Italian Easter Cookies
These Italian Easter cookies are soft, buttery, and lightly sweet. They are flavored with lemon zest and vanilla, and topped with a thin layer of glaze and sprinkles for a perfect finish.
Why this recipe is so great:
- Easy and fun to make – The dough is super easy to prepare. You just whip it up in a large bowl using an electric mixer and chill it in the fridge for an hour. Once the dough is chilled, you can shape the cookies into knots, spirals, twists, or make them into drop cookies. It’s a great recipe for kids to help with. They can shape the cookies and help decorate them.
- A light and not too sweet cookie – These cookies are a nice change from all the overly sweet treats. They are nice and light. The texture is soft and tender, like a lemony vanilla cake.
- Keeps well – These cookies stay fresh when properly stored for up to a week. They are great for gifting and making in advance.
How to make Italian Easter cookies:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment until combined.
- Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.
- Scoop out small amounts of dough and roll them into 1″ balls. Roll each ball into 5″ ropes. Tie each rope into a loose knot, roll into a pinwheel, or fold in half and twist. You can also simply leave them as 1″ balls (by the third batch, that’s what I usually do).
- Place the cookies 1″ apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake in a 300F preheated oven for 10 minutes. Let cool completely before glazing.
Variations:
- Flavorings – Substitute the vanilla extract for anise extract and turn them into anise cookies. Replace half of the vanilla extract with almond extract for almond cookies.
- Coloring – Add pastel food coloring to the glaze to make it colorful. You can even double the glaze and divide it into multiple colors for fun.
- Other names – Italian Easter cookies are also popularly known as Italian love knot cookies, uncinetti, taralli dolci, and nonna’s lemon cookies.
FAQ:
How to store:
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
How to freeze:
Once the cookies are completely cooled, place them in a freezer-friendly ziplock bag or container. Do not glaze. Before serving, thaw them on the counter for 1-2 hours until they reach room temperature, then glaze and top with sprinkles as instructed.
Other Easter recipes you might like:
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Italian Easter Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 6 Tbsp (3oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 & 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp milk or cream
- 1-2 Tbsp nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment until combined.6 Tbsp (3oz) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.3 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, zest of 1 lemon
- In a separate bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt.2 & 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt
- Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 300F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop out small amounts of dough and roll them into 1" balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into 5" ropes. Tie each rope into a loose knot, roll into a pinwheel, or fold in half and twist. You can also simply leave them as 1" balls (by the third batch, that's what I usually do).
- Place the cookies 1" apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden on the bottom. The cookies will remain pale on the surface. Let cool completely before glazing.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk/cream until smooth. Dip the cookies face down into the glaze, let the excess drip off for a few seconds, and place the cookies on a wire rack.1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp milk or cream
- Top with sprinkles immediately before the glaze sets.1-2 Tbsp nonpareil sprinkles
Hi there! I tried the recipe, it’s simple and fun, the cookies turned out great, really soft and tasty. I only had trouble with the glaze, 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice didn’t seem enough, I used around half a lemon
Thank you for your feedback, Jesse! There can be a little variance in the glaze depending on how thick or think you like it, but I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies:)
Very good and easy to do
Thank you, Terry! So glad you like it:)
Really excellent recipe! Cookies are moist and glaze very good.they reminded me of the cookies my mom used to make. I froze half the recipe.Can I take them out the day before I need them and glaze them or is it better the day of? Thanks!!!!0
Hey Lily!
Thank you for your kind words and yes, you can take them out the day before. These cookies keep really well even after freezing. Enjoy and happy Tuesday!