Pignoli Cookies
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
These Italian pignoli cookies are so easy yet so impressive. Their crisp exterior is covered in soft, buttery pine nuts but the interior stays chewy and velvety thanks to the almond paste base, just like you’d get at an Italian bakery.

Some of my favorite holiday experiences from my childhood and adulthood center around Italian holiday traditions, since I grew up with Italian immigrant grandparents, as did my husband. When we found ourselves as two adults blending traditions, we both discovered brand new foods and experiences, and one of my favorite discoveries was pignoli cookies.
My in-laws were always trying to perfect the recipe, since these cookies are not cheap to buy (or make, honestly, but they’re cheaper to make than buy!!), and one bite of these cookies and I knew I’d nailed it.
Pignoli feature a chewy almond paste interior and a crunchy pine nut exterior. While they are an Italian delicacy and look like they’d be an intense cookie to make, it’s actually a really easy cookie recipe and sure to become a family favorite in your house, too!

WHAT ARE PIGNOLI COOKIES?
Pignoli cookies are a classic Italian cookie recipe that can be found in any Italian bakery worth their salt! They are chewy and soft on the inside, with a golden exterior that is encrusted in toasted pine nuts.
Made with almond paste and egg white, the soft cookie batter is rolled in pine nuts before baking just until the edges are beginning to brown. This makes for a sweet and salty cookie that has a surprisingly chewy center that feels underdone to those who have never had the pleasure of enjoying one.

This pignoli cookie recipe (known as “Amaretti con Pignoli” in Italian, translating to “Italian almond-flavored cookies with pine nuts” en English) is an authentic Italian treat. These cookies are most popular during holidays, but work well year round either on their own or with some espresso.
Pignoli Cookie Recipe ingredients
The truly wonderful thing about pignoli cookies is how short and simple the ingredient list is. There are just 6 ingredients needed to make this classic Italian cookie recipe, and you’ll be surprised how quickly they come together.
When you’re baking with just a few ingredients you may notice that the quality of ingredients are more important to the results when compared to a typical cookie recipe. That’s true for these too, although it’s less about the quality of a basic ingredient (like powdered sugar for example), and rather about using high-quality ingredients you may not be totally familiar with.
Enter: almond paste and pine nuts.

ALMOND PASTE: this is the heart of the inside of the pignoli cookies. It’s sticky and sturdy and brings a mega chewy texture. This is not the same as marzipan, which is much sweeter.
POWDERED SUGAR: this will bring all the sweetness necessary for these cookies. Using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar keeps the texture smooth.
VANILLA EXTRACT: just a little vanilla to balance the flavor of almond and pine nuts.
SALT: don’t leave it out! The almond paste is very strong and very sweet. The salt will help balance out the sweetness.
EGG WHITE: this is the “glue” that helps keep the cookie dough together. Without the yolk, we get a lighter feel in the cookie. Use your leftover yolk to make my small batch chocolate chip cookies!
PINE NUTS: these are not a cheap nut, but they are worth it for these cookies, I promise.

HOW TO MAKE PIGNOLI COOKIES
Before you get started on this pignoli cookies recipe, make sure to prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper OR a silicone baking mat. If you want to bake all of your cookies at once prep two sheets, but if you don’t mind working in two batches one is fine.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and fill a small bowl with your pine nuts. This ensures they are ready to go when the time comes. And yesssss, you can totally sneak a few as long as no one is watching. But remember that they are pricey so be careful!

STEP #1
Cut or break apart the almond paste and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and egg white and pulse the mixture until it is smooth.



STEP #2
Place the pine nuts in a medium size bowl, then, using a cookie scoop, drop one ball of dough into the bowl of pine nuts. Use your fingers to gently roll the dough around in the pine nuts. The dough will be soft and sticky, so the pine nuts should stick well, but if they don’t, use your fingers to gently press them into the cookie dough. You do not need to roll the bottoms of the cookie dough balls in the pine nuts.



STEP #3
Repeat step 2 with the rest of the dough, placing no more than 8 cookies on one prepared baking sheet. Bake the pignoli cookies for 16-18 minutes or until they are puffed and lightly browned around the edges.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Pignoli cookies are somewhat fragile when they are still very warm, so it’s best to give them a chance to cool down and set up a bit before moving them around too much. Trust me– it’s worth the wait!
You will notice that the centers may feel a bit “undone,” but this is totally ok! In fact, it’s part of the charm of pignoli cookies. They have a crunchy, nutty exterior that envelopes a deliciously soft middle. It’s how they become one of your favorite cookies. They just casually draw you in with an unsuspecting and delicious center.

