Italian Wedding Cookies are buttery, bite-sized treats with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Dipped in a sweet almond glaze and decorated with colorful nonpareils, this easy, fool-proof recipe reflects their traditional role in festive celebrations.
Italian Sprinkle Cookies
When it comes to Italian Wedding Cookies, sometimes called snowball cookies, you’re not just making a treat; you’re bringing a slice of tradition to your table. These buttery, bite-sized delights are designed to melt in your mouth with every bite, offering a tender, luxurious taste that’s simply irresistible.
My recipe’s simplicity and fool-proof nature set it apart from the thousands of others online. With just a few ingredients, you can whip up these Italian cookies with soft and crumbly insides and outsides that remain slightly crisp and golden around the edges.
Decorate some with a drizzle of glaze and colorful sprinkles, bake a batch with red and green tinted cookie dough to create Christmas cookies, or dust them in powdered sugar for elegant events or to look like snowballs in food form.
What Is The Difference Between Mexican Wedding Cookies and Italian Wedding Cookies
Mexican wedding cookies, or Russian tea cakes, are made with butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour and often include chopped nuts. Some recipes may also include spices, like cinnamon or vanilla. Once baked, they are dusted with powdered sugar.
Italian wedding cookies, aka Italian butterball cookies, are also tender, buttery, and nutty. However, they are prepared with powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. They often contain almonds and are flavored with almond extract. Many traditional Italian Wedding cookies include anise, which is a licorice-like flavor.
We did not include this flavoring because I am not a fan of it, but feel free to add some!
Ingredients Notes
- Salted butter: Butter adds rich flavor and contributes to the cookies’ tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you prefer, you can substitute unsalted butter and ⅛ – ¼ teaspoons of salt.
- Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar, or confectioners’ sugar, sweetens the cookies and helps create a finer, softer texture that blends very smoothly into the dough. If needed, you can substitute ¾ cups of granulated white sugar for similar results.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients together and provide structure to the cookies. They also add moisture and contribute to the cookies’ rise.
- All purpose flour: This recipe for Italian wedding cookies is flexible; you can omit the regular flour and use all almond flour if needed, although it may affect the texture and flavor slightly.
- Almond flour: Almond flour adds a nutty flavor and enhances the tender texture of the cookies. Feel free to substitute all-purpose flour and a teaspoon of almond extract if needed for similar results. The texture may be slightly changed.
- Baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that helps the cookies rise. It creates air pockets in the dough, leading to a light and airy texture.
- Cornstarch
- Almond extract: You can flavor your cookies with vanilla, lemon, or orange extract instead. You can even make them minty, like my Peppermint Snowball Cookies.
- Milk: Heavy cream or half and half can also be used, although they will make the glaze thicker. You may need to add a little extra liquid to get it to a dippable consistency.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Italian Wedding Cookies
- Make The Wet Mixture: Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add in the eggs and beat into a lumpy mixture.
- Make The Dry Mixture: Whisk together both flours, baking powder, and cornstarch.
- Create The Cookie Dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until dough forms.
- Bake Dough Balls: Scoop out dough balls, split them in half, and roll each half into a ball and place them on cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the tops are dry and slightly cracked. Let cool on a cooling rack.
- Make The Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk until smooth.
- Dip And Decorate: Dip each cookie top in the glaze to frost and and sprinkle with non pareils (optional).
- Serve: Allow the dipped cookies to dry before serving. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Italian wedding cookies are perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, and wedding showers, and make a pretty presentation on Christmas cookie platters and dessert trays.
They are also great for gift-giving. Package them in decorative boxes or tins as a homemade present for friends and family.
Tips & Variations
- Make Mixing Easy: Be sure to have both the butter and eggs at room temperature so that the ingredients can be incorporated easily with everything else.
- Don’t Overbeat The Dough: Once the flours are added, this dough should not be worked too hard or the cookies can end up a little chewy and difficult to bite. The texture will be somewhat dry either way but should be soft and crumbly, not hard.
- Don’t Overbake Until Brown: When they finish baking, the cookies will not be golden brown on the top. Rather, they will be slightly golden on the edges and dry and cracked on the top. If they are overbaked, they will get hard, so take them out as soon as the edges are golden.
- Decorate With A Dip: I prefer dipping the tops of the cookies in the glaze and then lightly swirling them as I remove them from the glaze. However, you can also pour the glaze over the top of the cookies instead. You may want to make a little extra for the top if you pour the glaze.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Italian Wedding Cookies can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days, preferably in an airtight container or bag.
- To Freeze: The cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months and thawed before serving. When chilled, the glaze may change consistency, and the cookies may dry out slightly.
Other Easy Cookie Recipes
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Italian Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter softened and sliced
- 1¼ cup powdered sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1½ cups almond flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Glaze:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 tablespoons milk divided
- Non-pareils optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two large baking pans with parchment paper or spray lightly with baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy with a hand or stand mixer.½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, 1¼ cup powdered sugar
- Add in the eggs and beat to combine. The mixture will be lumpy and not fully combined.3 large eggs
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and cornstarch until combined.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ cups almond flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until dough forms.
- Using a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out dough and split it in half. Roll each half into a ball and place on the baking sheets with a 1 inch space between them.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the tops are dry and slightly cracked.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before glazing.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract and 3 Tablespoons of milk until smooth.3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 4 tablespoons milk
- Slowly mix in the last Tablespoon of milk until you reach your desired consistency. You may not want to use the whole amount or you may want to add an extra teaspoon to get the right consistency. It should be thick but still dippable.
- Dip each cookie top in the glaze and then remove from the glaze and place on a drying rack.
- Sprinkle on the non pareils, optional and allow to dry before serving.Non-pareils
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Italian Wedding Cookies can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days, preferably in an airtight container or bag.
- To Freeze: The cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months and thawed before serving. When chilled, the glaze may change consistency and the cookies may end up drying out slightly.
- I prefer dipping the tops of the cookies in the glaze and then lightly swirling them as I remove them from the glaze. However, you can also pour the glaze over the top of the cookies instead. If you pour the glaze, you may want to make a little extra for the top.
- Be sure to have both the butter and eggs at room temperature so that the ingredients can incorporate easily with everything else.
- Once the flours are added, this dough should not be worked too hard or the cookies can end up a little chewy and difficult to bite. The texture will be somewhat dry either way but should be soft and crumbly, not hard.
- The cookies will not be golden brown on the top when they finish baking. Rather, they will be slightly golden on the edges and dry and cracked on the top. If they are overbaked they will get hard so take them out as soon as the edges are golden.
I made these for my little cousin’s wedding. We are an Italian family and wanted some tradition, they were a huge hit! I had never heard of them before, but glad I saw your recipe. I have several family members request to buy them from me by the dozens now. Thanks so much!
What can I use in lieu of almond flour and almond extract due to nut allergies in my family? Forgot previous answer to this question.
What can I use in lieu of almond flour and almond extract due to nut allergies in my family?