Italian Easter Cookies with Lemon (Printable Version)

Soft lemon-glazed cookies with colorful sprinkles, a beloved Italian Easter tradition perfect for sharing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
09 - 2 tablespoons milk

→ Icing

10 - 1 cup powdered sugar
11 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Decoration

13 - Colored sprinkles (nonpareils or confetti)

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, mixing until a soft dough forms.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized pieces of dough and roll into 4-inch logs. Shape each log into a ring and pinch the ends to seal.
07 - Place rings on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and slightly thick.
10 - Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the icing, then sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Allow icing to set before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is perfectly pillowy and soft, never dry or cakey
  • Lemon zest gives them such a bright, springlike flavor that feels like Easter on a plate
  • Kids absolutely love decorating them with sprinkles, making it a fun family activity
02 -
  • Dough becomes sticky as it warms, so work quickly and keep remaining dough chilled while shaping
  • Overbaking even by 2 minutes makes these cookies dry instead of wonderfully soft
  • Icing must be the right consistency or it either drips off completely or doesn't coat evenly
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them, getting only the yellow part and none of the bitter white pith
  • For perfectly sized cookies, use a cookie scoop instead of spoons for consistent shaping
  • Let the icing set completely before stacking cookies, or they'll stick together

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