How To Make Italian Pignoli Cookies

These 6 ingredient pignoli cookies (classic Italian pine nut cookies) are soft and chewy, with golden crisp edges. Made with almond paste, sugar and egg whites, my recipe is less sweet than most; it comes together in 30 minutes or less. Makes 24 cookies.

There’s something deeply nostalgic about recreating Italian-American bakery classics at home: sesame cookies, anise biscotti, ricotta cookies and of course, pignoli.

My version is less sweet than most, with a hint of almond extract to round out the flavor. They’re chewy, crisp at the edges, and studded with pine nuts for a rich, nutty crunch.

And let’s face it: making them yourself is far more satisfying (and economical) than paying $30-$50 a pound at the bakery! I can’t imagine Christmas or Easter without them.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step, including how to handle almond paste, why frothing your egg whites matter, and how to prep ahead without sacrificing texture.

What Are Pignoli Cookies?

Originally from Sicily, traditional pignoli cookies are made with just three ingredients: almond paste, granulated sugar, and egg whites. They’re chewy in the center, with a slight exterior crunch. Modern recipes might add extracts and citrus zest. But no matter how you tweak the recipe, almond paste is the key ingredient. It can make or break the dough.

Almond Paste: Read The Label.

Here’s what you need to know: almond paste is a smooth blend of almond, sugar and water. It’s a staple in Italian baking. But not all almond paste is created equal. Most store bought brands are obnoxiously sweet and can wreck whatever you’re making!

I tested two popular brands, Odense and Solo, using the exact same pignoli cookie recipe. I got totally different results. Why? Almond paste varies in moisture, sweetness and browning ability (more on that in a bit).

I even made my own almond paste to control the sugar. But that didn’t work either. My cookies were dry, pale, tough and still too sweet!

After reading and comparing the labels until my eyes glazed over, I finally figured out the disparity: some brands (like Odense) contain invert sugar, a liquid sweetener that adds moisture, intensifies sweetness and promotes caramelization. Other brands (like Solo) do not.

That’s why with Odense, my pignoli cookies baked up golden and chewy. The dough was stickier, but manageable.

With Solo (no invert sugar), the cookies were drier, paler, and less appealing, although the flavor was similar. You can see the side-by-side image above.

My Top Pick?

Hands down, Odense almond paste. It baked the best pignoli cookies for taste and texture. Oh, and that sweetness issue I mentioned earlier? I found the fix! Read on.

Add Flour (All purpose, Almond & Gluten Free!)

After obsessing over almond paste, I went rogue.

To be clear, traditional pignoli cookies do not contain wheat flour of any kind. But adding just a scoop — either all purpose, almond, or gluten-free 1:1 flour — transformed the dough. It toned down the sweetness, gave the cookies more structure, and made them easier to handle.

I also reduced the sugar to 120g (½ cup), which is lower than most classic recipes. Mission complete.

To seal the deal, I ran a taste test with my most brutally honest family members. My reduced-sugar, flour-fortified pignoli cookies won the prize while maintaining high standard bakery-style expectations. My Dad said they were the best pignoli cookies he’d ever had. So, here we are.

How To Make Pignoli Cookies {Step-By-Step}

Step 1: Make the Dough

To Start: You’ll cut the almond paste into slices, which makes it easier to blend in a food processor. Add the sugar and almond extract, and blend until combined. The texture should look like wet sand.

Now, in a separate small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Don’t overthink this. It literally takes 20 seconds. Then add it to the food processor along with the flour.

Pulse the mixture several times until a dough forms. Then, let rest for 1-2 minutes for the flour to absorb the moisture. It should feel soft, slightly sticky, but mostly tacky. Add a sprinkle of flour if the dough is too wet or loose. Then scoop the dough into a bowl. Get ready to roll.

Step 2: Roll The Cookies In Pignoli

Add the pine nuts to a wide shallow bowl. Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough into the pine nuts. Roll to coat. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then give the cookies a slight pat to flatten.

Step 3: Bake The Pignoli Cookies

Bake the cookies, center rack, for 20 minutes @ 325 F/160 C (check at the 18 minute mark). Do not over bake. They will be pale, slightly soft in the center (almost underdone looking) with a golden brown exterior edge. This is perfect. Cool for 10 minutes. Dust with optional powdered sugar before serving.

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