Dark Chocolate Pizzelles & Vanilla Bean Pizzelles

DARK CHOCOLATE PIZZELLES & VANILLA BEAN PIZZELLES

7/21/2021

Pizzelles are traditional Italian waffle cookies popular during Christmas and Easter holidays, and always for weddings – universally loved and special all year long! So simple and easy to make, they remind me of delicate snowflakes.

My recipes for Dark Chocolate Pizzelles and Vanilla Bean Pizzelles are tried and true, extra flavorful and decadent. My family is hooked on Vanilla Bean Pizzelles which have a delicate vanilla flavor and flecks of vanilla bean seeds, and Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, which have a rich chocolate flavor, almost like a brownie or an Oreo cookie.

Dark Chocolate Pizzelles & Vanilla Bean Pizzelles

PIZZELLE RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS:

Pizzelles are one of those rare cookies that need to “mature” or “bloom” over time. The flavor intensifies over time, so these sweet treats are perfect to make at the beginning of your holiday baking season and tuck away!
Pizzelles need to breathe. Once all of the pizzelles are cooked and cooled, allow them to air dry for a few hours without stacking them.
For Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, I recommend using Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa, Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa, or King Arthur Double Dutch Dark Cocoa or King Arthur Black Cocoa for the darkest color and deepest chocolate flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa has a higher level of cocoa butter than regular cocoa powder, which will give you a richer and superior chocolate flavor and color. For a lighter chocolate version, use regular natural unsweetened cocoa.
For Vanilla Bean Pizzelles, I recommend Rodelle Vanilla Bean Paste or Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, but you can also use a high quality pure vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste really takes the flavor to a whole new level!
It takes a while to make pizzelles, especially if you are working alone.
Pizzelle dough is more similar to thick waffle batter than it is to cookie dough.
Even if your pizzelle iron is non-stick, brush a little oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray at the beginning of each pizzelle batch and several times throughout, just to make sure there won’t be any sticking issues. Chocolate pizzelles have more of a tendency to stick, so make sure to reapply oil as necessary.
For perfect pizzelles, you may have to trim the edges of the cookies with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. If your cookies are crisp enough, you can even use your fingers to snap off and trim the excess at the edges.
To keep your pizzelles crisp, store cookies in aluminum foil or metal canisters once they have cooled. You do not want to refrigerate or freeze pizzelles – they will get soggy!
If you aren’t lucky enough to have inherited a family pizzelle maker, there are a lot of electric pizzelle iron options. The top brands recommended are Palmer Pizzelle Iron, CucinaPro Non-Stick Pizzelle Maker or the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press or the Chef’s Choice PizzellePro maker.

Dark Chocolate Pizzelles & Vanilla Bean Pizzelles

PIZZELLE FLAVOR VARIATIONS:

Chocolate Pizzelles or Dark Chocolate Pizzelles – for Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, use special dark cocoa (I recommend Hershey’s Dark Chocolate, Rodelle Dutched Baking Cocoa, or King Arthur Double Dutch Dark Cocoa. King Arthur Black Cocoa or Guittard Chocolate Cocoa Rouge Cocoa Powder Unsweetened); for a lighter chocolate version you can use regular natural unsweetened cocoa.
Vanilla Pizzelles or Vanilla Bean Pizzelles - I recommend Rodelle Vanilla Bean Paste or Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, but you can also use a high quality pure vanilla extract.
Almond Pizzelles – add 1 teaspoon of pure almond extract.
Anise Pizzelles – even though we’re not fans of black licorice flavor, for this variation you can replace vanilla with 1-1/2 teaspoons of Anise extract.
Lemon Pizzelles – replace vanilla with lemon extract and add 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Orange Pizzelles – replace vanilla with orange extract and add 1 teaspoon orange zest
Chocolate Mint Pizzelles – use recipe for Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, but add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract; dip baked edges in melted mint chocolate chips.
Red Velvet Pizzelles – use recipe for Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, but use regular natural unsweetened cocoa rather than a dark or ditched cocoa, and add 2 teaspoons of red food coloring.
Churro Pizzelles – sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar coating, these are wonderful! (inspired by TheFloatingKitchen.net)
Pumpkin Spice Pizzelles – add ¼ cup canned pure unsweetened pumpkin puree and 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the Vanilla Bean Pizzelle batter.
Strawberry Pizzelles – reduce vanilla to 2 teaspoons and add 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, 2 teaspoons of dark pink or red food color, and 2 tablespoons of pulverized dehydrated strawberries (pulse dehydrated strawberries in your blender or food processor until fine and no chunks remain).

