Anise cookies are soft, traditional Italian Christmas cookies flavored with sweet, licorice-like anise seed extract, dipped in glaze, and topped with colorful sprinkles. Also called anisette cookies, they’re so easy to make and perfect for a holiday cookie plate!
If you love these fun and easy holiday cookies, check out my classic cut-out sugar cookies, these thumbprint cookies, and spritz cookies, next!
Easy Anise Cookies (Italian Anisette)
Back in the day, I received this anise cookies recipe on a handwritten card from one of my aunts. These bite-sized cookies have been a staple on our Christmas cookie trays ever since I can remember, and they’re so fun and easy to make. If you’ve never heard of them before, Italian anise cookies, or anisette, are soft cookies with a subtle, licorice-like flavor from anise extract. They’re a traditional Italian Christmas cookie, glazed with icing and finished with a shower of sprinkles.
Why I Love This Anise Cookies Recipe
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture. The texture of these anise cookies is tender and delicate, with a butteriness that reminds me a bit of snowball cookies or soft sugar cookies. The glazed cookies practically melt in your mouth.
- Easy to make. These are drop cookies, so there’s no need to chill, roll out, or cut the cookie dough before baking. Simply mix up the dough and shape it into balls.
- Perfect for the holidays. Anise cookies are a holiday favorite! These always make an appearance at Christmastime and they’re great to make for parties and gatherings. It’s a perfect bite-sized treat to share with guests.
- Adaptable. Typically, these Italian cookies are flavored with anise extract which resembles black licorice. However, this can easily be swapped out for vanilla or almond extract if you prefer. You can also customize this cookie recipe with add-ins, from nuts to dried fruit.
Ingredient Notes
These Italian anise cookies are super simple to make and bake very quickly. Their signature flavor and soft, cake-like texture come down to a few key ingredients. I’ve shared some quick notes here, and you’ll find a printable ingredients list in the recipe card below the post.
- Oil – I make these cookies with vegetable oil instead of butter. Similar to cakes made with oil, it keeps the texture extra soft and tender.
- Anise Extract – Anise is what gives Italian anisette cookies their signature flavor. If you’d prefer, you can flavor your cookies with another extract, like vanilla, almond or even lemon extract. Note that anise extract is extra potent, so the measured amounts will be different if you use another extract (for example, when I made these cookies with almond extract, I used 1 ½ tablespoons).
- Flour – The exact amount of flour you’ll need for this recipe can vary. This is because as the dough comes together, you may need to add flour so that it’s no longer sticky. I usually keep an additional ½ cup handy in addition to what’s listed in the recipe card.
- Baking Powder – Not to be confused with baking soda. Make sure that your leavening is fresh and not expired, otherwise your cookies won’t rise properly while they bake.
For the Glaze
- Butter – I like to use unsalted butter. Melt the butter in the microwave before you start.
- Flavoring Extract – This can be additional anise extract, or you can use vanilla or almond extract.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar. I recommend sifting the powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve to break up any clumps. This way, you’ll end up with a super-smooth glaze. You can thin out the glaze with a little milk if needed.
What Flavor Is Anise?
Anise has an aromatic, sweet, and spicy flavor that resembles black licorice. It’s a spice made from ground anise seeds, and you’ll also find it in extract form like in this recipe. It’s key to these Christmas cookies’ distinctive taste and aroma.
How to Make Anise Cookies
My aunt’s original recipe is for 6 dozen anise cookies. That’s A LOT of cookies! I cut her recipe in thirds, and made my cookies about 1-2 teaspoon size, which makes 36 cookies. If you make them larger (1 tablespoons size), this recipe yields 18-22 cookies, and you’ll need to adjust the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Follow the steps below, and make sure to scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Get out a large bowl, then beat the wet ingredients together. Once that’s combined, cream in the sugar.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, add the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients. If your dough is sticky, add additional flour, one spoonful at a time. I like to work the dough with my hands until it’s no longer sticky.
- Shape the cookie dough. Now, you’ll scoop the dough into balls, rolling it between your hands before placing the cookies onto a lined baking sheet. I prefer smaller cookies, so I recommend approximately 2 teaspoons in size (they’ll puff up in the oven as they bake).
- Bake. These anise cookies take 5-6 minutes to bake in a 400ºF oven. The bottoms of the cookies should be lightly golden when you move them to a wire rack to cool.
- Make the glaze. Wait until your cookies have cooled completely before you glaze them. When you’re ready, whisk the glaze ingredients together, adding milk as needed to get the right consistency.
