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Plate of Italian Easter cookies frosted with pink, purple and blue icing and sprinkles.
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Italian Easter Cookies

These buttery soft Italian Easter Cookies are perfect for Easter, tea parties, or anytime you want a sweet treat! Decorate them with colorful icing and festive sprinkles for a beautiful and delicious Easter dessert.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Chilling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 27 minutes
Course: cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Italian Easter Cookies
Servings: 20 cookies
Calories: 195kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Equipment

  • stand mixer or electric mixer

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • gel food coloring (pastel colors)
  • 2-4 tablespoons milk
  • nonpareils or spinkles (for garnish)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
    Cream together butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy. This can take up to 3-4 minutes. 
    Creamed butter and sugar for Easter cupcakes in a glass mixing bowl.
  • Add eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.
    Glass mixing bowl with base for Italian Easter cookies.
  • In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Check the consistency here, it's ok for it to be sticky but it should hold its shape when scooped. This can vary with elevation and humidity. If needed, add a little flour a tablespoon at a time until it reaches more of a soft dough consistency.
    Glass mixing bowl of Italian Easter cookie dough.
  • Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet so the cookies are 1-2 inches apart. Chill for at least an hour or even overnight. If chilling overnight, cover with plastic wrap so the cookies don't dry out.
    Baking sheet with parchment paper and scoops of Italian Easter cookie dough.
  • Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through and the bottom of the cookies are lightly browned.
    Cool cookies completely (you don't want them warm at all).
    Italian Easter cookies is cooling on a rack.
  • Whisk together powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Add milk 1/2 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
    You want the icing to be quite thick so don't thin it much if you an help it. Separate into separate bowls (however many colors you want to do) and add food coloring a little bit at a time until you get the color you like. Be careful with this, it is easier to add color than to take it away.
    Three bowls of colored icing in pink, purple and blue.
  • Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing or spoon the icing over the top.
    Dipping an Italian Easter cookie in pink icing.
  • Add nonpareils or sprinkles over the tops before the icing dries onto the cookies.
    Pink, purple and blue Italian Easter cookies drying on a cooling rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg