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This simple Italian Butter Cookies Recipe (bakery style) is just like what we buy in Italy from the local bakery shop, but better! This cookie recipe requires seven basic ingredients and takes 1 hour to make. You can’t beat these soft, rich, melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies.
They make the perfect holiday season cookie (or sweet treat any time of year)!
More traditional Italian cookies you will love: Homemade Italian Ladyfinger Recipe (Savoiardi), Soft Amaretti Cookies (Italian Recipe), Italian Fig Cookies Recipe (Cucidati), Italian Pignoli Cookies Recipe (pine nut). BEST Italian Wedding Cookies (Anginetti), pignoli cookies, and Italian Classic Almond Biscotti Recipe (Cantucci).
Italian Butter Cookies Recipe Inspiration
After making my husband’s favorite Soft Butter CookiesBest Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe (with frosting) from his side of the family, I realized I needed a homemade version of our classic Italian butter cookies.
After making these from scratch, you will never think about buying the butter cookies in the tin can again! These are too easy and scrumptious. You are in for a real treat.
Table of Contents
These no-fuss homemade butter cookies melt in your mouth every time! They are so fun to make. You can dip them in your favorite chocolate and top them with colorful sprinkles, or sandwich them with jam (a personal favorite), or Nutella!
Simple Ingredients
There aren’t many ingredients in this recipe, so it’s important to use high-quality products. I prefer European butter for extra flavor in all our pie and cookie recipes. You likely have all of these other basic ingredients on hand.
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Butter, softened
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs, room temperature
- Raspberry or strawberry jam (if making sandwich cookies)
- Chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate, melted (if dipping cookies)
- Rainbow sprinkles (optional)
- Powdered sugar (optional)
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make Italian Butter Cookies Recipe
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 degrees and line cookie trays with parchment.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar & 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 out the dough first and stick your baking sheets in the refrigerator to cool the dough before baking.
I like to fill 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 on prepared baking sheets for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for minutes before dusting with confectioners sugar, assembling, or dipping.
See the assembly instruction below for piping cookies.
Top Tip: Chill the dough for the best results.
How to assemble Italian Butter Cookies
Italian Sandwich Cookies
As much as I love to make eat these kinds of cookies plain. They are so fun (and incredibly delicious) to sandwich with chocolate, Nutella, or jam!
For Italian bakery-style sandwich cookies, pipe the cookie dough into 2″ strips, leaving 1 ½ inch between each cookie. The butter cookies spread a bit while cooking even if you refrigerate them, so leaving room in between them is important.
These butter cookies have a tender crumb, a softness without remaining chewy, and a rich butter flavor. The perfect elements to a wonderful and traditional Italian butter cookie.
Whether you make these for your Christmas cookie tray during Christmas time or turn on the oven in the summer for a craving for traditional Italian cookies- this will be your favorite Italian butter cookie recipe!
For circle-shaped cookies, hold the piping bag vertically and squeeze until your circle shape is about 1 inch in diameter.
Chocolate Dipped
Dipping the cookies is fun for little helpers in the kitchen. Time to get creative and have fun.
Chocolate Ganache– Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a small microwave-safe bowl at 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 it on a rack. Add sprinkles and allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.
Italian Jam Cookies
I must admit, I love these cookies with this special fig jam we buy in Sardegna. It is a jam we buy in the summer after the first harvest of sweet fresh figs. We bring the jam home to Bountiful, Utah, and enjoy it and remember our Italian summer with family.
The fruit stand where we buy the figs makes the jam right there. It is a special and nostalgic treat. You can use any jam or preserves you like! Here are a few ideas:
- Strawberry preserves
- Raspberry jam
- Orange marmalade
- Apricot jam (try it in our homemade crostata recipe)
- Any homemade jam, marmalade, or preserve!
Italian Bakery Style Butter Cookies
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 buttery cookies in the window. Every Italian bakery carries these classic cookies.
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!
Little hands alwasy love to make and decorate these soft and delicous butter cookies. I love to see what my little ones create.
Variations
The best part about these cookies is all the variations and options you can create with one simple cookie batter recipe. Sort of like my Traditional Italian Biscotti Dough.
Here are some additions you can play with as your taste buds
- Add maraschino cherries to the center of the star-shaped cookies.
- Use white chocolate instead of the semi-sweet variety.
- Add chopped nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts on top of the melted chocolate.
- Decorate simply with powdered sugar.
Suggested Tools
You’ll need large, heavy-duty piping bags or a pastry bag to pipe out the cookie dough and a large open star tip (or, another piping tip of your choice) to achieve the shape of the cookie.
