These Pignoli Cookies are soft and chewy in the center with lightly golden edges and toasty pine nuts covering the outside. They're made with almond paste, egg whites, and sugar, with no flour or chilling, and only take 6 ingredients to make.

These were always a Christmas cookie in our family and are the inspiration behind my Italian Pistachio Cookies. The dough is very sticky, but don't let that scare you. Scoop it directly into the pine nuts, and it becomes much easier to handle.

A Quick Look at the Recipe

✅Recipe Name: Pignoli Cookies (Italian pine nut cookies)
⏲️Ready in: 30 minutes
👪Makes: 12 cookies
📋Main ingredients: almond paste, pine nuts, sugar.
⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: These are soft, flourless pignoli cookies with a chewy center, and the dough goes straight from the food processor into the pine nuts with no chilling.

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Why This Recipe

Pignoli cookies are my favorite cookie on our Christmas cookie tray because I'm a sucker for a very chewy cookie! They're completely different from your typical Christmas cookie with a center that stays soft and chewy while the pine nuts toast around the outside.

This version is made without flour and only takes 6 ingredients. The dough will look way too sticky to roll when it comes out of the food processor, but that's exactly what you want. Scoop it straight into the pine nuts, and you'll be able to shape it much more easily.

If you're looking for another Christmas dessert, try making my grandmother's Struffoli (Italian Honey Balls)!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Almond Paste: I developed this recipe with an 8-ounce package of Solo almond paste. Make sure you're buying almond paste, not Solo Almond Filling or marzipan. Different brands of almond paste can vary in texture, so I recommend Solo because that's what I used when testing this recipe.
Pine Nuts: Raw, unsalted pine nuts are the signature ingredient in pignoli cookies. They get nice and toasty as the cookies bake, so there's no need to toast them beforehand.
Egg whites: Eggs can vary in size, and so can the egg whites. I measured my egg whites to be 60 grams for this recipe.
Almond Extract: I like to add a bit of almond extract to deepen the nutty flavor.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

How to Make Pignoli Cookies

Chopped almond paste ground in a food processor.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Chop the almond paste into pieces and place it in a food processor. Process until finely crumbled.

Almond paste and granulated sugar in a food processor.

Step 2: Add the sugar and pulse until the mixture is fully combined and has the texture of wet sand.

Pignoli cookie dough in a food processor.

Step 3: Add the egg whites, salt, and almond extract. Process until fully combined and the mixture has a consistency of a thick paste. The dough will be very wet and sticky.

Hand rolling pignoli cookies in pine nuts

Step 4: Place the pine nuts on a plate. Use a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough directly onto the pine nuts. Gently roll and press the dough into the pine nuts until coated. The dough will feel very wet at first, but once it is coated in the pine nuts, it will be much easier to handle.

Pignoli cookie dough on a parchment-lined baking tray.

Step 5: Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking tray about 2 inches apart, leaving them as mounds.

Baked pignoli cookies dusted with powdered sugar on a cooling rack.

Step 6: Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the centers are still pale and soft. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

We always serve these around the holidays. With just a few ingredients and no chilling required, they're one of the easier cookies to add to a holiday cookie tray without sacrificing flavor.

If you love the deep almond flavor, try my Rainbow Cookie Cake. It has that same nutty almond flavor with rich texture and layers of chocolate.

Pro-Tips

Use the right amount of almond paste. Two common brands you'll see at the store are Solo and Odense. Solo comes in an 8-ounce package, while Odense comes in a 7-ounce package. I developed this recipe with 8 ounces of Solo almond paste, so make sure you have the full 8 ounces.
Know the difference between sticky and too wet. This dough is supposed to be very sticky, but it shouldn't be runny or drip off the spoon. Egg whites can vary in size, which can occasionally make the dough wetter. If your dough is dripping off the spoon, add 1 tablespoon of almond flour at a time until it thickens enough to scoop.
Don't try to roll the dough before coating it. The dough is very sticky. Scoop it directly into the pine nuts first. Once it's coated, it's much easier to handle.
Don't wait for the entire cookie to brown. The edges should be lightly golden while the centers remain pale and soft.
Let them cool on the tray. Give the cookies at least 5 minutes to set before transferring them to a cooling rack. They're so soft that when they're hot, they can still fall apart.

FAQs about pignoli cookies

Why is my pignoli cookie dough so sticky?

Pignoli cookie dough is supposed to be very sticky, so don't add flour just because it's difficult to handle. Scoop the dough directly into the pine nuts and gently coat it before shaping. Once it's covered in pine nuts, the dough becomes much easier to handle. If the dough is actually runny or dripping off the spoon, it's too wet, and you can add almond flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Can I prepare pignoli cookies ahead of time?

Yes, you can bake them up to 2 days in advance, and they will still taste fresh. Store them tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature until you're ready to serve them.

Can you freeze pignoli cookies?

Yes. My wife and I do this when we make cookies just for us! Then we can just take out 1 or 2 when we want them.

Do pignoli cookies contain flour?

No, they are made entirely with almond paste. Occasionally, if a dough comes out runny or dripping, you may want to add in some almond flour to help provide the cookie with structure.