Three flavors in every bite! These marbled Neapolitan cookies are a fun and colorful twist on classic sugar cookies.
Whether you’re baking for a summer get-together or just craving something a little playful, these Neapolitan cookies bring a swirl of fun to any cookie craving. Inspired by the trio of flavors in the classic ice cream, these cookies are soft, buttery, and beautifully marbled with vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry doughs.
They’re as much fun to make as they are to eat. And with no complicated layering or slicing involved, they’re totally doable for an everyday treat, too.
Why You’ll Love These Neapolitan Cookies
- Three flavors, one dough. You’ll make a single base dough and divide it into three. Easy enough for a casual baking day, but still impressive.
- Soft, buttery texture. These cookies bake up tender with lightly crisp edges.
- No special skills required. Just scoop, swirl, and bake! No layering or slicing needed.
- A year-round win. The bright, swirled colors feel just right for summer, but the cozy vanilla and chocolate notes make them great for any time of year.
Key Ingredients
- Freeze-dried strawberries – These add natural berry flavor and color to the strawberry dough without making it too wet.
- Cocoa powder – A couple spoonfuls bring chocolate flavor without changing the dough texture.
- Vanilla extract – Keeps the base dough flavorful and rounds out all three components.
- Granulated sugar – Not just in the dough! Rolling the shaped cookies in sugar before baking adds sparkle and a little crunch.
How to Make Neapolitan Cookies
Make the dough base. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Divide and flavor. Split the dough evenly into three bowls. Leave one as-is, stir cocoa into the second, and strawberry powder into the third. A drop of pink food coloring in the strawberry dough is optional but makes the color pop. (I used it in the cookies pictured here.)
Shape and marble. Scoop a teaspoon of each dough (a small cookie scoop works great here) and press them gently together. Roll lightly into a ball, just enough to swirl the colors. Don’t overdo it or they’ll start to blend.
Roll in sugar. I like the look and texture of a quick roll in granulated sugar. It adds a little sparkle and helps define the marbling as the cookies bake.
Chill, bake, and cool. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and keeps the swirl more distinct. A short rest in the refrigerator (just 30 minutes or so) is all they need. After baking, gently flatten the tops of the cookies. Then cool briefly before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips for Marbled Cookie Success
- Divide the dough evenly. I like to use a digital scale for this step. Weigh your mixing bowl before making the dough and note the weight. After mixing, weigh the filled bowl and subtract the bowl’s weight to get the total dough weight. Divide that number by 3 to find out how much each portion should weigh. No scale? You can also eyeball the dough or use measuring cups to divide it as evenly as possible. Close is good enough!
- Scoop for consistency. Using a teaspoon scoop for each dough helps make evenly sized cookies. Eyeballing works too, but scooping gives more consistent results.
- Don’t over-mix. You want swirls, not blended dough. Just a few presses of the three doughs to help them hold together and a quick roll between the palms of your hands will do the trick.
- Chill the dough balls before baking. This helps prevent spreading and keeps the colors more defined.
How to Store
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They should stay soft with lightly crisp edges.
To freeze baked cookies, place the cooled cookies in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag with parchment between layers. They’ll keep well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
To freeze unbaked cookie dough balls, arrange the shaped cookies on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Once frozen, transfer to a sealed container or freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding an extra 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time as needed.
A Sweet Swirl of Summer (and Beyond)
These Neapolitan Cookies are everything I love in a summer bake. They’re colorful, nostalgic, and just a little whimsical. But honestly? They’re too good to limit to one season. Whether you’re baking a batch for a picnic, a birthday, or just because, they’re sure to bring a little fun to your cookie lineup.
If you like the look of swirled cookies, you might also enjoy my chocolate peanut butter swirl cookies or marbled chocolate chip cookies. Both offer that same playful look with bold flavor combos.
More Colorful Cookie Recipes
Neapolitan Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberry powder*
- pink food coloring, optional for enhanced strawberry color
- additional granulated sugar, optional, for rolling the cookies
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Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture just until combined. Do not over-mix.
- Evenly divide the dough into three portions and place in separate bowls.
- Leave one portion plain for the vanilla dough.
- Mix the cocoa powder into the second portion to make chocolate dough.
- Mix the strawberry powder (and a drop of food coloring, if using) into the third for strawberry dough.
- Using a teaspoonful of each dough (I like to use cookie scoops here), press the three pieces gently together and lightly roll into a ball, just enough to swirl the colors without fully blending them.
- If desired, roll each dough ball in granulated sugar before placing on the baking sheet.
- Place the formed dough balls on a baking sheet and chill for 30–60 minutes. This helps the cookies bake up thicker and keeps the colors distinct.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the chilled dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared pan.
- Bake one pan at a time for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers look just baked. Use a cookie spatula or the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies slightly while still warm.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- *To make strawberry powder, pulse freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or crush them in a sealed bag until finely ground. You can also purchase freeze-dried strawberry powder and skip the grinding step.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
