Gluten Free Italian Easter Cookies
These Italian Easter Cookies are a gluten-free and grain-free take on the classic! They’re a cakey cookie topped with a glaze and colorful sprinkles.
What are Italian Easter Cookies?
Italian Easter cookies are a popular holiday recipe that is soft, cakey, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with a distinct almond flavor. The Easter version is made with fresh lemon juice and zest, and a sugary glaze with sprinkles! Basically the perfect cookie.
This version is gluten-free, egg-free, grain-free, but just as delicious as the real thing. Seriously, whether or not you’re Italian like me, you’re going to love these cookies.
Why you’ll love these Italian Easter Cookies
- They taste like spring! With the lemon flavor, these taste super springy.
- They’re super festive. The colorful sprinkles really put it over the edge. If you bring these to a spring gathering, everyone is going to love it!
The Ingredients for Italian Easter Cookies
- Almond flour. These cookies traditionally have an almond flavor but are made with regular flour. This version is grain free and uses almond flour for a nutty flavor and light texture. I haven’t tried to make these with another flour.
- Arrowroot Starch. You should be able to use tapioca starch instead if you prefer.
- Gelatin. This cannot be replaced with collagen.
- Baking Powder. I use this baking powder!
- Ghee. This helps give the buttery flavor to the cookies!
- Palm Shortening. The palm shortening helps gives these cookies the cakey delicious texture!
- Maple Syrup.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Lemon, Powdered Sugar, Dairy-Free Milk, and Sprinkles. This makes the glaze, which really makes this the perfect cookie. I use this organic powdered sugar and these sprinkles.
How to make Italian Easter Cookies
- Step One. Combine the almond flour, arrowroot and baking powder together in a large bowl.
- Step Two. Cream the ghee, shortening and maple syrup together in a separate bowl and mix with the dry ingredients.
- Step Three. Add the vanilla and the lemon zest.
- Step Four. Scoop the dough and roll into round balls and place on baking sheet.
- Step Five. Bake and then allow to cool on cooling rack.
- Step Six. Make the glaze.
- Step Seven. Dip each cookie into the glaze.
- Step Eight. Allow the glaze to set and serve!
Tips & Tricks
- Be generous with the sprinkles. The more the merrier with a recipe like this!
- Make sure you sift the powdered sugar! This ensures the perfect glaze!
Can you make this recipe nut free?
I haven’t been able to make this recipe without the almond flour!
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Gluten Free Italian Easter Cookies
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp gelatin
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup ghee, softened
- 1/4 cup palm shortening
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of one lemon
For the glaze
- 1 cup organic powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp dairy free milk
- 2–3 tbsp sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.
- Combine the almond flour, arrowroot, gelatin and baking powder together in a large bowl.
- Cream the ghee, shortening and maple syrup together in a seperate bowl and combine with the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Add the vanilla and the zest of one lemon into the dough and stir to combine.
- Scoop the dough into small cookies (about 2 tbsp worth of dough at a time), and roll into round balls. Evenly space on the baking sheet.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack.
- To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar with lemon juice and coconut milk. Stir until a smooth glaze forms.
- Dip each cookie into the glaze, rotating to coat and allowing the excess glaze to drip off. Place on a large plate and top with sprinkles while the glaze is still wet.
- Allow the glaze to set and serve!
Notes
All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 252
- Fat: 12.3g
- Carbohydrates: 22.1g
- Fiber: .8g
- Protein: 3.2g
Keywords: italian easter cookies
AIP
Low Carb
Paleo
Whole30
Can you make these and omit the Lemon zest and juice. Not a fan of lemon. If I do what should I replace it with. I love vanilla & almond flavors, is that ok?
Sure!
Can you make this without ghee and replace with DF butter?
Should work, let me know if you try!
You left out the gelatin in the instructions. What do you do with that ingredient?
You add it in with other dry ingredients (see step #2)!
When do you add in the gelatin? It’s listed in the ingredients but not in the step-by-step instructions. Thanks!
You add it in with other dry ingredients (see step #2)!
Are there nutrition facts I can find somewhere for these? I have to count carbs for my little guy!
There are estimated nutrition facts under the recipe at the bottom of the post. But please note these are estimations and all nutritional info will vary!
What kind of gelatin do you use? I thought there would be a link somewhere!
I use Vital Proteins!
These taste good but I don’t know what happened to mine, they all flattened out in the oven and were a bit crumbly and hard to not fall apart. I checked over the ingredients several times but somehow it seems like they had too much fat in them and melted a bit? I’d like to try again, maybe I should lessen the shortening or ghee?
★★★★
I find that your oven temperature can really have an impact on the rise! If you don’t have an oven thermometer, I highly recommend it!