Pizzelle Recipe (Classic Italian Waffle Cookies)
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Pizzelle cookies are delicate and crisp Italian waffle cookies flavored with anise. Make this Italian cookie recipe for delicious holiday pizzelles! You’ll love the ease of these traditional Italian waffle cookies!
This Italian waffle cookie gets its name from the same word for pizza: pizze, which is Italian for flat or round.
When you add the ending -elle (meaning small), then pizelle translates to “little pizza.”
Don’t be fooled — there’s no marinara here! Keep reading to learn how to make Italian cookies at home, plus the secret to perfect pizzelles.
This classic Italian cookie is actually made using simple ingredients and is quite an easy recipe.
A lot of people make this classic Pizzelle recipe during the holiday season, but I tend to make the crisp cookies whenever the craving hits.
This is what makes this easy Pizzelle recipe the best. You can whip it up in a jiffy.
Pizzelle Cookies
These crispy Italian cookies are made with basic ingredients — flour, sugar, butter, and eggs — and are flavored with vanilla and anise.
Each of the cookies is shaped like a flat disc and can be stamped with a simple or intricate design, depending on the method used to make them.
Different methods will also result in different textures, ranging from firm and crispy to soft and chewy.
Add this pizzelle cookie recipe to your collection of Italian cookies along with tender Easter and wedding cookies or crunchy pignoli and fig cookies too!
Pizzelle Cookie Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Boost the flavor. Toast the anise seeds in a dry skillet on the stove, then crush with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
This really brings out the flavor and aroma. - Try a different extract. If the anise flavor (similar to black licorice) is too strong, leave out the seeds and swap the extract for almond, orange, or lemon extract instead.
Just be sure to still use the vanilla! - Get consistent shapes. Pizzelle batter is very thick and sticky, so it can be hard to transfer off of a spoon onto a waffle maker.
Instead, pipe the batter in a swirl with a large open tip (Wilton 1A) so it fills the whole section when pressed. - Use the right tools! You’ll need a pizzelle maker to create the perfect designs.
- Cool on a wire rack. If you lay each cookie on a flat surface (or stack them), steam will get trapped underneath and prevent them from hardening properly.
Italian Waffle Cookie Serving Suggestions
Pizzelle cookies are delicious on their own or topped with a variety of creams and spreads.
Add a thin layer of hazelnut spread or your favorite jam, or sandwich cannoli cream between two cookies for an extra sweet treat.
A simple dusting of powdered sugar adds an elegant touch, while a dessert dip that tastes like truffles or smores will put these over the top!
You can also wrap warm cookies around a wooden cone or dowel to form cannoli shells or ice cream cones.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer
- Pizzelle Iron – They make specialty presses for pizzelles that create the perfect crisp cookie!
- Round Biscuit or Cookie Cutter – It should be 5-inches in diameter to trim off the rough edges of your pizzelle cookies.
Pizzelle Cookies FAQ
Sure! As written, this pizzelle cookie recipe made about a dozen 5” Italian waffle cookies on a standard sized waffle iron.
You can increase the amounts for a larger batch — it will just take you longer to cook them all. Why not spread the holiday cheer with this favorite Christmas cookie and make enough to feed a small village?
The more the merrier when it comes to these Italian Christmas cookies!
There are actually a few! First, prepare the dough exactly as directed to ensure that each cookie is light and crisp.
Beat the eggs until they become pale in color (this adds air), and stop stirring once there are no more streaks of flour at the end (this prevents too much gluten).
Next, make sure your iron is fully heated before adding the batter. Use a piping bag with a large open round tip to swirl the batter onto the press — this ensures more even coverage and allows it to squeeze into every nook and cranny when the lid is closed.
Don’t stress! You can make your own piping bag with a Ziploc storage bag instead. Fill a gallon-sized freezer bag with your batter (or sauce), then snip off one of the bottom corners.
Cut off more for a larger opening, similar to a large open piping tip, or snip off just the closed corner to pipe more intricate designs and lettering.
The good news is that you can enjoy these thin Italian waffle cookies in any way that you want for your own personal consumption. Some people eat Italian pizzelle cookies just like they are while others enjoy the traditional flavor with a cup of hot coffee or tea.
I like to add the crisp pizzelle to a cookie tin and treat myself during Christmas time. These are family favorites in my house, so we always make sure that we have a batch to share with family and friends on our Christmas cookie tray every single year.
Prep Ahead Instructions
Because this pizzelle recipe comes together so quickly, I highly recommend making your treats fresh.
That said, the dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Wrap it tightly in plastic or keep it in an airtight container, then bring to room temperature on the counter before pressing.
