These Italian Christmas Cookies are soft cookies that are coated with an almond-flavored glaze, then topped with festive sprinkles. This big batch cookie recipe is one that is loved by all and easy to make for holiday gatherings like Christmas and New Year.
These are the best Italian Christmas Cookies made with non-traditional flavors. I used almond and vanilla extract instead of the anise flavoring. They are are made with butter flavored shortening to give it that butter flavor and keep the cookies soft with a cake-like texture.
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⭐ Reader Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a perfect Christmas cookie recipe. Rather than convection bake, I baked my 66 cookies on the regular baking temp on a baking mat. The glaze was so easy and I had plenty for all the cookies. And, they are beautiful as they dry to put into containers for friends and family. Oh, yes. I stopped using Crisco after open-heart surgery in 2010, but I added a ¼ C. of Smart Balance to the butter. No dryness, just one happy baker.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I made this batch for the family and they were gone in no time. I will be baking these again for Christmas. I anticipate that they will be on my holiday baking list every year!
Italian Cookie Tradition
Making Italian Christmas Cookies has become a regular family tradition. The first time I made these cookies for my family, they fell in love with them! He is a sucker for a cookie that you don't have to crunch through. These cookies are soft and have that buttery almond flavor that we love so much.
The rest of my family also fell in love with this cookie recipe. I became the go-to person for Italian Christmas Cookies anytime someone wanted a large batch for a party. They would call and ask me to make them for them!
Cookie Recipe Origin
I was curious about the origin of Italian Christmas Cookies. All I really knew was they were also called Italian Wedding Cookies. I did an online search to find out exactly where these came from. I really couldn't come up with anything other than recipes, so I went to Wikipedia and found a whole list of cookies! There were 9 cookies that were labeled Italian.
Not a single cookie on that list of 9 cookie recipes came close. So, while these are called Italian Christmas Cookies, I am not exactly sure why. The closest match in the description and flavors was the Pizzelle.
🥘 Ingredients
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*Please see recipe card for full ingredient list and instructions*
All-purpose flour
Confectioners Sugar
Butter Flavored Vegetable Shortening
Large Eggs
Fun Christmas Cookie Sprinkles
👪 Serving size
Yield is approximately 4-½ dozen (56) cookies. Two cookies are equal to one serving.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1:
- Add the eggs to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs until light and foamy, about 5 minutes; set aside.
Step 2:
- In another large bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
Step 3:
- On low speed, gradually beat in the vegetable shortening and extracts until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Gradually add the beaten eggs.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be stiff. If it is not stiff enough to roll into a cookie ball, gradually add more flour beginning with ½ cup. (This is where the extra cup of flour comes in). If still not stiff enough, gradually add remaining half cup. By this time the cookie dough should be stiff enough to shape into a cookie ball.
Step 4:
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the cookies at least 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. The top of the cookies will not brown, but bottoms should brown slightly.
Step 5:
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, milk and extracts until smooth. As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, quickly dip two or three times into the glaze.
- Place on a wire rack with wax paper beneath it to drain and immediately top with sprinkles. Let dry 24 hours. Place in airtight containers to store.
💭 Top Tips
- Sift the flour first, then lightly spoon it into the measuring cups, leveling it off with a knife before combining with the sugar.
- Add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time, stirring until well combined after each addition.
- If the dough starts to become stiff before all of the flour mixture is added, then don’t add any more flour.
- Frost the cookies while they are still warm by dipping them in the bowl of icing. This allows the icing to seep into the cookie.
- Sprinkle with the colored jimmies immediately after you dip the cookie in the icing.
- If the glaze seems too thin, add more powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until it is at the desired consistency.
- Air-dry the cookies on a cooling rack for 24 hours. Store the cookies on the counter or fridge for up to 1 week or freeze up to 2 months.
📖 Variations
- Substitute room temperature butter for the shortening.
- Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon spice to the flour mixture.
- Use orange extract and substitute orange juice for the heavy cream in the glaze.
- Sprinkle with colored sugars instead of jimmies.
- Substitute 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the almond extract.
- For Italian Lemon Cookies, substitute lemon extract and sprinkle lemon zest over the top of the iced cookie.
- Substitute 1 tablespoon of the light cream for honey in the glaze.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Eggnog Biscotti
- Santa Swirl Sugar Cookies
- Spritz Cookies
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies
- Chewy Mocha Toffee Chip Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Ricotta Cookies
If there is one thing I love, it is cookie recipes! If you searched my recipes here, you would find a lot of cookie recipes. I love them so much, I did a round-up of The Best 25 Christmas Cookie Recipes on Grumpy's Honeybunch.
*If you made this Cookie Recipe, please give it a star rating!*
📖 Recipe
Italian Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 6 large eggs
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar powdered sugar
- 2½ tablespoons baking powder
- 1 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
- ½ tablespoon lemon extract
For the Glaze:
- 4½ cups confectioner's sugar powdered sugar
- ½ cup warm light cream
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- colored sprinkles
Instructions
- Add the eggs to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs on high speed until light and foamy, about 5 minutes; set aside.
