Abbracci are a beloved Italian cookie made by pairing a vanilla cream dough with a chocolate dough and shaping them together to resemble a hug. This version is inspired by the iconic Mulino Bianco Abbracci cookies commonly enjoyed at breakfast across Italy. The cookies are buttery, delicate, and delightfully crumbly with a gentle balance of vanilla and cocoa — not overly sweet and perfect with morning coffee or as a snack.
Recipe overview
- The recipe: Classic two-tone Italian breakfast cookies inspired by Mulino Bianco Abbracci.
- Texture and taste: Buttery, crumbly cookies with mild vanilla and chocolate flavor — balanced and not cloying.
- Total time: About 2 hours 40 minutes (including chilling time).
- Makes: Approximately 40 cookies.
- Best for: Breakfast, brunch, or a light afternoon snack.
- Make-ahead: The dough keeps in the refrigerator for 2–3 days before shaping and baking.
Mulino Bianco is one of Italy’s most recognizable cookie brands, and abbracci are one of their most popular varieties. I recreated this classic because my daughter loves them and they are so satisfying to dunk into cappuccino or latte.
Abbracci — Italian for “hugs” — are made by shaping two different doughs together: a pale panna (cream) dough and a cocoa dough. The panna dough wraps around the chocolate dough at the ends to form the signature crescent or hug shape. They bake into tender, crumbly cookies with a slight crunch on the outside and a soft, buttery interior.
Ingredient notes
- Italian 00 flour: Preferred for Italian-style baking; all-purpose flour works well as a substitute.
- Butter: Unsalted and at room temperature for proper creaming.
- Eggs: Use room-temperature eggs to help the batter emulsify smoothly.
- Vanilla: Good-quality vanilla extract gives the panna dough a gentle flavor; vanilla bean or paste may be used for a more intense aroma.
- Heavy cream (double cream): Adds richness and moisture to the panna dough. Whole milk can be used if you prefer a lighter version.
- Honey: A small amount of runny honey is typical in many Mulino Bianco recipes; it contributes aroma and a subtle sweetness. Use liquid honey, not crystallized.
Tips for making Abbracci Cookies
Use a kitchen scale: Accurate weighing is important for dividing the dough evenly and producing uniform cookies.
Cookie portion size: Aim for 10 g of each dough per cookie (20 g total). I tested larger portions and found them too big and slower to bake.
Space the cookies: These biscuits spread slightly, so leave about 1/2 inch between cookies on the baking tray.
Chill the dough twice: Chill the mixed dough for at least 1 hour until firm, then chill shaped cookies for about 20 minutes before baking to reduce spreading and preserve shape.
If the creamed butter and sugar look curdled, it usually means they haven’t been creamed long enough or the eggs were colder than the butter. This is not a problem: once the flour is added the mixture will come together and it won’t affect the final cookies.
Increasing honey darkens the cookies and adds moisture, which changes texture and reduces crumbliness. Two teaspoons gives a pleasant honey note without compromising color or texture.
More Italian cookies to try
Italian Cookies
Pignoli Cookies (Biscotti ai Pinoli)
Christmas
Italian Almond Cookies (Ricciarelli)
Italian Cookies
Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
Italian Cookies
Tegole Valdostane (Hazelnut and Almond Cookies)
Step by step photos above
Photos and helpful tips are provided throughout the instructions to guide you.
Italian Abbracci Cookies (chocolate and cream)
By Emily
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Kitchen scale
- Plastic wrap
- Silicone spatula
- Mixing bowls
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Base dough
- 185 g (about 13 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 130 g (2/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar, or granulated
- 2 teaspoons runny honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Panna (cream) dough
- 210 g (1 1/2 cups) Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (double cream)
Cocoa dough
- 30 g (about 3 1/2 tbsp) cocoa powder
- 180 g (1 1/4 cup plus 1 tsp) Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour
Instructions
To make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the whole egg and two yolks together. With the mixer running on low, add the eggs in three additions, allowing the mixture to absorb each addition before adding more.
- Once incorporated, add the baking powder, vanilla, honey and a pinch of salt. Mix until just combined.
- Weigh the combined base mixture in a large bowl. Scrape out as much as possible, then divide the mixture evenly into two bowls.
- To one bowl add the cocoa powder and 180 g flour; to the other bowl add 210 g flour and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Mix each bowl with a fork until the mixture forms large crumbs, then bring together with your hands into a disc.
- Wrap each dough disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm.
Shape the cookies
- When the doughs are very firm, work with one dough at a time. Cut off a small piece of cocoa dough, weigh 10 g and roll it into a small ball. Repeat with the panna dough so you have one 10 g ball of each.
- Roll each ball into a short log about 2.5 inches (6 cm) long. Curve each log into a loose “C”. Place the panna log so it overlaps the ends of the cocoa log and press gently at the ends to join, forming the classic abbracci hug.
- Arrange the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Chill the shaped cookies in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking to prevent excess spreading.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F (conventional/static).
- Bake the chilled cookies for 19 minutes, or until set. Allow them to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container once completely cool.
Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a sealed container.
- Variations: Swap a portion of the cocoa for instant espresso powder for a subtle coffee note, or use vanilla bean in the panna dough for extra fragrance.
Helpful info for all recipes
- Most recipes on this site use extra virgin olive oil where stated; this cookie recipe uses butter as specified.
- All recipes are tested using a conventional (static) oven unless stated otherwise.
- Ingredient volumes may vary by brand; weigh ingredients where possible for best results.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 12 g |
Protein: 1 g |
Fat: 4 g |
Saturated Fat: 3 g |
Fiber: 1 g |
Sugar: 4 g
Nutrition information is an approximation and should be used as a guide only.