Vanilla Bean Pizzelles

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PIZZELLES AND KRUMKAKE?

Being a Norwegian girl, I grew up with Krumkake cookies with traditional cardamom spice, which have a similar recipe and use a krumkake iron. After making my first pizzelles, I’ve switched over to the Pizzelle Camp completely.

Krumkake is a traditional Norwegian treat consisting of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, with the addition of cream. Along with a larger egg ratio, the cream makes krumkake batter something closer to the thin batter used to make crepes, compared to the far richer and denser pizzelle batter. Krumkake is traditionally flavored with cardamom spice, while Pizzelles are flavored traditionally with anise, vanilla or chocolate – or the other wonderful variations I’ve described above!

At first glance, the irons used to produce both pizzelles and krumkake are nearly identical. However, the devil is in the sweet details — or in this case, the batter, and also the depth of the grooves on the irons.

Because pizzelle batter is so much thicker, pizzelle irons have many deep grooves to bake the cookies all the way through — the grooves not only produce the traditional waffle design, they also keep the pizzelle cookie thin for that crunchy texture. By contrast, the thinner nature of krumkake batter means the irons don’t need those deep grooves to bake the batter thoroughly – and a much more delicate cookie. That thinness also allows you to roll the krumkake into a very delicate cone, which can either be rolled pencil-thin or rolled into a cone to be filled with whipped cream or chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Pizzelles

HOW THICK AND CRISP ARE PIZZELLES?

This is really a personal preference – most people like them thin and crisp, which is achieved by pressing down a little bit heavier on the pizzelle iron.

If you like them a bit thicker, feel free to adjust the amount of batter and firmness of pushing down on the pizzelle iron. You will also need to adjust your cooking time slightly to allow for the thicker batter.
If you prefer a crispier cookie, try substituting one tablespoon vegetable oil for one tablespoon of butter in the recipe.

Dark Chocolate Pizzelles & Vanilla Bean Pizzelles

FANCY PIZZELLES? YES, PLEASE!

Dip or roll the edge of your baked pizzelles in melted chocolate (white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate or mint chocolate chip). (For every 1 cup of chocolate add 1-1/2 teaspoons of coconut oil.)
Melted chocolate hardens quickly, so if you will be adding toppings to the dipped chocolate, have them ready to go before starting.
After dipping, garnish dipped pizzelles with colorful sprinkles, mini-chocolate chips, sweetened shredded coconut, crushed peppermint candies, or chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or pistachios).
You can also drizzle baked pizzelles with caramel or dulce de leche.
Choco Taco – it’s a thing! Form the hot pizzelles into a taco shape immediately after taking off your pizzelle maker, and let them cool. Fill with ice cream, then cover with homemade Magic Shell and chopped nuts. Freeze until firm and enjoy like a taco!

OTHER WAYS TO SERVE PIZZELLES?

Pizzelles taste terrific plain, or dressed up with flavorful toppings!
Serve plain, or sprinkle with powdered sugar for a snowy effect.
Mold hot pizzelles into bowls, tacos, or roll them up to make mock cannolis. When they’re hot off the pizzelle iron, wrap them around a wooden dowel or something similar until they hold their shape. Once cool, fill them with your favorite cannoli filling recipe.
Take a softened scoop of your favorite ice cream and press it in between two cookies to make an ice cream sandwich. Freeze before serving.
Dip or drizzle them with melted chocolate. Before the chocolate hardens sprinkle with colorful sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips or coconut.
Roll them into a waffle cone and fill with ice cream.

