Grandma Santelli's recipe for Italian Pizzelle Cookies are a light, crisp, slightly sweet Italian cookie made with a special waffle iron.
It wouldn't be Christmas without these cookies on our dessert table or in our cookie gift boxes.
If you're looking for something new to try this holiday season, try my grandmother's classic recipe below.
Don't miss our full list of family-favorite Christmas Cookies – there's something for everyone!
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Pizzelle cookies, a cherished Italian holiday tradition, are made using a special iron to imprint intricate designs.
They can be flavored with anise or lemon, and hold a special place in many holiday celebrations.
What I love most about pizzelles is their versatility. You can make them in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, and even pumpkin spice.
Looking for more easy cookie recipes for the holidays? Try my Chocolate Christmas Cookies, Reindeer Desserts or my Christmas Refrigerator Cookies.
Table of Contents
- Christmas Pizzelles
- What is a Pizzelle Cookie?
- What does pizzelle mean in English?
- What is a Pizzelle Iron?
- Limited-Time Offer: 2 Holiday Digital Cookbooks for $7.99!
- Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Main Ingredients Needed
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cooking Instructions
- Cooling Tips
- Before You Begin!
- Recipe FAQ's
- Storing, Freezing and Thawing Tips
- 📖 Recipe Card
- 💬 Comments
Christmas Pizzelles
When I was a little girl, my grandmother would send us a box filled with the most delicious and beautiful cookies. This box always arrived about a week before Christmas and Grandma always included a huge cookie tin filled with her pizzelle cookies.
One year, as my mom was unpacking the cookies, she found a pizzelle iron at the bottom of the box. There was a note with it, suggesting she start making pizzelles for our family. So, the next year, she did, and she's been making them ever since!
And now I make them with my daughter and my sister makes them with her children as well.
What is a Pizzelle Cookie?
Pizzelle cookies, with their delicate, crispy texture, have been a cherished Italian tradition since the Middle Ages. Originally a simple combination of flour, water, and salt, today's cookies have eggs, butter, and sugar added to the batter.
These waffle-like cookies are created using a special electric iron. A staple in Italian households, they're served for special occasions and celebrations like weddings.
It's not uncommon to find a variety of pizzelle cookies on the sweets table at a wedding or bridal shower. We served them for my daughter's bridal shower luncheon.
What does pizzelle mean in English?
Pizzelle comes from the Italian word for flat and round. Just like the word pizza.
What is a Pizzelle Iron?
Pizzelle Iron is a special appliance that makes these thin, crispy Italian cookies! Similar to a waffle iron, it has decorative molds that create the signature patterns on pizzelle.
These cookies are deeply connected to family traditions, so much so that some irons even bear the imprint of a family crest!
While I don't have one of those heirloom treasures, just imagine how amazing it would be to create cookies with your very own family symbol baked right in!
Limited-Time Offer: 2 Holiday Digital Cookbooks for $7.99!
Make this holiday season extra sweet with twice the baking inspiration! Get TWO digital cookbooks packed with my family's favorite Christmas cookies for the price of ONE. Only $7.99!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Watkins Pure Anise Extract, 2 oz. Bottles, Pack of 6 (Packaging May Vary)
Badia Anise Seed, 1.75 ozMasterChef Pizzelle Maker - Non-stick Electric Cookie Baker Press, Make Two Homemade 5-Inch Italian Waffle Cookies at Once for Breakfast, Dessert, Birthday GiftCuisinart WM-PZ2 Pizzelle Press
Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
- Butter
- Flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Baking Powder
- Anise Extract or Anise Seeds - you could use pure vanilla extract, but my grandmother and my mother always used either anise extract or anise seeds. Only use one flavoring. Do not combine the anise extract with the anise seeds.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the melted and cooled butter with the sugar. This step ensures the butter and sugar are thoroughly blended for a smooth batter.
Step 2: Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture. Then, stir in your preferred flavoring: anise flavoring, vanilla extract, or anise seeds.
Step 3: In another bowl, mix the baking powder with the flour. Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Cooking Instructions
Step 4: Begin by preheating the pizzelle iron. Once it's hot, grease the iron with melted butter or non-stick cooking spray.
Step 5: Place approximately one tablespoon of batter in the center of the iron, avoiding overfilling as you would with a traditional breakfast waffle iron.
Step 6: Close the iron lid. Many pizzelle makers are equipped with a sensor to indicate when baking is complete. Use a small spatula or fork to remove the baked pizzelles from the iron.
Cooling Tips
Lay the pizzelle cookies out on a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper as you take them off the iron.
Allow them to cool completely before stacking and storing in an airtight container.
Before You Begin!
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Recipe FAQ's
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
If your pizzelles are soft, they might not be cooked long enough, or they got damp from the air or being stacked too soon. Make sure they're golden brown, cool them completely on a rack, and store them in a sealed container.
The best container to store pizzelles in is an airtight container, like a tin. You can also place them in cookie or coffee tins, or even in paper bags, which will help keep them crisp by allowing some air circulation.
