Neapolitan Shortbread Cookies

Neapolitan shortbread combines chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla in one buttery cookie. It's slightly less tedious than the sugar cookie version and the shortbread texture makes them crisp and light - perfect with coffee.

Harper Donahue

November 10, 2025

jump to recipe

Ingredients (~45 cookies)

2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 3/4 tsp fine salt
3 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp freeze-dried strawberries
2-3 drops pink food coloring (optional)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp water, room temperature
Sanding sugar, for coating

Make and Divide the Dough

In the bowl of a food processor, pulverize the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. You can sift the seeds out if you want, but it’s not necessary.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter on medium speed until it’s creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Beat again on medium speed for ~2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Scrape down the bowl, add the egg yolks and vanilla, and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add all the flour and mix on low speed. The dough is done when it’s just combined; be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get any dry flour.

Dump the dough onto a work surface and divide it into three equal portions. A kitchen scale is the best way to do this.

Flavor the Dough Portions

Place one-third of the dough back into the mixer. Add the powdered strawberries and the optional food coloring. Mix on low speed until the strawberry powder is fully combined. Remove this strawberry dough.

Add another third of the plain dough back to the mixer. Add the cocoa powder and mix on low speed. The cocoa powder can make the dough stiff; if it’s not incorporating quickly, add the 1 1/2 tsp of water and continue mixing until combined.

You now have one plain (vanilla), one strawberry, and one chocolate dough.

Form and Chill the Logs

Divide each of the three flavored doughs into two equal pieces. You should now have six pieces total (two of each flavor).

Stack one chocolate, one strawberry, and one vanilla piece on top of each other. Gently press them together. Pat and form the stack into a log about 2 inches wide and 8 inches long. This is a good time to shape it into a square if you prefer that over a round log.

Place the log on a large piece of plastic wrap. Sprinkle sanding sugar over all sides of the log, using your hands to gently press it into the dough. Wrap the log tightly in the plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Repeat this process with the three remaining pieces of dough to create a second log.

Bake the Cookies

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap the chilled logs. You can sprinkle more sanding sugar on the outside if desired.

Slice the chilled log into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.

Bake one pan at a time for ~13-15 minutes. The edges should be a light golden brown, but the centers will still look pale. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.

Move the pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the pan. The cookies are delicate when warm and will firm up as they cool.