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    Home » All Recipes » Desserts

    Pignoli Cookies

    Published on Oct 29, 2022 by Tara · Updated on Dec 5, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pignoli cookies are a classic Sicilian cookie that's soft and chewy on the inside and studded with pine nuts (pignoli) on the outside.  Made with almond paste, sugar, egg whites, and pignoli, these are one of the easiest cookies to make, and eat!

    Pignoli cookies on red plate.

    As a kid, I can recall pignoli cookies being on almost every dessert table for every holiday. 

    Most of the time they were purchased from the Italian bakery and placed alongside rainbow cookies, reginelle, ricotta cookies, cannoli, and a whole host of others.

    I always gravitated toward the pignoli for their almond flavor and chewy texture but it wasn't until I was an adult that I realized how incredibly easy they are to make.  

    With just 4 ingredients, 5 if you count the optional confectioner's sugar, pignoli cookies are proof that delicious treats do not need to be complicated!

    Ingredients shown: egg whites, sugar, flour, pignoli nuts, and almond paste.

    How to make it

    Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

    1. Preheat the oven to 350f and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Lay 1 ½ cups (200g) pine nuts (pignoli) on a plate and set aside.  Crumble 16 ounces (454g) of almond paste into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Add 1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until combined (about 2 minutes).

    Pignoli cookies recipe process shot collage group number one.

    1. Add 2 large room-temperature egg whites (about 60g) and continue to beat on medium for 2 minutes longer until a dough is formed.  The dough will be quite sticky.  Using a cookie scoop, make tablespoon-sized dough balls and roll them between your hands as you would a meatball.  If needed, dip your hands into a small bowl of water to help prevent sticking. Place the balls onto a cookie sheet and continue rolling until there is no more dough.
    2. Roll the dough balls in the pignoli to coat lightly and transfer to a baking sheet.  

    Recipe process shot collage group number two.

    1. Using the back of a spoon, or a flat-bottomed glass or jar, gently press the balls slightly to help the nuts adhere to the cookie.  Do not completely flatten them.  Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. 
    2. When the cookies are done they'll be slightly golden but still soft and springy in the center.  Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Recipe process shot collage group number three.

    1. If desired, lightly dust the cookies with confectioner's sugar once the cookies have cooled completely.  Serve and enjoy, or store for later in an airtight container. 

    Baked pignoli cookies on grey wire rack.

    Top tips for perfect pignoli cookies

    • Prepping the ingredients. When preparing to make pignoli cookies, it's best to use room-temperature ingredients.  Removing the egg whites from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to using them The pine nuts do not need to be toasted ahead of time like you'd do when making pesto.  The 15+ minutes they'll spend in the oven will toast them up perfectly.
    • The dough. Pignoli dough is super sticky! This is why I strongly suggest you use a cookie scoop as it will remove the dough from the spoon, and always create uniform-sized cookies. Keeping a small bowl of water to dip your hands in will also help with the stickiness.
    • Pine nuts. Pignoli are not the cheapest cookie to make.  These cookies are typically sold by the pound in Sicilian bakeries and they can be quite expensive!  The almond paste is expensive as are the pignoli nuts. When rolling the dough in the nuts we rolled them on all sides but you can definitely just roll on the top side if you're low on pignoli.  Costco usually has a great price on pignoli, as does Trader Joe's if you have one nearby.  If possible, avoid buying the tiny jar of pignoli nuts from the regular grocery store as it's not economical at all.
    • Cook time.  The cooking time for these cookies will vary depending on your oven.  Begin checking for doneness at the 15-minute mark knowing that they may need a few more minutes.  All ovens are different but we found that 15-17 minutes worked best in our conventional oven. For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark. The cookies should be lightly brown or golden and slightly soft in the center.

    Pignoli cookies with bite in black plate.

    More of our favorite desserts

    • Flourless chocolate cake - just 5 ingredients and naturally gluten-free, just like these pignoli cookies.
    • Orange olive oil cake - olive oil and bright citrus flavor in this delicious moist cake.
    • Tiramisu - Layers of espresso-dipped lady fingers and a zabaglione-mascarpone cream topped with cocoa powder.
    • Walnut snowball cookies - the easiest walnut cookies tossed in powdered sugar.

    If you’ve enjoyed this pignoli cookie recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.

    We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles.  If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.

    Pignoli cookies featured image.

