Learn how to make pignoli cookies! These Italian pine nut cookies are chewy, nutty, and full of rich almond flavor. They're perfect for the holidays!
These pignoli cookies are a new addition to my holiday cookie lineup, and I already can’t get enough of them. A toasty, crunchy pine nut crust surrounds the chewy cookies, which are bursting with almond flavor (my favorite at Christmastime). They’re easy to make with 7 ingredients, but I think they’d be the star of any holiday cookie plate.
I first tried pignoli cookies on a trip to Italy years ago, and I re-discovered them more recently at a bakery near our cottage in Michigan. I bought so many over the last few summers that I knew I had to develop my own pignoli cookie recipe to make at home. After some testing and tweaking, I’m so excited to share it with you. Whether you’re new to pignoli cookies or they’re an old holiday favorite, I think you’ll love this recipe!
What are pignoli cookies?
Pignoli cookies are Italian pine nut cookies that likely originated in Sicily. Especially popular around the holidays, they’re traditionally made with just 4 ingredients: pine nuts (called pignoli or pinoli in Italian), almond paste, sugar, and egg whites. The cookies have a similar chewy, delicate texture to a French macaron, and the pine nuts coat the outsides.
I add almond flour and salt to my version to make the dough easier to work with and balance the flavors. Keep reading to learn how to make it!
How to Make Pignoli Cookies
This pignoli cookie recipe calls for a key ingredient that you might not have worked with before: almond paste. Almond paste is simply a paste made from almonds and sugar, and you can find it in the baking aisle of most grocery stores (I like the Odense and Trader Joe’s brands). It’s similar to marzipan, but the two aren’t interchangeable—marzipan contains a higher proportion of sugar, and it won’t work as a substitute in these cookies.
You’ll start by breaking down the almond paste in a food processor. Pulse it with the granulated and powdered sugars, egg white, and salt until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Then, transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the almond flour. It doesn’t incorporate evenly in the food processor, so I mix it in a bowl with a spatula instead.
Shape the cookies by rolling heaping tablespoons of the dough into balls, then rolling them in pine nuts. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and press down on the tops of the balls to flatten them slightly.
Bake at 325°F until lightly golden brown around the edges, 18 to 22 minutes.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Recipe Tips
- Chill the dough if needed. The texture of your cookie dough will depend on what brand of almond paste you use. If it’s too sticky to roll into balls right away, chill it in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to firm up.
- Lightly press the pine nuts into each cookie to help them stick. Your cookies will likely shed a few pine nuts after baking. To prevent too many from falling off, lightly press the pine nuts into the cookie dough before baking.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. These cookies will be very delicate right after you take them out of the oven. To help them set up, let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Pine nuts too pricey? Use slivered almonds instead. If you’ve shopped for pine nuts lately, you’ve probably had sticker shock when you’ve seen the price. I know I have! If you’d like to save a few dollars, feel free to replace the pine nuts with blanched slivered almonds.
How to Store Italian Pignoli Cookies
These pignoli cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
They also freeze well. Seal them in an airtight container or bag, and freeze for up to 3 months! Let frozen cookies sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour to thaw.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
If you love these Italian pine nut cookies, try one of these delicious cookie recipes next:
Pignoli Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (7-ounce) package almond paste, sliced or broken into pieces
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg white
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¾ cup pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, place the almond paste, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, egg white, and salt and pulse to form a thick, smooth paste.
- Transfer to a medium bowl, add the almond flour, and stir to combine.
- Place the pine nuts in a small bowl. Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough, then use your hands to roll them into balls. If the dough is too soft to roll, chill in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to firm up. Roll in the pine nuts, pressing lightly so that the pine nuts stick to the dough.
- Place on the baking sheet, leaving at least an inch between cookies. Press down on the tops of the cookies to flatten them slightly, then bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Your recipes have never failed me!
I’ve made this in the past back when I still had a food processor and it was such a unique and festive cookie. Totally scrumptious.
I no longer have a food processor. Could a blender work here?
Thank you
Can i make the dough a day in advance?
I’m wondering if you rediscovered these at The Mill/The Outpost? That’s where I fell in love with them. So thank you for this recipe! How wonderful and how dangerous to have a whole batch at our fingertips.