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Traditional Italian Christmas cookies are a festive version of a classic – flavored with almond extract and covered in a simple glaze with sprinkles.

A plate filled with Italian Christmas cookies.
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Italian traditions

Italian Christmas cookies are a family favorite during the Christmas season. These cookies are a holiday twist on our classic Italian Cookies – soft and tasty and filled with almond flavor!

Topped with festive sprinkles, this easy cookie recipe is a cute addition to a Christmas cookie plate. They are similar to our Snowball Cookies and Mexican Wedding Cookies, and are sure to be a hit!

WHY WE LOVE IT:

  • Pantry staple ingredients. This simple batter uses pantry staples and requires just a few easy steps!
  • Bite-sized. They’re so cute and bite-sized – great for parties and cookie plates.
  • Festive. Use all kinds of decorative sprinkles to make them festive for Christmas, or any holiday for that matter!
A glass jar of flour on a kitchen counter.

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs – Room temperature eggs incorporate best.
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil – or avocado or olive oil
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract – Traditional Italian Christmas cookies use anise extract, which tastes a bit like black licorice. I opted to use almond extract, but lemon extract, vanilla extract, or orange extract can also be used.
  • 2 cups all-purpose flourHow to Measure Flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • optional mix-ins – Mix in up to 1 cup of chopped nuts (almond, pistachios, or walnuts), mini chocolate chips, or a dash of cinnamon.

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar – sifted to remove clumps
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract – or vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk – warmed
  • Christmas sprinkles – I love the classic Christmas nonpareils sprinkles or other holiday sprinkles. Red or green sugar crystal sprinkles would also work.

How to make Italian Christmas Cookies

  1. COOKIE DOUGH. Whisk 2 eggs, 6 tablespoons oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon almond extract in a mixing bowl. Stir in 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
  2. CHILL. Roll dough by tablespoonfuls into balls. Chill balls of dough for at least an hour, or freeze for 15-20 minutes. 
  3. BAKE. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out dough, roll into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
    • Bake at 350°F for about 8-10 minutes, or till the tops are set. Bottoms will be lightly browned, but tops should still be white. Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely.
  4. GLAZE. Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract, a pinch of salt, and 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream in a small bowl and whisk till smooth, adding enough warm cream to get a thin but creamy consistency.
    • Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze, then top them with Christmas sprinkles.
Italian Christmas cookies topped with glaze and festive sprinkles.

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4.97 from 183 votes

Italian Christmas Cookies

By: Lil’ Luna
Traditional Italian Christmas cookies are a festive version of a classic – flavored with almond extract and covered in a simple almond glaze.
Servings: 30 cookies
Prep: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 eggs
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract, vanilla extract, or ½ teaspoon anise extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp 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
  • Christmas sprinkles

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 dough balls 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, or till the tops are set. Bottoms will be lightly browned, but tops should still be white. Remove cookies to cooling racks and cool completely.
  • For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk till smooth, adding enough warm cream to get a thin but creamy consistency.
  • Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze, then top them with Christmas sprinkles.

Video

Notes

High elevation. If at higher elevations you may need to add a few extra minutes. Bake 2 test cookies and adjust the time accordingly before baking a larger batch.
Store cookies (with or without the glaze) in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 weeks.
Store cookie dough rolled in a ball and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 4 days in the fridge. To freeze, see How to Freeze Cookie Dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 8mg, Potassium: 48mg, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 20IU, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

Make ahead of time?

Store cookies (with or without the glaze) in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 weeks.

How to store?

Store cookie dough rolled in a ball and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 4 days in the fridge. To freeze, see How to Freeze Cookie Dough.

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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4.97 from 183 votes (160 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




43 Comments

  1. Michael Brunone says:

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. I used vanilla extract for the cookies and lemon extract for the icing with the sprinkles. My batch made 28 cookies as they were slightly larger than 1” balls. I believe the recipe was for 30. Anyway, I highly recommend this recipe. 🙂

  2. Zoee says:

    2 stars
    I’m so sad this recipe is giving me so much trouble! I made one batch of 60 and I thought I did something wrong because the dough wasn’t easy to make into balls so I tossed it. Then I tried to make another batch and froze it which seemed to help! Then I decided to make 90 cookies and for some reason the dough was super crumbly and I couldn’t mix it to the right consistency! I’m going to try and make another batch of 60 and hope that goes well! I followed every step exactly so I’m very frustrated and upset about all the wasted ingredients

  3. Cheryl says:

    Can you substitute canola oil for these cookies?

  4. Megan says:

    4 stars
    I used vanilla instead of almond since I didn’t have it, and they turned out great. I like the texture of them. I think they are lovely! Not my favorite cookie ever, but definitely a nice one to have in my Christmas cookie rotation. My family enjoyed them also! Thanks for the recipe!

  5. Kate says:

    Thanks for recipes. Look sooo yummy.

  6. Diana Martin says:

    I made the recipe as instructed. It is impossible to roll into balls. I’m putting in the refrigerator to see if chilling will make a difference. I don’t think I will get 30 cookies, though. Any advice?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You will definitely want to chill this dough! I think that should make a big difference. And these cookies are typically bite-sized, so if you keep them small, it should yield about 30.

    2. Lynn Carey says:

      5 stars
      I love the simplicity of this cookie! I accidentally put my batter in the refrigerator before I rolled into dough into balls, but actually, it worked out really well. They turned out great and I will keep this recipe for future Christmas 🎄

  7. Jody says:

    4 stars
    I give these 4 stars because I do a lot of baking, especially around this time of year and my large family always rate my sweets so I know which to keep saved and which are not worth making again. These cookies got the rating of “they’re ok” as apposed to “wow” for other cookies I’ve made. So although the cookies turned out as theyre supposed to and were ok, it certainly didn’t give the wow factor to my family. I won’t make again. I have to say this is my 2nd recipe I’ve made by Lil Luna and the 1st one was a complete flop despite following the recipe exactly. It was some pumpkin cream dessert that didn’t hold its shape and turned into a pudding. So far, not really impressed by the recipes but I’ll try others here and see how it goes.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for your honest feedback and for giving the recipes a try! I appreciate it!

  8. Heidi says:

    I’ve made these and we loved them! I would like to make them for a cookie walk next week. Has anyone made in advance and froze? Does the glaze hold up?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes, it does hold up! If you’re worried about it though, you can freeze the baked cookies and then add the glaze closer to when you are serving. Just let the cookies thaw and add the glaze/sprinkles. The glaze can be made up to 5 days ahead of time too and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm it up a bit to add it easily to the cookies.

  9. Lauren says:

    Can you freeze these? How long do they last in the fridge?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes you can freeze with or without the glaze. Or you can freeze the dough. And they last about 5 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container.

  10. Theresa R Lanchoney says:

    Could you sub something else for the vegetable oil?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes! You could use coconut oil, avocado oil or even melted butter.