Sure, the store-bought stuff is good, but nothing beats homemade milano cookies! Impress everyone during your cookie exchange this year. Easily customize the flavors with this easy to follow milano cookies recipe.
If I had to name one cookie as the ultimate "adulting" cookie, it would be the Milano. Growing up, I always considered it to be a cookie that only grown-ups can enjoy, and it was out of bounds for someone my age.
As I grew up and had money of my own, I still shied away from Milanos, thinking they were for someone who was more responsible. The type of cookie you eat when you have your own house and car. It took me a while until I actually realized I was both being silly and also worthy of this cookie.
I think this pretty much sums up my adolescence.
Are Milano Cookies Italian?
Technically, no. The cookies were actually created by Pepperidge Farms in 1956. That being said, the cookie is based on Italian-style cookies.
Are Milano Cookies Soft?
Milano cookies are light, buttery, crisp cookies that sandwich a rich, velvety chocolate ganache. They are far from soft, and make wonderful cookies to dip in a glass of ice-cold milk or your coffee because they can retain their structure well.
Can You Freeze Milano Cookies?
Absolutely! I love freezing them. They do get a little softer when thawed, but I don't mind that. If you want to keep your cookies crisp, I would refrain from freezing them. Honestly, I do enjoy eating them while they are still mostly frozen.
Are Milano Cookies Gluten-Free
No, they are not gluten-free, but you can easily make it so by using a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix. I recommend using King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill.
Want to Bake More Cookies?
If you want more cookies, try my double chocolate cookies or my cinnamon roll cookies! You may also enjoy my German thumbprint cookies and my s'mores stuffed cookies. My coconut chocolate chip cookies are a reader favorite. If you'd like to be more adventurous, try something like my edible sugar cookie dough!
These delicious milano cookies taste even better than the real thing! If you want to make mint milanos, add a couple of drops of mint extract to your heavy cream before making the filling! Calculations are estimations, use your own calculations using the brands you specifically used for more accurate numbers.
Milano Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Ganache
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24
Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 169Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 55mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g
Lisa @ Panning The Globe says
Milanos have been one of my favorite cookies since childhood. I love the idea of making them at home! BTW your photos are gorgeous!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
These look fabulous! What a classic cookie- love that chocolate ganache 🙂 Pinning!
Oana says
I have my eyes on these cookies for a very long time, maybe now that I see your recipe I get myself together and actually bake them. Thank you for sharing, it's inspiring!
Amanda says
They are so easy to make! The hardest part is not eating the cookies straight out the oven (which I admit to doing with the first batch!)
Sabrina says
Love this recipe! I ate these cookies all the time as a kid. Pictures are beautiful, too!
Lisa Sharp says
Oh these could be dangerous! Milano cookies are some of my favorites.
Amanda says
They are dangerous! I ate so many of them straight out the oven without the chocolate. You think they are pretty small so it's okay, but then the pan is nearly empty the next time you look down!
Renee @ Awesome on 20 says
I hope everything goes well for you in Germany. I moved to Scotland two monthss ago, and I love it.
Amanda says
I hope you are doing well in Scotland! I am still waiting on my passport (so much for the expedited service!), but I can't wait to go!
Lou Lou Girls says
Beautiful! This looks so good! Pinned and tweeted. Thank you for being a part of our party! I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm. We love partying with you! Lou Lou Girls
Liz says
These are someof the best lookingMilano copy cat cookies I have found. Definitely going to make them. Perfect for Christmas. Do you think they would freeze well?
Thanks
Amanda says
Hi Liz, These should freeze well as long as the container is really air tight (oh my gosh, eating a frozen Milano sounds really good right about now!)
Jimi says
I may be wrong but I didn't see where to add the flour and salt so I did it after I creamed the butter and sugar.
Amanda says
Hi Jimi! With cookies, you typically want to add the flour after you've added the eggs because mixing in the eggs after will require more mixing which can toughen the end product. Please let me know how they turned out!
Rica says
These look delicious! I have a few questions though. Does the ganache harden or should i remove the cream for it to harden? Also, some recipes make use of granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar. Does this make a difference? And lastly (hehe), does using white eggs instead of the whole egg make a difference? Im trying to work around the ingredients i have on hand 🙂
Amanda says
Hi Rica, the chocolate will remain nice and soft (but not too soft). It will get hard without the cream. The difference in the granulated and powdered sugar is the texture and ease of incorporating it into the batter. It wouldn't be a 1 to 1 substitution and I don't know what that would be. You can make powdered sugar by blending a cup with a tablespoon or cornstarch until it is very fine. Whole eggs vs egg whites does make a difference in how light the cookie is and the crispness so it does make a significant difference! I hope this helps!
Yasmine says
Hiii, thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! Is it possible to cut the sugar down to 1 cup?
Amanda Powell says
Hi Yasmin, I’ve never tried cutting back the sugar, but you are welcome to try. Please let me know how it turns out!
DeeDee says
Hi! I made these milanos and they were delicious! But for some reason my cookies were soft. Do you know why this might happen?
Amanda Powell says
Hi DeeDee! There could be a couple of reasons, but it’s likely they could’ve done with 1-2 more minutes in the oven, especially if your cookies weren’t as thin.
Lola says
Hey there! I was wondering why the butter was listed twice? do we put both amounts of butter in or what?
Amanda Powell says
It’s for getting the right consistency in the batter. And yes, add both!
Andrea says
I haven't had a Milano in years, but these were far better than my memory of what they are. These came together very quickly, recipe was easy to follow. I did have to bake a little longer than recommended, the ones that didn't quite get any brown color were quite soft but a few more minutes until the edges were light brown crisped them up nicely. These cookies are begging for a glass of cold milk, perfect cookie for dunking!
Amanda Powell says
Oh, I am so glad you enjoyed them! They are one of my favorites to bake during the holidays!