Pignoli Cookies (Italian Pine Nut Cookies)
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These soft and chewy Pignoli Cookies (Italian Pine Nut Cookies) are a classic Italian treat made with almond paste, egg whites, sugar, and buttery pine nuts. They have a tender, chewy center with lightly crisp edges and plenty of toasted pine nut flavor. Made with just a few ingredients and ready in about 25 minutes, these traditional Italian cookies are perfect for holiday cookie trays and special occasions.
If you love classic Italian cookies, be sure to try my Italian Fig Cookies (Cuccidati) and Anginetti Cookies too; they’re another festive favorite you don’t want to miss!
Quick Look: Pignoli Cookies (Italian Pine Nut Cookies)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Servings: 24 cookies
- Dietary Info: Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free
- Method: Food processor + oven-baked
- Technique: Process almond paste with sugar and egg whites to create a soft, sticky dough, then coat each cookie generously in pine nuts before baking
- Flavor/Texture: Rich almond flavor, chewy, lightly crisp, buttery
A Cookie With Sardegna Roots
Pignoli Cookies (Amaretti con Pignoli) are classic Italian cookies. I remember them from childhood, and they are always on any Italian cookie tray for every special occasion. I know once you try them, you will find them irresistible, too!
I have a special connection to pine nuts because our beach home is nestled in the middle of pine trees in my hometown of Sardegna. They are tall, and you must watch your head when the giant pine cones filled with pine nuts fall off the tree!
When we were little, we collected pine nuts and made authentic Italian Basil Pesto. To get the tiny pine nut out of the shell, we smashed each one with a large rock. A labor of love to gather all those pinenuts for the best pignoli cookies or pesto! I hope you love this pignoli cookies recipe, along with these Banana Oatmeal Cookies and Italian Butter Cookies.
Made With Amore,
“This cookie recipe truly is the BEST!!! What a fantastic texture – chewy but not too gooey (i.e. not like a macaroon). I made these last night and they turned out beautifully.”
– Lesley
Simple Ingredients
This pignoli cookie recipe uses a short list of ingredients, but choosing the right almond paste and pine nuts makes a noticeable difference in the finished cookies.
- Almond Paste: Make sure to use almond paste, not marzipan. Almond paste has a coarser texture and is less sweet than marzipan, and it contains nearly twice as many almonds per ounce.
- Large Egg whites: We will only be using egg whites. You can save the yolks and make a batch of Italian pastry cream. To ensure you use the correct amount of egg whites, I suggest weighing them since eggs can vary in size.
- Pine Nuts: The star of the show when making pine nut cookies. Choose raw pine nuts since they will cook in the oven with the cookies. Try them in a savory dish too, like my pumpkin and Parmesan pasta dish.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the almond-based dough and helps the cookies develop their lightly golden exterior.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Swap the Nuts: Pine nuts are what make these pignoli cookies, but if you need to substitute the pine nuts, you can use chopped or slivered almonds or chopped cashews instead.
- Almond Paste: Use almond flour instead of the almond paste. The result will be slightly denser and less sweet. I have tried them this way and love them! This Italian Almond Cake also uses almond flour.
- Add a Flavor: I love this recipe with a hint of lemon or orange zest to complement the almond flavor. You can also add vanilla extract or even a sprinkle of cinnamon. Alternatively, you can leave out the zest and enjoy a plain almond-infused cookie. Try my Lemon Tiramisu next!
How to Make Pignoli Cookies
To get started, preheat the oven to 350°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the pine nuts in a small bowl. Follow the step-by-step photos and see the recipe card at the bottom for a printable version.
- Break up the almond paste into small pieces, about 1 inch.
- Transfer the almond paste to the bowl of your food processor along with the sugar, zest (if you’re using it), and the salt.
- Pulse until the mixture is combined, about 1 minute. It will resemble cornmeal.
- Add half of the egg whites and process for about 30 seconds. Slowly add the rest of the egg whites until a sticky dough forms. It is normal for the dough will be wet and sticky. Grease your hands before rolling, or use wet hands to make working with the cookie dough easier.
- Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. You can also use a cookie scoop. I like to oil my cookie scoop, so extracting the dough from the scoop is effortless.
- Roll the dough balls in the bowl of pine nuts until the balls are covered on all sides. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the nuts turn golden brown, about 15-17 minutes. Do not overbake, or they will become too hard.
- Dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar and enjoy.
Pignoli Cookies Recipe FAQs
Pignoli cookies are traditional Italian almond cookies coated in pine nuts. They are known for their chewy almond center, lightly crisp exterior, and buttery pine nut coating. The name pignoli comes from the Italian word for pine nuts, which are the defining ingredient on the outside of the cookie. Traditional versions are made with almond paste, sugar, egg whites, and pine nuts.
