Classic Italian Chocolate cookies - Make 12 and more different cookies with just one dough - Perfect for your Christmas cookie tray!
Nothing says Christmas quite like baking! And it doesn't get any easier with this easy recipe for Italian chocolate cookies!
If you're looking for an Italian Christmas cookie recipe, these chocolate Italian cookies are the BEST option for so many reasons:
- You need just 5 simple ingredients
- Make the dough by hand or in the food processor
- You can make 12 or more different cookies
- They're easy to store and freeze
- And you can also freeze the dough!
Plus, you have endless possibilities to decorate them!
Dip them in chocolate, top them with nuts, jam, or sprinkles, or leave them nice and plain, because they're absolutely delicious anyway!
Together with my Christmas Tiramisu' and my Pandoro Christmas cake, these cookies are one of my favorite holiday desserts - If you need a quick Christmas dessert these are my go-to options!
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Italian Chocolate Cookies Ingredients
This Italian chocolate cookies recipe is proof that you don't need many ingredients to make a delicious Italian dessert.
- Butter: adds flavor and the perfect structure to the cookies. Make sure it's cold and chopped into small chunks.
- Powdered sugar: confectioner's sugar makes heavenly crumbly cookies, so don't substitute with regular sugar.
- Eggs: you'll need two medium egg yolks, at room temperature.
- Vanilla: use pure vanilla extract or a scraped vanilla bean.
- Flour: all-purpose flour or Italian 00 flour. Remember to sift the flour after you weigh it.
- Citrus zest: 1 teaspoon of freshly-grated orange or lemon zest adds a wonderful citrusy aroma to these cookies.
- Cocoa powder: to make chocolate butter cookies, you need to add cocoa powder. Both raw cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa work here.
How To Make Chocolate Italian Cookies
This is a quick overview of the recipe for Italian chocolate cookies with step-by-step pictures.
For the full recipe, scroll down to the easy-to-print recipe card.
STEP 1. Mix dough ingredients.
Place sifted flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until sandy (about 10 seconds). Add egg yolks, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, lemon and mix on high speed until the mixture comes together.
STEP 2. Form dough and chill.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for a few seconds until compact and elastic. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes -1 hour.
STEP 3. Roll the dough.
Lightly flour the surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough about ¼ inch thick (5mm). Cut the dough with cookie cutters and place the cookies on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
STEP 4. Bake and decorate the cookies.
Bake them in a preheated oven to 170 C / 340 F for 8-10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
Dip some of the cookies in dark chocolate or white chocolate, then sprinkle with chopped nuts or sprinkles. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Baking Tips For Perfect Italian Cookies
- The butter must be cold from the fridge. Then cut it into chunks, if they soften in the process, return them to the fridge for 10 minutes before use.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. If you chill it overnight, transfer it to the kitchen counter for 15 minutes before rolling the dough.
- Roll the dough on a marble surface or between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Always dust your working surface and your rolling pin with a little flour (or cocoa powder).
- If the dough starts sticking to the rolling pin or working surface, chill it again for 15 minutes.
- Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Skipping the chilling time will make your cookies spread and flatten in the oven.
- Keep the cookies slightly spaced apart, as they will slightly expand while they bake.
- For chocolate-dipped cookies use high-quality chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, then allow it to cool slightly before dipping the cookies.
- Use a Linzer cookie cutter to make the sandwich cookies, then fill them with jam, chocolate spread or nut butter of your choice.
1 Cookie Dough 12 Different Cookies
If you're planning to put together a Christmas cookie tray, this dough is my kitchen hack for holiday baking.
You can make 12 Christmas cookies (and even more) from this basic chocolate cookie dough recipe.
This means no stress and no mess, and all the fun! Just 7 ingredients, a rolling pin, and your favorite toppings.
It's literally the easiest cookie dough recipe ever and allows you to make endless different cookies.
Here are a few topping ideas, mix and match them as you please:
- dark chocolate
- white chocolate
- chocolate hazelnut spread
- white chocolate spread
- whole nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecan nuts, pistachio, etc.)
- chopped nuts
- apricot jam (or any other jam or marmalade)
- coconut flakes
- sprinkles
Storage Tips
Make sure your chocolate cookies are completely cool before you store them.
If you dip them in chocolate, make sure the chocolate is completely set before storing them.
Store them in an air-tight container in a dry cool spot in your pantry, they keep well for up to two weeks.
