Pignoli Cookies
Originating in Southern Italy, pignoli cookies are an elegant cookie made with only a few simple ingredients. Naturally dairy and gluten free, these traditional Italian pine nut cookies have soft, chewy almond centers studded with delicate, toasted pine nuts.
Why you’ll love these pignoli cookies
Pignoli cookies have always held a special place in my heart, but something about these little pine nut bundles are extra delicious to me. The flavors is unique, yet familiar and the bold sweetness of the almond is balanced perfectly with their toasted buttery nuttiness.
Yes that was a mouthful, but I promise these cookies are worth it. To make them a little extra special, I added some orange zest to the recipe to add brightness to the cookies, and I’ve swapped almond extract for vanilla to mellow out the intense almond flavor.
Just like the biscochitos, pignoli cookies are naturally dairy free and gluten free, which makes them the perfect addition to any Christmas cookie platter.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Almond paste – Made from ground almonds and sugar, this adds a nutty sweetness and it’s unique consistency adds to the velvety, chewy texture of these cookies. You can find this in the baking aisle of your grocery store.
- Sugar – You can’t have cookies without sugar. Please don’t skip this or lower the amount.
- Pine nuts – These creamy seeds add a delicate, buttery flavor and subtle crunch to this Italian cookie.
- Egg whites – I would not recommend substituting the egg whites because they really keep this cookie together and help the cookie expand while baking. However, if you wanted to make them vegan, I have seen other recipes out there that use aquafaba.
- Orange zest – This is totally optional, but I love the delicate flavor it adds to the cookies.
- Vanilla extract – I chose this instead of almond extract because I think the almond paste contributes more than enough of that already. If you really want to use almond extract, you’ll only use 1/2 the amount listed.
- Powdered sugar – I dusted my cookies with powdered sugar to make them even prettier, but you definitely don’t need to do this if you don’t want to.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make this pignoli cookies recipe
Mise en place. Preheat your oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Then, measure out your ingredients and make sure everything is ready to go before you begin baking.
Blend the dough. Combine ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined. I needed, scrape the sides to help the dough come together. The remove the blade from the processor (for safety) or transfer the dough to a bowl.
Roll in pine nuts. Scoop 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough and roll them into a ball. Next, dip each cookie dough ball into pine nuts and coat on all sides.
Transfer the cookies to your baking sheet and gently press the cookies to flatten. Make sure the cookies have enough space between them to allow air circulation. I typically do 12 cookies per baking sheet.
Bake the cookies. Pop them into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies have expanded and the pine nuts begin to brown. Remove them from the oven and let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Sprinkle and serve. When the cookies have cooled completely, dust them with powdered sugar.
Everything you need to know about pignoli cookies
If you store them properly, in an airtight container or a zip top freezer bag, pignoli cookies should keep well for up to 3 months. Use wax paper in between the cookies to prevent them from sticking together. When you are ready to eat them, take them out of the freezer and allow them to come to room temperature.
More dairy free cookie recipes you will love
- Vegan gingerbread cookies
- Italian anise cookies
- Pecan snowball cookies
- White chocolate peppermint cookies
More holiday desserts you should try
- Vanilla bean crème brûlée
- Chai spice cake
- Aquafaba mousse
- Pistachio cake with white chocolate frosting
Ingredients
- 2 8- ounce package almond paste (cut into small pieces)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg white (at room temperature)
- 1 orange (zested)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups pine nuts
- Powdered sugar (for dusting (optional))
Instructions
- Blend almond paste with sugar, egg white, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
- Place pine nuts in a bowl for rolling.
- Scoop dough into tablespoon-sized balls and roll in pine nuts to coat.
- Place cookies onto baking sheet a few inches apart.
- Bake for 14 – 16 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- When completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).
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