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These traditional Italian cookies have been a family favorite for many years and look so sweet all dressed up for Easter. Drizzled with icing and topped with sprinkles, this easy and authentic recipe will become a holiday staple.
I don’t think there was a single holiday or birthday growing up that we didn’t serve Italian cookies. There was always a plate of these family favorites on the table, the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk.
They have a tender crumb, mild flavor and were always topped with a shiny glaze and sprinkle of nonpareils.
Of course, since Italian sprinkle cookies were always available, I didn’t really appreciate them until I got older. I had a pretty serious sweet tooth as a kid and often eschewed these simple cookies in favor of the ooey gooey more decadent treats.
If there was a double chocolate anything on the table, I was the first in line. I still love my sweets, but I don’t necessarily gravitate toward that rich, dense chocolate cake like I did when I was younger.
These cookies have just the right balance of sweetness thanks to that shiny glaze. The cookie itself has a cakey, light texture and a delicate taste.
They can be flavored with lemon juice, anise or vanilla and although I really love the lemon flavor, I am usually overruled by my vanilla-loving family.
The icing is a snap to make. Just whisk a little milk and extract into some confectioners sugar until it’s perfectly smooth, then dip your spoon into the bowl then let if fall right over the cookie, dripping down the sides.
No need to overthink it here, just drizzle, drizzle, and sprinkle. That’s it…easy sprinkle cookies!
A drop or two of food coloring and some festive sprinkles makes it easy to dress these cookies for any occasion. I went for a pale blue and some pastel nonpareils this time for Easter, but a pale yellow or pink would be adorable too.
My mom always made a special version of these for Easter breakfast. (Yes! Cookies for breakfast!) She would form one big circular cookie and then place a hardboiled egg on the dough for each member of our family.
The eggs would get topped with little dough crosses and then this giant cookie would be baked until puffed and golden. Once cooled, she would drizzle it with icing and cut a wedge for each of us for breakfast.
We would peel our eggs and delight in this sweet, special breakfast. Come Easter, I don’t need jelly beans, but it just wouldn’t be a holiday without a plate of these cookies.
Tips for success
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough for uniform sized cookies.
- Be sure to beat the dough until it is smooth and shiny.
- If you’re making these for a holiday, use a couple drops of food coloring in the icing to make them festive!
- Be sure the cookies are completely cooled before icing them.
More traditional Italian recipes
- Sunday Sauce and Meatballs
- Bolognese Sauce
- Fluffy Focaccia Bread
- Pasta e Fagioli
- How to Make Homemade Gnocchi
These traditional Italian cookies have been a family favorite for many years and look so sweet all dressed up for Easter. Drizzled with icing and topped with sprinkles, this easy and authentic recipe will become a holiday staple.
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp milk
- *a couple drops of food coloring optional
- **sprinkles or nonpareils optional
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
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Combine eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed with a paddle attachment until well blended, about 2 minutes.
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Add flour and baking powder and mix until flour is completely incorporated and dough is shiny.
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Scoop out dough into walnut size pieces. (I use a 1 1/2 inch scoop).
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Roll each ball of dough between your hands into a 4 inch strip and then form a circle or a twist.
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Place on parchment lined sheet and bake for 12-15 mins or until they are pale golden in color. Cool on a wire rack.
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While cookies are baking, make the glaze by combining the confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk in a bowl and whisking until smooth. Add a couple drops of food coloring if desired.
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Drizzle each cookie with icing and top with sprinkles or nonpareils. Glaze will harden as it dries.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough for uniform sized cookies.
- Be sure to beat the dough until it is smooth and shiny.
- If you’re making these for a holiday, use a couple drops of food coloring in the icing to make them festive!
- Be sure the cookies are completely cooled before icing them.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in March 2016 but was republished with tips in April 2020.
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Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
These are GORGEOUS! They look so fluffy and delicious!
Cathy says
Thanks Jennifer! And so easy to make too! Thanks for stopping by!
Miriam - londonkitchendiaries.com says
The pale blue glaze together with the pastel coloured nonpareils make your cookies look irresistible! They remind me of my childhood as my mum used to sprinkle colourful nonpareils on to her home made treats as well.
Cathy says
Miriam – total childhood flashbacks here! And I’m a sucker for sprinkles!
Rahul @samosastreet.com says
Cathy, These cookies are so pretty and the blue glaze is very attractive
Cathy says
Thanks Rahul. I’m not normally one for blue food, but these feel very Easter/spring-y to me. Thanks for visiting the blog!
rebecca | DisplacedHousewife says
Yum!!! These sound delicious and look so festive…they would be perfect on an Easter table. Love that blue color of the frosting. xo
Cathy says
Thanks Rebecca. Definitely festive for Easter!
Debbie says
These look so good! The recipe looks easy enough that I may have to try to make these.
Cathy Roma says
You can do it Deb! Super easy.
Mary says
They look so beautiful and yummy! Can these be made ahead? If so, how would you store them? I’m afraid the icing would soften and the color from the sprinkles would run if stored in an airtight container. Thank you!
Cathy Roma says
You’re spot on about the storage. You can cover them with aluminum foil for up to two days to preserve the glaze. After that, I’d store them in an airtight container even those the glaze will soften a bit so the cookies don’t dry out.
Mary says
Thank you Cathy!
Betsy Keep says
Can these be frozen with no frosting without degrading? Thanks!
Cathy Roma says
I don’t usually freeze these cookies after they’re baked, but they should do fine. Definitely without icing.
Tammi says
I do not know what I did wrong but I made two batches, I followed the recipe exactly and they were horribly bitter tasting..why would this happen?
Cathy Roma says
Oh no! I’ve literally been making these cookies my whole life and haven’t experienced them tasting bitter. Only guess I would have is maybe you used baking soda instead of baking powder? Baking soda can have a bitter taste if it’s not neutralized with an acid like lemon juice. I’m so sorry these didn’t turn out for you!
Hayley Metzger says
How would I make them lemony? In the cookie batter? Replace the vanilla with lemon?? How much???
Cathy Roma says
Exactly. Fresh lemon juice, not extract and omit the vanilla. I would add 2 tsp of lemon juice and even grate a little zest in there if you’re a lemon lover.