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An easy Pizzelle recipe for the classic Italian cookie, lightly sweetened and flavored with vanilla or anise. All you need are 6 ingredients and 1 pizzelle maker!
I learned about Pizzelle from one of my best childhood friends. Her family made Pizzelle the traditional way, with an iron that had engraved plates and a clamp to hold it together.
Loosely translated, Pizzelle means “small, flat, and round” and that’s exactly what these cookies are.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Equipment and ingredient notes
- Pizzelle iron: Modern versions of pizzelle makers are just like waffle makers. They’re silvery, shiny, and beautiful, and they also make cookies! We rounded up the best pizzelle makers you can buy, and our top pick is the one I personally own and love – the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press.
- Anise: Anise is a common flavor, or you can use vanilla or almond extract. For lemon, use 1 teaspoon lemon oil instead of lemon extract (lemon extract doesn’t have enough flavor).
Do you need a pizzelle maker to make pizzelle?
I tested some of the most popular hacks on the Internet to see if you can in fact make pizzelle without a pizzelle iron—and none of them worked! I tried making them in a waffle maker, the oven, and on a stovetop. The waffle maker made pizzelle-flavored waffles, and the oven and stove top both led to pizzelle-flavored pancakes.
We rounded up the best pizzelle makers you can buy, and our top pick is the one I personally own and love – the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press. You can buy it at Walmart for $46.99. If you’re not looking to spend a ton of money, the Dash Mini Pizzelle Maker is a great option, too. It’s so cute—and it’s only $9.99 at Target!
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat pizzelle iron and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, butter, anise or vanilla extract, baking powder, and eggs.
- Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of batter on to pizzelle iron and close.
- Bake as directed by manufacturer or until golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a nonstick spatula, remove each pizzelle to a cooling rack; repeat with remaining batter.
- Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 36 cookies, 12 servings of 3 cookies each.
- Storage: Store Pizzelle at room temperature for up to 2 weeks (for best results, layer the cookies between pieces of parchment paper or wax paper).
- Freezer: Pack cooled Pizzelle in a sturdy container between layers of parchment or wax paper (they may get broken if they are just in plastic bags). Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Rolled: While the pizzelle are still warm from the iron, wrap them around a wooden dowel. You can even fill them with sweetened ricotta for a Mock Cannoli.
- Bake sale: Pizzelle are ideal for a bake sale or cookie swap because they are rarer than the usual chocolate chip cookies or brownies, and they look so fantastic wrapped in a small plastic treat bag tied with a pretty bow.
- Italian menu: Create your own Italian Feast with a traditional Antipasto Platter or Bruschetta, Spaghetti and Meatballs or Lasagna, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread, or Panzanella Salad. Finish up the meal with Pizzelle, of course, or thick slabs of Tiramisu.
- Drinks with dessert: Looking for a cool Italian cocktail? Try a bright Aperol Spritz, a sweet Bellini, or a classic Negroni or Americano. Or, sip on some Limoncello.
Recipe FAQs
I tested every internet hack I could find to see if you can make pizzelle without a pizzelle iron. None of them worked! I tried making them in a waffle maker, in the oven (between 2 baking sheets), and in a skillet (flattened with something heavy on top). The waffle maker made pizzelle flavored waffles, and the oven and stove-top both led to pizzelle flavored pancakes. If you’re going to make pizzelle, you need a pizzelle iron.
Pizzelle comes from the word pizze which means round and flat, like a pizza. The elle part of the word means small (the diminutive). So pizzelle are small and flat.
The oldest known cookies in the world are Pizzelle, a small, flat cookie from Italy. Centuries ago, a small village called Colcullo was overrun by snakes. They were driven out by a Benedictine monk named San Domenico. The village celebrated with pizzelle and the Festival of the Snakes (or the Feast Day of San Domenico), still held every year on May 1st. Snake lovers, bring your own snake!
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Pizzelle
Equipment
- Pizzelle iron I love my Cuisinart Pizzelle Press, but, I'm also a big fan of CucinaPro pizzelle makers! You can get one that makes mini cookies or regular size on Amazon.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup butter melted and cooled
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon anise or vanilla extract (see note 2)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat pizzelle iron and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, butter, eggs, anise or vanilla extract, and baking powder. Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of batter on to pizzelle iron and close.