    Pignoli Cookies

    5 from 3 votes
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 15 mins
    Total Time: 25 mins
    Servings: 36 cookies
    Print Pin Rate
    Author: James

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces (454g) almond paste sliced
    • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
    • 2 large (60g) egg whites
    • 1 ½ cups (200g) pignoli nuts
    • ¼ cup confectioner's sugar optional, for decorating

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350f and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lay the pignoli out on a plate and set aside.
    • Crumble the almond paste into a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer.
    • Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until combined (about 45 seconds).
    • Add the egg whites and beat on medium until the dough is formed (about 2 minutes). The dough will be quite sticky.
    • Using a cookie scoop, make tablespoon-sized dough balls and roll them between your hands. If needed, dip hands in water to help prevent sticking.
    • Roll the balls in the pignoli to coat lightly and transfer to a baking sheet. Using a spoon or the bottom of a glass, press the balls slightly to help the nuts adhere to the cookie, then place in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. The cookies will be lightly brown but still slightly soft in the center.
    • Move the cookies to wire racks to cool completely before serving or storing. If desired, sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • The dough is extremely sticky. Keeping a small bowl of water on the side to dip your hands will help tremendously.  Also, a cookie scoop comes in extremely handy here.
    • The confectioner's sugar used is optional and is for decorative purposes only. 
    • Pignoli cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
    • This recipe was written for a conventional oven.  For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 11.2g | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe? Mention @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alana Magliocco

      October 29, 2022 at 1:55 pm

      Thank you so much for this recipe.👩‍🍳

      Reply
      • Jim

        October 29, 2022 at 2:35 pm

        You're welcome! Thanks for the comment, Alana!

        Reply
    2. Marianne

      November 01, 2022 at 11:41 pm

      5 stars
      I love your recipe their good & simple 😋😋😋

      Reply
      • Jim

        November 02, 2022 at 8:53 am

        Hi Marianne, thanks for your comment and so happy you liked the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Florence

      November 05, 2022 at 6:45 pm

      I’ve been looking for gluten-free cookie recipes - thanks for this. Will double check if almond paste is gluten-free

      Reply
      • Florence

        November 05, 2022 at 6:49 pm

        According to google almond paste is gluten-free

        Reply
      • Jim

        November 05, 2022 at 7:11 pm

        Hi Florence, yes these are gluten-free and in most cases, almond paste is gluten-free. I hope you enjoy these!

        Reply
    4. Mary Ann Rivera

      December 06, 2022 at 8:22 pm

      Hi there!
      I love all of your recipes and wondered if you have any cookie recipes without nuts. We have always made them with nuts but my daughter has developed severe allergies to them.

      She is the baker and I am not. Would like to put together a recipe book for her. Thank you for any help that you can offer.
      Mary Ann

      Reply
      • Jim

        December 06, 2022 at 10:00 pm

        Hi Mary Ann, our lemon ricotta cookies don't have nuts. The Linzer Cookies can be made without the almond extract (use vanilla extract instead). The almond biscotti can be made plain as well, just don't add almonds. Our reginelle cookies have seeds (no nuts) and our pizzelles have no nuts. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    5. Betty Keneally

      December 07, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      Hi Jim
      I have a request.. Can you show us some gluten free cookies and cakes.. Need them for the holidays.. Thank you in advance..Love all your recipes.. You’re the best! Merry Christmas!🎄

      Reply
      • Jim

        December 07, 2022 at 4:46 pm

        Hi Betty, thanks for the comment! These pignoli cookies are gluten-free as is my flourless chocolate cake (also on the website). You can probably also make the Italian cheesecake gluten-free by replacing the flour that's in there with 1 to 1 GF flour (there's only 1/4 cup of flour), although I haven't tested it personally. Hope that helps, and Merry Christmas!

        Reply
    6. Anna

      December 18, 2022 at 7:04 pm

      Recipe is on point. Best one yet!

      Reply
      • Jim

        December 18, 2022 at 8:27 pm

        Thanks, Anna! So happy you liked it!

        Reply
    7. L

      March 19, 2023 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      Easy instructions perfect outcome!

      Reply
      • Jim

        March 20, 2023 at 9:34 am

        Thanks so much for the comment and I'm so happy you enjoyed the cookies!

        Reply
    8. Maria Affronti

      March 23, 2023 at 8:43 am

      5 stars
      I enjoy all of your recipes. Your instructions are so easy to follow. You are a genuine cook and as a fellow Italian Long Islander, I love everything you cook. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Jim

        March 24, 2023 at 11:06 am

        Hi Maria, so happy you're enjoying the recipes and really appreciate the comment!

        Reply

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    About Jim

    Welcome! I'm Jim and I'm here to help you make awesome Italian food that you would normally enjoy at some of your favorite New York style Italian restaurants. While my recipes are typically Italian, you'll find some other great ones as well. Take a look around, and get cooking!

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