Italian Cornmeal Cookies

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These northern Italian-inspired cookies taste like little discs of toasted cornbread.

Plate of Italian cornmeal cookies.

These simple cookies are inspired by zaletti, the northern Italian cornmeal cookies typically flavored with vanilla, lemon zest, and grappa-soaked raisins. Warm out of the oven, they taste like little discs of toasted cornbread. Since the cookies aren’t too sweet, they make a wonderful breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea.

What you’ll need to make Italian Cornmeal Cookies

cornmeal cookies ingredients

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.

cornmeal cookies ingredients

Whisk well and set aside.
dry ingredients whisked

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about one minute.

creaming butter and sugar

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

adding the eggs

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Vanilla added to a bowl with a butter mixture.

Add the dry ingredients.

adding dry ingredients

Beat on low speed until just combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool enough to handle, about one hour.
cornmeal cookie batter

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand.

cookie dough balls flattened

Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the cookies are pale on top and lightly golden on the bottom. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Italian cornmeal cookies on a lined baking sheet.

Serve with coffee or tea and enjoy!

Plate of Italian cornmeal cookies.

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Italian Cornmeal Cookies

These northern Italian-inspired cookies taste like little discs of toasted cornbread.

Servings: 40 cookies
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes, plus about 1 hour to chill

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with knife
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 11 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about one minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool enough to handle, about one hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand, then bake for 13-15 minutes, until the cookies are pale on top and lightly golden on the bottom. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Cookie Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 75
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 10 g
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Sodium: 42 mg
  • Cholesterol: 18 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • These cookies were the best. Recently diagnosed with Celiac disease, I was able to substitute my flour with the cornmeal to make a delicious cookie which I could eat.

  • Thought these were going to be rather dry — no way! they’re scrumptious; couldn’t stop after just one.

    • — Dorothy Ruffin
    • Reply
  • The recipe say 11 tbls, or is that 2 tbls?

    • It’s 11 tablespoons unfortunately 🙂

  • Got them out of the oven 10 minutes ago. They are delicious! Really glad I decided to bake them today 🙂

  • Sound great. Will make some soon!!

  • i love this idea.
    and will bake some this weekend!

  • For Betty and your future reference, perhaps, to send inquirers??

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    have used both! Thank you for this yummy recipe!

    • Thanks, Marty!

  • I would like for you to list calories and carbs. Thanks

    • Sorry Betty, I’m just not set up to do that.

  • Yum! I love the texture of cornmeal! I just put cornmeal muffins on my blog today too – we’re thinking the same thing! I love how it produces a more rustic texture, and isn’t tooth achingly sweet. These look great!

  • looks fabulous

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