Neapolitan Cookies

Baked Neapolitan cookie on metal baking sheet.

5 from 7 votes

Neapolitan cookies are chewy, flavored with delicious strawberry, rich chocolate, and buttery vanilla. They're beautiful cookies perfect for birthdays, showers, and potluck parties! Makes about 20 cookies.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 106kcal

Author: Sara Syphus Smith

Ingredients

Base Dough:

¾ cup salted butter, softened (1.5 sticks)
½ cup white granulated sugar 105g
½ cup brown sugar 105g
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour 265g (not packed)

For the Vanilla dough:

½ teaspoon almond extract
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour 23g

For the Strawberry dough

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour 23g
3 Tablespoons strawberry jello powder 42g

For the Chocolate dough

3 Tablespoons cocoa powder 18g

Instructions

Base Dough:

In a mixing bowl combine room temperature butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Mix with electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium/high speed about 3 minutes, until light and creamy, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
Add egg, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until well combined and fluffy. Add baking soda and flour last,½ cup at a time, mixing slowly until well combined. Should be sticky and not crumbly at all.
Divide dough into three equal portions, preferably with a kitchen scale.

For vanilla dough

Place the first section of cookie dough in the original mixing bowl. Add the almond extract and 3 Tablespoons of flour. Mix until well combined. Remove from bowl, wrap in plastic wrap/cover and set aside.

For strawberry dough

Place the second portion of dough in original mixing bowl (no need clean between doughs) with the strawberry jello powder and 3 Tablespoons of flour. Mix well for 1-2 minutes, until smooth it's no longer crumbly, and the sandy texture disappears. Remove from bowl and cover/wrap in plastic and set aside.

For chocolate dough

Place the last portion of dough into the bowl (no need to clean between doughs) and add cocoa powder. Mix well. Remove, cover, and preheat oven to 350 Fº.

Assemble

Take a small piece of dough (about 1.5 teaspoons) of each flavor and roll into small rolls. Press together lengthwise and then either place into a cookie scoop to make a round ball or roll with hands into a ball. Repeat until all dough is used.
Place cookie dough balls onto prepared baking sheet 10-12 per sheet and bake at 350Fº for 8-10 minutes. Let cool and serve.

Notes

Make sure you mix each flavoring in thoroughly, especially the strawberry jello powder, which can make the dough have little sandy texture if it's not mixed in all the way. When in doubt, mix a little longer.

Weighing out the dough into three equal portions will help to make sure all of them are the correct texture and not crumbly.

Can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days and still taste fresh.

Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition