Pignoli Cookies
Updated Oct. 20, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour 40 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 5 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 24ounces almond paste, chilled
- 1½cups/300 grams granulated sugar
- 1cup/123 grams powdered sugar
- 2large egg whites
- 14ounces pine nuts (about 3 cups)
Nutritional analysis per serving (60 servings)
125 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 3 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Step 2
Break the almond paste up into chunks and add them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the granulated sugar, powdered sugar and egg whites. Beat on medium speed until just combined into a sticky dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. The pignoli dough can be tightly wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days (or frozen up to 1 month then thawed overnight in the fridge).
- Step 3
Add the pine nuts to a small bowl. Scoop up 1 level tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball between your palms, then roll through the pine nuts, pressing to adhere. Set on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls 1 inch apart.
- Step 4
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely before serving. Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Private Notes
Comments
I make pignoli cookies by using 1 package of Solo almond paste, 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg white. The trick to getting the pignoli nuts to stick to the dough is to wet your hands before rolling balls of dough in the nuts. I makes a huge difference
I make these cookies rolled either in pignoli nuts or toasted slivered almonds. Delicious either way. You can also sandwich two cookies with chocolate ganache if you want to go all out.
If you can find (and afford) Italian/Mediterranean pine nuts they are far superior to the ones from China or Siberia. Italian are longer and milder; Chinese are shorter, oilier, and more bitter. Some people find Chinese pine nuts have an unpleasant metallic flavor that can leave a numb feeling in the mouth for days. I avoid them for that reason.
Unused only the powdered sugar and they were much, much better! Cannot imagine eating these with all the sugar suggested.
This recipe ended up too sweet despite cutting both the granulated sugar and powdered sugar in half. I used Trader Joe's almond paste (7oz tubes), which had some sugar already but i thought i cut enough to balance it out. Nope! I also wish recipes would provide a small explanation of the WHY behind each ingredient. Why powdered sugar? What would happen if I used more egg whites? Anything to be careful of if I was to double the servings? Flavor and texture was great, but again too sweet.
Anyone else end up with flat, four-inch rounds? The recipe says to space them one inch apart, but they all melted into each other. Followed the recipe to the gram. Must be the almond paste I'm using. I mean, what else could I do wrong?
@Martin G. My cookies also spread and then were sooo chewy. I usually follow Giada’s recipe but tried this following making Claire’s mortadella cookies. Didn’t love this recipe and likely won’t follow again.