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Italian Christmas cookies are soft, buttery, chewy and melt in your mouth deliciously. Flavored with a hint of vanilla and a sweet glaze, these delicious treats are a perfect holiday treat. Take them to your next cookie exchange, party or just for a fun occasion!
These will be perfect on a plate, accompanied by some Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies, Christmas crackAnd Snow Kiss Cookies for a festive dessert plate. Everyone will love them and you’ll love how easy they are to make!
Easy Italian Christmas Cookies
These Italian cookies are often made with anise, which has a licorice flavor. Not everyone likes this flavor, so I replaced it with vanilla and topped it with an amazing almond frosting. They are moist, decadent and very festive. This is a great cookie that kids can help with.
This recipe makes quite a large quantity, which is perfect for giving as gifts and having enough to eat too. Plate them with these classics Linzer cookiesthese Peppermint fondantsor these Eggnog Cookiesand you will have the most delicious cookie plate, perfect for Christmas!
Italian Christmas Cookie Ingredients
Ricotta cheese is the secret ingredient in soft, tender cookies. Check out all the ingredients at the bottom of the article for all the exact measurements!
- Butter: Soften the butter, but do not melt it.
- Sugar: The sugar makes these cookies nice and sweet.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Baking soda and baking powder: These leavening agents help make cookies soft and chewy.
- Ricotta Cheese: Ricotta cheese is the secret ingredient to making these cookies soft.
- Eggs: The eggs bind all the ingredients together.
- Vanilla: That’s what makes these cookies so good!
- Powdered sugar: This is the base of the icing
- Milk: Add it slowly so as not to make the frosting too runny.
- Almond extract: This gives Italian Christmas cookies an almond flavor.
- Glitter: I use red and green for Christmas, but feel free to change them up and serve them all year round.
How to Make Italian Christmas Cookies
These cookies are simple to make and I love adding different sprinkles. In fact, switch out the sprinkles with different colors and you can use them all year round!
- Using the hand mixer: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until foamy with the paddle attachment. Add the ricotta cheese, eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Whip: Whisk flour, baking soda and powder in a medium bowl. Slowly add to wet ingredients and beat together until well combined.
- Drop and bake: Spoon the dough into teaspoons and roll it into a ball. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove to a rack to cool.
- Make the frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until desired consistency. I like to dip the tops of the cookies in the icing and let them sit on parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle Italian Christmas cookies with sprinkles.
Tips and variations
These are sure to please any crowd. Here are some tips to ensure yours comes out perfect every time.
- Slowly add the milk to the frosting: Add a tablespoon of milk one at a time to achieve the desired consistency rather than all at once. You can make it thick or thin, whatever you like.
- Glitter: Change the color of the sprinkles for the holiday or occasion. You can use black and orange for Halloween or pink or blue for a baby shower. You can serve these cookies any time of year despite their title!
- Aroma: These are very flexible cookies. Replace the vanilla extract with peppermint, almond, coconut or any other flavoring, and add complementary flavoring in the frosting, orange, cocoa, etc.
- Do not overcook: These should not be brown on top. If you overcook them, they will become dry.
- How to frost cookies: If you frost these Italian Christmas cookies while they are slightly warm, the icing may leak into the cookie! Always decorate with your sprinkles right after icing so they stick.
- Scoop: If you have one, use one cookie scoop so they are the same size; they will cook more easily this way.
Store leftovers
These Italian Christmas cookies are so delicious, you won’t be able to stop at just one! This recipe makes a lot, so here’s how to store leftovers:
- At room temperature: Let the cookies sit for up to 24 hours before transferring them to a airtight container. Letting them set will prevent the frosting from becoming wet and slimy. They will last approximately 5-7 days when stored at room temperature.
- In the freezer: Once the cookies have cooled and before adding the frosting, place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag (label it with the date) and they will last about 2 months. Frost frozen cookies once thawed.
More Festive Christmas Cookies
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To make the icing:
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In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract until desired consistency. I like to dip the tops of the cookies in the icing and let them sit on parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle with Christmas sprinkles.
Updated December 14, 2023
Calories: 164kilocaloriesCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 79mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 222UICalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg
Nutritional information is calculated automatically and should therefore only be used as an approximation.
