Lemon Pizzelle

These Lemon Pizzelle are a bright and citrusy twist on the classic Italian waffle cookie. whip up the batter and drop itonto a pizzelle maker for a light, crispy treat. Pizzelle are traditionally served on holidays such as Christmas, but these lemon pizzelle are suited to Easter, or any time you want a light dessert.

At our last Christmas cookie swap, we had a friendly debate on whether or not these qualify as "cookies". Then we got to thinking, "What makes a cookie-a-cookie"? Frankly, if it's good, sweet, portable, and we can eat it with our hands, it's a cookie!

Pizzelles are similar to waffles in that you prepare a batter, add your flavoring, and drop it onto a special iron, known as a pizzelle maker. The batter comes together quickly, requires no resting time, and is pretty foolproof.

These Italian lemon pizzelle do not have the traditional almond flavor, but we love the brightness of the citrus. With one easy swap, you can make the more traditional flavors, but we promise the lemon will have you hooked.

Why you will love this recipe

• Easy to make
• No-bake
• Stores well
• Light and crispy
• You can customize the flavors
• Cookies can be eaten plain or used to make ice cream sandwiches!
• Festive choice for a cookie swap
• Suited to Easter, Christmas, or Mother's Day

What are pizzelle?

Pizzelle are traditional Italian waffle cookies that are thin and crisp. The word "pizzelle" comes from the Italian word "pizze," meaning round and flat. They are typically made using a special iron or press with decorative patterns.

The batter for pizzelle usually consists of flour, eggs, sugar, and butter or vegetable oil. While recipes using traditional flavors such as anise, almond, or vanilla have been passed down through generations, trendy flavors such as pumpkin or chocolate are becoming more popular.

Here is what you will need to make Italian lemon pizzelle.

• Flour All-purpose. We like to sift the flour after measuring it to keep the batter light.
• Baking powder Gives them a slight rise.
• Sugar White granulated sugar for sweetness.
• Eggs Large eggs.
• Lemon extract Or lemon paste.
• Butter Unsalted and melted.
• Lemon zest or lemon oil (see below)- You will use the zest of 4 whole lemons!
• Powdered sugar for dusting

See the recipe card for quantities.

Ok, there's one catch. You will need a pizzelle maker. There is no way around this. This is the one We use, and we've had it for years.

You will also need some mixing bowls, a whisk, a sifter or fine-mesh sieve, and a cookie scoop.

Step-by-step directions

After your first few cookies, you will get the feel for the batter and your particular pizzelle maker. Don't worry if they are not perfectly round (like the example in step 7), they will still taste good!

Step 1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder; set aside. In a small bowl, add the zest of 2 lemons with the sugar. Rub the zest in with your hands until the sugar is fragrant.

Step 2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and the lemon sugar for about 30 seconds until the mixture is a pale yellow. Add lemon extract or paste.

Step 3. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir to combine. The batter will be dry.

Step 4. Add the melted butter to the flour/egg mixture in two additions, stirring between each one until combined.

Step 5. Add the lemon zest and stir to combine- do not overmix.

Step 6. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons (or use a cookie scoop) onto the center of the patterns.

Step 7. Close the lid and cook as per the manufacturer's directions, or until lightly golden brown- about 3 minutes.

Step 8. Lay the cooked waffles on a flat surface and allow them to cool. Dust with powdered sugar.

**For the most lemon flavor, omit all of the lemon zest (including the lemon in the sugar) and lemon extract, and add 1.5 teaspoon of lemon oil instead. Lemon oil is a specialty ingredient and not typically available in stores, but you can purchase it from Amazon or King Arthur Flour.

Expert tips

• The batter will be thick and appear gummy. This is completely normal.
• Follow the manufacturer's directions for heating your pizzelle maker. We cook ours between a 3 and 4 on our particular model.
• Don't crowd the pizzelle maker. Use a cookie scoop to drop the batter right in the middle. We use a #60 cookie scoop, which holds 1 tbsp+½ teaspoon of batter, or 0.54 ounces. If you don't have a cookie scoop, drop a heaping tablespoon of batter instead.
• Pizzelles are ready when they are lightly browned. They will still be soft when you remove them from the iron. They will harden after a few minutes.
• Make sure the pizzelles are completely cool before adding the powdered sugar, or the sugar will melt.

