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.

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

My version is less sweet than most, with just a hint of almond extract to round out the flavor. And let’s be honest, 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 matters, and how to prep ahead without sacrificing texture.

What Are Pignoli Cookies?

Pignoli means “pine nuts” in Italian, and as the name suggests, these are classic Italian pine nut cookies. Originally from Sicily, traditional pignoli are made with just three ingredients: almond paste, granulated sugar, and egg whites. They’re chewy on the inside, crisp at the edges, and studded with buttery pine nuts for a rich, nutty crunch.

Modern recipes might add almond extract, vanilla, citrus zest, or a dusting of powdered sugar to enhance the taste. But no matter how you tweak the recipe, almond paste is the key ingredient—one that can make or break the dough.

Almond Paste: Read The Label.

Almond paste is a smooth blend of almonds, sugar, and water. Sold in most grocery stores and online, it’s a staple in Italian baking, especially for treats like pignoli and rainbow cookies.

But here’s the thing: not all almond paste is created equal. Most store-bought brands are obnoxiously sweet. It can wreck whatever you’re making!

I tested two popular brands: Odense and Solo. Same recipe. Totally different results. Why? They vary in moisture content, sweetness, and browning ability (more on that in a bit).

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

What finally clicked? The science.

Some store-bought almond pastes (like Odense) contain invert sugar, a liquid sweetener that adds moisture, intensifies sweetness, and promotes caramelization. That’s what changed everything.

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. PS: Scroll up to see a side-by-side of both versions.

My pick? Odense. It baked the best pignoli cookies. But whatever brand you use, please read the label beforehand (because now you know what to look for).

Oh, and that sweetness issue I mentioned? I found the solution. Read on.

Add Flour (Regular or 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 or gluten-free 1:1 flour—transformed the dough. It cut the sweetness, gave the cookies more structure, and made them easier to handle.

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

To seal the deal, I ran a taste test with my most bluntly honest family members. My reduced-sugar, flour-fortified pignoli cookies won hands down while maintaining high standard bakery-style expectations.

My Dad said they were the best pignoli cookies he ever had.

So, here we are…

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

Step 1: Make the Dough

• Preheat the oven to 325 F/ 160 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the almond paste into slices. Add to the bowl of a food processor with the sugar and almond extract. Blend until combined; the texture should look like wet sand.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk the eggs white until frothy. Don’t over think this. Just get in there and whisk it up. It literally takes 20 seconds.
• Add the frothy egg white and flour to the food processor.
• Pulse the mixture several times until a dough forms. Let rest for 1-2 minutes for the flour to absorb the moisture, then assess the dough. It should feel soft, slightly sticky, but mostly tacky. If the dough is very sticky, almost wet or loose, add a sprinkle of flour and briefly pulse again.
• Transfer the dough to bowl. Get ready to roll.

Roll The Cookies In Pignoli

• Add the pine nuts to a wide shallow bowl; set aside.
• With a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, portion the dough into the pine nuts.
• Roll to coat the top, bottom and sides in pine nuts.
• Place onto your parchment-lined baking sheet. Give it a slight pat to flatten. Repeat to roll the remaining cookies.

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 in color, slightly soft in the center (almost underdone looking) with a golden brown exterior edge. This is perfect.
• Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Dust with powdered sugar (optional) before serving.