Another option is using a cookie press.
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Top tips
Use room ingredients
Using room temperature ingredients (especially butter and eggs) for the butter cookies ensures a soft and uniform cookie dough. They will also bake more evenly this way.
Chill cookie dough before baking
Make sure to chill the piped cookie dough before baking to make sure the cookies hold their shape.
Do not over-bake
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 ad taste.
Italian Butter Cookies FAQ
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.
More delicious Italian dessert recipes
- Traditional Panettone Recipe (Italian Christmas Cake)
- Authentic Struffoli Recipe (Italian Honey Balls)
- Chiacchiere di Carnevale Recipe (Italian Fried Pastries)
- Classic Italian Tiramisu Recipe (Authentic)
- Simple Italian Apple Cake (one bowl)
- BEST Authentic Sicilian Cannoli Recipe
- Best Italian Pistachio Cream
Italian Butter Cookies Recipe (bakery style)
This simple Italian Butter Cookies Recipe (bakery style) is just like the kind 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.
- Total Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, brought to room temperature
- 1/2 cup raspberry or strawberry jam (if making sandwich cookies)
- 4 ounces chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate (melted)
- Rainbow sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie trays with parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar & 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.
- 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″ 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 cirlce 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 over-bake.
- 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.
Assembly- Sandwich Cookies
- For sandwiches, 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.
Assembly- Dipped Cookies
- Chocolate Ganache- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a small microwave safe bowl 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.
Notes
Use temperature ingredients for best results
How to Store Italian Butter Cookies
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.
- Category: Sweet
- Method: Italian
- Cuisine: Italian
Delicious! Not too sweet, buttery, light cookie.
Yes! It is a simple classic.
These were the best cookies I’ve ever made! Perfectly buttery with the right amount of sugar. My hubby is a tough critic and said they were amazing. Added Nutella to some, jam and dipped chocolate with Christmas sprinkles too they were great!!!
Yay! Thrilled everyone loved them!
I made these cookies yesterday and they taste great. They were easy to do and the piping was fun. My Husband really enjoyed eating them, he even had them for breakfast.
I did not get the crisp design after they were baked. I put them in the frig to cool them and did one tray in freezer but still did not get the sharp design. Any other suggestions, I want to make them for our church St. Joseph altar in a couple of weeks. Thank you Lynda
Thrilled you loved them. You can try chilling the cookies after they are piped. Did you use the star tip I suggested? If it is another kind of shape, that might be why the design is not showing up.
So fun and easy to make with kids!
Easy and fun to make!
I’ve owned an American cake company for 15 years and am still inspired to try other people’s terrific recipes…. especially those from my Italian roots.
THANK YOU for sharing your kitchen heritage, Elena!
Hi Elaine, you are most welcome. I am happy to provide a little inspiration for you!
These butter cookies melt in your mouth. They are buttery and perfect for eating plain, dipping in a warm drink, or making them into a sandwich cookie.
Trying today for very first time !
Hi Sharon. Enjoy the recipe!
I just started getting your emails, so you may have already addressed this in other posts but I like to weigh my ingredients. How much does 1 cup of flour weigh in grams in your recipes? I would love to see the recipes in grams included if that is possible. Thank you. I have loved everything I have tried on your website. My husband thinks your pizza dough recipe is the best I’ve made and I cook homemade pizza all the time.
Hi Allison. I actually weigh all of my ingredients as well. I write them in cups since I mostly have an American-based audience and (in general) that is what people prefer and are familiar using. However, I always stress the importance of weighing flour. This is important for homemade bread, pasta, pizza, and baked goods. I have a convert button in my recipe card near the top. You can press the button and it will convert the amount into grams for you. I hope that helps.
I’m thrilled you love the pizza recipe. It is a favorite in our home.
Thank you. This butter cookie recipe didn’t have the convert button. If it is possible to add it, that would be great. If not I did look on another of your recipes and found that you use 125 g for 1 c. of flour. Is that correct?
Perfectly soft and buttery! These cookies are an 11/10, plus they are easy to make!
This is my most favorite cookie growing up. Unfortunately, I never got the recipe from my mother and grandmother. And where I live now, I have not been able to find any Italian bakeries. Thank you for the recipe! I cannot wait to make them and treat my children to the delicious cookies I used to have growing up!
I am super excited for you to try these! They are just like we buy them fresh from the bakery in Italy. They are soft and buttery with a perfect blank canvas for decorating to your liking or enjoy plain. Let me know how they turn out. Have fun making them.
I love every single one of your recipes!!!
Thank you so much!!
yay! so happy to hear that! Here’s to trying many more.