Italian Sandwich Cookies Recipe brings tender, buttery, slightly almond-kissed cookies that sandwich tangy jam or chocolate hazelnut spread for a bakery-style bite. You can finish a batch in about 2 hours, including chill time, which makes this perfect for holiday trays, coffee breaks, or edible gifts. I first baked them for a potluck and watched adults hoard them like gold coins.
Why Italian Sandwich Cookies Recipe Is Worth It
Italian Sandwich Cookies Recipe gives you bakery results at home with simple pantry staples and a short chill. You get crisp edges, a melt-in-the-mouth center, and a pretty piped shape that looks fancy without fuss.
The texture hits that sweet spot between tender and crisp, and the flavor tastes like an old-school Italian bakery in every bite, ★★★★★
Ingredients You Need
- Unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup (226 g)
- European-style butter like Plugrá or Kerrygold tastes extra rich, but any good butter works.
- Granulated sugar, 2/3 cup (135 g)
- Large egg, 1
- Large egg white, 1
- The extra white helps the dough pipe clean lines.
- Pure vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons
- Nielsen-Massey or Rodelle give a robust aroma.
- Almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon, optional but classic
- Fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon
- All-purpose flour, 2 cups (240 g)
- Weigh it for accuracy; King Arthur AP holds shape well.
- Cornstarch, 1/4 cup (32 g)
- Potato starch also works and yields a delicate crumb.
- Whole milk, 1 to 3 teaspoons as needed to loosen the dough for piping
- Filling options
- Seedless raspberry or apricot jam, 1/2 to 3/4 cup (Bonne Maman stays vibrant).
- Chocolate hazelnut spread, 1/2 cup, for bakery vibes.
- Optional finish
- Dark chocolate melting wafers or chopped dark chocolate, 6 ounces, for dipping
- Sprinkles or finely chopped pistachios
Equipment:
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (Ateco 827 or 846, Wilton 1M works)
- 2 rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper or silicone mats
- Cooling racks
- Small offset spatula or spoon for filling
- Small microwave-safe bowl for melting chocolate
Quick Tips & substitutions
- Weigh the flour so the dough pipes smoothly and holds shape.
- Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
- Test pipe one cookie, then add milk by the teaspoon until the dough pipes without tearing.
- Chill the piped dough 20 to 30 minutes so the ridges stay defined.
- Use seedless jam, and stir it to loosen, then let it cool slightly so it sets well.
- Pick melting wafers if you want easy, glossy dipping without tempering.
- Swap cornstarch with potato starch for a bakery-style crumb.
- Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and add 1 extra teaspoon milk if the dough feels stiff.
- No piping bag? Spoon 1-inch mounds and press gently with a fork for a rustic look.
How to Make Italian Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Make the dough, 10 minutes
- Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Mix in the egg, egg white, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt, then add on low speed until just combined.
- Check consistency and mix in 1 to 3 teaspoons milk until the dough pipes smoothly but still holds ridges.
Pipe and chill, 20 to 30 minutes
- Line sheets with parchment.
- Pipe 1-inch rosettes or shells, spacing 1.5 inches apart.
- Chill the trays until the dough feels firm to the touch, 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake, 10 to 12 minutes
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Bake one sheet at a time until edges look pale golden and centers look set, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Let cookies cool on the sheet 3 minutes, then move to racks and cool completely.
Fill and dip, 20 minutes
- Pair similar sizes.
- Spoon or pipe a small dot of jam or chocolate hazelnut spread on the flat side of one cookie, then cap with a partner.
- If dipping, melt chocolate in 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Dip one side of each sandwich and add sprinkles or pistachios.
Set and serve, 30 minutes
- Set the dipped cookies on parchment and let the chocolate firm up, about 30 minutes at cool room temp.
- Plate and serve with espresso or milk.
Variations
- Lemon marmalade with a whisper of lemon zest in the dough.
- Fig jam with a dusting of powdered sugar for a classic cafe look.
- Espresso ganache filling with a pinch of fine salt.
- Pistachio cream filling and a pistachio crumb edge.
- Chocolate dough: swap 2 tablespoons flour with 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa.
- Almond twist: replace 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup very fine almond flour and add 1 extra teaspoon milk.
Ways to Serve
- Stack on a dessert platter with fresh berries.
- Box as gifts with parchment between layers.
- Pair with espresso, cappuccino, or black tea.
- Serve mini sandwiches alongside gelato for an easy dessert plate.
Storage
Keep cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 4 to 5 days, and layer parchment between rows to protect the ridges. Store jam or chocolate-filled cookies at room temp if your kitchen stays cool, or refrigerate in warm weather to prevent smearing. Freeze unfilled cookies for up to 2 months, then thaw and assemble for best texture. Freeze assembled jam sandwiches for up to 1 month, but skip sprinkles before freezing and add them after thawing.
Italian Sandwich Cookies Recipe
Italian Sandwich Cookies bring tender, buttery cookies with a hint of almond that sandwich tangy jam or chocolate hazelnut spread for a bakery-style bite.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Mix in the egg, egg white, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) until smooth.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and fine sea salt in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture on low speed just until combined.
- Check the dough consistency and mix in 1 to 3 teaspoons of whole milk, a little at a time, until the dough pipes smoothly but still holds defined ridges.
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip and pipe 1-inch rosettes or shells, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Chill the trays until the piped dough feels firm to the touch, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake one sheet at a time until the cookie edges look pale golden and the centers are set, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to cooling racks to cool completely.
- Pair cookies of similar sizes together.
- Spoon or pipe a small dot of jam or chocolate hazelnut spread onto the flat side of one cookie, then gently press a matching cookie on top to form a sandwich.
- If dipping, melt the dark chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth.
- Dip one side of each sandwich cookie in the melted chocolate and place on parchment. Add sprinkles or finely chopped pistachios if desired.
- Let the dipped cookies sit at cool room temperature until the chocolate firms up, about 30 minutes.
- Serve the sandwich cookies with espresso, coffee, or milk.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Approximate per 1 sandwich cookie (about 36 cookies total), filled with jam and partially dipped in chocolate: 140 calories; fat 7 g; saturated fat 4 g; carbohydrates 17 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 9 g; protein 2 g; sodium 60 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredients, filling choice, and portion size.
Approximate per 1 sandwich cookie (about 36 cookies total), filled with jam and partially dipped in chocolate: 140 calories; fat 7 g; saturated fat 4 g; carbohydrates 17 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 9 g; protein 2 g; sodium 60 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredients, filling choice, and portion size.