- Bake as directed by manufacturer or until golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a nonstick spatula, remove each pizzelle to a cooling rack; repeat with remaining batter.
- Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Pizzelle iron: Modern versions are just like a waffle maker: a silvery, shiny, beautiful waffle maker that makes cookies. I use and recommend the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press, which you can buy for $49.95 on Amazon.
- Anise: Anise is a common flavor, or you can use vanilla or almond extract. For lemon, use 1 teaspoon lemon oil instead of lemon extract (lemon extract doesn’t have enough flavor).
- Yield: This recipe makes about 36 cookies, 12 servings of 3 cookies each.
- Storage: Store Pizzelle at room temperature for up to 2 weeks (for best results, layer the cookies between pieces of parchment paper or wax paper).
- Freezer: Pack cooled Pizzelle in a sturdy container between layers of parchment or wax paper (they may get broken if they are just in plastic bags). Label, date, and freeze up to 2 months.
Best ever thin crisp and simple!
Thanks Annie! – Meggan
the best way to store pizzeria cookies use a Xmas box lined with Xmas tissue they well not get most this is the best way I found out
Just made this recipe. Yum!!! Perfect .
Any tips to make pumpkin flavored ones? Should I just add some pumpkin pie spice or actual canned pumpkin too?
Hi Alex, I haven’t tried this myself but what a lovely idea! I would add some pumpkin pie spice (starting with a teaspoon, and you can add more) and some pumpkin puree. I would make one in the iron and adjust the seasonings to your taste. They may take a little longer than normal to crisp, too. Enjoy – Meggan
I like to roast my canned pumpkin on a small sheet in the air fryer for 20 minutes before I use it. It turns out darker, dryer, and more flavorful- for a bold effect. ♥️
I fell in love with these cookies and then I found a Pizzelle maker in a free pile and it was on. I’ve tried several variations of the recipe but I am looking to make one slightly closer to the store bought ones I fell in love with. All the recipes I’ve tried results in a heavier denser cookie than what I know. the store bought ones are light and crispy and they often snap when I’m scooping whipped cream right out of the tub. Thats the cookie I want to duplicate. How can I tweak this recipe to achieve the result I’m looking for. I’m fairly new to baking and I know it’s more science than art and I’ve got a lot to learn. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my inquiry.
Hi Michele, to keep them crisp I would make sure the pizzelle maker has some time to recover its heat between batches. I would also recommend keeping them in an airtight container, as exposure to moisture will make them loose their crispiness. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Michele i agree, this recipe is a bit thicker than I’d prefer and not quite as crispy. I do love the flavor tho and have had success putting the cooled pizzelle on a cookie sheet in the oven on “warm” (170-200F) — crisps them right up.
After discarding an entire portion of dough from a different recipe, I gave these a try. I made some flat and I also rolled several to fill with a sweet cannoli filling. They turned out great. The texture was perfect. The only change I would make is to cut back on the flavoring amount. I made them with pure vanilla and the 1 tablespoon called for was quite overpowering. I have actually never seen this amount of flavoring called for in any recipe. It’s usually measured in teaspoons. Perhaps it’s a misprint?
Hi Melissa, I’m glad they turned out great! Sometimes some vanilla flavorings have different potencies depending on the quality of the vanilla extract used, such as using a generic extract over using a vanilla paste. If you are using a high quality vanilla, I would recommend using less and adding more to taste since they are more flavorful. I hope this helps! – Meggan
Amazing! Very easy to follow and perfect results. Thank u!!
I make these at least once a week for my mother. She loves them and so do we.
Hi Meggan, Would you have any suggestions as how to store pizzelles. I mean in an airtight container or a cookie tin. Thanks for any help you can give.
Hi Louise, I recommend storing them in an airtight container, for up to two weeks. If the moisture gets to them, they will lose their crispiness. Thanks and I hope you enjoy them! – Meggan
My husband loves you these little cookies! It’s one of the few sweets he asks me to make for him.
I am very excited to try this recipe. I have my aunts old iron. She just turned 92. I will use my new iron.
Hi Annemarie, I hope you enjoy them! 🙂 – Meggan