Neapolitan Cookies with Vanilla, Strawberry, and Chocolate Layers

Why You’ll Love This Neapolitan Cookies Recipe

Neapolitan cookies take the idea behind Neapolitan ice cream and turn it into a soft, buttery sugar cookie. Each cookie carries three flavors in one round: vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.

You can nibble each section on its own, or bite straight through the middle for all three tastes at once. Either way, the cookie stays tender and chewy rather than dry or cakey.

The strawberry section is often the most surprising part of the cookie. The pink color and the real berry flavor both come from freeze dried strawberries that get ground into a powder.

No strawberry extract, no flavored drink mix, and no red food coloring are needed. The chocolate section gets its deep color from cocoa powder, and the vanilla section is brightened with a little lemon zest.

The finished cookie looks like it came from a bakery, even though the dough comes together in one mixing bowl.

Here is why this recipe earns a spot in your regular rotation:

• Three classic flavors in one cookie, so a single batch pleases a crowd with different favorites.
• A soft, tender texture thanks to cornstarch in the dry ingredients and a generous butter to sugar ratio.
• Natural color and flavor from freeze dried strawberries and cocoa powder, with sprinkles as the only optional decoration.
• Quick timing: about 15 minutes of prep from start to oven, and 11 to 12 minutes in the oven.
• A generous yield of about 26 cookies, which is plenty for a cookie exchange, a bake sale, or a holiday tray.
• Flexible assembly, so you can build neat three color cookies or loose, swirled ones depending on your mood and your patience.

These cookies also fit almost any occasion. They look festive on a birthday platter, they travel well to a potluck, and they are sturdy enough to pack in a lunchbox. Kids tend to grab the pink side first, while grown ups usually go straight for the chocolate.

One more reason to love this recipe: the dough freezes beautifully. Scoop the assembled dough balls, freeze them on a tray, and bake only what you need. Fresh cookies on a weeknight with almost no effort is a very good thing.

What you will need

This recipe is adapted from Sarah Kieffer’s 100 Cookies, with a few changes that make the flavors pop: added lemon zest, a touch of instant espresso in the chocolate dough, extra freeze dried strawberries, and a slightly different mixing method.

• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅔ cup freeze dried strawberries, measured before you pulverize them
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest, divided
• 2 ½ tbsp Dutch processed cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp instant espresso, optional
• White, pink, and brown sprinkles or jimmies, optional

You will also want a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, a food processor for the strawberries, a large cookie scoop, and two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. A kitchen scale is helpful for dividing the dough into even thirds, though you can also eyeball it.

Strawberries-

Freeze dried strawberries do double duty here. They supply the genuine berry flavor and the soft pink shade, so you never need strawberry extract, powdered drink mix, or red food coloring. The measurement is ⅔ cup before pulverizing.

Grind them in a food processor fitted with a blade until they become a fine powder, then mix that powder into the strawberry third of the dough.

Look for bags of freeze dried strawberries in the snack aisle or the dried fruit section of most grocery stores. The texture matters: a fine powder blends evenly into the dough, while coarse pieces leave speckles and a slightly gritty bite.

If you enjoy fruit forward cookies, our iced strawberry sugar cookies use the same kind of bright berry flavor in a completely different form.

Cocoa Powder and Instant Espresso Powder-

Any cocoa powder will work in the chocolate third of the dough, but Dutch processed cocoa powder gives a deeper, darker color and a richer chocolate flavor.

That deeper color matters here because the chocolate section sits right next to a bright pink section and a pale vanilla section. A stronger cocoa keeps the three colors distinct instead of washing together.

Black cocoa powder pushes the color even darker and tastes more intense, so it is a good choice when you want a bold contrast.

The recipe calls for 2 ½ tablespoons of Dutch processed cocoa powder. Along with it, add ¼ teaspoon of instant espresso powder if you have some on hand. The espresso is optional, and it does not make the cookies taste like coffee.

It simply deepens the chocolate the way a pinch of salt sharpens a sweet flavor. The original recipe notes that the chocolate layer tastes flatter without it, so it is worth the small scoop if the jar is already in your pantry.

Mix the cocoa and the espresso into the dough on low speed only until everything is combined, about 10 to 15 seconds. Overmixing at this stage can toughen the dough, and the chocolate section is the last one you build, so there is no reason to keep the mixer running.

Lemon Zest-

Lemon zest is the quiet upgrade in this recipe. One teaspoon, divided, goes into the vanilla dough and the strawberry dough, but never into the chocolate dough. In the vanilla portion, the zest adds a subtle citrus lift that keeps the cookie from tasting plain. In the strawberry portion, it makes the berry flavor taste fresher and more vivid.

The trick is to build a plain base dough first, then split it and flavor each third separately. That way the chocolate portion never picks up lemon flavor, and each color keeps its own character.

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a food processor fitted with a blade, pulverize the freeze dried strawberries into a fine powder.
4. 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 until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, the egg yolk, and the vanilla, and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until everything comes together.
5. Turn the dough out onto your counter or work surface and divide it into three equal portions. Return one third to the mixer and add ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Mix on low speed for 5 to 8 seconds, just until the zest is worked in. That is your vanilla portion. Remove it and set it aside.
6. Add the second third of dough to the mixer along with the powdered strawberries and the remaining ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Mix on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds until fully combined. That is your strawberry portion. Remove it and quickly wipe out the mixer bowl.
7. Add the last third of dough, the cocoa powder, and the espresso powder if you are using it. Mix on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds until fully combined. That is your chocolate portion.

If you want a printable version of the same recipe with the exact measurements in one place, see our Neapolitan cookie recipe.

How to Assemble Neapolitan Cookies

Once all three doughs are ready, pinch them into small portions about ½ ounce each, roughly ½ tablespoon. Work through the vanilla dough first, then the strawberry, then the chocolate, until every bit of dough has been portioned. You will end up with a pile of small dough balls in three colors, ready to be combined.

From there you have four ways to build each cookie, and each one gives a slightly different look.

• Classic three color method. Take one piece of each dough, press them lightly side by side, and set the trio into a large cookie scoop, about 2 tablespoons in size. Press the dough in firmly but not too tight, then release it onto the baking sheet with a click. This is the prettiest option and the one that keeps each flavor in its own section, so people can bite them one at a time or all together.
• Marbled method. Combine the three pieces loosely and a little haphazardly before scooping. The colors swirl together for a softer, more blended look.
• Loaf pan method. Press the dough balls randomly into a loaf pan, packing them in slightly, then scoop each cookie out of the combined mass. This is the easiest route when you do not mind the flavors blending.
• Rolled method. Simply roll one piece of each dough together in your hands into a single larger ball. It looks rustic and tastes like all three flavors at once.

Whichever method you choose, the finished scoops look a little like scoops of Neapolitan ice cream sitting on the pan. If you are using sprinkles, add them right away. The dough dries slightly as it sits, which makes sprinkles harder to stick. If that happens, press them gently into the tops with your fingers.

Place 6 or 7 cookies on each baking sheet, about 2.5 inches apart, and bake at 350°F for 11 to 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the sides are set and the tops look puffed. Do not wait for the edges to brown. These cookies are at their best when they are barely golden on the bottom.

Pull the cookies out while the centers still look a touch soft. They firm up as they cool, and that is exactly what keeps them chewy.

When the pan comes out of the oven, set it on top of the stove and let the cookies rest for 10 minutes. Then move them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

Storage and make ahead notes

• Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months. Bake them straight from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.
• Freeze baked cookies for up to 1 month.

One batch makes about 26 cookies, so freezing half the dough is an easy way to keep a stash on hand for last minute guests or a quiet evening treat. The plain base dough is also a good starting point for other flavors if you want to experiment, such as matcha powder for a green section.

Nutrition per cookie, based on the source values

See the original recipe.

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Why You’ll Love This Neapolitan Cookies Recipe Neapolitan cookies take the idea behind Neapolitan ice cream and turn it into a soft, buttery sugar cookie. Each cookie carries three flavors in one round: vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate.

• Total Time: 26 minutes
• Yield: 26 cookies 1x

Ingredients

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2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
⅔ cup freeze-dried strawberries, this measurement is before pulverizing in the food processor
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest, divided
2 ½ tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
¼ tsp instant espresso
white, pink, and brown sprinkles or jimmies

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Instructions

1-Adjust oven rack to the middle position: Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheet pans with parchment paper.
2-In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch,: In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
3-In the bowl of a food processor: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, pulverize freeze-dried strawberries into a powder.
4-In the bowl of a stand mixer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, the yolk, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
5-Dump the dough out onto counter or: Dump the dough out onto counter or work surface and divide it into three equal portions. Put one-third of the dough into the mixer and add ½ teaspoon lemon zest. Mix on low speed until the zest it fully incorporated, only 5 to 8 seconds. This will be your vanilla portion. Remove the dough and set aside.
6-Add another third of the dough to: Add another third of the dough to the mixer and add the powdered strawberries and remaining ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Mix on low speed until totally combined, about 10 to 15 seconds, then remove the dough. This will be your strawberry portion. Quickly wipe out the bowl of the mixer.
7-Add the last third of the dough: Add the last third of the dough to the mixer. Add cocoa powder, plus espresso powder, and mix on low speed until totally combined, again about 10 to 15 seconds.
8-Pinch small portions (about ½ oz: Pinch small portions (about ½ oz. or ½ Tablespoon size) of the vanilla dough until all the dough has been portioned. Repeat with the strawberry and then the chocolate dough.
9-I prefer to take one piece of: I prefer to take one piece of each dough, lightly squish them side by side together and then insert into the cookie scooper. Press them in firmly but not super tight, then remove with the click of the scooper. Repeat until you’ve combined them all. Top with a generous amount of sprinkles, if using. Place 6 or 7 cookies on the baking sheet, about 2 ½-inches apart. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until the sides are set and the cookies are puffed.
10-Remove the baking sheet to sit on: Remove the baking sheet to sit on top of your stove and let the cookies cool for 10 minutes.
11-Transfer the cookies to a wire rack: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 11 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 174
• Sugar: 14g
• Sodium: 39mg
• Fat: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 25g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 2g
• Cholesterol: 33mg