When I think of Neapolitan, I usually think of the popular ice cream. But what other things can be Neapolitan-ized? It turns out, it’s super easy to make Neapolitan cookies with one cookie dough split in 3, flavored, and recombined. I made vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry doughs easily with just flour, cocoa powder, strawberry extract, and a little food coloring. I then marbled the three doughs together to create these eye-catching ice cream-inspired cookies!
Neapolitan Cookie Recipe
These Neapolitan cookies have all three classic Neapolitan flavors– chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. I kept things easy by making a singular base dough, then dividing and coloring/flavoring it. This made the recipe way simpler, and it helped save a ton of time, too. The only “out there” ingredient I needed to find was strawberry extract, and I managed to find it at my local grocery store. If you have trouble, Amazon is always a good resource, or try a different red-flavored fruit extract, like raspberry or cherry.
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How to Store
Store leftover Neapolitan cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Tips for Success
- You can use any unsweetened cocoa powder in these cookies, or try black cocoa for a deeper color.
- Add a pinch of espresso powder to the chocolate dough for a mocha flavor.
- Add coconut extract or crushed nuts to the vanilla dough for a fun variation.
- Do not overwork the cookie dough after the flour has been added to avoid over-developing the gluten which can create rubbery cookies.
- Chilling cookie dough before baking helps prevent the dough from spreading in the oven.
- The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
- If the cookie dough is too hard to roll into balls after being chilled, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.
- For a slightly flatter, more chewy cookie, bang the pan onto the baking rack a few times after the cookies have been baking for about 10 minutes or once they start to spread and puff up. Banging the pan will cause the cookies to fall in the center, helping to create the desired chewy texture.
Neapolitan Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar plus more for rolling
- ⅔ cup salted butter room temperature (1⅓ sticks)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
For the Vanilla
- 2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Strawberry
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
- Pink food coloring
For the Chocolate
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Stand Mixer
- 2 Baking Sheet
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter, and vegetable shortening together on high speed until smooth, fluffy, and pale in color, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until pale in color, about 1 minute.1⅓ cups granulated sugar, ⅔ cup salted butter, 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and beat together just until the flour is combined — do not overmix.
- Divide the dough evenly into 3 separate bowls (about 267 grams per bowl).
- In one bowl, mix in the flour for the vanilla portion. Mix only until the flour is incorporated.2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- In a second bowl, mix in the additional ingredients for the strawberry portion, again, only mixing until the ingredients have been incorporated.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon strawberry extract, Pink food coloring
- Add the cocoa to the last bowl and mix until combined.3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place them into the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
- Once the doughs have chilled, remove them from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop a ½-tablespoon portion of each of the doughs and roll each into a somewhat of a ball. Place the balls together in a kind of triangle and roll them together into a ball. Slightly flatten the ball into a 2-inch disc. Roll in sugar until well coated. Place the dough discs onto the prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart for spreading.
- Place the baking sheets into the oven to bake for 18 minutes. Turn the pans halfway through baking so that they bake evenly on both sides.
- Once baked, remove the pans from the oven and place the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
How to Make Neapolitan Cookies Step-by-Step
Mix the Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1⅓ cups of sugar, ⅔ cup of salted butter, and 3 tablespoons of vegetable shortening together on high speed until smooth, fluffy, and pale in color, about 1 minute. Add 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat until pale in color, about 1 minute.
Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of baking powder together.
Combine the Dough: Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat together just until the flour is combined — do not overmix.
Divide the Dough: Divide the dough evenly into 3 separate bowls (about 267 grams per bowl).
Flavor the Dough: In one bowl, mix in 2½ tablespoons of flour for the vanilla portion. Mix only until the flour is incorporated.
Color the Dough: In a second bowl, mix in 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of strawberry extract, and pink food coloring, again, only mixing until the ingredients have been incorporated. Add 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the last bowl and mix until combined.
Form the Cookies: Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and place them into the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. Once the doughs have chilled, remove them from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop a ½-tablespoon portion of each of the doughs and roll each into a somewhat of a ball. Place the balls together in a kind of triangle and roll them together into a ball. Slightly flatten the ball into a 2-inch disc. Roll in sugar until well coated. Place the dough discs onto the prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart for spreading.
Bake the Cookies: Place the baking sheets into the oven to bake for 18 minutes. Turn the pans halfway through baking so that they bake evenly on both sides.
Cool the Cookies: Once baked, remove the pans from the oven and place the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes before serving.
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