Italian Sugar Cookies

Soft and tender Italian Sugar Cookies are easy to make with just a few ingredients. Dipped in icing and topped with colorful sprinkles, these cookies are perfect for the holidays or any occasion.

I love a good cookie and given that my Amish Sugar Cookies have been so popular, I thought you’d enjoy an Italian Sugar Cookie (aka Italian Sprinkle Cookies or Italian Christmas Cookies).

Such a simple cookie but soft and tender and perfectly sweet with the glaze. And sprinkles! Rainbow nonpareils are really cute any time of year, or dress them up with Christmas colors for the holidays.

These cookies were traditionally flavored with anise, but I don’t know much of anyone that enjoys the flavor of black licorice, so I use a combo of vanilla and almond extracts in this version.

You can use whichever you prefer – all vanilla, or all almond, or a mixture.

Helpful Tools

• Mixing Bowls – I love that these have the grippy bottom so they don’t slide all over your counter.
• Silicone Mats – Silicone mats (or parchment paper) help the cookies bake evenly and also help with cleanup!
• Cookie Scoop – I highly recommend using a cookie scoop for any cookie recipe. I have various sizes.
• Sprinkles – I say optional but are they really? Sprinkles should be required.

Ingredients

Italian cookies are made from everyday, pantry staples like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and extracts.

• Flour – To make this recipe accessible, I use all purpose white flour. Traditionally, they would be made with self rising flour, and they still can. If you want to go that route, skip the AP flour and baking powder.
• Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
• Butter – I prefer baking with butter but you can also use shortening for these.
• Baking Powder – Like I said, the flour + baking powder combo adds carbon dioxide which provides lift.
• Eggs – Three large eggs.
• Vanillas & almond extract – The combo of both vanilla and almond extract creates so much flavor.

For the icing/glaze, you’ll need powdered sugar, milk or heavy cream, melted butter, and vanilla extract.

How to make Italian Sugar Cookies

1. STEP ONE: Make the dough. First, whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Then, in another mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs and extracts and continue beating until combined. Finally, add half the flour, mix, then the last of the flour.

2. STEP TWO: Bake. Use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough to baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400° or until just golden.

3. STEP THREE: Make the glaze. While the cookies are cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk (or cream), melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust if necessary – it should be a bit thin/runny, but *too* thin.

4. STEP FOUR: Assemble. Place the cooled cookies onto a cooling rack and dip each into the glaze. Let the excess drip off & then add the sprinkles. Alternatively, you can spoon approximately one tablespoon of glaze over each cookie and immediately sprinkles. Let them cool/set for 30 minutes before enjoying!

How to store them

Store leftovers cookies in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to a week.

Can you freeze them?

Yes, you can freeze these cookies. You can freeze the dough in balls (scoop out to a pan, cover, and freeze until solid, then move to a zip top freezer bag and bake from frozen.

Alternatively, you can freeze baked cookies. I find it best to freeze before glazing them, if possible. So bake, freeze, then thaw at room temperature and glaze when ready.

What makes a tender cookie?

Shortening, a fat, makes cookies tender. When shortening is mixed into flour, the fat coats some of the flour and protects it from the liquid in some recipes. This prevents gluten from developing, making the cookies more tender and less chewy.

That said, I still prefer butter and you’ll get a light & fluffy cookie either way.

Want a chewier cookie?

For a chewier cookie, replace the 3 teaspoons baking powder with 1.5 teaspoons baking powder + 1.5 teaspoons cream of tartar.

Need more cookie recipes? Try these:

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Ranger Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Soft & Chewy Gingersnaps

Need more specifially Christmas cookies? Try These:

Reindeer Sugar Cookies
Christmas Snickerdoodles
30+ Classic Christmas Cookies

Click here for my entire collection of cookies recipes.

4.88 from 8 votes

Italian Sugar Cookies

Created by Melissa Williams

Servings: 36 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 8 minutes mins

Total Time: 18 minutes mins

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Soft and tender Italian Sugar Cookies are easy to make with just a few ingredients. Dipped in icing and topped with colorful sprinkles, these cookies are perfect for the holidays or any occasion.

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

For the Cookies

• ▢ 3 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated white sugar
• ▢ 3 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon almond extract

For the Icing Glaze

• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 5 Tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons butter melted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• ▢ sprinkles as desired

Instructions

To make the cookies

• Preheat oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3 cups all purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
• In another large bowl, using a hand mixer on medium, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3/4 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• Beat in eggs and extracts for 30 seconds, then add half of the flour mixture. Beat until fully incorporated, then add remaining half of the flour mixture.
  3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Use a small cookie scoop (#60, 2 teaspoons) to portion out the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets. For a more smooth appearance, you can roll the cookies into balls but that is optional.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just lightly golden and cookies start to crack on top.
• Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.

For the Icing Glaze

• Whisk together powdered icing sugar, heavy cream, melted butter, and your choice of flavor extract. Adjust the consistency with additional powdered sugar or milk (or water), it should be thin.
  2 cups powdered sugar, 5 Tablespoons heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• Once the cookies are cooled, dip each into the glaze, letting the excess drip off before returning to the parchment paper. Alternatively, you can spoon approximately one tablespoon of icing onto each cookie.
• Come back and add sprinkles once the glaze has started to set (so the sprinkles don't just roll off).
  sprinkles
• Allow icing to set for 30 minutes before serving or storing.

Notes

• Traditionally, this recipe would use self-rising flour, but we’ve adjusted the recipe to use all-purpose flour and baking powder.
• For a chewier cookie, replace the 3 teaspoons baking powder with 1.5 teaspoons baking powder + 1.5 teaspoons cream of tartar.
• Shortening can be used in place of butter.
• Using a small (2 teaspoon) cookie scoop, it made approximately 36 cookies.
• Store covered in an airtight container for up to a week.

⭐️ Final Step! Please let me know how you liked this recipe by leaving a review and rating below. Your feedback supports my small business and allows me to continue providing free, high quality recipes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Originally published September 14, 2021; photos updated August 3, 2024