Do not substitute marzipan for almond paste. They are similar but have different proportions of almonds and sugar. Almond paste has a coarser texture and is less sweet, while marzipan is smoother and sweeter and is typically used for candy or decorating. This distinction is especially important for this recipe because using marzipan can make the cookies much sweeter and change the texture.
Yes. Beat the egg whites on low speed, gradually adding the almond paste until smooth. Mix in the sugar and lemon zest, then continue with the recipe.
You may have added too much egg white or used overly soft almond paste. Try chilling the dough for 10–15 minutes and lightly greasing your hands before rolling.
Store cooled pignoli cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. To freeze, place the completely cooled cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 5 weeks. Thaw at room temperature before serving.You can even put them in a low-temperature oven, about 250°F, for a few minutes to warm.
Serving Suggestions
Pignoli cookies are especially lovely on an Italian cookie tray alongside Pizzelle Cookies, Italian Butter Cookies, Italian S Cookies, or Italian Rainbow Cookies. Serve them with coffee, Thick Italian Hot Chocolate, or tea for an afternoon treat, or add them to a holiday dessert spread.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Use almond paste, not marzipan. The two ingredients aren’t interchangeable and will produce different results.
- Weigh the egg whites if possible. Egg sizes vary, and too much egg white can make the dough overly loose.
- Don’t worry if the dough is sticky. Lightly oil your hands or cookie scoop to make shaping easier.
- Coat the dough generously with pine nuts. Press them gently into the dough so they stay attached during baking.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies should be lightly golden and still soft in the center when they come out of the oven.
More Italian Dessert Recipes
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Pignoli Cookies Recipe (Pine Nut Cookies)
Equipment
- Medium Cookie Scoop holds 1 ½ tablespoons
Ingredients
- 16 ounces almond paste, 454g, you will need two tubes
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 298g
- 3 large egg whites, 90g
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces pine nuts for rolling, 170g
- powdered sugar, confectioners sugar, for dusting
- 2 teaspoons of either orange or lemon zest, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place pinenuts in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cut the almond paste into 1-inch pieces and put it in the bowl of a food processor. Watch your fingers near the blade. Add the sugar, zest (if using), and salt and pulse until combined, about 1 minute. It will resemble cornmeal.
- Add 1/2 of the egg whites and process for about 30 seconds. Slowly add the rest* of the egg whites until a sticky dough forms (*If you don’t weigh the egg whites, you may not need all the egg whites since egg whites in each egg vary). The dough will be wet and sticky. Grease your hands before rolling.
- Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. You can also use a cookie scoop. I like to oil my cookie scoop, so extracting the dough from the scoop is effortless.
- Roll the dough balls in the pine nuts until covered on all sides.
- Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake until the nuts turn golden brown, about 15-17 minutes. Do not overbake, or they will become too hard.
- Dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use almond paste, not marzipan. The two ingredients aren’t interchangeable and will produce different results.
- Weigh the egg whites if possible. Egg sizes vary, and too much egg white can make the dough overly loose.
- Don’t worry if the dough is sticky. Lightly oil your hands or cookie scoop to make shaping easier.
- Coat the dough generously with pine nuts. Press them gently into the dough so they stay attached during baking.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies should be lightly golden and still soft in the center when they come out of the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Maybe list the almond paste in the ingredients as “unsweetened”
I would have cut the sugar if I realized that
You’re absolutely right, that can get confusing. Most almond paste is unsweetened unless it’s marzipan. Thank you for the clarification, I’ll make sure that’s clear so it doesn’t cause confusion. 💛
Delicious, Elena. Thank you!
Yay! You are most welcome!
good recipe and easy to make but definitely need to cut sugar. way too sweet for my taste.
You can cut the sugar a bit if you like- did you use sweetened almond paste?
yes it was the Odense almond paste. any recommendations on how much sugar to cut. trying to make them for Christmas day.
You should unsweetened almond paste. If it is sweetened, you can cut the sugar by 1/4 cup. If you like it less sweet you can even do a couple of tablespoons more than the 1/4 cup. Enjoy!
Thank you for the very easy instruction recipe. They were delicious and bright back so many good memories! I made them for my family for Christmas.
Yay! So happy you loved this yummy cookie recipe. Enjoy for years to come!
Cucina by Elena is my go to for all of my holiday cooking and EVERYTHING I’ve made with her recipes is a great success. My family loved these cookies! So easy to make too!
Thank you so much, Laureen! This makes me so happy! I will keep the recipes coming for your holiday needs and also all your weekly and weekend dinners! Yum, so many to try!
These are yummy but, I would cut down on the sugar, they are a little too sweet.
Yes, feel free to cut down on the sugar, if you like. I am glad you enjoyed them.
With the price of pignoli, I was concerned about making this cookie. I followed the recipe exactly, and let me tell you what a hit. Delicious perfect cookie! And so easy to make.
Yes! I know they are expensive- but these cookies are so worth it for a special occasion. Happy you loved them!