- In another large bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
- On low speed, gradually beat in the vegetable shortening and extracts until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Gradually add the beaten eggs.
- Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be stiff. If it is not stiff enough to roll into a cookie ball, gradually add more flour beginning with ½ cup. (This is where the extra cup of flour comes in). If still not stiff enough, gradually add remaining half cup. By this time the cookie dough should be stiff enough to shape into a cookie ball.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the cookies at least 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. The top of the cookies will not brown, but bottoms should brown slightly.
To Glaze The Cookies
- In a small bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, milk and extracts until smooth.
- As soon as cookies are removed from the oven, quickly dip two or three times into the glaze.
- Place on a wire rack with wax paper beneath it to drain and immediately top with sprinkles. Let dry 24 hours. Place in airtight containers to store.
Hezzi-D
These are fabulous! I love colorful cookies!
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
The perfect excuse to break out the sprinkles!!!
Karen
These are gorgeous, both with the thin and thick glaze. And of course, it's all about the sprinkles, and the ones you used are adorable.
Alyssa
Do you dip the cookies in the glaze when they are still warm or do you wait until they cool and then dip them?
Shelby
Hi Alyssa, you will dip the cookies in the glaze when they are still warm from the oven and top with the sprinkles, then let them cool/dry. Enjoy!
Alyssa
Thank you! 🙂 Will definitely be making them for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.
Joan
If you put the cookies on a cookie rack, you can just drizzle on the icing be sure to put newspapers under the racks to catch all the drippings, so much easier and clean up is easy. Been making these cookies for years. The recipe came from my Italian Aunt.
Shelby
Hi Joan, thanks for the tip!
Maria
I absolutely loved these! I made them for Christmas and will continue to make them! I had made several different kinds of cookies that all had almond extract so to mix things up I actually replaced the almond extract in this recipe with vanilla bean paste and they were delicious! Next time I will make these with the almond as well!! Thank you!!
DesignedByBH
These look great! Thanks for sharing them today on the Daily Blog Boost! Pinning!
~ Brooke ~
Cindy Eikenberg, Little Miss Celebration
I love these cookies and this totally takes me back to my childhood days with my grandmother! Thank you so much for sharing and pinning! Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Anonymous
These cookies are fabulous! Easy to make too. Definately added to our annual Christmas cookie list. Thank you!
Anonymous
Thinking about making these for a World History Project! They look amazing (:
Jen at The Three Little Piglets
My seven year old just peeked over my shoulder and said, "Those are the most beautiful cookies. Can you make some?" It's all about the sprinkles!
So sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. Will be thinking of you and your family and wishing her well.
Kirstin
Thank you sooo much for posting this recipe. My mom's family is Italian and we used to have these growing up, although my cousin tells me my great grandma used anise instead of almond and lemon. I also remember my mom making them. She has been gone 6 years. I made these yesterday and had so much fun and it brought back wonderful memories. I'm going to write a post on them now (C: Using my own pictures..hee hee and I do plan to put a link to your blog saying you are where I found the recipe. I really enjoy your blog and was just reading the macadamia cookie recipe...ummmmm...YUM!!!! Have a wonderful Christmas.
Sherry Trifle - Lovely Cats
What beautiful little cookies. I am going to make them for next weeks office party and also copy the idea of the frosting for this week's TWD. Congrats on your award!
CaptnRachel aka Tha Pizza Cutta
Congrats on the Butterfly award and thanks for the recipe! I remember these from when I was young and just might make them this Christmas. 🙂
Robin Sue
Honey B- Thanks so much for the award. That is so nice of you to think of me when there are so many great blogs out there. Love these cookies. My mom makes them every year! Have a great day!
Debbie
yes, those photos are great! I printed off the recipe, because this is one cookie I am going to make. thanks again for the award...and I'm sure my husband and grumpy would be great friends! LOL
PaniniKathy
What gorgeous photos! The cookies sound terrific, especially with the sweet little sprinkles 🙂 Very glad to hear your mother-in-law is improving and is in good spirits.
Chef E
My weakness is sweets...and those look just like something I would get into...nice and crunchy with the sweet icing and sprinkles!
Katypi
The Italian cookies look great. I make a very similar cookie, but it has one added ingredient; add 1 tsp anise extract with the lemon and vanilla extracts to the cookie dough. Now we're talking! Reminds me of my favorite Boston bakeries....so good!
HoneyB
Doberlady - when I use shortening I always use regular Crisco. I'm not a fan of the no name brand shortening. I don't make a lot of recipes that call for shortening. I'm more of a butter in the batter kind of girl but these cookies looked way too good!
Cathy, the lemon and almond together came out awesome. Grumpy loved them! I saved a few for his lunch box and when I got home tonight and was taking care of his box, I see he ate every one of them!
Nancy
Can you use butter rather than shortening?
Shelby
You could try it. I have not used butter in this particular recipe. I think the texture may not be the same if you did. Butter tends to make cookies crisp where shortening/oil keeps them softer. I don't think it would make them terrible, but they may not turn out the same as if you used shortening.