Swaps

Omit the lemon zest and try some of these different extracts or spices.

• Anise Stick to the traditional by adding anise extract or ground anise seeds for a mild licorice-like taste.
• Almond Use almond extract.
• Vanilla Classic and a crowd-pleaser.
• Cinnamon Add a pinch of ground cinnamon to the batter for a warm and comforting taste.
• Pumpkin Spice Add pumpkin puree and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for a seasonal variation.
• Espresso Mix in instant espresso powder or finely ground coffee for a coffee-infused variation.
• Lemon-lavender These flavors work so well together, like in these shortbread cookies. To make lemon-lavender pizzelles, keep the lemon zest and add 2 teaspoons of culinary lavender for a unique twist.

How to serve lemon pizzelle

We love to eat them with powdered sugar, plus they look so pretty with a light dusting. You can also eat them plain, or try some of these fun ideas!

• Dipped in chocolate: Melt white or dark chocolate and dip one end of the lemon pizzelles into the chocolate. Allow them to cool and set before serving.
• Sandwich with jam: Create sandwich cookies by spreading a layer of lemon curd or jam between two pizzelles.
• Fresh berries: Arrange lemon pizzelles on a plate and serve them alongside fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
• Ice cream sandwiches: Make ice cream sandwiches by placing a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two lemon pizzelles. Try it with our no-churn pistachio ice cream!
• Accompanying tea or coffee: Lemon pizzelles make an excellent accompaniment to tea or coffee.

Storage and make-ahead tips

Pizzelle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Make sure they have a good seal, or the pizzelle may become soft.

Kitchen questions

Should we oil our pizzelle maker?

You should defer to the manufacturer's directions for your particular model. We do give ours a quick coat with non-stick cooking spray, but we find we only need it after pre-heating. We do not apply each time.

Looking for other Italian favorites?

Try some of these popular recipes.

Ingredients

Makes 30 (4 inch) pizzelles

Lemon Sugar

• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 large lemons, zested (4 tablespoons zest)

Lemon Pizzelle

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup lemon sugar (see above)
• 2 tsp lemon extract or lemon paste
• 10 tbsp (1 stick+2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 large lemons, zested (4 tablespoons zest)
• powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

• pizzelle iron/maker
• mixing bowls and measuring spoons
• sifter or fine mesh sieve
• whisk
• cookie scoop

Method

Lemon Sugar

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the lemon zest. Using your fingertips, rub the sugar and the lemon zest together until the sugar is fragrant and lightly yellow.Set aside until ready to make the pizzelle. *This will ensure the oils release from the zest, infusing more lemon flavor into your pizzelle.

Lemon Pizzelle

1. Preheat the pizzelle maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and the baking powder.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and all of the lemon sugar until the mixture is pale yellow (about 30 seconds). Add the lemon extract (or paste) and whisk to combine.

4. Add the flour mix to the egg mixture, alternating with the melted butter until combined. Fold in the lemon zest and stir until just combined (batter will be thick). Do not overmix.

5. Using a cookie scoop, drop the batter onto the hot pizzelle iron (place the batter right in the middle of the patterns). Cook per manufacturer's directions until lightly golden brown. The cookies will be soft at first but will crisp up after removing them. Lay the cookies flat to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter. When the cookies are cool, dust them with powdered sugar.

Kitchen notes

*This recipe was updated on 11/15/2025 to include even more lemon flavor. The step for the lemon sugar was added, and the lemon extract was increased from 1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons.

• The batter will be thick and appear gummy. This is completely normal.
• Follow the manufacturer's directions for heating your pizzelle maker. We cook ours between a 3 and 4 on our particular model.
• Don't crowd the pizzelle maker. Use a cookie scoop to drop the batter right in the middle of each pattern. We use a #60 cookie scoop, which holds 1 tbsp+1/2 tsp of batter, or 0.54 ounces. If you don't have a cookie scoop, drop a heaping tablespoon of batter instead.
• Your pizzelles are ready when they are lightly browned. They will still be soft when you remove them from the iron. They will harden after a few minutes.
• Make sure your pizzelles are completely cool before adding the powdered sugar, or the sugar will melt.

Storage:

Store pizzelles in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.