Italian Wedding Cookies – crumbly buttery shortbread cookies with ground almonds and white sugary coating that melt in your mouth.
Even though they are called “wedding cookies”, besides wedding dinner reception, these cookies are being served on every Italian family gathering like Communion party, Confirmation party, Baby Showers or through Christmas Holidays.
There are so many similar cookies like Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Snowball Cookies, Butter Balls or my mothers’ Vanilla Crescent Cookies. They are all a kind of buttery shortbread cookies made with or without various nuts and spices added.
Italian Wedding Cookies are made with ground almonds to which I added a few drops of almond extract to enhance flavor even more.
This recipe could easily become a staple in your holiday cookie collection.

- 1 cup (225 g) butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 drops almond extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 100 g (3.5 oz) ground almonds
- powdered sugar for rolling
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Mix butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract either by hand or using food processor.
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Add flour and salt and mix until blended.
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Add ground almonds and keep mixing until large lumps of dough form.
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Take about 1 tablespoon of dough and form into a ball. Place each ball on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Repeat until all of the dough is used.
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Bake Italian Wedding Cookies in 204 C (400 F) preheated fan oven for about 7 minutes (regular ovens may need a few minutes more). Cookies should not turn brown.
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Let cookies cool enough that they are still warm to the touch, but can be handled without breaking (about 5-10 minutes). Roll cookies in powdered sugar and let cool completely.
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When cookies are totally cooled, roll them in powdered sugar one more time.
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Store in an air tight container with a paper towel between rows of cookies.
This recipe was first published on: December 1st, 2018
I love these cookies! They look perfect and so buttery!