Allow me to introduce you to my absolute favorite holiday cookie: Italian rainbow cookies! They’re an Italian-American invention, created by immigrants in New York as a nod to the Italian flag. I think my family likes them so much because they’re actually cake. You know… disguised as cookies. 😏
I’ve been making this tri-color cookie recipe for over a decade at this point—you might know them as Venetian cookies, seven layer cookies, or Italian flag cookies, but whatever you call them, they are so worth the effort. And truly, they’re just as good as cookies from your favorite Italian bakery.
My Other Top 3 Foolproof Holiday Bakes
- This ultra rich, creamy pecan pie cheesecake!
- A perfect, decadent Italian tiramisu—is anything better?!
- My flourless chocolate cake with a crinkly top!
What’s In Italian Rainbow Cookies?
There’s surprisingly few ingredients in these Italian cookies.
You’ll need eggs (separate the whites and the egg yolks), sugar, almond paste, pure almond extract, butter, flour, salt, food coloring, and raspberry preserves. The chocolate shell that coats the layered cookies is made with melted semi-sweet chocolate.
This recipe is made easier with a stand mixer, but you can whip the egg whites by hand if you’re feeling strong. 💪🏻
Is Almond Paste Necessary? Yes.
Sorry, but you literally cannot make this recipe without almond paste. What you can substitute, if needed, is the jam. In fact, lots of rainbow cookies are made with both seedless raspberry jam and apricot preserves (one layer of each). Personally, I’d be game to try them with homemade strawberry preserves!
How To Make Rainbow Cookies
Be sure to read through the entire recipe before you begin (always a good habit, but especially important when baking). Don’t let the length of the instructions intimidate you—the effort is well worth it. You’ll end up with nearly 100 beautiful cookies, plus plenty of delicious scraps to snack on as you go! Here’s the quick overview:
- Divide the batter evenly into three large bowls.
- Tint two portions with food coloring—one red, one green—mixing each until the color is uniform and vibrant, while leaving the third portion plain.
- Bake the layers one at a time. This is the trickiest part: carefully spreading the thin batter evenly over rimmed baking sheets. It takes patience, but those distinct, colorful layers are what make Italian tri color cookies so special.
Line each pan with a single sheet of parchment paper—no need to grease it!
Once the layers have cooled, spread half the jam between each layer.
When assembling, stack the layers with the yellow cake (plain) in the center so the finished cookie resembles the Italian flag: green, white, and red.
Store overnight in a refrigerator. It’s helpful to weigh down the cake with a couple heavy cookbooks on top (yes, really).
The next day, coat both sides with melted semisweet chocolate, then set until firm. Transfer the slab to a cutting board and slice into the most adorable bite-sized tricolore cookies you’ve ever seen. Whenever I make cookie boxes for family and friends during the holidays, these are always at the top of my must-bake list.
Storage Tips
Keep the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze.
Just be sure to layer the cookies with sheets of parchment in between (so they don’t stick together). Allow them to defrost for 10-15 minutes before serving. I actually love to eat them straight out of the freezer—I know, I know.
Tips For Cutting Them Without Cracking The Chocolate
To make cutting rainbow cookies easier, you’ll want to use a serrated knife that’s been run under hot water first. Trust me on this one!
And those scraps that are left on the cutting board? 100% eat those! Do not throw them away! 😋 Eat straight or swirl them into homemade toasted almond ice cream.
Dairy-Free Rainbow Cookies
This is a hugely popular recipe on Well Seasoned and while I, myself, am not dairy-free, one of my wonderful readers tested the recipe using Miyokos vegan butter and said the recipe turned out perfect. Who knew?!
(But also, this is why it’s incredibly helpful to leave reviews! Thanks in advance, friends! 😘)
One bite and I’m certain you’ll agree, this is the most reliable (and foolproof!) homemade Italian rainbow cookie recipe ever, period the end. Absolutely cannot wait to hear what you think, so be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and rating below.
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! Don’t forget to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio and upload your photos below! We love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Complete your holiday cookie boxes with more reader favorite recipes:
- Flaky, buttery chocolate raspberry rugelach
- Tender chocolate biscotti dipped in pistachios
- Miso browned butter chocolate chip cookies with crisp edges and gooey centers
- Chocolate chip mandel bread cookies—these are a bit more crumbly than biscotti!
- Buttery rosemary shortbread cookies
Tell Us What You Think!
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Foolproof Italian Rainbow Cookies Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
- 8 ounces (227g) almond paste, or a 7-oz tube
- 1¼ cups (2½ sticks; 280g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- red food coloring
- green food coloring
- 10 ounces raspberry preserves warmed
- 7 ounces (200g) semisweet chocolate chunks, chips, or melting wafers
Instructions
- Prepare the sheet pans. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease, flour, and line the bottoms of three 9×13-inch (quarter sheet pan) with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang.
- Beat egg whites. In the bowl of a standard electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 4 large egg whites at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. With the mixer running on high speed, add ¼ cup (50g) sugar a little at a time, beating until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to another bowl, and wipe the bowl dry with a paper towel.
- Mix sugar and almond paste. Switch the mixer to the paddle attachment and beat together 8oz (227g) almond paste and remaining ¾ cup (150g) sugar until well-mixed, about 3 minutes. Start with the mixer on slow, then increase speed to medium, otherwise the mixture will fly out of the bowl.
- Incorporate butter. Add 2½ sticks (280g) softened butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 4 large egg yolks and 1 tsp almond extract and beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add 2 cups (240g) flour and ½ tsp Kosher salt, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in egg whites. Fold half of the egg white mixture into the almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
- Divide batter among 3 bowls. I recommend weighing the batter on a food scale, then dividing equally in thirds into three separate bowls.
- Color the cookies. Stir 6-8 drops of red food coloring into one bowl and 6-8 drops of green food coloring into another, leaving the third bowl plain. Different food colorings have different intensities. Keep in mind the batter will bake up darker than it looks raw. Pour the batter from one of the bowls into one of the prepared pans. Using a small offset spatula, spread the batter into an even layer. It will be extremely thin, but there is enough!
- Bake the individual layers. Bake the layer for 8 to 10 minutes, until just set (the cake may look undercooked, but this is what you want). Repeat with the remaining bowls of cake batter and sheet pans, transferring each baked cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Assemble the layers with preserves. When all the layers are cool, invert the green layer onto a parchment- or wax paper-lined baking sheet. Peel off the paper from the layer and brush on half of the heated preserves. Flip the white layer on top of the green layer and peel off the paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert the red layer on top of white layer and discard the paper.
- Chill overnight. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place another quarter sheet pan on top, right side up. Evenly distribute a heavy weight on top of the sheet pan — I place heavy cookbooks on top! — and place in the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Bring the cake to room temperature. Remove the weights and plastic wrap and let the layer sit on your counter for a few minutes to come to room temperature. Melt the chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, until smooth.
- Pour on melted chocolate. Trim the edges of the assembled layers with a long serrated knife to even them out. Use a small offset spatula to quickly (like REALLY quickly) spread half of the melted chocolate in a thin layer on top of the cake. Place the cake back in the fridge to firm up the chocolate, about 10-15 minutes. Place a sheet of wax paper on top of the chocolate layer, place another quarter sheet pan on top, then invert the cake and remove the paper. Quickly spread with the remaining chocolate. Freeze the chocolate-covered cake until just slightly firm, about 10 minutes.
- Slice cookies. Cut lengthwise into 6 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 16 pieces. The cookies are much easier to cut when cold, but if they're completely frozen solid (like you forget them in the freezer and came back to them the next day), allow to thaw slightly or the chocolate will crack as you slice into it.
- The cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- To freeze: store baked, sliced Italian rainbow cookies between layers of parchment paper in freezer-safe containers. Cookies will keep up to 3 months.
- To defrost: allow cookies to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. The cake layers defrost pretty quickly!
Nutrition
*Recipe adapted slightly from Nina Caldas via Food52.
This recipe made such an intimidating cookie seem so accessible! They were such a hit and obviously as pretty as they are tasty. Definitely give these a try!!
You absolutely crushed these, Lauren! 10 outta 10 perfection!! xo, Ari
Has anyone tried using almond flour instead of all purpose flour? I have a wheat allergy.
Hi Joan! I haven’t tested this with almond flour. You’d possibly need to add a binding agent (such as xanthan gum, guar gum, or psyllium husk, though I’m not sure how much — that would be a different recipe) for the layers to bake as needed. If you decide to experiment and give it a try, please do report back for other readers! Thanks! Ari
Hi! Can I still make these if I don’t have a stand mixer? I only have a handheld mixer.
Hi Mary! Yes, absolutely! Just be sure to use large enough mixing bowls that you don’t splatter yourself with cake batter while mixing hah (been there, done that!). Be sure to snap a pic of the finished result and come back to let me know what you think! These are my family’s FAVORITE cookies! xo, Ari
Takes time to make but it was kind of fun doing it. Alittle dry but I may have over baked them. It was hard to tell when they were done. The store bought are my daughter and son in laws favorite. They liked them but prefer the store bought ones.
