Italian Butter Cookies With Sprinkles (2 Recipes)

What are Traditional Italian Cookies? 

Italian butter cookies with sprinkles are a popular type of cookie in Italian cuisine. We use flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and baking powder to make them. The dough is usually rolled out into a sheet and then cut into small squares or circles before being baked. You can serve Italian butter cookies as an after-dinner dessert. 

If you’re looking for a delicious and unique dessert to make for your next party, you should try traditional Italian cookies! These cookies are famous for their flavor and texture, and they are sure to impress your guests. 

Homemade butter cookies with sprinkles

How to Make Bakery Style Italian Bakery Cookies

Here is a recipe for making bakery butter cookies:

  • Time: 60 minutes
  • Prep time: 50 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes

Nutritional Facts/Info per serving/in total

One Italian butter cookie with sprinkles contains:

  • Calories: 190
  • Fat: 0.4 oz (12 g)
  • Sodium: 115 mg
  • Carbs: 7 oz (20 g)

Here’s how you can prepare Italian bakery cookies:

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Two eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract (optional) 
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour 

Equipment Needed

  • Stand mixer
  • Large bowl
  • Mixing spoon
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • (Optional) silicone baking mat or wax paper

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (176.7 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the butter and sugar in a larger mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Toss in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract.
  3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt (if used) in a separate bowl. Slowly blend the dry and wet components until they are completely incorporated; do not overmix!
  4. Place dough by tablespoonfuls on the prepared baking sheet. If desired, press a few sprinkles into the top of each cookie dough ball. Allow cookies to bake for 12 to 14 minutes before serving. 
  5. Let best Italian cookies cool on a baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Our Top Tips for Making the Best Italian Cookies

There are a few things that are key when making Italian butter cookies: 

  • Making the dough work needs to be soft but not sticky. 
  • Secondly, you’ll want to make sure the cookies bake evenly – place them on parchment paper-lined baking sheets so that you can get baked Italian cookies that have baked evenly.
  • Make sure the butter is at room temperature before making the dough. This will help ensure that the cookies come out evenly shaped and don’t crumble.
  • Also, remember to use high-quality ingredients. This is especially important for butter and sugar. 
  • For best results, chill your dough overnight before baking. The longer, the better!
  • A Silpat mat or a spray of nonstick cooking spray can help keep your cookies from sticking to the sheet pan.
  • Make sure you don’t overbake them – watch for a slightly golden color and leave them a minute or two in the oven. The longer they bake, the more flavor they’ll have. 
  • Remember that bakery butter cookies must be soft and tender! If you’d like a crunchier version, try using almond flour instead of all-purpose flour for rolling out the dough.
  • Don’t overmix the dough, or the cookies will be tough. Mix just until all of the ingredients are combined.
  • Chilling the dough for a few hours (or even overnight) will help keep its shape when baked.
  • Bake in a moderate oven – at 350 °F (176.7 °C) – for about 12 minutes, or until they’re lightly golden brown on top.
  • When making the glaze, remember that gel food coloring is more concentrated than liquid, so you’ll need to use less, and be careful not to add too quickly, or your colors will bleed.
  • There are different Italian cookies types, so if you’re looking for a shiny finish, brush the cookies with egg wash instead of water before baking.
  • You can accomplish a lot more with these baking techniques for making the best Italian butter cookies than you can with these baking guidelines for making the best Italian butter cookies!
  • You can easily change this recipe by adding cocoa or citrus zest and using colored sugars for holiday-themed cookies. Have fun trying, and let us know how it turns out in your kitchen.  
making a dough

Italian Butter Cookies With Sprinkles Recipe

Time: 1 hour

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serving size: 12 servings

Nutritional Facts/Info per serving/in total

  • Calories: 190
  • Fat: 0.4 oz (12 g)
  • Sodium: 95 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0.7 oz (20 g)
  • Protein: Less than 0.03 oz (1 g)

Ingredients

  • 12 cups room temperature unsalted butter
  • 13 cups sugar, granulated
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • Food coloring (optional)

Equipment

  • Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or handheld mixer.
  • Biscuit cutter (any size you like).
  • Piping bag fitted with a star tip (or any other shape of your choice). 

Directions

Here is an Italian butter cookies recipe that you can follow.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Lay parchment paper or silicone mats on two baking sheets.
  2. Beat butter, sugar, and salt with a hand mixer, for three minutes or until it’s light and fluffy.
  3. Add vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Slowly add flour to the mixer on low speed until thoroughly mixed. If you are coloring your cookies, divide dough evenly into bowls now. 
  4. If desired, use your preferred food coloring. Roll the dough to an 18-in (20.3-cm) thickness (or thinner) between two sheets of plastic wrap, sprinkling with flour as needed.
  5. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out cookies and set them on baking pans that you prepped.
  6. Gather up scraps, re-roll dough, and cut out more cookies. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (176.67 °C) and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the sides are golden brown.
  7. Let cool on a baking sheet for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 
  8. Decorate with royal icing or melted chocolate if desired.

Royal Icing

In a small bowl, whisk together ⅓ cup of confectioners’ sugar, ¼ teaspoon cornstarch, and one tablespoon of water until smooth. 

If necessary, add a tablespoon of water until you reach the desired consistency. Frost the cookies with a piping bag with a star tip (or any other shape of your choice).

Melted Chocolate 

Melt ¼ cup of chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 30 seconds, stir and continue to heat until melted (time will vary depending on your microwave). Dip cooled cookies into the melted chocolate or drizzle with a fork. 

Chill in the refrigerator to set quicker (if desired). You can store cookies in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper for up to one week or frozen for three months.

There you have it! An Italian Butter Cookies with Sprinkles Recipe that is sure to please. So what are you waiting for? Get in the kitchen and start baking! Enjoy!

Hands preparing dough

The Beeg Italian Bakeoff!

Preparing Italian butter cookies with sprinkles is pretty straightforward. They are delicious, and you can serve them with coffee. It takes a short time to prepare it, and it’s not complicated. You can also serve them as a gift or as your afternoon snack. 

It has nutritional values that are satisfactory. First, you need to mix the butter with sugar until fluffy, then you have to add the vanilla extract and the flour, food coloring (optional), chill for some hours (or overnight), and bake in a moderate oven for 12 minutes until lightly golden brown. 

Then let it cool on a baking sheet for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Finish them by decorating them with royal icing or melted chocolate if desired.

So come on! Be brave and start baking right now! Enjoy!