Wine cookies are a type of Italian cookie that is very easy to make, with simple ingredients. They are also known as Mostaccioli o Ciambelline al vino in Italian.

They are traditionally made with grape must, red wine, or white wine. The result is a light, crunchy, and sweet wine cookie that can be enjoyed as it is, or dipped in your favorite red wine.

red wine cookies

What are wine cookies?

wine cookies

Wine cookies are typically eaten during winter and the Christmas period in Italy, generally at the end of a meal.

In some Italian homes, these ciambelline al vino are even eaten as a breakfast or as a snack in the middle of the afternoon. If you eat them after a meal, they go well with a glass of sweet wine or red wine.

In Italy, the cookies and biscuits are typically served on an abundant tray of cookies and accompanied with other types of Italian sweets.

We highly recommend you try our other delicious cookies, such as Orange Almond Cookies, Almond Biscotti, and Amaretti.

They are all perfect for winter, the holiday season, or at any time when you feel like a sweet treat with an Italian twist.

italian cookies platter

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Flour: I use all-purpose flour or cake flour for this recipe. You can replace it with a gluten-free flour mix or with spelt flour.
  • Sugar: white sugar or brown sugar.
  • Wine: I like to use red wine, but this cookies can be also made with white wine, sweet wine, and even grape must.
  • Raisins
  • Anise: you can use anise powder or anise seeds. It’s optional.
  • Vegetable oil: I like to use sunflower seed oil but any other neutral vegetable oil would work (canola oil, peanut oil, etc). No olive oil for this recipe.
  • Baking powder: to make the cookies friable and lighter.
wine cookies

How to make wine cookies

Preheat the oven to 360F or 180C. To a small bowl, add wine, raisins, and anise seeds. Soak for 15 minutes.

soaking raisins in wine

To a larger bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and mix well with a whisk.

mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl

Add vegetable oil, wine, raisins, and anise seeds and mix together with a fork or spatula till you have a dough ball.

mixing ingredients together

Knead with your hands for 1 minute to make it smooth. Don’t over-knead.

kneading the dough

Take small pieces of the dough, with the palm of your hands roll the dough pieces on your worktop, forming small snake-shaped dough pieces.

shaping the cookies

Cut the snakes in 2-inch / 5cm pieces, give it an extra roll, then bring the two extremities together, creating a small ring.

making a ring shape

Transfer onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 360F or 180C.

ready to bake in the oven

Let cool down, then arrange on a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar or dip them upside down first in water, then in regular white granulated sugar.

wine cookies on a small plate

Storage

These wine cookies are best stored in an air-tight container (glass jar or tin box) in a dry and shaded corner of your kitchen. If stored properly, they keep for up to two weeks.

Dinner Ideas

Did you know that we develop our recipes to go together for a complete dinner meal plan? Serve these wine cookies as light and crunchy dessert with:

Vegan creamy pasta – Boscaiola style – as a main course

vegan creamy pasta

Fennel and orange salad as a light and refreshing side dish

fennel and orange salad
wine cookies

Wine Cookies – Italian Recipe

By: Nico Pallotta
5 from 6 votes
Wine cookies are a type of Italian cookie – also known as Mostaccioli or Vinaccioli – that are very easy to make, with simple ingredients.
They are traditionally made with "mosto cotto" – grape must, or red wine. The result is a light, crunchy, and sweet wine cookie that can be enjoyed as it is, or dipped in your favorite red wine.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 25 pieces
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • cups all-purpose flour
  • cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 2 teaspoons anise seeds or anise powder (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • cup wine red or white
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 360F or 180C. To a small bowl, add wineraisins, and anise seeds. Soak for 15 minutes.
    Italian Red Wine cookies_Step-1
  • To a larger bowl, add the floursugarbaking powder and mix with a whisk.
    Italian Red Wine cookies_Step-2
  • Add vegetable oil, wine, raisins, and anise seeds and mix together with a fork or spatula till you have a dough ball.
    Italian Red Wine cookies_Step-3
  • Knead with your hands for 1 minute to make it smooth. Don't over-knead.
    Italian Red Wine cookies_Step-4
  • Take small pieces of the dough, with the palm of your hands roll the dough pieces on your worktop, forming small snake-shaped dough pieces.
    Italian Red Wine cookies_Step-5
  • Cut the snakes in 2-inch / 5cm pieces, give it an extra roll, then bring the two extremities together, creating a small ring.
    Italian Red Wine cookies_Step-6
  • Transfer onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 360F or 180C.
    Italian Red Wine cookies_Step-7
  • Let cool down, then arrange on a serving platter. Dust with powdered sugar or dip them upside down first in water, then in regular white granulated sugar.
    wine cookies

Video

VEGAN DINNER 010: Creamy pasta Boscaiola | Easy fennel and orange salad | Red wine cookies

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Potassium: 40mg, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin B6: 1mg, Vitamin C: 1mg, Vitamin E: 1mg, Vitamin K: 4µg, Calcium: 10mg, Folate: 14µg, Iron: 1mg, Manganese: 1mg, Magnesium: 3mg, Zinc: 1mg
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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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2 Comments

  1. They are absolutely amazing. I’ve swapped raisins for lemon extract and that was the only thing I changed. I can taste anise and wine and lemon… omg. They are so easy to make as well. Thank you so much for this recipe ^^