07/13/2026
🇮🇹🍪 PIGNOLI COOKIES – ITALIAN PINE NUT COOKIES 🍪🇮🇹
Soft, chewy, naturally gluten-free, and covered with golden pine nuts… these beautiful Italian cookies taste like Christmas at Nonna’s house. ❤️
Pignoli Cookies are a beloved Southern Italian treat, especially popular in Sicily and Campania. Made with rich almond paste, honey, egg white, and pine nuts, they have a soft, chewy center with a delicate crunch on the outside.
You’ll often find them on traditional Italian-American holiday cookie trays alongside biscotti, ricotta cookies, and amaretti — but they’re far too delicious to enjoy only during the holidays!
Serve them with espresso, cappuccino, tea, or a small glass of Vin Santo for a truly special Italian moment. ☕✨
👇 SAVE OR PRINT RECIPE HERE:
https://mangiawithnonna.com/pignoli-cookies-italian-pine-nut-cookies/
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🍪 SERVINGS & TIME
Yield: About 20 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
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🧾 INGREDIENTS
• 8 oz (225 g) almond paste
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg white
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (60 g) pine nuts
• Powdered sugar, for dusting
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👩🏻🍳 INSTRUCTIONS
🔥 1. Prepare the oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
🥣 2. Mix the almond paste and sugar
Break the almond paste into small pieces and place it in a food processor.
Add the granulated sugar and pulse until the mixture becomes fine and crumbly.
🍯 3. Add the wet ingredients
Add the honey, egg white, and salt.
Process again until the dough becomes smooth, sticky, and holds together easily.
👐 4. Shape the cookies
Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, portion the dough and roll it gently between your palms to form small balls.
🌰 5. Coat with pine nuts
Roll each ball in the pine nuts, pressing them gently into the dough so they adhere well.
🍪 6. Bake
Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between them.
Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but the centers are still soft.
❄️ 7. Cool and decorate
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.
Once cooled, dust generously with powdered sugar.
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💡 NONNA’S TIPS
• Do not overbake them. Pignoli Cookies should remain soft and chewy in the center.
• Always use fresh pine nuts, since older pine nuts can develop a bitter or rancid flavor.
• For a slightly less sweet cookie, reduce the sugar a little and allow the almond flavor to shine.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.
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These cookies may look elegant and sophisticated, but they’re surprisingly simple to prepare — and every bite is filled with almond flavor, toasted pine nuts, and wonderful Italian nostalgia. 🇮🇹❤️
👇 SAVE OR PRINT RECIPE HERE:
https://mangiawithnonna.com/pignoli-cookies-italian-pine-nut-cookies/
Who else remembers seeing Pignoli Cookies on the holiday table at Nonna’s house? 🍪🌰