Italian Easter Cookies

Classic Italian Easter Cookies with a lemony flavor, sweetened glaze and fun spring colored sprinkles. These are one of my favorite Easter Desserts to serve when family gather over the holidays.

These are a traditional cookie everyone loves. They're a simple cookie that kids will love to help you roll out and add the drizzle!

Most Famous Italian Cookies

This recipe is also known as my mom's famous Italian cookie recipe. My mom has been making this cookie recipe for years. She makes them for all our family gatherings, parties, weddings, etc. My mom would also bake batches of this recipe and give out as gifts around the holidays.

These days it's difficult for my mom to bake, however, my daughter, Olivia, my sister, Liz and myself all bake the recipe so the tradition will always be a part of our family.

Table of Contents

• Most Famous Italian Cookies
• Calabrese Easter Cookies
• Italian Easter Cookies with Egg
• More Italian Easter Recipes
• Helpful Kitchen Tools
• Main Ingredients Needed
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Recipe Variations
• Storage Tips for Cookies
• Freezing Tips for Cookies
• 💬 Comments

Calabrese Easter Cookies

Another cookie that is a staple in southern Italian homes around Easter is the Calabrese Easter Cookie. These cookies are semi-sweet and are usually flavored with orange. .

Italian Easter Cookies with Egg

Italian Easter Bread is very famous this time of year for the colorful eggs that are inserted into the ring of homemade bread dough. The Sicilian Cuddura cookie also has an egg in the center of the cookie.

More Italian Easter Recipes

• Another Italian cookie served for both Easter and Christmas are the Cucidati or Fig Cookie.
• Italian Bow Tie cookies, Frappe or Cioffe, are lightly fried sweetened dough that's dusted with powdered sugar. When my mother made these, my sister and I would reach for them while they were still hot from the oil. They were so good!
• Rosette Cookies are made with an iron that is dipped into the cookie batter and then deep fried. There are special irons you can purchase for the different holidays. My mother had a butterfly iron, so we called them "butterfly cookies."
• Pizzelle Cookies

Helpful Kitchen Tools

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• Rubber spatula
• Measuring spoons
• Cookie scoops
• Parchment Baking Sheets
• 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.

More InformationMore InformationMore InformationMore Information

 

Main Ingredients Needed

Be sure to see the recipe card for exact quantities, detailed instructions and special notes.

For the Cookies

• Flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Eggs
• White sugar
• Butter
• Lemon Extract

For the Glaze

• Confectioner's Sugar/Powdered Sugar
• Lemon Extract
• Vegetable Oil
• Warm Milk
• Assorted Spring Sprinkles

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1 | Combine the 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.
• Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven or until the bottom of the cookies are a light golden brown.
• 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 3 | Prepare the 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 4 | Glaze the Cookies

• Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze and immediately add the sprinkles.

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Recipe Variations

• It's easy to adapt this cookie for any celebration simply by changing the sprinkle used to decorate.
• You can even use grated lemon peel in place of the sprinkles.
• If you don't like lemon flavoring, try almond extract flavoring.
• Check out my other recipe for Best Italian Christmas Cookies.

Storage Tips for Cookies

• Once the Italian 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 Tips for Cookies

• 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.