This Pizzelle Recipe will teach you how to make Italian Pizzelle Cookies, the oldest cookies in the world. Pizzelle is a classic Italian cookie that is thin, snowflake-shaped, and delicate. They are great served plain, with powdered sugar, Nutella, or even ice cream!
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Every year at Christmas, my family participates in my absolute favorite tradition, our cookie-making day! Every year, we get together to make homemade pasta, biscotti, pecan snowballs, this Italian Ravioli Recipe, and more.
We’ve had these recipes for our favorite cookies for decades (you should see our recipe sheets, covered in batter and grease) and make them each year to celebrate the Christmas holiday.
We’ve had my grandmother’s Pizzelle maker since probably the 1970s, and we’ve got that baby down to a science. It’s one of our family favorites. We know exactly how many seconds it takes to make the perfect Italian Pizzelle Recipe with Anise.
That is why I am so excited to share this Pizzelle Recipe with you! We’ve been making this recipe for forever, and I know it’s perfect, which means I can’t wait for you to make it, too!
Recipe Origins
Pizzelle is one of the oldest cookies in the world and comes from a small village in Italy.
Legend has it that hundreds of years ago the village of Colcullo was overrun by snakes. A Benedictine monk, San Domenico, helped run the snakes out of town and the villagers celebrated by making pizzelle. Now every year the village still celebrates the Festival of the Snakes with heaps of pizzelle.
But the fame of Pizzelle is not reserved for one tiny village. They’ve become an Italian favorite, shared around the world. You’ll often see them served at Easter and Christmas and special occasions in between.
Why Make This Recipe
- Traditional Italian Christmas: Just like our family, Italian families around the world make Pizzelle to celebrate the Christmas holiday. They are delicately thin and only a little sweet and are great for an after-dinner treat.
- Great for Mock Cannoli: Aside from simply dusting powdered sugar on the pizzelle, there are other great ways to use up your pizzelle. One of the most creative (and most delicious) are these Mock Italian Cannoli. You can stuff the pizzelle with cannoli cream and have two traditional Italian desserts in one! Or use them as dippers for my Cannoli Dip!
- 5-Minute Recipe: It doesn’t get much faster than making homemade Pizzelle Cookies! As mentioned in the recipe card, the average pizzelle cooks for under 2 minutes on my pizzelle maker (on my grandmother’s it takes only 24 seconds!). That means that after mixing the dough, you are just a few short seconds from delicious, traditional cookies.
What Ingredients are in this Recipe
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Anise Seeds: Anise seeds or anise extract have a very distinct flavor, that is known to taste like black licorice. If you think you won’t like this flavor, you can also eliminate the anise seeds from the recipe. Anise is a very traditional flavor. You can substitute vanilla extract or almond extract if you prefer.
- Baking Powder: Make sure you do not use baking soda
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract.
Tools
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Pizzelle Iron: Pizzelle irons look a lot like mini waffle makers but more shallow.
Do You Need a Pizzelle Maker to Make Pizzelle?
Unfortunately, you do need a pizzelle maker to make pizzelle. There is just not a good substitute out there.
Some people recommend making pizzelle in waffle irons but every waffle maker I’ve tried has been too deep for these traditional Italian waffle cookies. Besides a waffle maker, your only option is a frying pan and then you just end up with pancakes.
What makes perfect Pizzelle so beautiful and delicious is the thin and crispy exterior! And truly the only way to achieve that is with a pizzelle maker.
Luckily electric pizzelle irons are not too pricey and in my opinion the end result is worth it! Pizzelle makers have delicate designs that look beautiful. This is the Pizzelle Maker that I have, and I love it!
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Make the Batter
Beat eggs and sugar together until well combined.
Add the butter, vanilla, and anise seeds. Beat again.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The batter should be thick enough to be dropped by a spoon (a mix between pancake batter and cookie dough).
Step 2: Bake the Pizzelle
Spray a pizzelle maker with nonstick spray and drop a tablespoon or cookie scoop of the mixture onto the pizzelle maker.
Close the pizzelle maker and allow them to cook until the pizzelle are brown. My maker takes about 1 minute and 40 seconds.
Remove the pizzelle from the pizzelle maker and place it flat on a cookie sheet or cooling rack to cool. Spray the pizzelle maker with nonstick spray between each new round of pizzelle.
Dust with powdered sugar if so desired. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- I don’t find the anise flavor overwhelming in this recipe. However, if you want to try the flavor without the risk of overpowering your cookies, you can add only half the amount of anise to the recipe. Alternatively, you can make half of the pizzelle plain, then add anise into the second half of the batter.
- Don’t forget to spray the pizzelle maker with nonstick spray or cooking spray between each batch of Snowflake Cookies. It is common for the Pizzelle to stick if not greased enough.
- Keep a close eye on the pizzelle. These thin waffle cookies can go from perfectly browned to burned in a matter of seconds if not watched closely.
- Use a fork to remove the pizzelle from the iron.
How to Store Pizzelle
Pizzelle can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks or frozen for up to two months.
Make sure your cookies are completely cooled before you store them. You do not want to risk trapping any steam and making your Snowflake Cookies soggy.
Cooled, crisp pizzelle looks beautiful packaged up in clear bags and makes a very festive gift for the holiday season. Share the love of pizzelle with your neighbors or at the next bake sale!
How to Enjoy Pizzelle
Pizzelle is delicious all on its own but you can also dress them up a few different ways.
I’ve seen people dust them with powdered sugar or dip half the pizzelle in chocolate. You can also sandwich chocolate, cookie butter, or Nutella between two pizzelle.
