Classic Italian Pizzelle : My Family Recipe (2024)

Italian pizzelle are thin Italian waffle cookies that are crisp and flavored with anise. You only need a few ingredients and a pizzelle iron to make this pizzelle recipe.

Pizzelle in Italian basically means small rounds. Pizze means round or flat and is the same root word that pizza comes from.

This pizzelle recipe makes a classic Italian pizzelle cookie flavored with anise and it is lightly sweet and crisp. If you are not familiar with anise (or anise seed), it has a flavor of black licorice so you only use a little bit in this recipe.

I grew up eating these pizzelle cookies that my grandmother made at every family get-together and on holidays. These Italian cookies have so many great memories associated with them.

This is our family's recipe. We want you to make them a tradition in your home like we have in ours. Make them at Christmas time, the holidays, or anytime you want a delicious traditional Italian cookie.

Let me show you how easy it is to make these classic cookies at home.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Eggs. I use large eggs for this pizzelle recipe.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar is perfect for this recipe.
• Butter. This is a butter pizzelle recipe so you will need unsalted butter.
• Vanilla extract. The best quality you can find.
• Anise extract (or anise oil)

How to Measure The Anise for This Pizzelle Recipe

This pizzelle cookie recipe is a classic pizzelle recipe that uses anise and a little vanilla. It is the recipe my Italian grandmother taught me to use and the one I use to this day.

If you are not careful when measuring anise, it can overpower your pizzelle. I learned this the hard way when I began using my grandmother's recipe card for this recipe and found out that she altered this one ingredient on it.

My grandmother felt you should be in the kitchen learning to cook, not using recipe cards. After much trial and error, I have found the perfect ratio of anise to use.

So the perfect way to measure anise so it is not too strong is to pour the anise onto a spoon and carefully let it drop into the pizzelle dough. This recipe has the perfect ratio to use so that it has a very faint flavor and makes these Italian pizzelle taste amazing!It is the same tasting pizzelle I grew up eating.

How to Make

Making these Italian pizzelle cookies could not be any easier. You are merely adding all of your ingredients to a large bowl and mixing it together.

1. Make pizzelle dough by combining all of the ingredients.
2. Preheat the pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.
3. To make the cookies, you will want to scoop a good tablespoon full of dough onto your pizzelle iron and then close it, and cook for about 30 seconds to one minute. While every iron varies you will want to follow your manufacturer's instructions.

You can almost always tell when they are about ready when the steam slows down coming out of the pizzelle maker.

When I start to see that steam slow down I will give a little peak by gently lifting the top of the pizzelle maker and seeing if the outside is a nice light golden color.

2. Once the cookies are ready, you want to gently scoop them off with a spatula and place them onto a cooling rack. They will be somewhat soft and pliable for a few seconds until they cool.

If you wondered how to make crisp pizzelle this is it. This cooling time is when they get nice and crispy so make sure to let them cool fully.

About the Pizzelle Batter

The batter is very thick and sticky. When you scoop it up with a spoon, it will stick to the spoon so you will have to push it off with your finger to get it onto the pizzelle maker.

When I make these, I always like to have lots of paper towels on hand so I can wipe my fingers off in between scooping out the dough.

Can You Make Pizzelle Without a Pizzelle Maker (Pizzelle Iron)

To make these Italian cookies, you will need a special pizzelle iron, which is a lot like a waffle iron. If you have never seen one,it has grooves on it like a waffle iron but the grooves are more shallow.

These are very cheap to buy (as long as you buy them well before the Christmas holidays) and last a long time! I think I paid $20.00 for mine over 15 years ago and it is still going strong.

You can make homemade ice cream cones and faux cannoli shells with these as well if you want to put it to use more often.

You can technically place your dough onto a hot griddle and place a hot grill press over top. This will take some experimentation for how long to do this.

You won't get that beautiful pattern that you would get with the pizzelle maker. I have made a cookie recipe that uses this dough with a cookie press for those who love the flavor but do not have a pizzelle maker.

They are not traditional but they are delicious and more of a classic cookie than a flat waffle cookie.

I would caution against trying to make these with a waffle maker. It will not come out as cookies.

Recipe Tips

Making Cannoli Shells

At the point that the pizzelle is just coming out of the hot iron, you can shape them into a mock cannoli or into ice cream cone shapes since they are pliable. Just make sure to have something cylindrical on hand so you are ready to make the shapes when you are making these.

I like to use the end of my tapered rolling pin to make cannoli shapes.

Cleaning up the edges

The last step when making these cookies is cleaning up the edges after they have cooled. This is fun and part of the pizzelle tradition.

If you can see from the picture above, they will go over the edge of the pattern a little on the pizzelle maker. Once they are fully cooled, you just gently snap the edges that go past and your pizzelle are all set!

We nibble on these pieces as we go!

Storing pizzelle

These traditional Italian cookies are meant to be eaten right away or the same day you make them but you can store them in an airtight container or bag for up to a few days with good results.

Freezing

Yes! Just let them cool completely and then wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-proof container for up to 2 months. To thaw, just remove them from the freezer and place them on the counter to come to room temperature.

Pizzelle are all about tradition and bringing people together. You can make this recipe your own by switching up the flavors or make these pizzelle as is but remember to enjoy the company you are with when you make them.

Faqs

More Italian Desserts

If you love this classic recipe for pizzelle cookies, you may also like:

How to serve

I love making these cookies during the holidays to go with my classic cheesecake or to serve alongside my eggnog martini or non-alcoholic eggnog. I also love ending holiday meals like beef brisket or roasted prime rib with them.

We also make these throughout the year on the weekends. In our Italian family, these pizzelle are made on Sundays to end a meal of either pasta Genovese, or cheesy polenta,or Italian baked meatballs or pasta with bolognese sauce.

These cookies are ideal for holiday gift-giving and sharing with friends and family. Here are some ideas on how to do that:

• Italian Christmas Cookies Box: These Italian waffle cookies go really well with, Citrus Snowball Cookies, with Shortbread Cookies, and Citrus Sugar Cookies.
• Holiday Bake Sale: Make a whole table of delicious desserts for a bake sale and show off these pizzelle. We love making classic carrot cake, with almond vanilla cake, and mini cheesecake bites, and creamy lemon squares and Italian apple cake to go with these pizzelle.

Whenever you decide to make these traditional Italian waffle cookies, just lay them out on a plate after they have cooled and dust them with powdered sugar to enjoy right away. They are a treat for any occasion.