A pizzelle is a light, thin, and crispy Italian waffle cookie flavored with anise and vanilla. Pressed into a beautiful pattern, it’s a classic cookie often served at Easter and Christmas.

Classic pizzelle cookies on the counter.

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Italian Pizzelle Cookies

All you need for this classic pizzelle recipe are a few simple ingredients you likely already have (eggs, butter, flour, and sugar) plus a pizzelle maker. They’re easy to make, stay fresh for a week, and because they’re so thin, you can make as many as you want and package up a stack to gift!

These Italian waffle cookies are traditionally flavored with anise extract, but you can easily swap in vanilla or almond extract if you prefer. More Italian cookies to try include Italian Christmas cookies and ricotta cheese cookies!

Ingredients Notes

Pizzelle recipe ingredients laid out on the counter including eggs, butter, flour, sugar, and anise extract.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar works best here. Avoid brown sugar as it adds too much moisture and will affect the texture of the finished cookie.
  • Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Cold eggs can make the batter lumpy and affect the texture of the finished cookie.
  • Butter: Melted and cooled. If it’s too hot when you add it, it can cook the eggs. Salted butter is recommended for a nice flavor balance.
  • Anise extract: This is the traditional pizzelle flavor. It has a mild licorice taste that’s not overpowering. You can swap it for almond extract or leave it out entirely and double the vanilla.
  • Vanilla: Used alongside the anise to round out the flavor. If skipping anise, use a full tablespoon of vanilla instead.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour is the only flour that has been tested in this recipe, so we recommend sticking with it.
  • Baking powder: Make sure yours is fresh. Old baking powder can cause the cookies to come out dense instead of light.
  • Powdered sugar: Optional, just for dusting before serving. Totally skippable if you prefer them plain.

Pizzelle Maker

This is what gives the cookies their elegant and intricate pattern!

Like a breakfast waffle maker, a pizzelle maker can be a modern electric one or a more traditional cast-iron maker that is used on the stove top.

You can find them at most big box stores or Amazon. They come in a variety of styles and sizes, so use whichever one you prefer.

Either way, you will need a pizzelle maker to achieve the familiar pattern.

How to Make Pizzelle

Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Then, stir in the butter and anise extract until well combined.

Sift in the flour and baking powder then give it a gentle stir until blended in.

Beating eggs and sugar together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Stirring pizzelle cookie batter in a mixing bowl after adding flour and baking powder.

Use a cookie scoop to drop the Pizzelle batter into the sprayed, preheated pizzelle iron, close it, and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes until there is no more steam.

Don’t try and release it too soon, otherwise they might stick.

Pizzelle batter cooking in a preheated pizzelle iron until golden brown and no steam escapes.

Transfer the golden brown pizzelle to a cooling rack to cool. Continue with remaining batter. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Pizzelle cookies stacked on a white counter dusted with powdered sugar.

Tips

  • Make sure the iron is fully preheated before adding the batter. This is how you get that perfect golden color and crispy texture.
  • Use salted butter for the best flavor. Since there’s no additional salt in this recipe, salted butter gives a nice balance.
  • While the cookies are still warm, roll them around a wooden dowel to form cannoli shells and fill with cannoli dip, or shape them into mini waffle cones to hold a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. You can also sandwich ice cream between two flat cookies for a fun cookie ice cream sandwich!

Variations

There are so many fun ways to switch up this classic recipe!

  • Flavor add-ins: Stir anise seeds, lemon zest, or colorful sprinkles directly into the batter before cooking for a fun twist.
  • Different extracts: Swap the anise for cinnamon, almond, or citrus extract. Each one gives the cookies a completely different flavor profile.
  • Chocolate dipped: Once cooled, dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate. White chocolate works beautifully too and looks stunning on a cookie tray.
  • Filled: Roll warm pizzelle into a cone and add stabilized whipped cream with fresh berries for an impressive dessert.
Warm pizzelle cookies rolled into cannoli shells and filled with creamy cannoli dip.

More cookies to try include glazed lemon cookies, cherry almond cookies and coffee cake cookies.

More Cookie Recipes

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A stack of pizzelle on a plate.

Pizzelle Recipe

5 from 3 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 18
Pizzelle is a light, thin, and crispy Italian waffle cookie flavored with anise and vanilla. Pressed into a beautiful pattern, it's a classic cookie often served at Easter and Christmas.
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 3 large eggs , at room temperature
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup salted butter , melted and cooled
  • ½ Tablespoon anise extract , see note
  • ½ Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • powdered sugar , for dusting

Instructions

  • Preheat: Preheat the Pizzelle iron.
  • Beat eggs and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat 3 room temperature eggs and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Add wet ingredients: Add the 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 Tablespoon anise extract and 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla. Stir well.
  • Sift in dry ingredients: Sift in the 1 3/4 cups flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder. Gently stir until incorporated.
  • Cook Pizzelles: Using a cookie scoop, drop the pizzelle batter onto the preheated iron, making 2 at a time. Close iron and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until the steam stops escaping.
  • Cool. Remove from Pizzelle iron and cool. If desired, Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Storage: Store cooled pizzelle cookies in an airtight container up to a week. You can also place between layers of parchment paper and freeze up to 3 months. 
Flavoring: Anise is what is traditionally used in pizzelle cookies, but you can also just use vanilla or swap the anise for almond extract. 

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 52mg, Potassium: 70mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 197IU, Calcium: 27mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.