Home » Dessert » Italian Knot Cookies

Italian Knot Cookies

Name: Italian Knot Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened to room temperature); ½ cup sugar; 3 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons lemon zest (optional); 1½ cups confectioners’ sugar; 2½ tablespoons milk or water; ¼ teaspoon desired extract, such as almond, lemon, anise or vanilla; nonpareils or sprinkles

By Dianna Muscari

Published April 11, 2020, updated January 26, 2025

5 from 5 votes

PREP 5

COOK 15

Jump to Recipe

Print Recipe

Italian Knot Cookies! These tender, cakey cookies are also known as unicetti, taralli dolci, anginetti or simply Italian Easter cookies. A fun treat to make and eat!

Close up of Italian Easter Cookies with colorful sprinkles on a white cake plate with a whisk in the background.

Note: This recipe was originally posted on June 29, 2011 and was updated on April 11, 2012.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that, at no extra cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click a link and purchase an item I’ve recommended. Thanks for your support in running this blog!

Italian Knot Cookies are also known as Italian Easter Cookies since they’re a cookie that is often made for special occasions such as holidays, weddings and other celebrations.

They are made from a mildly sweet, tender dough that is more soft and cakey than cookie-like, and glazed with a flavored icing before being decorated with colorful nonpareils or sprinkles.

Close up of a hand taking an Italian Easter Cookie off of a light blue platter.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest {optional}
Confectioners’ sugar
Milk
Almond, lemon, or anise extract
Nonpareils or sprinkles

Equipment & Supplies

Medium bowl
Stand mixer
Spatula
Measuring cups & spoons
Cookie scoop
Rolling pin
Baking sheets
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Cooling rack
Small bowl
Whisk
Spoon
Plastic wrap

You can find all of the equipment that I find most useful for this recipe in the “Cookie Baking Supplies” section of my Amazon storefront!

Instructions

Cookie Dough Preparation

To begin making Italian Knot Cookies, start by creating the cookie dough. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Set this aside for later use.

Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer, blend together butter and sugar until achieving a light, fluffy consistency. Gradually add eggs one at a time, ensuring thorough mixing after each addition. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is thoroughly combined.

Add vanilla extract and a hint of lemon juice. If you desire a citrusy twist, include some lemon zest in this step.

Gradually incorporate the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, ensuring it’s just combined without overmixing. Chill this resulting soft, sticky dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Shaping the Cookies

Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, dust your work area with flour to prevent sticking. With lightly floured hands, scoop out portions of dough, rolling them into smooth balls a tad smaller than a golf ball.

Now, transform each ball into a 7-inch rope and carefully tie them into knots. One end should peek up through the center. Place these knots on a prepared baking sheet, ensuring a 1½-inch space between each cookie.

Baking & Icing

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while shaping the cookies. Bake them for 12-15 minutes until they’re lightly golden and puffed. Avoid over-baking; keep an eye on them after 10 minutes to ensure they don’t brown too much at the bottom.

Once baked, allow the cookies to cool before icing.

For the icing, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, milk, and extract until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more sugar to thicken or a touch of milk to achieve the perfect drizzling texture.

When the cookies are cool, dip each one upside down into the icing, letting the excess drip off. Flip them back over and place them on a cooling rack on a baking pan, ready for the finishing touches.

Sprinkle nonpareils or your favorite sprinkles onto the cookies while the icing is still wet. Let the icing set completely before packaging or serving these delectable treats!

Expert Tips

The dough for these cookies comes together very quickly, but will need to be refrigerated for about an hour to make it easier to handle and shape. That being said, here are a few tips to make sure your cookies turn out perfectly:

Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that all the butter and egg is well-blended before adding the flour mixture.
Don’t over-mix or over-handle the dough. Too much mixing or handling will make the cookies tough instead of light and tender.
The bake time for these cookies should be between 12-15 minutes, but every oven is different. I like to check my cookies a few minutes early to make sure they’re not browning too much. The tops should look dull and they should be puffed and slightly golden on top and around the edges. The bottoms should be golden brown but not too dark.
Cool the cookies before icing. Icing the cookies before cooling completely can make the glaze extra runny, and most of it will drip off.
Make sure to add the nonpareils and sprinkles while the icing is still slightly wet, otherwise they won’t stick!

Shaping Italian Knot Cookies

The shape of Italian Knot Cookies or Italian Easter Cookies may look a bit intimidating to try, but it’s actually relatively easy to master with some practice!

First, you’ll want to lightly flour the surface on which you’ll be shaping the cookies as well as your hands as the dough can be sticky. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to scoop out the dough to ensure that each dough ball is equal in size. Roll the dough into a smooth ball between your hands, then place the ball on the floured surface and roll it into a rope about 7 inches in length.

Collage with steps showing how to shape Italian Knot Cookies or Italian Easter Cookies

Here’s the part where it becomes a “knot”: Take one end of the rope in each hand and bring them up into a “U” shape. Cross one side over the other forming a hole or loop in the center. Carefully tuck on end of the rope through the loop to create a “knot” — just as you would knot a ribbon or string.

That’s it! It may take a few practice rounds to get it to look right, but eventually you’ll get the hang of it {and have a few laughs in the process}. This is a very fun task for little ones to help with!

If you’ve given up on your cookie-knotting skills altogether, you can also shape these into rods, twists and rings {like little donuts!}. No matter how you choose to shape them, they’ll still be delicious!

Recipe FAQ’s

Can I freeze Italian Knot Cookie dough?

Yes, you can! Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container before freezing. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Definitely! Prepare the dough in advance, wrap it well, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before shaping and baking the cookies.

How do I store the cookies?

Store the fully cooled and iced cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If stacking the cookies, place parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking.

What if my icing is too runny/thick?

Adjust the icing consistency by gradually adding more confectioners’ sugar to thicken it or a small amount of milk to thin it until it reaches the desired drizzling consistency.

Close up of Italian Easter Cookies on a light blue platter.

Recipe Variations

Traditionally, Italian Easter Cookies are made with anisette flavor, which tastes like fennel or licorice. However, these cookies can also be made with lemon zest or extract, orange zest or extract, almond extract or vanilla extract if anise isn’t your cup of tea. {Many find it to be an acquired flavor.}

I like to keep the dough neutral with a vanilla extract flavor and add different extracts to the icing in order to flavor them, but you can also add lemon zest or orange zest to the dough itself if you would like the cookie to be flavored.