These Baci di Dama (Italian hazelnut cookies) are delicate, buttery cookies with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a rich dark chocolate filling. They’re easy to make and perfect for sharing during the holidays.

Baci di Dama cookies arranged on rustic burlap cloth with whole hazelnuts and cracked hazelnut shells scattered around them.

Piedmont is the region in northwestern Italy where I come from, famous for its wines, white truffles, hazelnuts, and chocolate. One of its traditional sweets is Baci di Dama, which means “Lady’s Kisses.”

These little cookies are made with two rounded hazelnut biscuits sandwiched together with a thin layer of dark chocolate. They get their name from the way the two halves meet, resembling a kiss.

Baci di Dama have always been one of my favorites, especially with an espresso after dinner. They’re also perfect for Christmas cookie boxes alongside cantucci and brutti ma buoni.

Recipe Highlights

  • Only 5 ingredients: This Baci di Dama recipe calls for hazelnuts, flour, butter, sugar, and chocolate.
  • Great for gifting: Perfect for Christmas cookie boxes or paired with a bottle of homemade Baileys.
  • Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the dough in advance or freeze the shaped cookies until you’re ready to bake.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Hazelnuts: Freshly roasted hazelnuts give the cookies their distinctive nutty flavor. Hazelnut flour, almonds, or almond flour are good alternatives.
  • Flour: I usually go with all-purpose flour. A gluten-free flour blend can be used if needed.
  • Butter: Make sure it’s at room temperature, soft but not melted.
  • Sugar: Both granulated and caster sugar work well.
  • Chocolate: Choose good-quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (around 70% cocoa). Nutella is a tasty alternative, although it won’t set as firmly as melted chocolate.

See the recipe card below for a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.

How to Make Baci di Dama

  1. Roast and grind the hazelnuts: Toast the hazelnuts until fragrant, rub off most of their skins, and grind them finely in a food processor.
  2. Make the dough: Combine the ground hazelnuts with flour, butter, and sugar. Bring the dough together with your hands, divide it into four logs, wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Shape and bake: Cut the chilled dough into small pieces and roll into small balls (about 8-9 g each). Refrigerate for another hour, then bake until lightly golden. Let the cookies cool completely.
  4. Assemble: Melt the chocolate in the microwave and let it cool slightly. Place a little chocolate on the flat side of one cookie, then gently press another on top. Let the filling set before serving.

Elena’s Tips

  • Measure carefully: A kitchen scale helps you measure ingredients accurately and keep the cookies evenly sized.
  • Don’t overgrind the hazelnuts: Pulse just until finely ground or they will turn into nut butter.
  • Dough too crumbly: Add cold water, one teaspoon at a time, until it holds together.
  • Keep the cookies small: Roll the dough into 8-9 g balls so they bake evenly and are easy to pair.
  • Prevent spreading: Chill the dough as directed, especially the shaped balls before baking. Warm dough or hazelnuts ground too finely can cause the cookies to spread.
  • Don’t overbake: The cookies should be set and lightly golden, not dark or dry.
  • Let the chocolate thicken slightly: If it’s too warm and runny, the cookies may slide apart when you sandwich them.

Storage & Freezing

Storage: Keep Baci di Dama in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Baked cookies: Freeze without the chocolate filling. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then sandwich them with chocolate.

Cookie dough: Freeze the shaped dough balls until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to the baking time.

Italian hazelnut cookies on textured burlap, surrounded by whole hazelnuts in their shells and broken empty shells.

If you’ve made these Baci di Dama cookies, leave a comment and rating below. I’d love to know how they turned out for you.

Baci di dama cookies are showcased with raw hazelnuts in their shells.
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How To Make It: Baci di Dama

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 22 sandwich cookies
(5 stars) 13 ratings
Baci di Dama, or “Lady's Kisses,” are traditional Italian hazelnut sandwich cookies filled with chocolate. Their delicate, buttery texture makes them perfect with coffee or as homemade holiday gifts.

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • ⅔ cup (100 g) hazelnuts , toasted and skinned
  • ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (100 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 3.5 oz (100 g) unsalted butter , cut into small cubes and at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup + 1½ tablespoons (85 g) granulated sugar

For the filling

  • 1.8 oz (50 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate , chopped

Equipment

Instructions

Roast and grind the hazelnuts

  1. Preheat the oven to 320ºF (160ºC). Spread the hazelnuts on a lined baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
    Let them cool slightly, then rub them in a clean tea towel to remove the loose skins.
    Pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.

Make and chill the dough

  1. In a large bowl, combine the ground hazelnuts, flour, butter, and sugar.
    Mix with your hands until the dough is smooth and the butter is evenly incorporated.
    Divide the dough into 4 portions and roll each into a log. Wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Shape the cookies

  1. Work with one dough log at a time, keeping the others chilled. Slice into small pieces (about 8-9 g each) and roll into balls.
    Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for another hour.

Bake

  1. Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C).
    Bake for 15 minutes, or until set and lightly golden.
    Let the cookies cool completely before filling.

Assemble

  1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Let it cool slightly.
    Place a small dollop of chocolate on the flat side of one cookie. Let it firm up slightly, then gently press another cookie on top to form a sandwich.
    Transfer to a wire rack until the chocolate is fully set.

Notes

  • Hazelnuts: Substitute with almonds, almond flour, or hazelnut flour if preferred.
  • Chocolate: Use good-quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate. I prefer 70% dark chocolate. Nutella is another option, although it won’t set as firmly as melted chocolate.
  • Crumbly dough: Add cold water, one teaspoon at a time, until the dough holds together.
  • Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
  • Freezing baked cookies: Freeze without the chocolate filling. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling.
  • Freezing dough balls: Freeze for up to 2 months and bake directly from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sandwich cookie, Calories: 106 kcal, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 1 mg, Sugar: 5 g
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #aseasyasapplepie. We’d love to see what you come up with!
Author: Elena Tomasi
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: Italian