Italian Christmas Cookies: A Holiday Tradition

Italian Christmas cookies, with their almond flavor and colorful sprinkles and glaze, are a classic treat during the holiday season. These Italian Christmas Cookies are soft, buttery, and topped with a sweet almond glaze that will melt in your mouth, then sprinkled with holiday cheer. They’re perfect for gifting, holiday cookie trays along with Gingerdoodle Cookies, Toffee Pecan Christmas Cookies, and Peppermint Glazed Butter Cookies. Or simply enjoying with a warm cup of tea, or Homemade Hot Chocolate.

Let’s take a closer look at how to make these delicious cookies!

Why You Should Make These Italian Christmas Cookies

These Italian Christmas Cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday baking lineup for several reasons:

A Holiday Tradition: These cookies are a classic treat in Italian-American households and have been passed down through generations. They bring a sense of nostalgia and warmth to the holiday season.
Easy to Make: The dough comes together quickly, and the recipe is straightforward, making it a perfect choice for beginner and experienced bakers alike.
The almond flavor is front and center. With almond extract in both the cookies and the glaze, you get a double dose of sweet almond flavor throughout.
It’s a one-bowl affair. The dough gets made in just one bowl, reducing the number of dishes you’ll have to wash afterward. The glaze is a separate bowl, but whose counting anyway?
Perfect for Gifting: These cookies are not only delicious but beautifully decorated with the almond glaze and festive sprinkles, making them a wonderful homemade gift for family and friends.
Versatile: Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or any other special occasion, these cookies can easily be adapted for different holidays by switching up the sprinkles and flavorings.

What You Need

For the Cookies:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons almond extract

For the Glaze and Topping:

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk (any fat percentage)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons nonpareils (sprinkles)

How to Make Italian Christmas Cookies

Prepare the Dough:
- In a mixing bowl, beat 1 stick of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add 3 large eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Beat in 2 teaspoons of almond extract until the mixture is well-combined.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of baking powder evenly over the butter mixture. Then, add 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour and beat on the lowest speed until a sticky dough forms (about 30-45 seconds).
Chill the Dough:
- Cover the dough and refrigerate it for 1 hour to firm it up. This step ensures your cookies keep their shape during baking.
Preheat the Oven:
- While the dough chills, arrange two racks in your oven to divide it into thirds and preheat to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape the Cookies:
- Scoop 1-tablespoon portions of the dough onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Roll each portion into a ball and space the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart (you can fit up to 24 cookies per sheet).
Bake:
- Bake for 8 minutes. Then, rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for an additional 5-6 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden brown on the bottom and just beginning to crack on top.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
Make the Glaze:
- While the cookies cool, whisk together 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
Glaze and Decorate:
- Dip each cookie (one at a time) into the glaze. Gently shake the cookie to allow the excess glaze to drip off, and return the cookie to the wire rack, glaze-side up.
- After glazing, sprinkle nonpareils (or your favorite sprinkles) on top.
- Allow the glaze to set for about 20 minutes before serving.

Tips and Tricks

Chill the Dough: Refrigerating the dough before baking is essential for the cookies to maintain their shape. It also helps prevent spreading during baking, giving them that perfect round shape.
Don’t Overmix: When adding the flour, be careful not to overmix the dough. Mixing just until the dough comes together will ensure your cookies are tender and soft.
Glaze Quickly: The glaze hardens quickly, so it’s best to dip and decorate the cookies in small batches of 10. If you find that the glaze is setting too fast, you can add a tiny bit more milk to thin it out.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This helps the dough mix evenly and prevents any lumps or uneven texture.

Storage Instructions

Room Temperature: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They’ll stay soft and fresh.
Freezing: To make ahead, freeze the dough balls on the baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, simply place them on a baking sheet and bake straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Glazed Cookies: Once glazed, these cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The glaze will remain soft and slightly sticky.

Substitution Ideas

Flavor Variations: Although almond extract is traditional, you can experiment with other extracts like vanilla, lemon, or even peppermint for a different twist.
Toppings: Instead of nonpareils, try sprinkles in different colors to match the season or occasion. For a more festive touch, add colored sugar or holiday-themed sprinkle mixes.
Dairy-Free: You can substitute the milk in the glaze with a dairy-free option such as almond milk or oat milk.

These Italian Christmas Cookies are sure to become a favorite in your holiday baking rotation. With their soft texture, almond flavor, and festive glaze, they are the ultimate treat to share with loved ones or to enjoy yourself!

More Christmas Cookies

Italian Christmas Cookies

Tender buttery Christmas cookies, with a delightful almond glaze, and sprinkled with nonpareils.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Christmas cookies, Cookies, Italian christmas cookies

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Chill Dough: 1

Total Time: 1 30

Servings:

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Rachael

Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3 large eggs at room temperature
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons almond extract

For the Glaze and Topping:

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk any fat percentage
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons nonpareils sprinkles

Instructions

Prepare the Dough:

In a mixing bowl, beat 1 stick of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add 3 large eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed. Make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
Beat in 2 teaspoons of almond extract until the mixture is well-combined.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of baking powder evenly over the butter mixture. Then, add 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour and beat on the lowest speed until a sticky dough forms (about 30-45 seconds).

Chill the Dough:

Cover the dough and refrigerate it for 1 hour to firm it up. This step ensures your cookies keep their shape during baking.

Preheat the Oven:

While the dough chills, arrange two racks in your oven to divide it into thirds and preheat to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shape the Cookies:

Scoop 1-tablespoon portions of the dough onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Roll each portion into a ball and space the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart (you can fit up to 24 cookies per sheet).
Bake:
Bake for 8 minutes. Then, rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for an additional 5-6 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden brown on the bottom and just beginning to crack on top.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

Make the Glaze:

While the cookies cool, whisk together 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

Glaze and Decorate:

Dip each cookie (one at a time) into the glaze. Gently shake the cookie to allow the excess glaze to drip off, and return the cookie to the wire rack, glaze-side up.
After glazing, sprinkle nonpareils (or your favorite sprinkles) on top.
Allow the glaze to set for about 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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