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These easy Italian butter cookies are just like what we buy in Italy from the local bakery shop, but better! This cookie recipe requires 7 basic ingredients and takes 1 hour to make. You can’t beat these soft, rich, melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies!
Looking for more amazing Christmas cookies? Don’t miss these family-favorite recipes for traditional Italian Christmas cookies and the best soft sugar cookies with frosting.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour (including 30 minutes of chilling time)
- Servings: 24 cookies
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian; can be made Gluten Free.
- Method: Oven Baked
- Technique: Beat the butter, sugar, and salt, then mix in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and pipe onto a lined tray. Chill and bake.
- Flavor & Texture: These butter cookies melt in your mouth and are delightfully soft and airy without being chewy.
Why You’ll Love This Cookie Recipe
Italian butter cookies are an obsession of mine! The smell reminds me of walking the streets of Cagliari with my nonna as a young girl and walking by the bakery shops with freshly made butter cookies in the window.
Every Italian bakery carries these classic cookies. They have a tender crumb, a softness without remaining chewy, and a rich butter flavor. They’re delicious dipped in chocolate and topped with colorful sprinkles, or sandwiched with jam (a personal favorite), or homemade Nutella!
These are perfect for your Christmas cookie tray or in the summer when you’re craving traditional Italian cookies. You’ll also love my other traditional Italian cookie recipes for Homemade Ladyfingers (Savoiardi), Soft Amaretti Cookies, Classic Pizelle Cookies, and Italian Wedding Cookies (Anginetti).
Made With Amore,
“Thank you for recipe. Cookies are beautiful.”
– Joan
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Italian Butter Cookies
There aren’t many ingredients in this recipe, so it’s important to use high-quality products. Believe it or not, these cookies do not contain any baking powder!
- All-Purpose Flour: I recommend using a basic all-purpose flour here. Feel free to swap with your favorite gluten free measure-for-measure flour if you prefer!
- Softened Butter: I prefer European butter for extra flavor in all our pie recipes and cookie recipes, as it has a lower water content. Any high quality, grass-fed butter will also be lovely!
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs here so they incorporate evenly into the mixture.
- Decorations: To make sandwich cookies, you’ll need some raspberry or strawberry jam. To dip the cookies, you’ll need some chocolate chips and some sprinkles or powdered sugar if desired.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
The best part about these cookies is all the variations and options you can create with one simple cookie batter recipe, like with my Traditional Italian Biscotti Dough. Here are some additions you can play with!
- Add maraschino cherries to the center of the star-shaped cookies.
- Dip in chocolate. Experiment with dark, semi-sweet, or white chocolate!
- Add chopped nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts on top of the melted chocolate.
- Sandwich the cookies with jam. I especially love using the fig jam we buy in Sardegna each summer and take home with us. Strawberry jam, raspberry jam, orange marmalade, or apricot jam would all be delicious options. (If you love jam, try our heart thumbprint cookies with jam or homemade crostata!)
How to Make Italian Butter Cookies
These cookies are easy and fun to make! The dough comes together in a little time with the use of an electric mixer or stand mixer.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line cookie trays with parchment. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Add the eggs on low speed, one at a time, until combined. Add vanilla extract, then mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Slowly add the flour to the mixture and mix until a dough forms. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until a semi-soft, sticky dough is formed.
- Pipe the dough onto the trays. For sandwich cookies, pipe the cookie dough into 2″ strips. For circular cookies, hold the piping bag vertically and squeeze until your circle shape is about 1 inch in diameter. Leave 1½ inch of space between each cookie, as they spread a bit. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.
- I like to place the piping bag in a tall glass to keep it stable while I fill it with the dough. Remember to add the star tip before filling the bag!
- Bake cookies at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before dusting with confectioners sugar, assembling, or dipping.
- If you want to sandwich the cookies, fill them with your favorite jam. Or dip them into chocolate ganache, homemade Nutella, or melted chocolate and add chopped nuts and sprinkles if desired. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.
- These are authentic Italian butter cookies you will crave time and time again! This is one of those simple recipes that create nostalgic memories the more you make them in the kitchen with loved ones. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Choose a high quality butter that has a lower water content, such as European butter. Use room temperature butter that’s not too soft, or the dough will be too sticky! Be sure to avoid overmixing the butter and sugar, or the dough will flatten in the oven. Handle the dough gently and chill the piped cookies well before baking.
I highly recommend using a large open star tip for Italian butter cookies. Pair it with a strong piping bag that resists bursting, and you’ll have an easy time piping this cookie dough.
If you don’t want to use a piping bag and tip, a cookie press with a star attachment will also work beautifully!
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container once completely cooled so they stay fresh. You may also freeze these cookies in a sealed freezer-safe bag or container for up to 4 months.
Serving Suggestions
These Italian butter cookies are the perfect addition to a Christmas cookie spread! Round out your dessert selection with other Italian favorites, like Italian rainbow cookies, lemon crinkle cookies, Italian pistachio cookies, and classic almond biscotti.
