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These Italian Christmas Cookies are soft, moist, and cakey, with plenty of almond flavor and a thick glaze finished with colorful sprinkles. Best of all, they’re easy drop cookies — no chilling or complicated shaping required — and they’re ready in about 20 minutes.
If you’ve had Italian Christmas cookies that were dry or disappointing, these are completely different. Vegetable oil helps give them their wonderfully moist, tender texture, while careful baking keeps them soft. The trick is to pull them from the oven before they brown, then glaze them twice for that pretty bakery-style finish.
If you’re filling a holiday cookie tray, try my Italian Fig Cookies, Ricotta Cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies, and Amaretti Cookies too.
✨ Before You Begin
✨ These cookies can go from perfectly soft and tender to dry very quickly, so don’t wait for them to brown. Start checking them at 8 minutes and pull them as soon as the tops have lost their raw look. In my oven, 9 minutes is perfect.
✨ Have your cooling rack ready before the cookies come out of the oven. The first layer of glaze goes on while the cookies are still warm, so you’ll want to be ready to dip them right away.
Italian Christmas Cookies Ingredients + Key Notes
✨ All-Purpose Flour: Measure carefully so these cookies stay soft and tender. Too much flour can make their delicate, cakey texture dry.
✨ Vegetable Oil: Unlike many Italian cookie recipes made with butter, this family recipe uses vegetable oil. It keeps the cookies tender and also helps them hold their rounded shape without chilling the dough.
✨ Whole Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the dough. I prefer whole milk here for the softest texture.
✨ Baking Powder: One tablespoon may look like a lot, but it’s intentional! It gives these cookies their characteristic lift and soft, cakey interior.
✨ Almond Extract: This is the defining flavor of my family’s Italian Christmas cookies. It goes into both the cookies and the glaze, so that wonderful almond aroma comes through in every bite.
✨ Powdered Sugar + Hot Water: These make the simple glaze. Keep it thick rather than runny so it clings to the cookies and creates a pretty white coating when they’re dipped a second time.
✨ Rainbow Nonpareils: Add these immediately after the second dip, while the glaze is still wet, so they stick.
🥣 How to Make Italian Christmas Cookies
Make the dough. Whisk together the flour and baking powder. In a separate large bowl, beat the sugar, milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and almond extract until well combined. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients just until a soft dough forms.
Scoop and bake. Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes. The cookies are done when the tops have lost their raw look but have not browned.
Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, and hot water until smooth and thick enough to coat the cookies.
Glaze while warm. Dip the tops of the warm cookies into the glaze, then transfer them to a wire rack. The first coat will melt slightly into the cookie.
Glaze again. Once the cookies have cooled, dip the tops a second time for a thicker white finish. Immediately add the rainbow nonpareils while the glaze is still wet.
Let them set. Allow the glaze to dry completely before serving or storing.
⭐ Pro Tips
⭐ Don’t wait for the cookies to brown. This is the most important tip for soft, tender Italian Christmas cookies. Pull them from the oven as soon as the tops lose their raw appearance. In my oven, 9 minutes is perfect. Even a little extra baking can make these cookies dry.
⭐ Keep the cookies the same size. I use a small cookie scoop so they bake evenly. With such a short, precise baking time, differently sized cookies can leave you with some perfectly tender and others overbaked.
⭐ Glaze them twice. Dip the cookies once while they’re still warm. This first coat melts slightly into the surface and helps seal in that tender texture. Once they’ve cooled, dip them again for the thick, opaque bakery-style finish.
⭐ Add the water to the glaze gradually. You want a thick glaze that coats the cookies and dries white. If you thin it too much, it becomes translucent and runs off instead of creating that pretty opaque finish.
⭐ Sprinkle immediately after the second glaze. Add the nonpareils before the glaze begins to set so they adhere. For a slightly different look, you can add them while the cookies are warmer—the colors melt just a little, which my kids have always loved.
⭐ No chilling or complicated shaping is needed. This dough is wetter than versions that are rolled into ropes, knots, or coils, so I make simple rounded drop cookies. It’s the way I learned to make them, and it’s considerably easier.
⭐ Almond is our traditional flavor, but you can change it. Almond extract is what I use and the flavor I associate with these cookies, but anise, orange, rum, or other extracts can give them a different personality.
Why Are My Italian Christmas Cookies Dry?
These cookies should be soft, moist, and cakey. The vegetable oil helps keep them tender, but overbaking can quickly dry them out.
