Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (2024)

Last updated September 14, 2022

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Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (1)

As noted in the headnote of 100 Cookies, this Neapolitan cookie was inspired by Pink Door Cookies owner Mathew Rice’s Neapolitan cookie. I stumbled upon the cookie while searching Pinterest for the color pink; this cookie popped up, and I was intrigued by the pretty colors and flavors of Neapolitan ice cream all rolled together.

Mathew originally shared his recipe here, but he now makes them at his cookie shop, Pink Door Cookies in Nashville, which he opened in late 2020. “Cookies have always been my favorite thing to make,” Rice told the Nashville Scene. “I feel like they’re humble, but you can elevate them in really wild ways. Having been a pastry chef for almost 20 years at this point, I bring a lot to cookies that’s unexpected, and I’m incorporating the components and flavors of plated desserts but in cookie form.”

If you live in the Nashville area, please check out Pink Door Cookies! Along with his Original Neapolitan Cookie, Mathew also has a variety of other flavors: Pink Lemonade, Strawberry Corn, Cotton Candy, Rainbow Brownie, Blueberry Pancake, Cinnamon Toast Snickerdoodle, and classic Chocolate Chip, just to name a few.

Neapolitan Cookie Making Tips:

  • Use black cocoa powder for a darker color.
  • I buy freeze-dried strawberries at Target. The powdered strawberries on their own won’t give a bright pink hue, so I like to add a little food coloring.
  • I also like to roll each individual color of dough into the same color of sprinkles, but you can mix and match however your heart desires.
Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (2)

How to Make Neapolitan Cookies:

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (3)

Divide the dough into three equal portions (about 320 g each), keeping one vanilla, and then adding powdered freeze-dried strawberries to one portion and cocoa powder to the remaining portion.

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (4)

Pinch a small portion (about 15 g) of each of the three doughs and separate them into piles.

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (5)

For more of a striped look (where the colors overlap into each other more) gently press the pieces together and then press the piece into a cookie scoop or roll into a ball.

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (6)

For a cookie with more distinct flavor sections but slight overlap, roll each different flavored piece into a ball, then gently press together. Place the pieces into a cookie scoop or roll into a ball.

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (7)

For a cookie with very distinct flavor sections and no overlap, roll the different flavor pieces into separate balls and then gently press together.

Use your hands to gently cup the shape into a circle, and then bake as shown above.

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (8)

Cookies will differ slightly depending on which method you chose! Cookies can also be rolled in sprinkles or granulated sugar before baking. I used a pastel pink food coloring here for a lighter color, but the strawberry portion can be made more vivid with more food coloring.

Making Cookie Dough Ahead of Time

The cookie dough can be shaped and held overnight in the refrigerator (make sure to cover the dough with plastic wrap), and then baked the next day. If baked straight from the fridge, you may need to add a minute or two to the baking time.

To make these Neapolitan Cookies, I used my sugar cookie recipe (#6 in 100 Cookies) as a base and came up with this version.

More Cookie Recipes:

  • Pan-banging Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Pan-Banging Ginger Molasses Cookies
  • Brown Sugar Cookies

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (9)

Neapolitan Cookies

Servings: 15 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Stunning Neapolitan cookies with made with strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate dough. A cookie with three flavors in one bite!

Sarah Kieffer

4.97 from 107 votes

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon [364 g] all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup of freeze-dried strawberries, which equals 8 grams (measured before pulsing)
  • 1 cup [2 sticks | 227 g] unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cup [350 g] granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 or 3 drops red food coloring optional
  • 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • Sprinkles or granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulverize the strawberries into a powder.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

  • Dump the dough out onto a work surface and divide it into three equal portions. Put one-third of the dough back into the mixer and add the powdered strawberries and food coloring, if using. Mix on low speed until totally combined, then remove the dough and quickly wipe out the bowl of the mixer.

  • Add another third of dough to the mixer. Add the cocoa powder and mix on low speed until totally combined.