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Use temperature ingredients for best results. Make sure the butter is soft, but not melted.
- Be careful not to overbeat the sugar and butter.
- Chill the piped cookies before baking for best results.
- Do not overbake. You’ll need to keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t get too brown. I baked them for about 10-11 minutes to achieve a very soft, light golden brown on the edge. That way, they stay nice and soft. This is key to achieving the beautiful bakery-style cookie look and taste.
- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container once completely cooled so they stay fresh. You may also freeze these cookies in a sealed freezer safe bag or container for up to 4 months.
Other Italian Cookies You’ll Love
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Italian Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie press if you're not using the piping bag and tip
Ingredients
For the Butter Cookies
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted European butter, softened, not melted
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Optional Fillings & Decorations
- ½ cup raspberry or strawberry jam, if making sandwich cookies
- 4 ounces chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate, melted, for dipping
- rainbow sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Making the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cookie trays with parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Do not overmix the sugar and butter, or the cookies will flatten.
- Add the eggs on low speed, one at a time, until combined. Add vanilla extract, then mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Slowly add the flour to the mixture and mix until a dough forms. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until a semi-soft, sticky dough is formed.
- Transfer the dough to a heavy-duty piping bag with a large open star tip. I like to put my pastry bag with the tip in a tall glass and fold the open bag on the outside of the cup to hold the bag steady as I fill it with the dough.
- For sandwich cookies, pipe the dough into 2-inch strips, leaving 1 ½ inches between each cookie. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges to make a clean edge.
- For circle cookies, hold the piping bag vertically and squeeze until your circle shape is about 1 inch in diameter. (For circle cookies with sprinkles, decorate with sprinkles before baking. You can also create a small hole with you index finger if you want to fill the cookies with chocolate or jam.)
- Refrigerate the piped cookie dough for about 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until they are light golden brown on the edges. Do not overbake.
- Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or assemble as desired.
Assembling & Decorating (Optional)
- For sandwich cookies, spread a little less than ¼ teaspoon of jam, Nutella, or other desired filling onto one side of the cookie. Sandwich together with another cookie.
- For dipped cookies, melt the chocolate. Microwave it in a small, microwave-safe bowl in 15 second intervals (stirring well in between each segment) until melted and smooth. If you want to make it glossy, add a dab of butter and stir until combined.
- Dip one end of the sandwich cookie in melted chocolate and lay on a rack. Add sprinkles and allow the chocolate to set at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use temperature ingredients for best results. Make sure the butter is soft, but not melted.
- Be careful not to overbeat the sugar and butter.
- Chill the piped cookies before baking for best results.
- Do not overbake. You’ll need to keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t get too brown. I baked them for about 10-11 minutes to achieve a very soft, light golden brown on the edge. That way, they stay nice and soft. This is key to achieving the beautiful bakery-style cookie look and taste.
- Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container once completely cooled so they stay fresh. You may also freeze these cookies in a sealed freezer safe bag or container for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello, I would love to try your cookies, I do not want to use a piping bag could you advise me as how to make them like a drop cookie and then shape them in logs. How long should they be and what is the cooking time. Thank you. Barbara
The baking time would be the same. You can just use a cookie scoop, or spoon and roll into balls. That will work great!
Thank you for recipe. Cookies are beautiful
You are welcome! So happy you loved.
I love and trust your recipe. I followed your instructions perfectly, however they are melting into a pile of liquid butter ๐ What am I doing wrong?
I am sure you followed all instructions to refrigerate the dough. Some butters have different fat content and for cookies I like to use Land O Lakes. I suspect, overall, that your butter was too warm? I have tested this at lower elevation, and it does work, in case that is where you live. If you still have more batter in the fridge you can try adding a little more flour for baking the next batch! They are so yummy- I hope you give another try!
Hello, I LOVE baking and have made many many italian cookies over the years both family recipes and some of my go to people. I wanted to give one of your recipes a try and my son was just asking for a butter cookie. Out of all the cookies I make, this is not one of them and your recipe came up at the perfect time. These were very good. I did have to make a pretty big adjustment tho. I live in Florida and needed to add a good cup more of flour for this dough to come together. I followed the recipe as given but it needed much more flour. Maybe because you live in Utah and I live in Florida. Someone inexperienced would not have known how to get this recipe to come together and so I am giving it 4 stars. That being said, I would make this recipe again.
Hi! I’ve actually baked this recipe in California near sea level and never had to add one cup of extra flour. I am sorry this gave you trouble. We loved this family recipe. I am happy it ended up working for you. Thanks for the feedback.
I noticed that you use whole eggs but most butter cookies use only the egg yolk. will they make the cookies spread too much? Most recipes are the same ingredirnts except you use whole eggs. what is the difference between using whole eggs or egg yolks in butter cookies ? I will be making them but wanted to make sure. thanks
Hi Cathy, I tested this recipe many times with different variations. I liked the whole egg since it makes the cookie feel “lighter” and less dense. I do chill the dough (preferable after piping) and this lessens the spread of the cookie. Usually, cookies spread because of butter ratio.