Dark Chocolate Pizzelles & Vanilla Bean Pizzelles

DARK CHOCOLATE PIZZELLES & VANILLA BEAN PIZZELLES

Pizzelles are a light, crisp and slightly sweet cookie that taste wonderful, or dusted with powdered sugar or dipped in melted chocolate with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, coconut, crushed peppermint, or nuts for a special holiday treat. And have you ever tried a Choco Taco? We’ve got that covered here as well!

Dark Chocolate Pizzelles & Vanilla Bean Pizzelles

INGREDIENTS:
VANILLA BEAN PIZZELLES
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs (room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)

DARK CHOCOLATE PIZZELLES
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 cup dark brown sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

MELTS, DIPS & DRIZZLES:
1 cup chocolate chips (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, or mint)
1-1/2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 cup caramel sauce or dulce de leche

OPTIONAL GARNISHES:
Sprinkles
Mini-chocolate chips
Sweetened shredded coconut
Crushed peppermint candy canes
Chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or pistachios)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Pizzelle Iron

HOW I MAKE THESE:

PREPARE PIZZELLE DOUGH: Remove eggs from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. (For chocolate pizzelles, whisk in the cocoa powder now as well.)
Melt the butter in your microwave and allow to cool slightly (you don’t want to cook the eggs when you add the melted butter).
To make the pizzelle dough, you can use a stand mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment), hand mixer, or use a whisk and mix by hand.
Beat the eggs together until yolks are broken and blended.
Slowly pour in the sugar (or brown sugar for Dark Chocolate Pizzelles) and continue to beat for several minutes or until smooth.
With your mixer set on low speed, add the vanilla (or vanilla bean paste) and then slowly stream in the melted butter, until smooth.
Pour in the dry ingredients and beat on low just until combined – be careful not to overmix.
BAKE PIZZELLES: Preheat the pizzelle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions, or until a drop of water sizzles on the cooking surface. Lightly brush the top and bottom of the iron with a small amount of oil or cooking to spray to ensure there won’t be any sticking.
Use a medium cookie scoop (2 teaspoons) and place the dough directly in the center of the molds of your pizzelle iron – when you press down, it will push the dough and center the cookie it in the mold.
Press the lid down and cook until the steaming stops, usually about 30-45 seconds, but can take as long as 60 seconds.
Just like making pancakes, it will take a few tries to get them just right. You may need to toss the first couple of cookies that you make, just until you get the hang of the temperature settings and centering the dough – the initial few may be crooked, overbaked or underbaked – but no worries – blame it on the weather!
Use a spatula or knife to gently remove each cookie from the iron and place on a wire rack to cool.
Continue the process until all of the dough is gone.
When completely cooled, stack carefully and store in an airtight container.

YIELD: Makes 60 three-inch cookies

RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS:

Pizzelles are one of those rare cookies that need to “mature” or “bloom” over time. The flavor intensifies over time, so these sweet treats are perfect to make at the beginning of your holiday baking season and tuck away!
Pizzelles need to breathe. Once all of the pizzelles are cooked and cooled, allow them to air dry for a few hours without stacking them.
For Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, I recommend using Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa, Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa, or King Arthur Double Dutch Dark Cocoa or King Arthur Black Cocoa for the darkest color and deepest chocolate flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa has a higher level of cocoa butter than regular cocoa powder, which will give you a richer and superior chocolate flavor and color. For a lighter chocolate version, use regular natural unsweetened cocoa.
For Vanilla Bean Pizzelles, I recommend Rodelle Vanilla Bean Paste or Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, but you can also use a high quality pure vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste really takes the flavor to a whole new level!
It takes a while to make pizzelles, especially if you are working alone.
Pizzelle dough is more similar to thick waffle batter than it is to cookie dough.
Even if your pizzelle iron is non-stick, brush a little oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray at the beginning of each pizzelle batch and several times throughout, just to make sure there won’t be any sticking issues. Chocolate pizzelles have more of a tendency to stick, so make sure to reapply oil as necessary.
For perfect pizzelles, you may have to trim the edges of the cookies with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. If your cookies are crisp enough, you can even use your fingers to snap off and trim the excess at the edges.
To keep your pizzelles crisp, store cookies in aluminum foil or metal canisters once they have cooled. You do not want to refrigerate or freeze pizzelles – they will get soggy!
If you aren’t lucky enough to have inherited a family pizzelle maker, there are a lot of electric pizzelle iron options. The top brands recommended are Palmer Pizzelle Iron, CucinaPro Non-Stick Pizzelle Maker or the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press or the Chef’s Choice PizzellePro maker.

