Spumoni Sugar Cookies

All that glitters . . .

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In a sea of standard beige sugar cookies, Spumoni Sugar Cookies are showing up to show out. Featuring a trifecta of sparkling pink, green, and cocoa doughs, these colorful cookies will be the first treats to disappear from your dessert table.

Some people’s favorite childhood ice cream was cookies ‘n’ cream; for me, Spumoni was the star. The Italian version of the classic Neapolitan, this multicolored ice cream contains three distinct flavors, chocolate, cherry, and pistachio. As a child, I loved the bright, fun colors—and I loved how each flavor, while amazing by itself, also magically paired with any (or both!) of the other two. Now I’m cookie-fying this nostalgic treat by splitting a classic sugar cookie recipe into thirds, coloring and flavoring each portion to produce those three distinct flavors, and then rolling portions of all three doughs back together so each cookie contains pockets of every flavor.

These cookies have the potential to be incredibly complicated, so I’ve tried to streamline the process as much as possible. That said, here are a few tips that will help you along the way:

Use a scale.

In the world of baking, weighing ingredients is the best way to set yourself up for success. I find that it’s especially important to weigh flour when making any cookie—even an extra 30 grams can really affect the final texture!—but in a recipe where you’re splitting the batter in thirds, it’s even more so. Eyeball it, and you risk running short of a flavor halfway through forming the cookies.

Opt for gel food coloring

While I’ve made food coloring optional, you’ll absolutely need it if you want the pretty pink and green colors in these photos. I recommend gel food colorings (available in most specialty cake stores and online) rather than standard liquid food coloring: the gel is more concentrated so you won’t need to use as much to achieve the right color, and it also won’t affect the texture of your dough the way standard liquid food colorings might.

Round them off

To get perfectly round cookies, you can use a large round cookie cutter to round the edges of your cookies just after they come out of the oven. I recommend letting them sit on the cookie sheets for 1 minute so they can set up just slightly before placing the cookie cutter over each one and gently swirling it around the edges of the cookie. In testing, I found that a 4” cookie cutter worked perfectly. This is definitely not necessary- the cookies will taste the same regardless- but if you want your cookies picture-perfect, you might want to give it a shot.

These spumoni cookies were inspired by Sarah Kieffer’s much-loved Neapolitan cookies, which first appeared in her debut cookbook, 101 Cookies. I’m forever grateful to her for the concept and the general inspiration: the recipe measurements and instructions, however, are 100% mine.

Enjoy!

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Spumoni Sugar Cookies

(Makes 27-28)

1 c. (225 g.) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¾ c. (350 g.) granulated sugar, divided

¼ c. (50 g.) light brown sugar

¾ tsp. kosher salt

1 egg plus 1 large egg yolk

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ c. (60 g.) pistachios, chopped

Few drops green food coloring (preferably gel, optional)

¼ c. maraschino cherries, chopped

½ tsp. almond extract

Few drops pink food coloring (preferably gel, optional)

¼ c. (24 g.) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp. semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 ¾ c. plus 2/3 c. (290 g.) all-purpose flour, divided

2 tbsp. sparkling sugar (optional)

Equipment: 2-3 baking sheets, parchment paper, 3 bowls, hand mixer or stand mixer

Instructions

In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, salt, and 1 ¼ c. (250 g.) granulated sugar on medium until creamy and combined, 1-2 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until fully incorporated, then add baking powder and baking soda and beat at least 45 seconds more.

Divide dough evenly into three portions (200 g. each) and transfer two portions to two other separate bowls. Add pistachios, a few drops green food coloring (if using), and ¾ c. (90 g.) all-purpose flour to one portion and mix until combined. Add chopped maraschino cherries, almond extract, a few drops red food coloring (if using), and 1 c. (120 g.) flour to a second portion and mix until combined. Add cocoa powder, chopped dark chocolate, and 2/3 c. (80 g.) all-purpose flour to the remaining portion and mix until combined.

Roll each flavor of dough into ½ tablespoon balls (12-13 g.) each. In a small bowl, combine remaining ½ c. granulated sugar and 2 tbsp. sparkling sugar, if using. Line a baking sheet or cutting board with parchment paper.

To form cookies, combine one tiny dough ball from each flavor dough into a larger ball, rolling gently together to swirl flavors as desired. Roll dough ball in sugar and place on lined baking sheet or cutting board. Repeat with remaining cookies. Transfer baking sheet or cutting to the refrigerator to chill 30 minutes (this will firm the cookies up and prevent them from spreading so much.)

Arrange oven rack in the center of the oven; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper (if you don’t have three baking sheets, you can reuse the same baking sheet for a few batches; just be sure to let the baking sheet cool completely before reloading.)

Arrange 8-9 chilled dough balls on one lined baking sheet, spacing at least 2” apart. Bake cookies until puffed and just starting to brown on the outside, 11-13 minutes. Let cool on sheet about two minutes before transferring to a baker’s rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough balls.

Make ahead: dough balls can be formed, rolled in sugar, and kept in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before baking; let chill until solid on a flat surface before transferring to an airtight container or plastic bag. Bake from chilled. Alternatively, dough balls can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake from chilled.

Originally published April 10, 2025.