Baking times are always approximate, so start checking the cookies at 8 minutes. The tops should not brown. Take them out as soon as they’ve lost their raw appearance — in my oven, 9 minutes is perfect.
If this is your first time making them, let one cookie cool completely and taste it before baking the next sheet. If it seems dry, simply shorten the baking time for the next batch.
Storing + Freezing + Make Ahead
Storing: Let the glaze set completely before storing the cookies. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–5 days, with parchment or wax paper between the layers to protect the glaze.
Freezing: For the prettiest results, I prefer to freeze these cookies before glazing them. Place the completely cooled cookies in an airtight freezer container, separating the layers with parchment, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze and decorate.
Make Ahead: These are great holiday make-ahead cookies. Bake and freeze them unglazed, then thaw and add the double glaze and sprinkles closer to serving. This keeps the glaze looking fresh and makes one less thing to bake during the busy days before Christmas.
Serving Suggestions
These festive cookies are perfect for Christmas cookie trays, cookie exchanges, holiday parties, and homemade cookie boxes. Let the glaze set completely before stacking or arranging them so the pretty finish stays intact.
Serve them with coffee, espresso, hot chocolate, or a cold glass of milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
◆ Do Italian Christmas Cookies need to be refrigerated?
No. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–5 days. Let the glaze set completely before stacking them, and place parchment or wax paper between the layers.
◆ Do I need to chill the dough before baking?
No. Because this recipe uses vegetable oil rather than butter, there’s no need to chill the dough. Scoop, slightly flatten, and bake.
◆ Can I use a different extract instead of almond?
Yes. Almond extract gives these cookies their classic flavor, but you can change the flavor with anise, lemon, orange, or rum extract. Since extracts vary considerably in strength, start with less and adjust to taste.
◆ Are Italian Christmas Cookies the same as Italian Wedding Cookies?
No. The names of Italian cookies can vary by family and region, but in this recipe, Italian Christmas Cookies are soft, cakey cookies finished with glaze and colorful sprinkles. Italian Wedding Cookies are a different cookie with a rich, buttery texture and a coating of powdered sugar.
◆ Can I make Italian Christmas Cookies ahead of time?
Absolutely. For the best results, I recommend baking and freezing the cookies without the glaze. Thaw them completely at room temperature, then double-glaze and decorate them before serving.
Still have questions? Drop them in the comments — I love helping you cook with confidence! 💗
More Italian Cookie Recipes
Pignoli Cookies – Soft and chewy almond cookies covered with buttery pine nuts.
Italian Rainbow Cookies – Colorful almond-flavored layers with jam and chocolate—a beautiful addition to a holiday cookie tray.
Anise Cookies – Tender Italian cookies with that distinctive old-fashioned anise flavor.
Almond Biscotti – Crisp, almond-filled biscotti that are perfect for dipping into coffee or espresso.
Chocolate Biscotti – A rich chocolate variation of the classic Italian twice-baked cookie.
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Tried This Recipe?
If you make these Italian Christmas Cookies, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Please leave a comment and a star rating below — your feedback helps other readers, too.
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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy baking, friends! ❤️ Kathleen
Italian Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
Glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water more as needed
Decorations:
- rainbow nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour (4 cups), baking powder (1 tablespoon), and sugar (1 cup) until combined. Make a well in the center and add oil (3/4 cup), milk (1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon of almond extract, and eggs (2). Using a sturdy wooden spoon, mix together until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop up a one-inch ball of dough, and place it on the prepared cookie sheet, with 1-inch between cookies. Slightly flatten tops. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven until the cookies are cooked. They will not brown.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar (3 cups), almond extract (1 tablespoon), and hot water (1 1/2 tablespoons) until smooth. The glaze should remain thick like the consistency of molasses.
- Place a wire baking rack over a rimmed cookie sheet. Dip warm cookies in glaze, then set on a wire rack and allow to cool. Dip cookies in glaze a second time then sprinkle with rainbow nonpareil sprinkles immediately, while glaze is still wet. Allow to set completely on the rack.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Baking: If you’ve ever had these cookies and thought they were unimpressive and dry, you’re in good company. But with this recipe, you can create the best version of this awesome cookie.
- Moist and tender, nothing like the dry, crunchy things you may have had in the past. Just make sure you watch your baking time closely.
- The secret to making these cookies and having a wonderful texture is not to overbake them! While that goes for all baked goods, it’s especially important with these babies!
- The tops should not brown. I try to cook them just until they lose their rawness. In my oven, 9 minutes comes out perfectly.