PIZZELLE FLAVOR VARIATIONS:

Chocolate Pizzelles or Dark Chocolate Pizzelles – for Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, use special dark cocoa (I recommend Hershey’s Dark Chocolate, Rodelle Dutched Baking Cocoa, or King Arthur Double Dutch Dark Cocoa. King Arthur Black Cocoa or Guittard Chocolate Cocoa Rouge Cocoa Powder Unsweetened); for a lighter chocolate version you can use regular natural unsweetened cocoa.
Vanilla Pizzelles or Vanilla Bean Pizzelles - I recommend Rodelle Vanilla Bean Paste or Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste, but you can also use a high quality pure vanilla extract.
Almond Pizzelles – add 1 teaspoon of pure almond extract.
Anise Pizzelles – even though we’re not fans of black licorice flavor, for this variation you can replace vanilla with 1-1/2 teaspoons of Anise extract.
Lemon Pizzelles – replace vanilla with lemon extract and add 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Orange Pizzelles – replace vanilla with orange extract and add 1 teaspoon orange zest
Chocolate Mint Pizzelles – use recipe for Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, but add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract; dip baked edges in melted mint chocolate chips.
Red Velvet Pizzelles – use recipe for Dark Chocolate Pizzelles, but use regular natural unsweetened cocoa rather than a dark or ditched cocoa, and add 2 teaspoons of red food coloring.
Churro Pizzelles – sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar coating, these are wonderful! (inspired by TheFloatingKitchen.net)
Pumpkin Spice Pizzelles – add ¼ cup canned pure unsweetened pumpkin puree and 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the Vanilla Bean Pizzelle batter.
Strawberry Pizzelles – reduce vanilla to 2 teaspoons and add 1 teaspoon strawberry extract, 2 teaspoons of dark pink or red food color, and 2 tablespoons of pulverized dehydrated strawberries (pulse dehydrated strawberries in your blender or food processor until fine and no chunks remain).

FANCY PIZZELLES:

To keep it simple but special, sprinkle with powdered sugar for a snowy effect.
Dip or roll the edge of your baked pizzelles in melted chocolate (white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate or mint chocolate chip). (For every 1 cup of chocolate add 1-1/2 teaspoons of coconut oil.)
Melted chocolate hardens quickly, so if you will be adding toppings to the dipped chocolate, have them ready to go before starting.
After dipping, garnish dipped pizzelles with colorful sprinkles, mini-chocolate chips, sweetened shredded coconut, crushed peppermint candies, or chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or pistachios).
You can also drizzle baked pizzelles with caramel or dulce de leche.
Choco Taco – it’s a thing! Form the hot pizzelles into a taco shape immediately after taking off your pizzelle maker, and let them cool. Fill with ice cream, then cover with homemade Magic Shell and shopped nuts. Freeze until firm and enjoy like a taco!
Mold hot pizzelles into bowls, tacos, or roll them up to make mock cannolis. When they’re hot off the pizzelle iron, wrap them around a wooden dowel or something similar until they hold their shape. Once cool, fill them with your favorite cannoli filling recipe.
Take a softened scoop of your favorite ice cream and press it in between two cookies to make an ice cream sandwich. Freeze before serving.
In the alternative, roll pizzelles into a waffle cone shape and fill with ice cream.

Originally posted December 2015; revised and reposted July 2021.

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