Italian Easter Cookies Are a Sweet Tradition
Italian Easter cookies are a soft, cake-like treat glazed with icing and adorned with colorful sprinkles. They’re so festive for the holiday!
I’m excited to share a really fun recipe with you today that you may not have heard of before. Italian Easter cookies, known as “biscotti pasquali” in Italy, are delightful sweet treats that embody the spirit of Easter and springtime celebrations.
These unique cookies are soft, cake-like in texture, and often shaped into forms like eggs, doves, or simple rounds to symbolize new life and renewal.
Typically, they are glazed with a light icing and adorned with colorful sprinkles, adding a festive touch. The dough for these cookies is flavored with vanilla or citrus zest, giving them a fresh, bright flavor that’s perfect for the season.
Not only are Italian Easter cookies a delicious treat, but they also carry the warmth of tradition, often being made in family gatherings as part of the holiday preparations.
And I’m excited to show you how to make them today! It’s a very easy recipe, and at the end you’re going to have a delicious dessert the whole family will love.
So, let’s dust off the flour canister and preheat the oven. It’s time to bake not just cookies, but memories, crafting a batch of cookies that might just become a tradition in your own home.
Scroll down to discover the recipe that connects you to the heart of Italy, to the spirit of Easter, and perhaps, to a piece of history you can hold in your hand (and then eat, of course). Let the baking begin!
Tips and Thoughts for This Recipe
- Best served at room temperature.
- Do not over bake the cookies. They should be removed from the oven once they start to lightly brown.
- Cookies may crack a bit while cooking but glaze will cover it.
- You can add either more confectioners sugar or milk to get the right consistency of the glaze. It shouldn’t be too runny or too thick.
- Can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
The taste is similar to a shortbread cookie, with a bit more sweetness from glaze. These are great to serve with tea or coffee.
Get the printable recipe card for these cookies below:
Italian Easter Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp almond extract
- Pastel colored nonpareils
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
- Add flour, baking powder, and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to mix together.
- Add butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract to the dry ingredients. Using the fork, mix until ingredients are mostly combined.
- Prepare a flat surface either with parchment paper or by lightly flouring. Roll the dough out onto the prepared surface and lightly knead until smooth. Place dough back into the bowl.
- Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, remove individual pieces of dough and shape the dough by rolling out into 4 to 5 inch long ropes.
- Spiral each cookie and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave at least 1 inch of space between cookies.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and beginning to brown. Remove from heat and place cookies on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- In a small mixing bowl, add confectioners sugar, milk, and almond extract. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Once cooled, dip each cookie into the glaze. Allow excess to drip back into the bowl then flip over and place back onto the wire rack.
- Add nonpareils or sprinkles while the icing is still wet. Let the glaze set before serving.
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this cookie recipe, let me know in the comments! I’d also love for you to try some of these others Easter desserts I think you will love:
