These Easy Italian Lemon Knot Cookies or Taralli al Limone are typically made at Christmas, they are soft and full of fresh lemon flavor. One of our favorite Italian lemon cookies! They are also known as Italian Lemon Drop cookies, Iced Italian Cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies, and Anginetti.
Some other Christmas sweets to try are my Italian mother-in-law's cherished Nocatole-Calabrian Sweet Fritters recipe and also the Pitta 'Impigliata-Calabrian Fruit and Nut Pastries.
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Jump To
- What are Italian Lemon Knot Cookies (Taralli al Limone)
- Ingredients
- How to shape Italian Lemon Knot Cookies-Taralli al Limone?
- Can I use lemon extract in my Italian lemon knot cookies?
- Tips on how to make Italian lemon knot cookies?
- Which holiday do they bake taralli in Italy?
- FAQ'S
- Some other cookies to enjoy:
- Italian Lemon Knot Cookies-Taralli al Limone
My mom and I would bake these Taralli al Limone-Italian Lemon Knot Cookies every Chrtistmas! We would roll out the dough together into the little strands that would be shaped one after another into their familiar knotted shape.
It didn't matter if they weren't perfect. And now my kids have learned how to bake them with me and with our friends who have Sicilian nonni (grandparents).
Originally posted December 2019 and republished November 2025. These cookies make Christmas even more festive! I wanted to share them here again with you!
Christmas baking is at a feverish pace here at our Italian baking headquarters. We are baking fiends after Halloween leading all the way up to the week of Christmas. One cookie that is a staple in our home is taralli al limone, or Italian lemon knot cookies.
What are Italian Lemon Knot Cookies (Taralli al Limone)
You may know them as tarallucci, anginetti-Italian lemon drop cookies, anise cookies, and even Italian knot cookies.
Italian lemon knot cookies are a classic Italian pastry made from a light and fluffy dough flavored with lemon zest. The dough is then shaped into small crescent-shaped knots and baked until golden brown.
These sweet treats have become popular in many regions of Italy, especially during the annual Ferragosto celebrations, when tasty treats are exchanged between families and friends.
We also make these Cuccidati-Sicilian Fig Cookies. This post has been updated from Dec 2016.
One biscotti that is made every Christmas is our Hazelnut and Dried Cherry Biscotti. Soon there will be more to come to make a sweet Italian Christmas!
Ingredients
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour for a soft, tender dough. You can swap part of it with cake flour for a lighter texture.
- Baking powder - Helps the cookies rise. Make sure it's fresh for the best result.
- Salt - Enhances flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Vegetable shortening - Gives the cookies their signature soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Substitute with unsalted butter for richer flavor.
- Sugar - Sweetens the dough and adds light crispness. You can use granulated or light brown sugar.
- Eggs - Bind the dough and add richness. Use room temperature eggs for even mixing.
- Milk - Adds moisture and softness. Any milk works, including whole, 2%, or almond milk.
- Lemon - Fresh lemon zest and juice give the cookies their bright, classic flavor. You can replace it with orange zest for a softer citrus note.
How to shape Italian Lemon Knot Cookies-Taralli al Limone?
- Scoop out a portion of dough.
- Roll it into a rope about 4 inches long.
- Form a small knot by looping and crossing the ends.
- Place each knot on a baking tray.
Italian Lemon Knot Cookies all lined up on the baking tray ready to bake!
Sometimes you can do criss-cross taralli instead of the small knotted shape. You could do it either way, although I prefer to make it like a round knot.
But maybe this simpler shape is easier to try out first with your kids or grandkids. The recipe I'm sharing here is our family friend nonno Sal's sister-in-law Maria's recipe. I took a photo of the faded recipe and adapted it to my way of making it.
Sal's grandkids made their cookie dough a bit differently, as there weren't really any true directions on the recipe.
They mixed all the wet ingredients by hand and then mixed the flour in, eventually working the dough together on the clean tabletop by hand. I was curious how their dough would turn out, but the texture was fine.
Can I use lemon extract in my Italian lemon knot cookies?
Honestly, no. The flavor tastes a little off.
I make my cookies all the time with fresh lemon zest and juice. You can't beat the flavor of fresh lemon juice. I like the dough to taste lemony as well and sometimes add the zest of 2 lemons to the dough (if I bought enough lemons). It's always better to use organic if you can find them.
Tips on how to make Italian lemon knot cookies?
The dough is super easy to put together. But these baking tips will help you make the BEST Italian Christmas cookies!
- As I mentioned in the post, the kids even put it together by hand, without using a mixer. It doesn't have any fancy steps and it is hard to mess it up.
- When the kids made the dough with their nonno, they didn't even rest the dough in the fridge, they started baking the cookies right away and they turned out great!
- As for the lemon flavor, I like my cookies with more lemon flavor and even add lemon zest to the glaze. That is up to you if you want to add zest to the glaze.
- You can make it as lemony flavored as you like it, but be sure to use fresh lemon juice and if you can use organic for the zest, that is the best for this recipe.
Which holiday do they bake taralli in Italy?
Taralli are baked in Italy during Easter in the Southern part of the peninsula. In Sicily, they are baked even at Christmas time. In Sicily you can find them in different provinces and they could be flavored with orange instead of lemon and also with anise.
FAQ'S
Anginetti is an Italian pastry made of dough that is shaped into a bow knot and then deep-fried until golden. It is usually covered in either a light sugar syrup or a confectioners' sugar glaze, although some variations call for it to be dusted with powdered sugar instead.
Yes. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before shaping.
You can freeze them baked (unglazed) for up to 2 months. Freeze them in a single layer, then glaze after thawing.
Small cracks can happen if the dough is too dry or over-mixed. Add a splash of milk to soften the dough if needed.
Stored in an airtight container, they stay soft for 4-5 days. The glaze keeps them moist longer.
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes! I am always pinning :)!
BUON NATALE! XX
Some other cookies to enjoy:
- Sicilian Sesame Seed Cookies
- Italian Rainbow Cookies
- Cuccidati-Sicilian Fig Cookies
- Chocolate Crackle Cookies
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Italian Lemon Knot Cookies-Taralli al Limone
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 4 cups flour
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- zest and juice of one lemon I used organic
LEMON GLAZE
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus more if necessary
- zest of lemon
- rainbow nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time; mix well.
- Beat in the milk and the juice and zest of the lemon; mix well.
- Add the flour one cup at a time, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour.
- Refrigerate the dough for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Line 3 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
- Scoop out dough a small portion at a time and roll dough to the length of your dough scraper (about 4-inch long).
- Shape into little rings (wrap one side over the other and tuck the ends under the bottom of the cookie).
- Place cookies spread apart on the sheets and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the bottom. (every oven is different. Mine were done at about 13 minutes).
- Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
- Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and zest, until it forms a thick but pourable glaze (add more lemon juice if necessary). If it gets too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar. Drizzle on each cookie, add the sprinkles and let set, about 15 minutes.
- Glaze each cookie, add the sprinkles, and let set, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Love these cookies! I made these for the first time and they turned out great. I was happy I found your recipe. I used coconut oil instead of shortening. If I substitute with butter what would the consistency be like? I do like them more soft and moist. Also, would adding ricotta be okay? Or would that change the amounts of the other ingredients? I am new to baking.
Hi Nikki-Thank you for taking the time to let me know you love the lemon knot cookies! Great to know you loved the cookies and used coconut oil. I'm not sure how i twould turn out using butter and ricotta, as I've never made it like that. Maybe you could search around and find a recipe that is like that and try it! ENJOY!
Oh so much fun to find your website!!
I was given a very similar recipe by my sweet friend Mary, who owned a great Italian restaurant in East Rochester, NY. She gave me the recipe, without really giving my instructions. You filled in the gaps. Thank you so much!!!
She used oil, made me wonder if I was doing something wrong. laugh
she also made "meatball cookies" Do you have a recipe for those also?
Hi Lisa-Really happy you enjoy my site!And that you enjoyed the Italian lemon knot cookies (they are my favorite!). Yes, I have a meatball cookie. My version is rolled in confectioner's sugar, but you could certainly frost them with chocolate frosting (the way a lot of them are made). Here it is: https://www.savoringitaly.com/easy-italian-chocolate-spice-cookies/
ENJOY!
Hi can I use oil instead of shortening
Hi Maria-Yes, you can. Oil will make the cookies softer and more moist compared to shortening, which can give a slightly flakier and crisper texture. When substituting, use the same amount of oil as you would shortening (1:1 ratio).Hope that helps!
Question: I see zest mentioned in both the dough and glaze ingredients. But I don't see a step in the recipe where you add zest. Can you assist?
Hi Joan-Lemon zest gets added with the lemon juice, in dough and in the glaze. Hope that helps! Happy Holidays!
My grandson loves these I just make round ones no time to make knots.
It's a fun baking project to do with the grandchildren. Happy your grandson loves them! XX
Can butter be used when it callsfor shortening? Shortening is Crisco?
Hi Joan, Yes, you can use butter. Happy Baking! XX
These look delicious, hoping to make these for Christmas this year as my Mom is a huge lemon fan! How far in advance can these be made?
Hi Diane-You could make these a week in advance. You could even do two weeks in advance (I would store in fridge if you're making it that far ahead). Happy Baking and enjoy time with mom! XX
Family favorite every Christmas. This recipe is so easy to follow and just delicious!
So happy to hear you enjoy the cookies! Happy Holidays!
I make these every year from my grandmothers recipe. I use vanilla and anise. My family loves them.
hello what type of shortening is best?
We used Crisco for this recipe and it turned out great! Happy Baking!! xx
This is so delicious. It really looks good and beautiful.
I make these every year from my mother's recipe which is similar. The difference is I melt 1 stick of butter. Always fresh lemon juice.
I think that's so lovely that you make them every year! I think the fresh lemon juice is so important! Glad you also agree! Happy Baking xx
Oh my goodness! I only can immagine how good these cookies smell! Yummy!
So delicious! Adding these to my baking line up for the holiday season! Look too good to pass up!
Can't wait to try these with my kids! Have you ever tried them with orange zest instead of lemon?
Hi Cathy, yes, I've made also with orange zest and it's lovely. Thank you.
These Italian Lemon Knot Cookies-Taralli al Limone are on my must-make list!