Neapolitan Cookies

5 from 19 votes

Soft, chewy, and full of nostalgic charm, these Neapolitan Cookies bring together the classic trio of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate in one irresistible bite. Made with real freeze-dried strawberries and rich Dutch-process cocoa, each cookie is buttery, flavorful, and beautifully marbled in shades of pink, white, and brown. Perfect for holidays, birthdays, or any day that calls for a little sweetness and color.

Prep Time15

Cook Time11

Course: Baking, Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate, cookies, neapolitan, strawberries

Servings: cookies, approximately

Calories: 174kcal

Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer
1/3 oz Cookie or Ice Cream Scooper
Baking sheet
Parchment paper

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
⅔ cup freeze-dried strawberries (this measurement is before pulverizing in the food processor)
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 large egg yolk at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest divided
2 ½ tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
¼ tsp instant espresso optional
White, pink, and brown sprinkles or jimmies optional

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper. (You only bake them one pan at a time but it's nice to have a cooled pan ready to go right when the first batch comes out).
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
2 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulverize freeze-dried strawberries into a powder.
⅔ cup freeze-dried strawberries
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, the yolk, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dump the dough out onto counter or work surface and divide it into three equal portions. Put one-third of the dough into the mixer and add ½ teaspoon lemon zest. Mix on low speed until the zest it fully incorporated, only 5 to 8 seconds. This will be your vanilla portion. Remove the dough and set aside.
Add another third of the dough to the mixer and add the powdered strawberries and remaining ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Mix on low speed until totally combined, about 10 to 15 seconds, then remove the dough. This will be your strawberry portion. Quickly wipe out the bowl of the mixer.
Add the last third of the dough to the mixer. Add cocoa powder, plus espresso powder, and mix on low speed until totally combined, again about 10 to 15 seconds.
2 ½ tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder, ¼ tsp instant espresso
Pinch small portions (about ½ oz. or ½ Tablespoon size) of the vanilla dough until all the dough has been portioned. Repeat with the strawberry and then the chocolate dough. You will now have several small balls of all the dough ready to be combined.
You can create your Neapolitan cookies a few different ways.
I prefer to take one piece of each dough, lightly squish them side by side together and then insert into the cookie scooper. Press them in firmly but not super tight, then remove with the click of the scooper. Repeat until you've combined them all. This is my favorite way because most people like to be able to bite each flavor individually and this is the prettiest method.
2. If you like to combine the colors to mix and marble a little more, don't worry about lining them side-by-side and instead kind of combine haphazardly. Again place into the cookie scooper.
3. Some bakers make the balls and then randomly place them into a loaf pan, pressing together slightly. Then scoop each cookie out of the combined dough. This method is super easy if you don't care if the flavors remain distinctly separate.
4. You can also just roll the balls into one bigger ball with your hands if you like.
Top with a generous amount of sprinkles, if using. I would do this pretty quickly. As the dough sits, it dries out just enough that the sprinkles have a harder time adhering to the cookies. If this happens, kind of press the sprinkles onto the cookie. Place 6 or 7 cookies on the baking sheet, about 2 ½-inches apart. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until the sides are set and the cookies are puffed. Do not let the edges start to change color, they're better just barely golden on the bottom (in my opinion and my taste-testers').
Remove the baking sheet to sit on top of your stove and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Notes

The lemon zest is optional, but it adds a nice brightness that pairs beautifully with both the strawberry and chocolate flavors.
• If you have a kitchen scale, weigh your flour for accuracy. It helps keep the texture consistent and prevents dry cookies.
• I like using black cocoa or Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a deep, rich chocolate color. For the strawberry dough, you can add a drop or two of red food coloring if you want a bolder pink, but it’s not necessary. The cookies shown here have no food coloring.
• Some bakers add Strawberry Nesquik or strawberry extract, but I’ve found that freeze-dried strawberries give plenty of natural, fresh flavor on their own. Measure the 2/3 cup of strawberries before processing them into powder.
• The espresso powder is optional, but even 1/4 teaspoon enhances the chocolate flavor without adding any coffee taste.
• If you only have salted butter, go ahead and use it—just cut the added salt in half.
• The original recipe in 100 Cookies suggests rolling the dough in sugar before baking, but my testers preferred the cookies without it. Sprinkles are fun for looks, but we all agreed the flavor stands out best on its own.
• You can freeze unbaked cookies for up to 2 months. Shape and assemble them first, freeze solid on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition