Anise Italian Cookies
Italian Anise Cookies are a soft, lightly sweet treat with a unique licorice-like flavor that instantly transports you to a cozy Italian kitchen. With their pretty twisted shape, delicate frosting, and colorful sprinkles, they’re as beautiful as they are delicious. These cookies are often made around the holidays, but we think they deserve a spot on your table year-round.
This recipe brings back so many warm memories for us. Growing up, these cookies were a staple at every Christmas, wedding, and family gathering. There’s just something special about that first bite, soft and tender, with the gentle aroma of anise and a sweet glaze on top. We love making a batch, putting on some music, and letting the kitchen fill with that nostalgic bakery scent.
If you love cookies that look just as good as they taste, you might also enjoy our Soft Ricotta Cookies, Italian Sprinkle Cookies, or Wine Cookies.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and tender texture: These cookies stay moist and fluffy with every bite.
- Delightful anise flavor: A touch of anise extract gives a warm, unique taste that feels festive.
- Pretty presentation: Twisted into figure eights, frosted, and sprinkled—they’re a showstopper.
- Perfect for celebrations: Ideal for holidays, parties, or just a cozy afternoon treat.
Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
The star of these cookies is the anise extract, which gives them their signature flavor. The combination of softened butter and powdered sugar makes the dough light and airy, while the eggs add richness. The flour, baking powder, and salt give them structure without making them dense. For the frosting, a little heavy cream helps create that perfect, spreadable consistency, and colorful sprinkles add the finishing touch.
Variations
- Lemon twist: Replace the anise extract with lemon extract for a bright, citrusy flavor.
- Almond delight: Swap the anise for almond extract for a nutty sweetness.
- Chocolate drizzle: Instead of sprinkles, drizzle with melted chocolate once the frosting sets.
- Holiday colors: Match your sprinkles to the occasion such as red and green for Christmas, pastel for Easter.
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and anise extracts.
- Mix in flour, salt, and baking powder to form dough. Shape into figure eights and place on baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 10–12 minutes. Meanwhile, make the icing.
- Cool completely before frosting and decorating.
Expert Tips
- Use room-temperature butter for a smoother dough.
- Don’t overbake! Pull them out as soon as the edges turn golden.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting to prevent the glaze from melting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes! You can bake the cookies a day in advance and frost them the next day for the freshest look and flavor.
Absolutely. Freeze them unfrosted for up to two months, then thaw and frost before serving.
No, you can substitute vanilla, almond, or lemon extract if you prefer a different flavor.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Anise Italian Cookies
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- cookie sheets or baking sheets
- Cookie scoop
- small bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ teaspoons anise extract
- 3 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Frosting:
- 4-6 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon anise extract
- Sprinkles to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and the powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla and anise extracts and beat. (The batter will look curdled at this point, but will change.)
- Add in the flour, salt and baking powder until a dough forms.
- Use a 1 ½ Tbsp cookie scoop to create equal sized portions. Roll the ball into a long roll, about 6-7” in length. Twist the cookie into a figure 8 shape, connecting the ends.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet about 2” apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the cookies start to turn golden on the edges. Remove and allow the cookies to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, place the powdered sugar, vanilla and anise extract in a bowl and slowly whisk in the heavy cream until you reach a consistency for the frosting to stick to cookies, but not run off.
- Dip the top of the cookies in the frosting and sprinkle the top with sprinkles of choice. Let the frosting harden for about 10 minutes.
Notes
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