Probably will try again some time
These look absolutely fantastic!! Wish I could reach through the screen and grab one! xo, Ari
Foolproof italian layer cookies are absolutely delicious. A bit time consuming but well worth the effort if you follow directions to a T. One tip however is after placing the chocolate on the opposite side cut them immediately and store in an airtight container to freeze that way you can take out as many as needed if your kids haven’t eaten them out of the freezer and left the empty container—i found warming the knife was quite helpful as i cut them
Hi I was wondering if you can halve this recipe ? Have you tried that because sometimes recipes come out weird when halved. Thanks!
Hi Rachel! In theory *yes* it will work, but I don’t own sheet pans small enough to bake it in a half portion. Also, while these are easy to make, they do require a bit of time and planning, so I always make the full batch because (1) they disappear quickly, but also (2) you can 100% freeze the leftovers. It’s the same amount of work whether you do make a single batch or halve it, so if you want leftovers, I’d recommend just going with it as written. Please report back, excited for you to try these cookies! xo, Ari
This recipe is wrong ! You don’t tell when to put in almond paste , no measurements for baking powder !
Hi Jenn — did you read the recipe card? The almond paste is clearly mentioned in Direction Step 3, and there is no baking powder in this recipe. Are you confusing this with a different rainbow cookie recipe? Best, Ari
I made these rainbow cookies last year for Christmas. They tasted so good that I’m making them again right now. I just popped the whole ‘layered cookie-cake’ into the fridge with a pan and cook books on top. Looking forward to tomorrow when I top with chocolate, chill and cut into squares. Can’t wait to eat all the scraps!! As usual, an excellent recipe with easy to follow directions. Thanks for including the details about freezing.
This is the best!! I’m making a double batch this weekend because these are my all-time favorite holiday cookie to gift to friends and family. Thanks for sharing, Donna! xo, Ari
These are so yummy. I feel like they’re a little *less* almond-y than the ones I buy at the Italian market which honestly I love, it makes it easier to eat as many as I feel like! I ended up eye-balling the amount of jam between layers which ended up being almost half of what the recipe called for, but otherwise followed everything exactly. I was intimidated to make these for the first time but the instructions are thorough and I feel like they worked out perfectly! Definitely recommend.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Lacey! We’re about to polish off our first batch of these this holiday season, and I’m considering make more rainbow cookies net week. Glad you enjoyed them with less jam. I’ll note for any readers browsing through the comments that I think the jam helps to keep the cookies moist (especially if they’re refrigerated or chilled), and so I stick with the amount above, even though it sometimes feels like a little too much, to retain moisture. Yay cookie season!! xo, Ari
This is a really great recipe. Thank you!!
Definitely my go-to holiday cookie! Thanks, Angie! Cheers, Ari
Unfortunately cannot rate these since I cannot make. The recipe says 90 mins to make but after reading full step by step directions it calls for them to be refrigerated 8 hours or overnight. You should add that to the timing somewhere. Had to look up another recipe that did not call for the long refrigeration time.
I’m sorry this wasn’t clear, Christine — I’ve included the ‘inactive time’ above to avoid further confusion. Happy holidays! Best, Ari
We call them flags….Italian flags. I like your recipe, I usually do a hack with white cake and almond flavoring, then layer it with jam and weigh it down with heavy books to compress before covering with chocolate. I will try yours too and see if added work is worth it.
Definitely let me know what you think, Susan! They’re totally worth the effort in my book. Enjoy! xo, Ari
They were really crisp like a dry cookie…idk if it’s something I did wrong or if that’s the correct result. The kind I’ve tasted before were moist and more almondy & cake like . They melted in my mouth. So idk if there’s different variations of these or what. Each time the batter was obviously pretty thin and difficult to spread but came out looking slightly undercooked just like the recipe says but once they cooled they are kinda like stale cake & it was missing moisture.
Looks great wondering if I could use white chocolate? I really want to make this but can’t eat chocolate.😥
Hi Sharon! I’ve never made these cookies with white chocolate, but a few things to note: white chocolate has a lower melting point that darker chocolate. Because of this, it can burn easily if overheated. If you plan to give it a try, heat the white chocolate slowly, stirring often, and be sure to remove it from the heat source once it’s mostly melted. Regardless, the cake assembly with jam will be exactly the same as instructed, and I know that part is going to be fantastic. Enjoy! Cheers, Ari
I’ve never made or had Italian Rainbow cookies, but I’m doing a video series on Facebook where I bake things I’ve never made or tried. I tried looking for you on Facebook so I could tag you for the recipe, but couldn’t find you. I haven’t posted it yet. Anyways, the whole time I thought I had messed them up, and then I finished and tried them and they taste amazing. I don’t know if they taste how they’re supposed to taste, but they’re good.