To prevent the chocolate-dipped cookies from sticking together, arrange them on a single layer and add a piece of parchment paper between layers.
Recipe FAQs
The butter was probably too warm, make sure you always chill the dough and then the cookies before baking them.
Yes, you can! Freeze up to one month before use, then thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and leave on the kitchen counter for 15 minutes before use.
These chocolate cookies freeze well! I always freeze them plain (no toppings), on a single layer for 30 minutes, then transfer them to a ziplock bag.
To thaw frozen cookies, place them in a single layer on a baking tray until they come to room temperature, then decorate and serve.
Did You Try This Recipe?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and tag @thepetitecook!
Italian Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 200 g butter, cold, cut into small chunks
- 300 g all purpose flour
- 130 g powdered sugar
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 2 medium or large yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or a scraped vanilla bean
- a pinch of salt, optional
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
TO DECORATE:
- apricot jam
- 80 g dark chocolate
- 80 g white chocolate
- crumbled pistachios
- coconut flakes
- whole or chopped nuts
- chocolate spread
- cherry jam
Instructions
- Sift the flour and place it together with the butter in a food processor and pulse until sandy (about 10 seconds). Add egg yolks, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, lemon and zest, and mix on high speed until the mixture comes together, about 2 minutes. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for a few seconds until it's compact and elastic. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes -1 hour.
- Lightly flour a working surface and the rolling pin. Roll the dough about ¼ inch thick (5mm). Cut the dough with cookie cutters and place the cookies on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Refrigerate the cookies for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F or with the fan option on at 150°C/300°F. Arrange the baking tray onto the middle shelf. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are slightly darker. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before serving.
To decorate the cookies:
- Melt the dark chocolate and white chocolate separately using a double boiler, or microwave them in two separate bowls for 30 seconds. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly before dipping the cookies.
- Drizzle or dip some of the cookies in dark chocolate or white chocolate, then sprinkle them with chopped nuts or coconut flakes. Arrange the chocolate-dipped cookies onto a baking tray covered with parchment paper, and allow the chocolate to set before serving. For the cookies made with the linzer cookies cookie cutter, can be filled with jam, chocolate spread or nut butter of your choice.
Notes
- The butter must be cold from the fridge. Then cut it into chunks, if they soften in the process, return them to the fridge for 10 minutes before use.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. If you chill it overnight, transfer it to the kitchen counter for 15 minutes before rolling the dough.
- Roll the dough on a marble surface or between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Always dust your working surface and your rolling pin with a little flour (or cocoa powder).
- If the dough starts sticking to the rolling pin or working surface, chill it again for 15 minutes.
- Chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Skipping the chilling time will make your cookies spread and flatten in the oven.
- Keep the cookies slightly spaced apart, as they will slightly expand while they bake.
- For chocolate-dipped cookies use high-quality chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, then allow it to cool slightly before dipping the cookies.
- Use a Linzer cookie cutter to make the sandwich cookies, then fill them with jam, chocolate spread or nut butter of your choice.
Store them in an air-tight container in a dry cool spot in your pantry, they keep well up to 2 weeks.
To prevent the chocolate-dipped cookies from sticking together, arrange them in a single layer and add a piece of parchment paper between layers. Can you freeze the cookie dough? Yes, you can make this cookie dough ahead and freeze it for later.
The cookie dough can be frozen up to three months in advance. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then 15 minutes on the kitchen counter. Can you freeze Italian chocolate cookies? You can also freeze the cookies (not decorated) for up to 6 months.
To thaw frozen cookies, place them on a single layer on a baking tray until they come to room temperature. US CONVERSIONS This recipe is tested in grams, but US cup conversion is provided. Please note that cups can't be as accurate as grams. When baking, it's always best to use a scale for weighing the ingredients.
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.
More Italian Cookies Recipes To Try
Looking for more holiday dessert recipes? Try these Christmas Italian cookie recipes:
- Anginetti cookies ( Italian Christmas cookies)
- Italian Ricotta cookies
- Mostaccioli Cookies
- Italian Sesame Cookies - Reginelle
- Italian S Cookies - Biscotti A Esse
- Pizzicati Cookies - Italian Pinch Cookies
- Pignoli Cookies - Italian Pine Nut Cookies
- Ricciarelli - Almond Cookies
- Amaretti Cookies - Italian Almond Cookies
- Italian Butter Cookies
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