Easy Italian Anise Cookies

Dense and moist, these Italian Anise Cookies are an easy-to-make classic Christmas cookie. The cookie dough, flavored with anise extract is made with just a bowl and a spoon, and decorated with a simple glaze and sprinkles.

Anise cookies were a staple at my holiday table (just like this Italian Ricotta Pie). Unfortunately, as a child, I disliked these cookies intensely. Our Italian family served them at nearly every holiday gathering, with many batches showing up at Christmastime. My sister and I would bite into these fun-looking cookies covered in frosting and sprinkles and were so surprised when the strong anise flavor hit our taste buds. How could a cookie that looks so sweet and innocent have such an intense black licorice flavor? (I know as a kid I would have much preferred either these similar Lemon Drop Cookies or Italian Orange Cookies.)

Now that I'm an adult, I appreciate that unique flavor that is anise. It tastes vaguely sweet, but also with a darker nuance to it. And my kids love it! So even though my childhood self would never believe that I now too serve these cookies every year at Christmas, It brings me joy to keep the tradition going with my family.

So, I set out to make a version of anise cookies that was perfect in my mind. These cookies are dense, moist, and with a strong anise flavor. The glaze on top has a small bit of butter added to it, which makes it slightly softer and luxurious. Add sprinkles, or don't!

Lastly, they're easily made with gluten-free flour too. And, if you really really want to, you can easily swap out the anise extract for vanilla, or almond extract or even lemon!

I tested this recipe 18 times before I felt it hit exactly how I wanted it to, but it was worth it. I hope this cookie turns up on your holiday table year after year, too.

So, let's get to making it, shall we? The article below is jam-packed full of useful information. You can jump around using the menu below, or skip to the end of the article for the full recipe.

Jump to:

• Ingredients Needed
• Making the Cookie Dough
• Baking Tips
• How to Decorate the Cookies
• Make Ahead Instructions
• Making These Cookies Gluten-Free
• More Cookie Recipes
• More Christmas Recipes:
• Full Recipe

Ingredients Needed

Here is an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe is listed below in greater detail.

• all-purpose flour (or gluten-free 1-1 baking flour--I recommend King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure Flour or Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Baking Flour)
• almond flour (this provides a lovely texture and moistness to the cookie-I hate to say it, but this recipe was specifically developed with the use of almond flour in it. If you can't have it or don't want to use almond flour, I, unfortunately, can't recommend a replacement, and you can't just substitute in additional wheat flour and get the same result.)
• light olive oil (theoretically, you could swap olive oil out for butter if you wanted, but you might need to use a little bit more of it, as olive oil is all fat without any added water or milk solids. I'd recommend adding in another tablespoon or two of butter if you are making the swap. Melt it before adding it to the dough. Just know this will make the cookies less moist if you do swap it out.)
• egg
• granulated sugar
• anise extract and vanilla extract
• salt + baking powder
• optional glaze (milk+ butter + powdered sugar)
• decorative sugars or sprinkles, or non-pareils (here are my favorite natural food dye sprinkles and sugars)

Making the Cookie Dough

Because of the addition of almond flour, this recipe is a bit different than the traditional recipe. Almond flour adds extra fat to the dough, which results in needing less added oil. When making it, you might feel that the dough is going to be too dry, but it won't be. Once baked up, the almond flour will add lovely moisture and a pleasing density to the cookie texture.

The dough is made simply with a bowl and a spoon.

One thing to note is that it's important to try to dissolve the sugar when whisking together the wet ingredients. This cookie is baked for very little time (about 12 minutes), which doesn't give much time for the sugar to melt. Remember, these are thick cookies. So, when you are whisking the wet ingredients together, give it a few extra seconds of whisking than you typically would, to help that sugar dissolve into the oil and egg.

To portion out the dough, use a cookie scoop. You want to use a 1-ounce cookie scoop, or about 2 tablespoons of dough. If you are weighing it, the dough is dense, so it should weigh 1-¾ ounce.

This recipe makes 13 cookies. Double or triple it to make a larger batch.

Baking Tips

Did you know that most cookie dough benefits from a slight rest? Resting the assembled dough allows the flour to hydrate fully and the ingredients to harmonize, improving the bake's texture, taste, and overall quality.

I'm not insisting on this step in the recipe, but I mention it for those who read beyond the title and the recipe. Consider refrigerating the dough for 15 minutes; It's a small step, but results in a slightly better cookie.

The anise cookies should be removed from the oven slightly underbaked to ensure the perfect texture, as the cookies will continue to cook from the residual heat once removed. You can tell the cookies are ready when they start to puff up and have slight cracks in them, but they should still have a slightly moist look.

Take them out of the oven and let them sit on the tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

How to Decorate the Cookies

You can truly decorate this cookie any way your heart desires once you've got the glaze on top.

Traditionally, in the bakeries my family shopped at, the cookies would be adorned with colorful nonpareils. In my home, we avoid artificial food coloring, so I found some fun naturally colored crunchy sprinkles, and I liked the added textural component. We've also been decorating them with naturally colored sprinkles, too.

Make Ahead Instructions

These cookies last up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container, undecorated or decorated. However, be aware that these cookies dry out easily, so make sure to storage them once cooled.

I don't recommend freezing the cookie dough, but the baked undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.

Making These Cookies Gluten-Free

What I really set out for with this cookie was making it with an easy 1-1 swap of gluten-free flour. This cookie nearly can do this, but with two small minor adjustments.

They felt a bit dry when I swapped out the flour for a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend (I use Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur Flour), so I felt like it needed about 2 tablespoons of milk added. Because adding milk made the cookies spread more, I recommend chilling the dough for about 30 minutes, until cold.

It stops them from spreading out, but for sure, the gluten-free version is flatter than the traditional version. However, the taste more than makes up for it. Once they are decorated, you can hardly tell.

More Cookie Recipes

More Christmas Recipes:

• Eggnog Pie (with Gingerbread Crust)
• Cranberry Pear Pie Minis
• Pumpkin Pie Bars
• Classic Fruit Tart

I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make these Classic Italian Anise Cookies, please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe, feel free to comment here, and tag me on instagram!