STORING a Pignoli Cookie
If you have any leftovers (and that’s a big “if”), they store easily at room temperature. In fact, I recommend storing them at room temperature to preserve their deliciously unique texture.
As long as your cookies are wrapped tightly, they will store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
How to freeze a Pignoli
If you want to freeze the cookies instead, you can absolutely do that. They freeze like a dream. All you have to do is add the completely cooled cookies to a freezer bag, label them, and add to the freezer. They keep like this for up to 3 months– just thaw them at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy.
Pignoli Cookie FAQs
Something that seems to surprise people when they try their first pignoli cookie is that they seem underdone in the middle. This is completely typical for this cookie, and it is part of their charm (who doesn’t love a little surprise?).
This is another name for pine nuts or pine kernels.

The chewy insides enveloped by a toasty, nutty exterior is the quintessential Italian experience. I assure you– it’s totally ok and you’re going to come to love it really quick. Promise.
You might even add this amazing pignoli cookie to your go-to list thanks to its ease of production, texture dream come true, and unique nutty flavor combination. And you may also have a hard time sharing…
If you’re enjoying my 12 days of cookies (so far) this year, you have to check out some of the recipes I’ve shared in years past. A few of my favorites include easy Christmas Oreos, classic snickerdoodles (I also have a chewy version), and these no chill Andes mint cookies. Which one do you want to try next?



Pignoli Cookie
Ingredients
- 7 ounces (198g) almond paste
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg white
- ½ cup (70g) pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Cut or break apart the almond paste and place into the bowl of a food processor. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and egg white and pulse until smooth.
- Place the pine nuts in a medium size bowl, then, using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies), drop one ball of dough into the bowl of pine nuts. Use your fingers to gently roll the dough around in the pine nuts. The dough will be soft and sticky, so the pine nuts should stick well, but if they don't, use your fingers to gently press them into the cookie dough. You do not need to roll the bottoms of the cookie dough balls in the pine nuts.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing no more than 8 cookies on one prepared baking sheet. Bake the pignoli cookies for 16-18 minutes or until they are puffed and lightly browned around the edges. Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies will look and feel underdone in the centers, and this is ok. Store leftovers covered tightly at room temperature up to 5 days. Cookies freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
My Grandma used to make these cookies and I haven’t had them in years, just like hers! Thank you!
Thank YOU! 🙂
They are SO GOOD! Thanks, Julie!
I’m always on the lookout for cookies that are new to me, and these are so interesting! The flavor isn’t like any other. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Megan!
My friend LOVES pine nuts and I had to resist sending this to her so I can surprise her with a batch on her birthday. They look amazing and easy!
So so good and so simple!
Thank you so much!
This is the best pignoli recipe I have tried to date! I’ve made a lot of pignoli too! Couldn’t find one like my mom’s. This is it. Thanks so much for posting…..
Thank you so much, Jeannette!
Super yummy and easy!
Thanks so much, Amanda 🙂
Easy and really delicious! *Quick note. I cooled and stored in a container with other cookies. Next day, these were essentially dough again (not just normal chewy center… entire cookie was raw again. Any suggestions as to what I did wrong or how I can correct?
Hi, Brooke– I’m so glad you like these cookies as much as we do! As far as them getting gooey again, they likely just absorbed some of the moisture from the other cookies and reverted back to super squish. While I understand that’s not the desired texture, there’s certainly nothing unsafe or wrong about consuming them this way, since it is actually baked. I’d just store them separately from other cookies in the future! If you want to salvage the ones you’re speaking of, I’d just let them sit out overnight to lose some of that extra moisture. Let me know how it turns out if you go that route!
Too many ads. Won’t be back. Copy keeps jumping around on page. Too bad. Recipe seemed good. I guess you get what you pay for.
Hey, Mich! You’re right. You didn’t have to pay a single penny to come to my website, which is how I earn a living and help support my family. If you’re interested in an ad-free experience, you can buy a membership to my site or purchase a cookbook. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m a GF and Italian friend here! I love these cookies. They are exceptional in taste AND exquisite in appearance! They look like they’d be super complicated, which makes it even MORE fun, when I can show folks this recipe and explain just how easy they are to put together! You won’t stop thinking about the texture of these for days after consumption (at least I haven’t!). Thanks, Lynn!!
Thank you so much, Laura! I appreciate your thorough review!
I have never made these type of cookies before. But ever since the whole “melissa brought me sprinkle cookies, I don’t like sprinkle cookies, I like pignoli cookies” trend, I had to make them. I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of almond, but trying anyway. Waiting to put them in the oven. I’ll let yall know how they came out!!! Thank you for a easy recipe
How were they, Jenny?
Absolutely amazing. Truly. I’m making them again right now. Doubled the recipe to bring them to work tomorrow. Thank you for an AWESOME recipe !!!
This makes me so happy! Thank you, Jenny!