Italian Christmas Cookies

These classic Italian Christmas Cookies are soft, cakey, lightly glazed, and topped with festive sprinkles — perfect for holiday gatherings and cookie exchanges.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 35

Servings: 36 cookies

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 104

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp almond extract
3 eggs room temperature
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Glaze & Topping

2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for glaze)
red and green sprinkles for decoration

Equipment

Stand Mixer
Baking Sheets

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer bowl, beat together granulated sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until combined.
Gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix on low until incorporated into a soft dough.
Wrap the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1–2 hours to make shaping easier.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion dough into balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheets about 2″ apart.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until the bottoms are just lightly golden. Cookies should remain pale on top.
Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Dip cookies in glaze and immediately add sprinkles.
Let the glaze set before serving or storing.

Notes

This Italian Christmas Cookies recipe produces soft, tender cookies with a sweet glaze and festive sprinkles that are perfect for holiday parties and cookie exchanges. Chill dough before shaping for best texture.