How To Store Pizzelles
Allow cookies to cool completely, then transfer them to a storage bag or airtight container. They can be stacked as long as they are no longer warm.
Store at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks or wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap and freeze for several months!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Italian Dessert Recipes
Pizzelle Recipe (Classic Italian Waffle Cookies)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon anise extract, optional (SEE NOTE #2)
- 1 tablespoon anise seed, ground (SEE NOTE #2)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Heat pizzelle waffle iron while preparing the batter.
- Measure 1 tablespoon anise seed into a small saucepan. Heat over medium for about 1 minute, stirring regularly, until seeds are toasted. Transfer toasted anise seed to a pestle and grind with a mortar until finely ground.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until pale yellow and slightly thickened (about 3 minutes).
- Beat in melted butter, vanilla extract, ground anise seed, and anise extract, if using.
- Combine flour and a pinch of salt and add to the egg mixture. Toss in the ground anise seed and then mix everything together, just until combined. Batter will be very thick.
- Brush the waffle iron with a bit of melted butter if it is not a non-stick iron.
- Add 2 tablespoons of batter to each space on the pizzelle waffle iron. Use a piping bag with a large open tip (like tip 1A) to pipe a flatter, more widely distributed swirl of batter onto the iron.
- Close the iron and cook until the pizzelles are golden brown. Remove from iron.
- Use a 5” biscuit or cookie cutter to trim any excess batter from the embossed pizzelle shape.
- Allow pizzelles to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Donna’s Notes
- Some recipes use baking powder in their batter – this gives a slightly softer, thicker pizzelle. Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder with the flour and salt to try this method.
- This recipe produces a crisp, thin cookie. The ground anise seed adds some texture and flavor. For even more anise flavor, use anise extract as well as the seed. Toasting the anise seed adds a nuttier fragrance to the spice. The difference is subtle and it is not necessary to toast the anise seed.
- Two tablespoons of batter was about the right amount to fill out the full 5” pizzelle space. On a nonstick iron, it’s difficult to spread the batter as it is very thick and slides off the plate. A scoop in the center of the iron tends to spread unevenly (squishing out the front without fully covering the back of the space, for example). Piping a swirl of batter onto the plate turned out perfect pizzelles every time.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published April 2022, updated and republished February 2024
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Could you make these in a regular waffle iron?
Hi Mimi,
I haven’t tried making pizzelle in a waffle maker, but I think it could work! Also, some people who don’t have a pizzelle iron bake the pizzelle on a griddle and use a griddle press to flatten the cookies. I hope it works well for you!
TSRI Team member,
Becca
These actually turned out great for me! I loved the taste, and my kids ate them up! Definitely a hit in my house!
Is a pizzelle iron different from a krumkake iron?
the two irons are very similar. my krumkake iron has no design on it, but some do!
What if I only have jumbo eggs how do you judge
How many to use????
My mom always made Pizzelle cookies for as long as I can remember. She grew up in North Denver in a neighborhood that had a lot Italian families that lived there. She learned how to make a lot of their cookies. Her recipe calls for baking powder, I never knew that makes the cookies a little thicker and not as crisp as your recipe! I used your recipe this year and could really tell the difference between the two. I really enjoyed your recipe and will be making it again! Your recipe is only 1/4 of my mom’s recipe, so I doubled yours which then made it be half of my mom’s. Thank you for explaining the difference between using baking powder and not using it! I have made a few of your recipes and I really enjoy them! Thank for sharing your gift of cooking and baking!
Hi Gail,
We are so happy to hear that! Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Can these be rolled like krumcake
Very good! Sending these to a friend for her bday. I couldn’t find anise seed so I used the extract (next time I will use more extract unless I can find seeds)
If you don’t use the anise seeds do you add extra anise extract? How much? And still add the vanilla extract?
Thank you😊
These cookies came out perfect just chrispie enough. defiantly need to cool on wire rack. I used med cookie scoop even filled it worked great
We soak the anise seeds in brandy overnight! Makes the flavor pop! Great recipe
Hi Keri!
We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe!
TSRI Team member,
Devlyn
I thought I would check to see if anyone ever used a piping bag to put the batter on the pizzelle iron. Great
I will make my next batch that way.
I made gingerbread pizzelle they were a big hit! I will try your recipe next, my iron is probably from the 1950s from Italy belonged to my mother. I have the Pestel cookbook app it is awesome!
Cooking4sure thanks!!
Hi Cooking4sure!
We’re glad you enjoyed. Let us know how it turns out!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn