Pizzelle Cookies

Italian Pizzelle Cookies are light and crisp, made lighter with less butter and sugar for a tasty holiday treat. Also works great with gluten-free flour!

My mom always made these Italian Pizzelle Cookies around the holidays when I was growing up, and my family loves them. I decided to play around with my mom’s pizzelle cookie recipe to see if I could make them with less butter and sugar. This lighter take on the traditional was delish and my to be honest you can’t tell! For some more light holiday cookies, try my White Chocolate Oatmeal Lace Cookies and Coconut Cookies.

I love baking during the holidays. To ensure that I don’t eat everything I bake, I love to gift the sweets to neighbors and friends. These pizzelle cookies would make excellent gifts wrapped up in a cute clear bag or holiday tin. I tested them out with Bobs Redmill Gluten-Free flour and they came out just as great, if not better.

How to Make Pizzelle Cookies

You will need a pizzelle maker to bake these cookies. Pizzelle irons work similarly to waffle irons. I recommend buying a nonstick one.

To make the pizzelle cookies, beat the egg, egg white, and sugar, and then stir in the wet ingredients (butter, milk, and vanilla). Next, blend in the flour and baking powder. Heat up the iron and lightly spray. Place 1 level tablespoon of batter on each circle and press down. Transfer to a cooling rack before storing.

What is the difference between Krumkake and Pizzelle?

A Pizzelle is a traditional Italian sugar cookie served plain or rolled into a cone and filled with fruit, cream, or ice cream. Krumkake is a thin, delicate embossed Norwegian cookie typically rolled into a cone while still warm and flexible.

What does pizzelle mean in Italian?

Pizzelle means “small, flat, round” in Italian, which is exactly what pizzelle cookies are.

Variations and Tips:

Sub the vanilla extract for anise, orange, lemon or almond extract to switch up the flavor.
Spread Nutella on a pizzelle and top with another to make a pizzelle cookie sandwich.
Dip part of the cookie in chocolate and let harden in the refrigerator for a chocolate-covered pizzelle.
You can also roll them on a dowel to make a cone before they harden.
Rolled pizzelles can be used as cannoli shells.
Pizzelle cookies should last up to a month in a well-sealed container.

More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:

Pizzelle Cookies

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Italian Pizzelle Cookies are light and crisp, made lighter with less butter and sugar for a tasty holiday treat.

1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons melted salted butter
2 tablespoons skim milk or milk of your choice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, or GF flour mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
cooking spray
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for topping

In a large bowl, beat egg, egg white and sugar until thick.
Stir in the melted butter, milk and vanilla.
Sift together the flour and baking powder, and blend into the batter until smooth.
Heat the pizzelle iron. Lightly spray iron with oil.
Drop about one level tablespoon of batter onto each circle on the iron. You may need to experiment with the amount of batter and baking time depending on the iron.
Bake about 45 to 50 seconds, or until steam is no longer coming out of the iron.
Carefully remove cookies from the iron and transfer to a cooling rack.
Repeat with spray and batter.
Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
To serve, top with powdered sugar.

Serving: 2pizzelle, Calories: 91kcal, Carbohydrates: 14.5g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 25mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 7.5g