Storing, Freezing and Thawing Tips
Pantry: These cookies store very well in an airtight container for a few weeks. Keep them in a cool, dark area of your kitchen. My mother always stored them on our enclosed back porch that was not heated.
Mailing: Pack them in a well-cushioned, airtight container inside a larger box with plenty of filler. Opt for expedited shipping with a reliable carrier, and clearly label the box as fragile.
Freezer: After the cookies cool, stack them in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers, label with the date, and freeze.
Thawing Tips: When ready to enjoy, simply thaw the cookies at room temperature or briefly reheat them in the oven for a crispy texture.
📖 Recipe Card
Italian Pizzelle Cookies - A Holiday Tradition
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter; melted and cooled
- ⅔ cups white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon anise extract or anise seeds
Method
- In the bowl with an electric mixer, blend the melted and cooled butter and sugar together.
- Add the eggs and the anise flavoring or anise seeds.
- In a separate bowl, combine the baking powder with the flour.
- Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
- Preheat the pizzelle iron.
- Once it is hot, brush the iron with melted butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add about a tablespoon of batter to the center of the iron. You do not want to fill it like you would a traditional breakfast waffle iron.
- Close the iron lid. Most pizzelle makers come with a sensor that lets you know when the baking is finished.
- Remove the baked pizzelles from the iron using either a small spatula or a fork.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2013 with new photos, information and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!
Danielle says
I have been working on the "perfect" pizzelle recipe for 3 or 4 years now and have tried many, but so far this is my favorite. The amount of anise is spot on and the consistency of the dough makes the perfect thickness I am looking for. Most of the "right" recipe is based on nostalgia or preference I realize, but this is the "keeper" recipe for me. Thanks so much for sharing.
Lois says
What a beautiful comment! Thank you so much! This was the recipe my grandmother always made and then my mother and now myself!
Nancy says
I use oil in my recipe and I store them in a tin, that popcorn comes in, and put paper towels on bottom. They keep for weeks in a cool place Nothing like homemade pizzelles any time.I make both anise, and one with vanilla. Nothing like homemade cookies and love my iron from the Chef;s catalog. Nncy
Lois says
I think a tin works best for storing these cookies! Love the popcorn tin idea!!!! Thank you for visiting!
Marcelle says
Don't forget to "crush" your anise a bit with a pestle and mortar before adding. 🙂 (4th of at least 5 generations making them in our family).
Lois says
That's a great idea! Thanks for visiting.
Maria Ruppel says
I was looking for something from my childhood, then I found you. I'm making this Thursday with my grandchildren. Wow this is a walk down happy memories. Bless the moms who baked like this. ❤️
Lois says
Thank you so much for sharing that—it really means a lot. I love that you’re making this with your grandchildren and continuing those special traditions. I hope it brings back a lot of good memories for you while you bake together.
Elizabeth Santini says
These are crispy, buttery pizzelles. I prefer my Mom's recipe which are thicker...
6 eggs
3.5 C flour
1 C sugar
2 tbsp anise seeds (more if you wish)
1 C vegetable oil (I use canola)
4 tsp baking powder
Beat eggs with sugar on low to medium mixer setting. Add anise & oil, beat well. Add 1/2 c flour and spoon baking powder on top of flour, beat on low. Mix in remaining flour only until no streaks remain.
Drop by tbsp onto heated pizzelle iron lightly coated with oil or cooking spray. Bake according to iron directions...enjoy!
Lois says
Thank you for sharing your Mom's recipe! I might try it one day!
Elizabeth says
You are welcome, if you do please let me know what you think. Merry Christmas 🌲
Lois says
Thanks!
Cheryl says
My husbands family is Italian and has made these for years. If you don’t like anise ( which tastes like licorice) substitute vanilla, or go half and half. ( we prefer vanilla)
To the lady whose Grandma made hers thicker, try more flour in the dough.
Angela Duncan says
I remember my nonna’s pizzelles being thick and soft. She used a cast iron stove top iron. I haven’t been able to find any recipe that results in this thick, soft cookie. Can anyone help!
Lois says
I've never had one like your Nonna's! They sound reallly delicious. This recipe is definitely a thin, crispy cookie.
Lisa says
My Italian grandma made those, too, but she called them galettes. They were not the same thing as pizzelle. And the iron she had was specially made by an Italian man that lived in the area. It looks a lot like a rectangular waffle iron that had to be heated on the stove.
Lois says
That iron sounds interesting! Thanks for visiting.
Ralphie says
My best friend in high school was Italian, at Christmas time they'd make their pizzelles with a stove top iron as well. And very important, it's one Hail Mary per side when cooking! LOL!
Lissa says
My Grandma's recipe for a similar iron that I inherited from her is: cup of butter, cup of cream, 2.5 cups sugar, tsp vanilla, tsp salt, 3 eggs, 5 cups flour. CHILL. Depending on the iron and how thin you press it and how brown you cook it, the thick and soft can vary. I hope this helps!