Best Italian Christmas Cookies - lemony cookies topped with a sweetened glaze and fun colorful sprinkles. These are a classic Italian cookie that can be served year round but are very popular around the holidays. Let me show you how to make one of our family's favorite Christmas cookie recipes with you!
These cookie recipes will be great for hosting a cookie exchange, give away cookies as gifts or just bake for your own family, If you do plan on giving them as gifts, print out the FREE Christmas recipe cards so you can easily write out the recipe to give as part of the gift.
If you need gift tags, there are some really cute ones over in the WOS Shop.
Christmas Cookie Recipes
This recipe for Best Italian Christmas Cookies is my mom's recipe. My mom has been making this cookie recipe for years. She makes them for all our family gatherings, parties, weddings, etc.
Every Christmas she bakes these cookies along with her Pizzelle Cookie Recipe and Italian Ricotta Cookies and gives them as gifts to her hairdressers. Her hairdressers started calling them, "Italian Lady Cookies" because, well my mom is Italian.
This was my first time baking these Italian Christmas cookies. My sister actually came over a few weeks ago and together we baked 7 different Christmas cookie recipes. Doesn't that sound exciting?
The Italian Christmas Cookies are delicious. This recipe never, ever fails.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
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- Rubber spatula
- Measuring spoons
- Cookie scoops
- Parchment Baking Sheets
- Crushed Candy Cane Pieces - these can be hard to find in grocery stores which is why I like to buy them on Amazon.
- Colorful Sprinkles - these are the sprinkles that are traditionally used for this cookie. You can use other colored sprinkles if you're baking them at other times during the year.
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Main Ingredients Needed
Exact measurements are listed below in the recipe card. Make sure you scroll down to print and save the recipe for later!
For the Cookies
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking sodea
- Salt
- Eggs
- White sugar
- Butter
- Lemon Extract - see note below
For the Glaze
- Confectioner's Sugar/Powdered Sugar
- Lemon Extract
- Vegetable Oil
- Warm Milk
- Assorted Christmas sprinkles or crushed peppermint candies
Baking Tip: Feel free to substitute the lemon extract with anise, orange or even vanilla extract if you prefer.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1 | Combine the Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your KitchenAid mixer beat together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs, one at a time and then beat in the lemon extract.
- Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually beat in the flour mixture until all is blended.
Step 2 | How to Shape the Cookies
- Using a small cookie scoop, place the cookies on a baking tray that's been lined with Parchment Baking Sheets.
Step 3 | Baking Instructions
- Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven or until the bottom of the cookies are a light golden brown.
Step 4 | Cooling Instructions
- Remove the cookies from the baking tray to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Do not try to glaze them while the cookies are still warm.
- The glaze will melt into the cookie and they won't look as pretty as the photographs.
Step 5 | Prepare the Cookie Glaze
- Prepare the glaze by combining the ingredients in a small bowl.
- If you find that the glaze is too thick, add another few tablespoons of milk.
Step 6 | Glaze the Cookies
- Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze and immediately add the nonpareils, sprinkles or Crushed Candy Cane Pieces.
Step 7 | Add the Candy Sprinkles
- The glaze hardens pretty quickly so if you wait too long, the sprinkles, nonpareils or crushed candy cane pieces will not stick.
- Let the cookies set until dried completely before storing in an air-tight container.
Storage Tips
- Once the Italian Christmas cookies have dried completely, store them in an air-tight container.
- Cookies will remain fresh if stored in a cool, dry place.
- I like to put the container in the back of my pantry closet. Stored this way cookies should stay fresh for up to 10 days.
Freezing Cookies Tips
- I like to freeze these cookies without the glaze.
- Flash freeze the cookies on a baking tray and then once frozen, place in an airtight container or in large plastic freezer safe bags.
- These cookies will last in the freezer for up to a month or two.
- Once you have defrosted the cookies, prepare the glaze and following the instructions above for adding the glaze and sprinkles.
Frequently Asked Recipe Questions
These cookies freeze really well. Allow the glazed and decorated cookies to harden completely. Then place them on a baking tray that's been lined with parchment paper for about 30 minutes. Remove the cookies from the tray and then place them in a freezer-safe container or plastic baggie.
This is a funny question to me, because, my Italian grandmother would start baking Christmas cookies months before and freeze them. She would ship a box of cookies to us a few weeks before Christmas and they were always delicious and always in perfect condition.
You can also make the dough a few days ahead of time and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tried any of my recipes? Let me know in the comments!
Ready for More Christmas Cookie Recipes?
- Shortbread Cookies - my favorite cookies all year long!
- Slice and Bake Colorful Swirl Cookies
- Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
- Classic Oatmeal Cookies
- Freezer Friendly Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies
- Gingersnap Cookies
- Vanilla Chocolate Slice and Bake Cookies
- Italian Ricotta Christmas Cookies – A Family Tradition
Best Italian Christmas Cookies
Best Italian Christmas Cookies – lemony cookies topped with a sweetened glaze and fun colorful sprinkles. These are a classic Italian cookie that can be served year round but are very popular around the holidays.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 ½ cups flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter; softened
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract - see not below
For the Glaze
- 3 ½ cups powdered/confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup warm milk - see note below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your KitchenAid mixer beat together the sugar and butter.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Beat in the lemon extract.
- Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually beat in the flour mixture until all is blended.
- Using a small cookie scoop, place the cookies on a baking tray that's been lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven or until the bottoms are a light golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the baking tray to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the glaze by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. If you find that the glaze is too thick, add another few tablespoons of milk.
- Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze and immediately add the nonpareils or crushed candy cane pieces. The glaze hardens pretty quickly so if you wait too long, the sprinkles will not stick.
- Let the cookies set until dried completely.
Notes
Feel free to substitute the lemon extract with anise, orange or even vanilla extract if you prefer.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
56Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 106Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g
The nutrition information is calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you, please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator.
They look amazing. Can you substitute lemon juice for lemon extract?
No, you can substitute vanilla extract for the lemon extract but do not use lemon juice. Thank you for visiting!
These look so yummy! Love trying new Christmas cookie recipes, will have to try these for sure!
Lois,
Wow, these cookies look amazing. Congratulations, you are being featured at Over The Moon Linky Party. I hope you stop by.
Hugs,
Bev
These sound amazing. My friends in Mexico will love having them for their holiday. Thanks for sharing.
I hope they enjoy the recipe!