Pignoli Cookies

The MVP holiday cookie: simple & tasty

These super SIMPLE pignoli cookies delivery everything you could want from a cookie — it’s chewy, crispy, flavorful and a little crunchy from the topping — and this earns them the spot of my TOP CHRISTMAS COOKIE!!! (and I don’t take that lightly.)

Did I mention they’re also gluten AND dairy free……which means cookies for ALL (except those allergic to nuts, so sorry 🥺.)

This recipe is an old beloved southern Italian cookie recipe making beautiful soft and chewy cookies studded with pignolis. If you’re sitting there wondering WTF are pignolis?! 1st I’m sure you’re not alone, and 2nd they are just the Italian name for pinenuts (the nuts used in classic pesto.)

These small long and narrow nuts are the edible seeds of pines. They can be quite pricey at the store* and the reason being the process it takes to harvest them from the pines. While this recipe gets its namesake from the nuts, it is OKAY to swap it out for something more affordable or easy to find such a sliced almonds or even just a maraschino cherry pressed in the center.

*Hot tip: Trader Joe’s has a great price, but the best deal is found at Costco where you can get a GIANT bag of pinenuts for only $30, which I highly recommend for the best value. Freeze what you don’t use and save the rest for pesto!

Now let’s dive right into the recipe, along with all the tips and tricks to make sure it’s perfect every time.