Pignoli Cookies are crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and always disappear first at Christmas cookie exchanges! These classic Italian pine nut cookies are easy to make with a handful of baking staples that you might already have. They’ve got the best almond flavor and signature crunch from the pine nuts that everyone loves!
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Why We Love This Pignoli Cookie Recipe
These pine nut cookies are a holiday staple at my house. The pine nuts have a subtle buttery flavor that’s unlike anything else, and the nutty almond cookies are the perfect base.
- Simple. You only need about 5 ingredients (plus a little bit of salt), and you’re ready to bake!
- Gooey. These cookies have a gooey, almost truffle-like texture inside from the almond paste.
- Flavorful. Pine nuts have a unique richness and buttery taste that’s unlike other nuts. They’re just the perfect crunchy topping for these cookies.
Variations on Pine Nut Cookies
You could use almond flour or ground almonds instead of almond paste. But you will need to add more egg whites and sugar to get the right texture and make sure everything binds together so that your dough still comes out thick and tacky.
How to Store
In an airtight container at room temperature, pignoli nut cookies will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
How to Freeze
You can freeze Italian pignoli cookies for up to 6 months! Let them fully cool to room temperature before transferring them to a freezer-safe container. A frozen pignoli cookie will only need an hour (or less) to thaw at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
Pignoli cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday cookie box. Serve them with other classics, like avalanche cookies, M&M cookies, snickerdoodles, gooey butter cookies, or white chocolate cranberry cookies.
Pignoli cookies are a classic Italian cookie. They have a simple almond flavor, as they are mainly made from almond paste, sugar, and egg whites. These cookies are traditionally covered in pine nuts but are still quite chewy inside.
If you don’t want to use pine nuts, you can use another nut to coat the pignoli cookies. Chopped walnuts or cashews are a good substitute. You could also use chopped or slivered almonds to keep with the almond flavor!
Almond paste is the base for these cookies (no wheat flour here), so yes, they are naturally gluten-free!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes We Love
- Hershey Kiss Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Linzer Cookies
- Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
- Spritz Cookies
- Christmas Cowboy Cookies
Pignoli Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Ingredients
- 7 ounces almond paste 198 grams, cut into pieces (1 standard package)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 67 grams
- ¼ cup powdered sugar 28 grams, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg white 35 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces pine nuts 113 grams
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the almond paste, sugar, powdered sugar, egg white, and salt. Blend until smooth. (The dough should be thick and tacky but not runny).7 ounces almond paste, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 1 large egg white, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Place the pine nuts in a medium bowl.4 ounces pine nuts
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and form into 1-inch balls. Roll each cookie dough ball into the pine nuts, coating the top and sides.
- Place cookie dough balls about 1-2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let cookies cool and firm up on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Becky’s Tips
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper for best results. You can also spray the paper with nonstick spray to make sure they don’t stick.
- Dough should be slightly sticky and tacky, and quite thick.
- Don’t overbake, or you’ll get a tough center. Take them out just as they start turning golden on the outside.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Pignoli Cookies Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside for now.
Make the Dough: To the bowl of a food processor, add 7 ounces of almond paste, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of powdered sugar, 1 large egg white, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. Blend until smooth. The dough should be thick and tacky but not runny.
Roll the Cookies: Place 4 ounces of pine nuts in a medium bowl. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and form into 1-inch balls. Roll each cookie dough ball into the pine nuts, coating the top and sides.
Space the Cookies: Place cookie dough balls about 1-2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the Cookies: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cookies cool and firm up on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Delicious and so easy to make!