Description
These Traditional Italian Christmas Cookies are soft, cakey, lightly sweet, and flavored with vanilla and almond. Finished with a simple glaze and festive sprinkles, they’re a classic holiday cookie found on every Italian Christmas platter—easy to make, nostalgic, and irresistibly delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
-
- For the Cookies:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk (more as needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- Holiday sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and almond extracts.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until a soft, sticky dough forms.
- Using a cookie scoop, form small balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and place on baking sheets.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies are set but not browned. Cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and extract until smooth.
- Dip each cooled cookie into the glaze, allowing excess to drip off.
- Place on parchment paper and top with holiday sprinkles. Let glaze set before serving.
Notes
For a softer dough, chill for 15 minutes before scooping. You can flavor the glaze with lemon, orange, or anise extract for traditional variations. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze unglazed cookies for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: Italian Christmas cookies, traditional Italian cookies, holiday cookies, glazed cookies, almond cookies, Italian dessert