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These Italian bakery style “butter” cookies are a recipe I’ve been meaning to make vegan for years now. Growing up in the NYC area, these were a bakery treat that’s were always on holiday cookie platters and were easily bought at supermarkets as well. They’re a crisp on the outside but tender on the inside cookie sandwiched with raspberry jam and then dipped in chocolate and often covered with sprinkles. Very tasty and I’m glad I finally worked on a version that’s worthy of all the fond memories I had of these cookies growing up.

These vegan Italian butter cookies, inspired by traditional bakery recipes, are perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a family gathering, a holiday celebration, cookie swap party or just a sweet afternoon treat during the holiday season. The best part? They’re 100% plant-based, so everyone can enjoy them without compromising on taste!

What you’ll need to make these.

Vegan butter. Use a denser block or stick style vegan butter here. Some options include Country Crock, Earth Balance, Trader Joe’s, Violife, Melt and Miyokos.
Just Egg. I know this is a specialty purchase and you only need 1/3 cup but it worked the best in my testing. You could try another egg replacement but I can’t guarantee the same results.
Cake batter extract. We’re only using 1/4 teaspoon but it gives these cookies that bakery flavor I remember. You can usually find it at most supermarkets in the spice aisle with the other extracts. You could also use almond extract if you don’t have it.
Vegan sprinkles. You can use any color vegan sprinkles you’d like. I chose white but traditional multicolored or holiday colored ones will work as well.

Tips for success.

Use room temperature butter. The dough needs to be softer to pipe with a pastry bag so you’ll need to let your stick of butter sit out until they’re room temperature. If you’re short on time you can microwave them a few seconds at a time until softer but be careful as they can turn to liquid quickly.
Use a pastry bag. Piping these cookies gives them their signature look and that’s achieved using a large star tip and pastry bag to pipe the dough. It can be a little fussy but you can practice and place the dough back in the bag until you get the shape you want. Cigars (a straight long shape about 2.5”) are the easiest and the round rosettes style is also common for these cookie but you could really make them any shape.
Chill the dough before baking. Although the dough needs to be room temp when piped, chilling for about 20 minutes in the fridge before baking ensures they hold their shape.
Don’t over-bake. Baking the right amount of time can be tricky as all ovens vary but you want some golden color around the edges. 11 minutes was perfect for me in my convection oven but all ovens vary. Baking too little cause the centers to be doughy and too long and they’ll be brittle all the way through. It’s a fine line but I often suggest baking one cookie to start to get the timing right then bake off the others. I also like to use aluminum not non-stick baking pans as I fell the bake is more consistent and parchment is a must for me.

Italian cookies FAQS.

What kind of chocolate should I use? I prefer a more bittersweet dark chocolate for these but I often mix some semisweet in for the best of both worlds.
How should I melt the chocolate? I prefer the microwave to melt chocolate and usually place it in a measuring cup and cook in 30 second intervals until it’s just starting to melt then I stir it until completely melted as the residual heat helps finish the job. If you cook until completely melted in the microwave you run the risk of burning it and it won’t recover. You can also use a double boiler or make a makeshift one with a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Just don’t let the bowl touch the water or get any in the chocolate as that will cause it to seize.
What kind of jam should I use? I prefer seedless raspberry but apricot will work as well. You can also sandwich them with chocolate and forget dipping them if you just don’t have the bandwidth. The holidays get busy!

These vegan Italian butter cookies are just as delicious as their non-vegan counterparts, offering a tender, buttery bite with a satisfying crunch. Perfect for holiday baking, special occasions, or simply as a sweet treat to have on hand, they’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Enjoy the rich flavors and festive charm of these cookies—no dairy or eggs required! Pleas rate and review if you try them!