- Decorate. One at a time, dip the anise cookies into the glaze, tapping lightly to let the excess drip off. Add sprinkles and repeat until all the cookies are iced and decorated.
Recipe Tips
- Line the baking sheet. I recommend lining the pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to help with browning and spreading.
- Keep an eye on the cookies. When testing this recipe, I quickly realized that even a minute’s difference in the baking time could result in overbaked cookies! I bake my smaller cookies for 6 minutes, and they come out perfect. Consider testing a small batch of cookies to get the timing right before going ahead with a full batch. Otherwise, watch the cookies closely while they bake.
- Don’t let the cookies rest on the baking sheet. Once your anise cookies are out of the oven, move them from the baking sheet to a wire rack right away. This way, the cookies won’t continue to “bake” on the residual heat of the baking sheet.
How to Store
- At room temperature. Store your Italian anise cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The glazed cookies tend to soften over time, so I recommend enjoying them withing 2-3 days.
- Make-ahead. If you bake your cookies ahead of time, I recommend waiting to add the glaze until you’re ready to serve them. Store the unfrosted cookies airtight and make a fresh batch of glaze on the day.
- Freeze. It’s best to freeze these anise cookies without the glaze. Prepare the cookies as written, let them cool to room temperature, and freeze them in an airtight container. Thaw the cookies before glazing and serving.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
Anise Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Anise cookies are tender, traditional Italian Christmas cookies dipped in a creamy glaze and finished with colorful sprinkles. Each bite is flavored with soft, licorice-like anise.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup of milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons anise extract (see notes)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus additional ½ cup as needed)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
For the Glaze
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½– 1 teaspoon extract to taste (anise, vanilla or almond)
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3–4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
For the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients and beat until well mixed, then add the sugar and continue mixing until well combined.
- Next, add 2 cups flour and the baking powder and mix until the dough comes together.
- At this point, the dough may be very sticky. If so, add additional flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time, and work it in with your hands until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch.
- Form balls of dough with about 2 teaspoons worth of dough and roll between your palms to form the balls. Place dough balls on the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 5-6 minutes just until the bottom of the cookies are very light brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
For the Glaze
- Combine the melted butter, extract, and powdered sugar and whisk. As the glaze thickens, slowly add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze, gently tap on the side of the bowl to remove excess glaze, and add sprinkles. Allow the glaze to harden before serving.
Notes
- Varying amounts of flour: The amount of flour will vary depending on how sticky your dough is. Once the dough starts to form in the mixer, add additional flour 1-2 tablespoons at a time, working it with a spatula or your hands until the dough is no longer sticky between your hands.
- Anise extract: Anise extract resembles black licorice. If you prefer something different you can make these with vanilla, almond or even lemon extract. I made them with almond extract and used 1 ½ tablespoons of extract for the cookies. Anise extract is very powerful, so the measured amounts will be different than if you were to use other extracts.
- Glaze: You may or may not want to flavor your glaze with extract. Vanilla pairs well with anise if you used anise extract for the cookies.
- Freezing instructions: You can prepare the cookies and freeze them unfrosted in an airtight container. Thaw prior to frosting.
- Storing frosted cookies: These should be stored in an airtight container. Once the glaze has been added, it will soften the cookie. They are best enjoyed within 2 days of frosting.
- How many cookies does this make? If you make them smaller, about 1-2 teaspoon size, they’ll bake for 6 minutes and it makes 36 cookies. If you make them 1 tablespoons size, they will be fairly large, and it will yield 18-22 cookies. You can easily double this recipe for larger batches.
- Baking times: I baked several batches for varying amount of time to determine what was best, as even a minute difference could result in the bottom of the cookies being overdone. For me, that was 6 minutes for the smaller size cookies. You may want to test a small batch in your own oven prior to baking the full batch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 86
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 6mg
- Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 13mg
So easy to make, and delicious.
Wonderful Fran, thank you!
I have tried making these before, but I always have a problem with the color running on the sprinkles. What can I do so that doesn’t happen?
Hi Suzanne, yes, it’s a problem with the non pareil coming in contact with the liquid glaze. You can try waiting just a little while to add the sprinkles or use a different type of sprinkle.
why not bake at 350 for 10 minutes?
You can adjust if you’d like to, I tried to follow my aunt’s original recipe as closely as I could and adjust the baking time, but the higher temperature will also allow the dough to puff up nice and high
I’ve made these cookies gor over 25 years. For Christmad I shape them into balls and use red and green sprinkles. At Easter time I make them in egg shape and use multicolor sprinkles.
Enjoy.
I love that this is such a special recipe for you!