These Italian anise cookies are pillowy and soft and topped with an anise glaze and colorful sprinkles. These are the best Italian cookies to make for the holidays!

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Anise cookies

If you love homemade dessert recipes, check out my pumpkin pie from scratch, caramel Dutch apple pie, or this easy Italian olive oil cake.

Anise cookies, also called anisette cookies are my favorite holiday treat! They are soft, delicious, and drizzled with a creamy anise glaze. The colorful nonpareil sprinkles add the cutest touch!

Every holiday season, my family breaks out these anise cookies, a Panettone, and celebrates Feast of the Seven Fishes. It’s a tradition I really look forward to, it’s full of (minimally) 7 seafood dishes and lots of other Italian foods. Holidays always ties into good foods, I know you can relate to that.

These Italian cookies are traditionally made with anise extract or anise liquor, but the black licorice flavor isn’t for everyone, so I’ve included a few recipe adjustments to make it with out without the anise. These Italian cookies deserve to be enjoyed by everyone (even you, black licorice haters).

Italian cookies are made with simple ingredients like oil, eggs, sour cream, flour, and a few more.

Italian anise cookie ingredients

All purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Salt
Eggs
Canola oil
Sour cream
Anise extract
Confectioner’s sugar
Water
Nonpareil sprinkles

Anise cookies are rolled in a ball before they are baked in the oven.

Chef’s tips

Don’t like anise? Switch the flavor up!

Although these Italian cookies are traditionally made with anise extract, I understand that can be a bold flavor for people. You can easily substitute the anise with other flavors.

Vanilla, almond, or lemon extract are all delicious substitutes. Make sure you use the same extract in your glaze so that the flavor is uniform to the cookie.

Italian anise cookies are about to be dunked in a sugar glaze and topped with sprinkles.

Make them ahead of time

You can make these cookies ahead of time to save time in the kitchen. These Italian cookies freeze really well, but I recommend glazing them the day you serve them. The nonpareil sprinkles tend to bleed when they sit on the glaze for too long.

These cookies can last about a week in an airtight container on the counter, so you can make these cookies well in advance!

Italian anise cookies are glazed and topped with sprinkles, then left to dry.

How to freeze them

Allow the anise cookies to cool to room temperature (do not glaze them). Once they are cooled, freeze them in a single layer on a plate in the freezer. Once they are frozen, place them in an airtight container. These cookies will stay good in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.

To reheat the cookies, place them on a plate and dethaw them at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating them. Glaze them and top with the nonpareil sprinkles, then serve.

Italian anise cookies are placed on a wire rack so the sugar glaze can harden.

How to make Italian anise cookies

Combine the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until it’s light and slightly fluffy. Add the oil, sour cream, and anise extract. Mix again to combine all the ingredients.
Mix the cookie batter. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry while whisking. Mix the cookie batter until it’s combined. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measurer to scoop the cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough into a ball, then place it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Lightly press the top of the cookie to slightly flatten in.
Bake the cookies. Place the cookies on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. When they are done cooking, remove the cookies from the pan and place them on a cooling rack. Cool the cookies for 20 minutes.
Glaze and sprinkle. Combine the confectioner’s sugar, water, and anise extract until it is a creamy glaze. Working with 5 cookies at a time, dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze, then place it back on the cooling rack. The cookies will drip, so place the cooling rack over the pan you used to bake the cookies. Sprinkle the nonpareil sprinkles over the glaze and allow the glaze to harden (or serve right away if you can’t wait!). Mangia!

Italian anise cookies are plated on a white plate and topped with nonparelli sprinkles.

More Sweet Treats

Italian cookies are plated on a white plate next to a small bowl of sprinkles.

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