First of all, they’re gorgeous!! Well done, I hope you love them! But second, I totally hear you on doubting the process while you’re making them. It’s essentially baking off three very thin cake layers, which feels wrong, and then you sandwich them together with jam and you’re probably still not sure if you’re doing it correctly, but one you cut into them they are perfection. Yay! So happy with how these turned out for you, Mary! Cheers, Ari
Long time rainbow cookie lover, first time baker of them! I followed this recipe exactly and man these came out amazing!! Everyone i shared with was obsessed 😍 i can’t wait to make these again
I’m not sure these could be more perfect if you tried! They look absolutely fantastic. Thanks so much for sharing, Gina! Cheers, Ari
Better than the ones I purchased at the bakery. The cookies turned out great it was hard to stop eating them. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Totally agree!! It’s really hard to find fantastic tri-color cookies at bakeries, so why not just make them at home? Thrilled you love them as much as my family does! xo, Ari
for anyone wondering if this recipe is truly foolproof, i’m happy to confirm that it really is!! i’m a college student with extremely limited equipment, so i had to hand mix the egg whites with a mini whisk (which took some time and tears but worked great). i also had to mix everything in a salad bowl, which in case anyone is curious turned out to be the perfect size to squeeze in all the finished dough. my last hurdle was only having a normal size sheet pan, so i used a ruler and eyeballed out a 9×13 patch of batter in the middle of the tray and then transferred the baked layer to cool on a cutting board while i re-used the pan for the next layer. cook times were spot on, the layers were just baked through with no browning at 8 minutes on the dot. the cookies pressed really well in the fridge with my biology textbook placed on top. overall these turned out amazing and possibly even better than the ones from our local italian bakery! will 100% be revisiting this recipe, hopefully with a mixer next time 🙂
This is the best review ever. I love how you made it work, simply with what tools you had on hand. And dare I say these look absolutely perfect?! You knocked it out of the park. Well done!! Cheers, Ari
I don’t appreciate that in the section towards the top where it says “what’s in Italian rainbow cookies” it mentions every ingredient except for flour, leading one to believe you don’t need flour. At the bottom of the page it says 2 cups of flour. Why have two different ingredient lists on the same recipe?
Hi Vic. I don’t list out every single ingredient in my recipe posts, nor do I include things like quantities because that information is in the recipe card at the bottom, along with detailed instructions. Did you attempt to make these cookies based on the information in the post (without measurements)? Or is the implication that I somehow suggested these are gluten-free and made without flour? I don’t believe I did either of those things. Trying to understand why you’re upset. Either way, I hope you’ll give these a try because they really are a fantastic holiday cookie and, as an added bonus, they make a ton! Happy holidays, Ari
I went ahead and added ‘flour’ into the section you referred to above for future reference.
These turned out absolutely incredible. It made so many cookies and the flavor is delicious and fresh. The cookies are cake-like and the layers look so cool. I will be making this next holiday season to share with others.
Thank you, thank you, Sara!! Yes, they’re totally little cake-like cookies (and I love that about them). A holiday staple for sure! Cheers, Ari
Wonderful recipe- it’s been on my baking list
To make rainbow cookies for ages and finally found a quiet moment to make them. Easier than expected and WOW they are delicious. Used apricot preserves instead of raspberry and they were incredible and look so cute! Also made a lovely big batch so already stored some away in freezer 🙂 thanks for such an easy to follow recipe that worked out perfectly 🩷
Absolutely gorgeous!! Look at those incredible layers! Ari
This was my first time making Italian Rainbow cookies. They are time consuming but this recipe is truly foolproof. Everyone LOVED these and raved about them.
These couldn’t be any more perfect if you tried, Christina! Thanks so much for sharing! Cheers, Ari
I made these cookies for Christmas, had to make a second batch, because within an hour the hold pan of cookies was gone. Thank you for this recipe.
They really do disappear quickly! So, so glad you all enjoyed. Thanks so much! Ari
These look absolutely stunning 😍 I’ve always been intimidated by Italian rainbow cookies, but the way you’ve broken down each step makes the process feel totally doable. Love the emphasis on planning ahead and the tip about weighing down the layers overnight — that’s the kind of detail that really makes a difference. Also, the almond paste + raspberry combo is such a classic. Definitely adding this to my holiday baking list. Thanks for such a thorough and reliable recipe!
Really glad you’re finding the step-by-steps helpful! -Ari
I may have slightly underbaked the cakes, but these turned out exquisite! A little chewy, but the flavors work perfectly together. This is an exceptionally well written recipe, and I appreciated the step-by-step written instructions near the end. Interestingly, though I cut 96 cookies, somehow only about 90 made it into the container. Wonder what happened there? 😂
Wait, these look absolutely phenomenal!!! I mean, 10 outta 10, these are an absolute home run! Thanks so much for sharing, Brynn!