Another way to enjoy Italian Pizzelle Recipe with Anise is by making them into a faux cannoli or waffle cone. To do this, while the cookie is still warm out of the pizzelle press, shape the warm pizzelle into a roll or a cone and fill it with your desired filling. They make perfect cannoli shells!
Recipe FAQs
Pizzelle often gets soft when there is a lot of moisture in the air. To keep them from losing their crispiness, you can keep them in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
Another good option is to omit the baking powder from the recipe altogether if you are baking in a particularly humid place.
Lastly, if your Pizzelle Cookie Recipe has softened over a few days, you can bake the cookies on a cookie sheet in the oven for just a few minutes until they harden/toast back up again.
Pizzelle stay crispy for about 4 days or so. If you keep them in an airtight plastic bag, you may be able to extend this shelf life a bit.
If your cookies begin to soften, follow the instructions above to revive their crispiness.
The word Pizzelle comes from the Italian word “pizze” meaning “round and flat”. Sound like any other round and flat food we know? Hm… Like maybe this Margherita Pizza?!
Pizzelle are a round, flat and crispy cookie. They are great dusted in sugar or served with coffee or even ice cream!
Pizzelle is the oldest known cookie in the world (MIND BLOWN!!). These cookies date back to the 7th or 8th centuries and were thought to originate in Colcullo, a town in the region of Abruzzo, Italy.
Colcullo had been overrun by snakes. When the snakes were chased out of town the townspeople celebrated with a “Festival of the Snakes” in which Pizzelle were served. The festival is one of the oldest in history, and continues to be held each year on May 1 in Italy.
Pizzelle have carried much history in their design as well. The cookies have always looked like snowflakes, but they haven’t always had the same design.
In the past, the Pizzelle Makers used to form the cookies (also called irons) would be individualized to families, including familial crests, etc.
To get the pretty edge, I only cooked one pizzelle at a time and then used scissors to cut around the edge the second that it came out of the pizzelle maker. This is the only time it is pliable enough to easily cut the edges off. It is very hot, so be careful!
This is a very classic pizzelle recipe but it is possible to mix up the flavors in your end product. I’ve seen some recipes that feature alcohol like brandy or whiskey, butter or lemon zest. You can play around with any kind of extract like mint, coconut, maple or orange.
You can also trade out some of the flour for cocoa powder to make chocolate pizzelle.
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Traditional Italian Pizzelle Recipe
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Pizzelle Iron
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp anise seed, optional
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Beat the 3 eggs and ¾ cup sugar together until well-combined.
- Add the ½ cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and ½ tsp anise seeds. Beat again.
- Sift 1 ¾ cup flour and 2 tsp baking powder into the egg mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The batter should be thick enough to be dropped by a spoon (a mix between pancake batter and cookie dough).
- Spray a pizzelle maker with nonstick spray and drop a tablespoon of mixture onto the pizzelle maker.
- Close the pizzelle maker and allow the pizzelle to cook until they are brown. My maker takes about 1 minute and 40 seconds.
- Remove the pizzelle from the pizzelle maker and place flat on a cookie sheet to cool. Spray pizzelle maker with nonstick spray between each new round of pizzelle.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Anise Seeds: Anise seeds or anise extract have a very distinct flavor, that is known to taste like black licorice. If you think you won’t like this flavor, you can also eliminate the anise seeds from the recipe. Anise is a very traditional flavor. You can substitute vanilla extract or almond extract if you prefer.
- Baking Powder: Make sure you do not use baking soda
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract. I don’t find the anise flavor overwhelming in this recipe. However, if you want to try the flavor without the risk of overpowering your cookies, you can add only half the amount of anise to the recipe. Alternatively, you can make half of the pizzelle plain, then add anise into the second half of the batter.
- Don’t forget to spray the pizzelle maker with nonstick spray or cooking spray between each batch of Snowflake Cookies. It is common for the Pizzelle to stick if not greased enough.
- Keep a close eye on the pizzelle. These thin waffle cookies can go from perfectly browned to burned in a matter of seconds if not watched closely.
- Use a fork to remove the pizzelle from the iron.
Sadie says
Just about to make these and noticed the infographic says baking SODA but the instructions say make sure you use baking powder and NOT soda ??? I’m assuming it’s baking powder ?
Looking forward to making this when the baby wakes up 💗💗
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Hi Sadie, thank you so much for pointing out that error! Yes it is baking powder. I will update the ingredient shot right now 🙂
Diane Catalano Rodriguez says
I have a 1970’s Vitantonio Pizzelle maker that I use every Christmas. The original recipe in the box called for 6 eggs, margarine, flour, baking powder and anise extract. My family used anise oil instead. My great aunt had the actual iron that you used to cook each pizzelle on the stove, flipping it over when one side was cooked. I also make chocolate pizzelle with ground hazelnuts…but that is not traditional.
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
I’ve always wanted to try the original pizzelle makers over the stove! They sound so fun to try out, though I’m sure the electric one is a lot easier 🙂 One day I want to try making chocolate pizzelle too! 🙂 Thank you for the comment! I hope you make this recipe and love it!
Remy says
The instructions has no mention about the eggs and sugar.
The Foreign Fork says
Thank you for letting me know! It was written up above but got missed in the recipe card. I just updated it 🙂 Have a great day!
Lydia santoro says
YOU CAN PUT THE COOKIES IN A AIR TIGHT CONTAINER WITH A PIECE OF BREAD AND THEY WILL KEEP FOR ABOUT A MONTH .
Christine says
This is the exact same recipe my aunt made every year. I made a batch today and was a bit out of practice. There is a bit of an art to cooking pizzelles.
The Foreign Fork says
It is definitely an art!! This is the recipe we have been using for decades as well 🙂 Thanks for making them and sharing!