- Icing: The glaze part of my Italian Christmas cookies recipe is optional. If you want to cut back on the sweetness, skip it but remember, these cookies are not that sweet.
- I double glaze these. The first glaze seals them while they’re warm so they have a tender texture. When that cools slightly, I add a second layer of glaze and add the sprinkles.
- When I made the batch in the photos, I added the sprinkles while the cookies were still warm and the sprinkles melt just a little creating this kinda psychedelic look. My kids love them this way.
- I show how to make them the traditional way that is Nonna approved, in the video. Then they come out looking like they’re made in an Italian bakery.
- You’ll want to make sure to add the water into the glaze mixture slowly. You want to get the glaze nice and thick—aiming for that familiar opaque look on the cookie. If the glaze gets too thin it won’t be white.
- Shape: Some versions of traditional Italian Christmas cookies recipes have the shapes coiled or in cones.
- For my recipe, I have you shape the dough into rounded drop cookies due to my dough being a bit wetter than normal. This is how I learned to make them and I love the simplicity of them!
- I use a small cookie cream scoop to form each cookie. This helps to ensure uniformity in size, which is important because the baking time needs to be very precise.
- Remember, if these overbake they’ll be dry. Shaping them consistently enables you to also bake them evenly.
- Space Savers: Thanks to the lack of butter, my Italian Christmas cookies recipe makes a dough that doesn’t spread as much in the oven as other cookies. This means you can fit more cookies per sheet, thereby saving time and space!
- Extract the Flavor: My recipe uses almond extract, but don’t feel limited to that flavor! There are so many delicious variations: orange, peppermint, anise, rum, and more.
Nutrition
I love making these cookies! I like to use the whole milk for the glaze! Turns out okay for me! Thanks a bunch for this recipe!
Hey, K! That’s fantastic! It’s so good, right? Thanks for the positive feedback and 5-star rating 🙂
What could I use as a substitute for almond extract? My son has a tree nut allergy and can’t have it. I used vanilla last year and they were underwhelming 😕. I was thinking about orange extract. What are your thoughts? Do you have any idea how much I would use and should I use vanilla as well! Thank you so much :). We love these cookies!
Hey Cathy. Im so happy you love these cookies! When you made them with vanilla, did you increase the amounnt? Lemon or orange extracts would be great. The thing about them is, sometimes they have a chemically taste. I’d think start with adding 1/2 teaspoon of either and add 1 tablespoon of fresh zest, either lemon or orange. Of course, you can increase the extract, but you’ll need to taste a baked cookie before adding any more.I really hope this helps and look forward to hearing back from you when you try it! Happy baking!!
My granddaughter has a nut allergy and I use imation almond extract. The imitation is made from the pits of peaches, and nectarines. I also asked at our local Giant Eagle and that is what they use in their baked goods.
Thanks so much Judi! I appreciate your info!
Anise oil or extract. Thats all I use for these. I dont use oil,I like butter and more eggs. But I use anise in the cookie dough or the icing.
Is 2% milk okay to use?
Hey, Andrea. I haven’t tried this other than whole milk <3
Hi! Can I 1/2 the recipe?
Hey Alana, absolutely! The full batch makes a lot of cookies!
Wanting to make these but wondered should you put the cookie dough in the refrigerator for a little while before,baking?
Hey Judy. I find it to be unnecessary, because these are made with oil, not butter. Happy baking!
My family loves these! I used heavy cream instead of milk and they turned out perfect! I also used chrisrmas sprinkles!
Wow! That’s great, Brittany! Thanks for sharing your tweak too 🙂
1 tablespoon of extract seems a lot. Is this correct?
Hi, yes that’s the correct amount. This makes a large batch of cookies.
Hello. I was wondering if I can make this with non dairy milk?
Hi, Adrienne. I haven’t tried that but I think that’ll work. Enjoy and let us know how it turns out!
Can you use almond milk instead of whole milk
Hi, Judy. I haven’t tried that but I think that’ll work. Enjoy and let us know how it turns out!
I made these last year and they were great. I’ll be making them again this year. I wanted to know if I can make these ahead of time and freeze the dough to bake at a later date?
Hey Vicki. I’ve only ever made the cookies and frozen them after I’ve baked them.
Do you freeze before putting glaze on them. I make these every year but have an issue storing them. They sweat and it ruins the top of cookie. Any suggestions
Hey Denise. I prefer freezing the cookies without the glaze. Thaw them out then glaze and decorate them 🙂