, chocolates & different extracts.
They’re perfect for experimenting with mix-ins and flavors. Happy baking!
Thank you for such a simple, delicious perfect recipe! I have made these dozens of times. They make a perfect thank you treat. Really wonderful cookie. Thank you!
I’m happy to hear that they’ve turned out well every time you have made them :o)
PERFECT! Definitely reminds me of my Grandma’s recipe. Thank you so much! 💕
My favorite Italian cookie recipe. I make this one every year!
So, I made this recipe and measured everything correctly and all I got was a sloppy, oily mess that I couldn`t even drop from my cookie scoop. As I spooned it out, the just run to a flat squatty mess. What Did I do wrong???
I’m sorry to hear that! I’m not sure what went wrong if you measured everything correctly. There are some tips for measuring flour that could help: https://lilluna.com/how-to-measure-flour/. Sorry again to hear they didn’t turn out. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
The same thing happened to me…sooooo sticky, gooey, and could not make into balls
Mine turned out exactly the same way and I bake all the time. Recipe is incorrect and horrible.
We’re so sorry to hear you had a poor experience with this cookie recipe. Thanks for giving it a try!
The same thing happened to me!
Same experience. I used a scale to measure the flour precisely (256 grams for 2 cups) and the batter was super loose and sticky and wet. I added more flour to try and salvage. In what section of the recipe it says to use an electric mixer to add in the flour. In another it says to stir. I think the stirring would have been better for the texture.
This was not what I expected. It is not buttery. There is no butter in the recipe. It was good, but reminded me of a snickerdoodle.
Still struggling with showing the video to my students. The school does not allow pop-ups. Is it possible you could send me the video?
These were wonderful! Everyone LOVED them. I made them exactly as written with orange extract. This is a keeper for sure!