Italian Anise Cookies are soft, cakey cookies with a sweet licorice-like flavor, a simple glaze, and colorful sprinkles. They make a lovely addition to a Christmas cookie tray and fit right in with my Holiday Cookies collection.
My Italian anise cookie recipe makes a small batch of 18 cookies, just right for trying something new. If you need more for a holiday cookie tray or family gathering, you can double the recipe.
For a little variety on your holiday cookie tray, try my Vintage Spiced Date Cookies with sweet dates and cloves, or my Brown Butter Cinnamon Crinkle Cookies with their cracked powdered sugar coating. Each brings a different flavor to share with family and friends.
A Quick Look: Italian Anise Cookies
Recipe Name: Italian Anise Cookies
Ready In: 1 hour 20 minutes, including glazing and decorating
Yield: 18 cookies
Texture: Soft and cakey with a sweet glaze
Flavor Profile: Sweet anise with a licorice-like flavor
Difficulty: Easy
Why You'll Love These Italian Anise Cookies
- 🍪 Soft, cakey texture
- ✨ Sweet, light anise flavor
- 🎨 Simple icing and easy decorating
- 🎄 Perfect for holidays, weddings, and special occasions
Ingredients You Will Need
Anise Cookies
- Anise extract: This gives the cookie dough its sweet, licorice-like flavor without adding ground seeds. Use anise extract as listed in the recipe rather than substituting anise oil in the same amount.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Simple Icing
- Whole star anise: Infuses the milk with a gentle licorice-like flavor. Remove the whole pieces before mixing the milk into the powdered sugar.
- Nonpareil sprinkles: Add them while the glaze is wet so they stick. Colored sprinkles may bleed into the glaze, so white nonpareils are a nice choice for weddings.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Anise-Flavored Cookies
These glazed anise cookies are pretty easy to make and the cookie dough doesn't need chilled, so the time to mix, roll and bake is about an hour.
Prep
Step 1: Weigh or measure the sugar into a small bowl and set it aside.
Step 2: In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour. Add the baking powder and whisk to blend.
Step 3: Put the milk into a small cup and add the whole star anise so it has time to infuse the milk.
Mix the Dough
Step 4: Cut the room-temperature butter into cubes to make it easier to cream.
Step 5: Cream the butter on medium mixer speed for about 1 minute, until it forms creamy peaks.
Step 6: Add the sugar and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Step 7: Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, then mix for another minute.
Step 8: Add the anise extract. Break each egg into a small cup to check for shells, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.
Step 9: The mixture will look loose after all 3 eggs are added. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. On low speed, mix in half the flour mixture for about 15 seconds, then add the remaining flour. Scrape the bowl and finish mixing with a spatula.
Tips for Shaping and Decorating
- If the cookie dough is tacky, lightly flour hands to form the balls
- Don't over bake, they should be soft and pale looking
- The colored nonpareil can bleed, which I like, but if this is for a wedding, the white ones might work best.
Scoop and Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C). Line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper and have a medium cookie scoop ready.
Step 10: Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll it into balls about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches across. Lightly flour your hands if the dough is tacky.
Step 11: Place 9 balls on a prepared sheet pan, keeping them about the same size. I like that they look a little organic rather than perfectly round.
Step 12: Bake 1 sheet pan at a time for 9 to 11 minutes.
The cookies should look pale and feel soft. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before glazing. The tops may crack during baking. The cracks become smaller as the cookies cool, and the glaze will help cover them.
Glaze and Decorate
Step 13: Weigh or measure the powdered sugar into a bowl large enough for whisking. Remove the whole star anise from the milk, then whisk the infused milk into the powdered sugar until smooth.
You can adjust the glaze to the thickness you like. The photos below show a thicker glaze and a thinner glaze. Add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it or a little plain milk to thin it.
Thicker glaze made with 3 to 4 tablespoons of anise-infused milk.
Thinner glaze with 1 to 2 additional tablespoons of plain milk.
Step 14: Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze and give it a little swirl. As the glaze level drops, tilt the bowl to help cover the cookie tops. Return the cookies to the cooling rack.
The glaze fills in most of the cracks on top of the cookies.
Step 15: Add the nonpareil sprinkles while the glaze is still wet so they stick.
Some nonpareils will bleed into the glaze, but it just spreads the color around the cookie.
Let the glaze set completely before storing the cookies.
Storage & Freezing
🫙🍪 Storage
Let the cookies cool and the glaze set completely, then store them in a container with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature for 4 to 6 days. Place parchment paper between layers to protect the glaze.
❄️ Freezing
For the neatest finish, freeze the baked cookies without glaze or sprinkles. Cool completely, then pack in an airtight freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the container at room temperature before glazing and decorating. The cookies may be slightly softer after thawing.
You can also freeze the shaped dough balls on a lined sheet pan until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed. Try a few first, since freezing may affect how the cookies spread.
A note about freezing: I don't typically freeze my cookies or cookie dough, so the freezing information provided here has not been personally tested in my kitchen.
Looking for substitutions or freezing tips? Choose an option below for additional guidance.
FAQs
Anise has a sweet, licorice-like flavor. In these cookies, anise extract flavors the dough, and whole star anise adds a little more flavor to the milk used in the glaze.
Too much flour or overbaking can make these cookies dry. Weigh the flour if possible, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, checking at the shorter time. The cookies should look pale and feel soft rather than browned all over.
Some cracks are normal as these cookies rise and bake. The cracks become smaller as the cookies cool, and the glaze fills in most of them. There is no need to keep baking until the tops look smooth.
More Italian Cookie Favorites
If you tried this Italian Anise Cookies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!
Recipe
Italian Anise Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIES
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar white
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Anise extract
- 2 ¼ cup (281.25 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Baking powder
GLAZE
- 4 Tablespoons Milk
- 4 Whole star anise
- 2 cups (240 g) Powdered sugar
- As needed Nonpareils sprinkles
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Instructions
COOKIES
- Weigh or measure the sugar into a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, add the baking powder, and whisk to blend. Put the milk into a small cup and add the whole star anise so it can infuse while you make the cookies.
- Cream the room-temperature butter on medium mixer speed for about 1 minute. Add the sugar and mix for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then mix for another minute. Add the anise extract. Break each egg into a small cup to check for shells, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. The mixture will look loose after adding all 3 eggs. Turn the mixer to low and add half the flour mixture. Mix for about 15 seconds, then add the remaining flour. Scrape the bowl and finish mixing with a spatula.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C). Line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll it into balls about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches across. Lightly flour your hands if the dough is tacky. Place 9 balls on a prepared pan. Bake 1 sheet pan at a time for 9 to 11 minutes. The cookies should look pale and feel soft. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before glazing.
GLAZE
- Weigh or measure the powdered sugar into a bowl. Remove the whole star anise from the milk, then whisk the infused milk into the powdered sugar until smooth. Add a little more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze or a little plain milk for a thinner glaze. Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the glaze, give it a little swirl, and return it to the cooling rack. Add the nonpareil sprinkles while the glaze is still wet. Let the glaze set completely before storing.
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Recipe Notes
- Anise flavoring: Use anise extract, not anise oil in the same amount.
- Storage: Let the glaze set completely, then store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for 4 to 6 days. Place parchment paper between layers to protect the glaze.
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
JulsR. says
I just love this recipe! The star anise may showboat but overall, simplicity is the variable I enjoyed working with. If you like a time investment that matches your talents.... well enough said.
Barbara says
Hi JulsR, I love your comment, I did chuckle so thank you for ending my night in such a perfect way. Happy Holidays! - Barbara