Brutti ma Buoni cookies are traditional Italian cookies made with hazelnuts and meringue, featuring a crispy exterior and a soft, nutty center.
Brutti ma Buoni cookies, also known as Buoni ma Brutti, literally translate to "ugly but good" cookies.
These traditional Italian hazelnut meringue cookies are typical of Northern Italy, particularly the Piedmont region, known for producing the best hazelnuts in Italy. This is where Nutella and other popular cookies such as Baci di Dama come from!
The name brutti ma buoni comes from their "irregular" appearance—rough and "ugly"—but they are absolutely delicious!
These cookies have a light, crumbly texture, crispy on the outside and slightly soft on the inside.
They melt in your mouth like meringues, with crunchy bites and amazing flavor of toasted hazelnuts.
As an added bonus, they’re incredibly easy to make and call for just three simple ingredients!
They are a fantastic dessert option to please a crowd and pair perfectly with a creamy Italian hot chocolate, coffee or tea.
These delicious hazelnut meringue cookies would also make a wonderful homemade Christmas gift idea.
And if you love Italian Christmas cookies, check out this classic amaretti recipe, and my favorite anginetti cookies, they're perfect for gifting!
Ingredients
This brutti ma buoni recipe is the perfect example that you don’t need a long list of ingredients to whip up a delicious Italian dessert!
All you need to make them is three ingredients:
- Eggs: You'll need two medium-large egg whites.
- Hazelnuts: Use peeled toasted hazelnuts. I like to coarsely chop half of them and finely chop the rest for a more interesting flavor and texture.
- Sugar: Use fine granulated sugar for this recipe. Raw cane sugar will also work great in this recipe.
- Salt: It's optional, but it does help when whipping up the meringue mixture.
You can make an alternative version of brutti ma buoni cookies by substituting hazelnuts with other nuts, such as almonds or pine nuts.
For an even more indulgent twist, after baking, you can dip them briefly in melted dark chocolate.
How to make brutti ma buoni cookies
This Brutti ma Buoni recipe is very straightforward and easy to make.
Here's a quick recipe overview with step-by-step pictures.
For the full printable recipe, scroll down to the end of the post.
STEP 1. Whip egg white until stiff peaks form, slowly incorporating the sugar.
STEP 2. Add the chopped hazelnuts and gently mix until combined.
STEP 3. Place the cookie mixture in a saucepan and cook, gently whisking, on low heat for 5 minutes.
STEP 4. Place a spoonful of the mixture on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and repeat until all the mixture is used up. Bake for 30 minutes, then cool completely and serve.
Baking tips
- You can coarsely chop the hazelnuts in a mortar and finely chop them using a food processor. Keep a very close eye on them so they won't turn into a paste.
- Alternatively, place the hazelnuts in a freezer friendly bag and use a rolling pin to gently roll over the bag, applying even pressure. This way you can crush the hazelnuts to your desired coarseness.
- For best results, I recommend using eggs at room temperature.
- Use a very clean bowl to whisk the egg whites, I personally like to use a stainless steel or glass bowl.
- Whip the egg whites with a hand mixer, and very slowly incorporate the sugar.
- You will need to whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Cook the meringue cookie mixture at a very low heat to prevent it from burning. A few minutes of cooking will dry the meringue, making the cookies crisp and crumbly; otherwise, they'll stay chewy.
Storage tips
Store the cookies in an airtight container or sealed jar.
Keep them in a cool spot in your kitchen or in the fridge for up to 10 days.
I don't recommend freezing brutti ma buoni cookies.
More Italian cookie recipes you'll love
Looking for more traditional Italian cookie recipes to try? I absolutely recommend these classic pignoli cookies, these delicious Limoncello cookies, and my super popular Italian butter cookies.
Did you try this recipe?
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Recipe
Brutti ma Buoni
Ingredients
- 200 g peeled toasted hazelnuts, approx 1 ½ cups
- 2 medium-large egg whites, approx 80 g/2.2 oz in total
- a pinch of sea salt
- 170 g sugar, approx ¾ cup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 150°C / 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place roasted hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse them until some are coarsely chopped and the remaining are finely chopped.
- In a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt with a hand mixer, until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture is glossy.
- Add the hazelnuts into the meringue mixture, and very gently mix with a spatula to combine all the ingredients.
- Pour the meringue mixture into a low and wide saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring gently for about 5 minutes. This process will dry the meringue, making the cookies crisp and crumbly after baking; otherwise, they will stay chewy.
- Use a spoon or a small cookie scoop to drop spoonfuls of the cookie mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart.
- Bake the brutti ma buoni cookies for about 30 minutes, or until they have a crispy surface and a nice light golden color. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Charlene says
I’m confused. In step 2 you say to put nuts and sugar into food processor and pulse until fine then in step 3 you say to add sugar to egg whites and beat until stiff peaks and then in step 4 you say to fold in nuts. How do you separate the sugar and nuts after you pulse them in the food processor to do this?????
Andrea says
Hi Charlene, sorry that's a typo, thank you for spotting it! You need to pulse the hazelnuts alone, then whisk the egg whites with the sugar. I have fixed the recipe card 🙂
lauren says
I have been looking for an authentic brutti ma buoni recipe for ages, and this is the right one! Thank you x