  • Pinch a small portion (about 1/2 oz [15 g]) of each of the three doughs, and press them gently together, so they adhere to each other, but keep their unique colors. Press the piece into a cookie scoop or roll it into a ball, then roll the ball into sprinkles or granulated sugar. Place 6 or 7 cookies on each sheet pan. Bake the cookies one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake until the sides are set and the cookies are puffed, 10 to 11 minutes.

  • Transfer the sheet pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the pan, then remove them and let them cool completely on the wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Notes

*Recipe adapted from Mathew Rice

*Use black cocoa powder for a darker color. The powdered strawberries on their own won’t give a bright pink hue, so I like to add a little food coloring. I also like to roll each individual color of dough into the same color of sprinkles, but you can mix and match however your heart desires. I buy freeze-dried strawberries at Target.

chocolatestrawberryvanilla

Neapolitan Cookie Recipe | Sarah Kieffer | Vanilla Bean Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to chewy cookies? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

What makes cookies fluff up? ›

When added to dough, baking soda releases a carbon dioxide gas which helps leaven the dough, creating a soft, fluffy cookie. Baking soda is generally used in recipes that contain an acidic ingredient such as vinegar, sour cream or citrus.

What is the science behind baking the most delicious cookie ever? ›

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars, so along with the caramelizing sugar, proteins in the cookie begin to brown, producing a rich, nutty, toasted flavour. This is the same reaction that occurs in bread and seared steak.

How do I make my cookies chewy instead of crunchy? ›

How To Make Cookies Chewy Without Cornstarch
  1. Go heavy on brown sugar. It has more moisture than its granulated counterpart, which means the cookie comes out less crispy. ...
  2. Choose margarine or shortening instead of butter. ...
  3. Use baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
  4. Rest your dough. ...
  5. Shorten baking time.
May 14, 2023

What three flavors are in Neapolitan? ›

Neapolitan ice cream consists of three layers, each of a different colour and flavour (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla), moulded into a block and cut into slices.

What is Neapolitan Crumbl cookie? ›

Neapolitan 🍓

Introducing the new and improved NEAPOLITAN! 🍓 Rich chocolate and smooth vanilla cookies beautifully. stacked and topped with tart strawberry frosting. Have you tried this updated flavor yet?

What are Moravian style cookies? ›

Moravian spice cookies are a traditional kind of cookie that originated in the Colonial American communities of the Moravian Church. The blend of spices and molasses, rolled paper thin, has a reputation as the "World's Thinnest Cookie".

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

What happens if too much butter is in cookies? ›

Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.

What happens if you don't put enough sugar in cookies? ›

You'll get cookies that are harder, drier, crumblier, and spread far less.

What is the number one cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is the secret to a good cookie? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  • Always use butter.
  • Choose the right sugar.
  • Choose the right flour.
  • Check your flour is in date.
  • Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  • Cream the butter and sugar.
  • Beat in the eggs.
  • Fold in the flour.

What are three factors that contribute to a chewy cookie? ›

Salted butter, softened – I prefer salted butter but you can also use unsalted and add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Brown sugar – Just brown sugar because we will get the 'granulated sugar' flavor from the corn syrup. Corn syrup – The corn syrup is what makes these cookies CHEWY FOR DAYS.

What makes a cookie chewy and not cakey? ›

White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies. Why use melted butter? Melted butter creates cookies with a different texture compared to cookies made with softened or creamed butter. When butter is melted, it coats the flour more evenly, resulting in cookies that are chewier and denser.

Why do my cookies never turn out chewy? ›

Hard cookies: you are over mixing, baking too long, baking at too high a temperature, or some combination of these. Cakey cookies: not enough brown sugar, too much or too little egg, too much flour, maybe you used baking powder instead of baking soda?

What makes cookies chewy, butter or shortening? ›

Cookies Made with Butter vs Shortening

Those made with only shortening bake higher and spread less during baking. The butter cookie provides better flavor and a crispier exterior with browning around edges and a chewy interior; the shortening cookie spreads less, holding its shape better while baking.

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