4.83 from 23 votes

Italian Easter Cookies

These festive Easter holiday cookies may soon become an annual tradition. Italian Easter Cookies are cake-like, buttery and soft lightly sweetened sugar cookie frosted with a decadent almond glaze and colorful sprinkles.

Italian Easter Cookies on a white plate.


These Easter treats may soon become a new sweet tradition! Not only do they taste delicious, but they also are so pretty with their pastel glaze and Easter sprinkles.  

I love how easy this cookie recipe is to make. You’ll get about 30 cookies ready to enjoy in under 1 hour. 

They make a sweet and beautiful addition to your Easter dessert table or for a homemade Easter basket filled with Easter eggs and other sweets. They are also the perfect breakfast cookie with your morning cup of coffee.

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    Make them to give as a gift to your loved ones. Place them in a decorative tin or cellophane bag with the recipe card. The pastel colors really make them pop!

    Why You’ll Love Italian Easter Cookies

    • Simple recipe you can make in under 1 hour
    • Made with easy to find pantry ingredients
    • Lightly sweet, buttery and scrumptious
    • Make a new Easter tradition for your family
    • Kids can help add the glaze and sprinkles
    • You can make different colors for the glaze
    • Beautiful presentation
    • Perfect to enjoy with a cup of coffee
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    Ingredients

    You can find the FULL recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Salt
    • Sugar
    • Unsalted butter
    • Vanilla extract
    • Almond extract
    • Large eggs
    • Liquid food coloring and sprinkles – Look for pastel colors.

    Almond Colored Glaze

    • Powdered sugar
    • Milk
    • Almond extract
    Ingredients to make Italian Easter Cookies.

    How to Make Italian Easter Cookies

    • Step One: Preheat oven to 350F.
    • Step Two: In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk together and set aside.
    Steps to make Italian Easter Cookies.
    • Step Three: In a large bowl, cream together with a mixer the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
    • Step Four: Add egg one at a time mixing on medium-low speed until combined.
    Steps to make Italian Easter Cookies.
    • Step Five: Add some of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time until the dough is fully combined. Do not overmix.
    Steps to make Italian Easter Cookies.
    • Step Six: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop or about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough to form round balls between your hands. They should be about the size of a golf ball. Place them about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. You will need to work in batches or use 2 cookie sheets.
    • Step Seven: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cookies. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes to cool and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
    Steps to make Italian Easter Cookies.
    • Step Eight: Prepare the cookie glaze while the cookies are cooling on a wire rack. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and almond extract until smooth. Divide the glaze evenly between 3 bowls and tint with food coloring. 
    Steps to make Italian Easter Cookies.
    • Step Nine: Dip the top of the cookie in the glaze and decorate with sprinkles. Allow them to set on a plate. 
    Steps to make Italian Easter Cookies.

    Equipment Needed

    This post contains affiliate links.

    Italian Easter Cookies on a plate.

    What to Serve with Easy Italian Easter Cookies

    Variations

    • For a more traditional Easter cookie, add anise flavoring or lemon extract (lemon zest or lemon juice works, too) to either the cookie dough or the glaze. 
    • Use different colors of sprinkles and food coloring in the glaze to create your desired look.
    • If you want a sweeter cookie, you can double the glaze and double-dip the once the first layer has set.
    Italian Easter Cookies on a plate.

    Storage Instructions

    These Italian Easter Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

    The cookies can be frozen, unglazed, for 1 to 2 months. Bring them to room temperature before glazing and decorating.

    A hand holding an Italian Easter Cookie.

    Recipe Tips

    • These cookies are not meant to be overly sweet. If you want a sweeter cookie, double the recipe for the glaze and dip the cookies twice. Make sure to wait in between to let the first layer of glaze dry before you dip again.
    • Do not overbake these cookies or they will be more like biscotti. They should have a crisp exterior with a slightly more tender cakey interior.
    • Tinting tip: Use the food coloring sparingly for pastel colors. Place a drop of food coloring on a spoon and use a toothpick to dip a small amount in the glaze until your desired color is reached.
    Italian Easter Cookies on a stand.

    Easter Desserts

    Try these Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies.

    Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.

    If you make the recipe, rate it on the recipe card below and tag me on Instagram and use #simplystacie. I like sharing the photos on my Instagram stories!

    4.83 from 23 votes

    Italian Easter Cookies

    Created by Stacie Vaughan
    Servings 30
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 12 minutes
    Cooling Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 57 minutes
    These festive Easter holiday cookies may soon become an annual tradition. They are cake-like, buttery and soft lightly sweetened sugar cookie frosted with a decadent almond glaze and colorful sprinkles.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • Pinch of salt
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 tsp almond extract
    • 3 eggs
    • Liquid food coloring and sprinkles for decorating

    Almond Glaze

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 3 tbsp milk
    • 1 tsp almond extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, cream together with a mixer the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
    • Add egg one at a time mixing on medium-low speed until combined.
    • Add some of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl a little at a time until the dough is fully combined. Do not overmix.
    • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop or about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough to form round balls between your hands. Place them about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. You will need to work in batches or use 2 cookie sheets.
    • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cookies. Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes to cool and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
    • Prepare the cookie glaze while the cookies are cooling. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and almond extract until smooth. Divide the glaze evenly between 3 bowls and tint with food coloring.
    • Dip the cookies in the glaze and decorate with sprinkles. Allow them to set on a plate.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 124IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword cookies, easter cookies, Italian easter cookies

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    2 Comments

    1. albert j grauberger says:

      5 stars
      they were great little cookies and cute too

    2. 5 stars
      I these cookies they came out perfect..

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