These soft Italian cookies with colorful sprinkles and a sweet glaze are so pretty and make a delicious little treat. Easy to make in just under 55 minutes, this simple Italian cookie recipe will be one of your favorites to bake for any occasion.
Italian Cookies Ingredients
You’ll need:
For The Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, soft room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For The Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk (start with 2 tablespoons then add the third if needed for consistency)
For The Garnish:
- Rainbow-colored nonpareil sprinkles
Substitutions And Additions
ALMOND EXTRACT: Almond extract is a strong flavor that some people do not enjoy.
You can eliminate this extract in these delicious cookies and glaze and use vanilla extract instead, or simply reduce the almond extract to ½ or even ¼ teaspoon for just a hint of almond flavor.
SPRINKLES: Use multi-colored nonpareils for your Italian rainbow cookies, white nonpareils for really lovely Italian wedding cookies, red and green sprinkles for Italian Christmas cookies, or any colors that coordinate with the season or occasion.
Nonpareils are usually the best sprinkles to use, but you can also try jimmies, sanding sugar, or crystal sugar.
How To Make This Italian Cookies Recipe
For The Cookies
STEP ONE: Cream together the butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer on medium speed.
STEP TWO: Add the eggs one at a time, being sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next, followed by the whole milk and almond extract. Mix until fully combined. Scrape the bowl and beater as needed to ensure even mixing.
STEP THREE: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
STEP FOUR: With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour until fully incorporated. The batter will be very thick. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the flour has been evenly incorporated.
STEP FIVE: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes or until the batter has chilled enough to easily be scooped and rolled into smooth balls before baking.
STEP SIX: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
STEP SEVEN: Using a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop a level amount of dough, place the dough ball into the palm of your hand and gently roll into a smooth ball. Place the dough ball onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough until all the cookies have been shaped and placed onto the baking sheets. Each baking sheet should hold 12 dough balls spaced 2 inches apart.
STEP EIGHT: Bake the cookies in the center of the oven (1-2 baking sheets at a time according to the size of your oven) for 10-12 minutes or just until the tops are still pale and the bottoms are just barely golden around the edges. If only baking 1 sheet at a time, you can refrigerate the other prepared cookies until ready to bake.
STEP NINE: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies need to be completely cool before adding the glaze and sprinkles.
For The Glaze
STEP ONE: Whisk together in a medium bowl the powdered sugar, almond extract and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Add the third tablespoon of milk if needed to achieve a consistency that is similar to honey or maple syrup. It should be thin enough to easily dip the tops of the cookies into, yet thick enough to hold its shape and not run down the sides of the cookies.
STEP TWO: Dip the top of a cooled cookie into the glaze, allowing all the excess glaze to drip back into the bowl, then place back onto the wire rack. Repeat with 2-3 more cookies before adding the sprinkles to the tops of the glazed cookies. Dipping 3-4 cookies, then going back to add the sprinkles gives the glaze just enough time to start to set, yet still be plenty soft, so that the sprinkles do not slide off the top of the cookie but do stick to the glaze when added. Repeat until all the cookies have been glazed and garnished with sprinkles.
STEP THREE: Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature until the glaze has fully hardened before plating or stacking for storage.
How To Serve
These sweet treats are just perfect for the holidays, a wedding or party, special occasions, or a wonderful afternoon treat with a mug of coffee, tea, or homemade hot chocolate.
Speaking of tasty cookies, be sure to check out our incredible Lofthouse cookies recipe and everyone’s favorite chocolate-filled copycat recipe, DoubleTree cookies.
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Store these traditional Italian cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
IN THE FREEZER: These Italian Christmas cookies may be frozen without the glaze and sprinkles.
Place the cookies into an airtight food storage container or a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to two months.
Before serving, thaw the cookies at room temperature, then glaze them as directed.
Italian cookies are so wonderfully sweet and delicate, and you’ll love how they look with rainbow sprinkles or any sprinkles that match the season. They are a staple in the kitchen of every Italian grandmother and will delight your friends and family.
Frequently Asked Questions
You will want to eat these within a couple of days for the prettiest cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
This easy recipe can be frozen unglazed! Just thaw to room temperature the day you plan to serve them and add the glaze and sprinkles at that time.
The sky is the limit for these Italian sprinkle cookies! These are great because you can decorate them according to the season! Jimmies are another popular type of sprinkle for this type of cookie. They are less crunchy if that is something you might prefer.
Yes, you can substitute vanilla!
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Butterscotch Toffee Cookies
- S’mores Stuffed Cookies
- Lofthouse Cookies
- Toll House Cookie Recipe
- Cowboy Cookies
Italian Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, soft room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk, start with 2 tablespoons then add the third if needed for consistency
Garnish
- Rainbow-colored nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
Cookies
- Cream together the butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer on medium speed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, being sure to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next, followed by the whole milk and almond extract. Mix until fully combined. Scrape the bowl and beater as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour until fully incorporated. The batter will be very thick. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the flour has been evenly incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes or until the batter has chilled enough to easily be scooped and rolled into smooth balls before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop a level amount of dough, place the dough ball into the palm of your hand and gently roll into a smooth ball. Place the dough ball onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough until all the cookies have been shaped and placed onto the baking sheets. Each baking sheet should hold 12 dough balls spaced 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies in the center of the oven (1-2 baking sheets at a time according to the size of your oven) for 10-12 minutes or just until the tops are still pale and the bottoms are just barely golden around the edges. If only baking 1 sheet at a time, you can refrigerate the other prepared cookies until ready to bake.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies need to be completely cool before adding the glaze and sprinkles.
Glaze
- Whisk together in a medium bowl the powdered sugar, almond extract and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Add the third tablespoon of milk if needed to achieve a consistency that is similar to honey or maple syrup. It should be thin enough to easily dip the tops of the cookies into, yet thick enough to hold its shape and not run down the sides of the cookies.
- Dip the top of a cooled cookie into the glaze, allowing all the excess glaze to drip back into the bowl, then place back onto the wire rack. Repeat with 2-3 more cookies before adding the sprinkles to the tops of the glazed cookies. Dipping 3-4 cookies, then going back to add the sprinkles gives the glaze just enough time to start to set, yet still be plenty soft, so that the sprinkles do not slide off the top of the cookie but do stick to the glaze when added. Repeat until all the cookies have been glazed and garnished with sprinkles.
- Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature until the glaze has fully hardened before plating or stacking for storage.
Notes
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cookies as the suggested baking time approaches.
Nutrition
Comments
Gloria says
I love these cookies! The sprinkles are so fun!
Michele says
When y’all say shortening. What do you use please. Thank you !!! M💜
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Michele – Crisco is the most known brand of shortening, I think. You’ll find it in the baking aisle. Enjoy!
Leah White says
These are delicious cookies! Made them exactly as in the recipe and they turned out really good. This is a keeper recipe 😋