Baci di Dama are traditional Italian hazelnut cookies with a dark chocolate filling and a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture. These bite-sized treats pair well with coffee and can be made ahead for holiday trays or to share with friends and family.

Baci di Dama cookies arranged on rustic burlap cloth, surrounded by whole hazelnuts in shells and cracked empty shells.

Baci di Dama, or “Lady’s Kisses,” come from Piedmont in northern Italy. They’re made by pressing two hazelnut cookies together with a bit of melted chocolate in the middle, just like a little kiss.

They’re usually served with espresso after dinner and make a nice addition to a cookie tray or gift box with cantucci and brutti ma buoni.

Recipe Highlights

  • Easy to make: Just a few ingredients and simple steps.
  • Classic flavor combo: Hazelnuts and chocolate are always a hit.
  • Great for gifting: Pair with a bottle of homemade Baileys.
  • Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the dough ahead of time and bake when ready.

Key Ingredients & Easy Swaps

  • Hazelnuts: Freshly roasted hazelnuts give the best flavor. If you don’t have any, hazelnut flour, almond flour, or even roasted almonds work well.
  • Flour: I usually go with all-purpose flour. Use a gluten-free blend if needed.
  • Butter: Make sure it’s at room temperature. It should be soft and pliable, but not melted.
  • Sugar: Both granulated and caster sugar are great options.
  • Chocolate: Choose high-quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (around 70% cocoa). Nutella is a tasty alternative.

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

How to Make Baci di Dama Cookies

  1. Roast and grind the hazelnuts: Toast the hazelnuts until golden and fragrant. Rub off most of the skins, then grind them finely in a food processor.
  2. Make the dough: Combine the ground hazelnuts with flour, butter, and sugar. Use your hands to bring the dough together, then divide it into logs, wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
  3. Shape and bake: Slice the chilled dough and roll into small balls (about 8 g each). Chill again to help them hold their shape. Bake until lightly golden, then let cool completely.
  4. Assemble the cookies: Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Spread a little on the flat side of one cookie, then sandwich it with another. Let the chocolate set before serving.

Elena’s Tips

  • Measure carefully: A kitchen scale will give you the best results. If you don’t have one, use the spoon-and-level method.
  • Don’t overgrind the hazelnuts: Grind them just until fine. If you go too far, they’ll turn into nut butter. No food processor? You can use hazelnut or almond flour instead.
  • Dough too crumbly? Add chilled water, one teaspoon at a time, until it comes together.
  • Even cookies: Roll the dough into 8-gram balls for consistent baking and easy pairing.
  • Chill the dough: This helps the cookies hold their shape as they bake.
  • Don’t overbake: Watch them carefully. They should be lightly golden and just set, not dry.
  • Melting the chocolate: No microwave? Use a heatproof bowl over simmering water.
  • Assembling: Let the chocolate cool slightly before sandwiching the cookies so they don’t slide apart.

How to Store & Freeze

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

Freezing baked cookies: Freeze before adding the chocolate. Let them thaw overnight, then fill.

Freezing the dough: Roll into balls and freeze. Bake straight from frozen; just add 2 to 3 extra minutes.

Italian hazelnut cookies on textured burlap, surrounded by whole hazelnuts in 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 (Italian Hazelnut Cookies)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 22 cookies
(5 stars) 13 ratings
Baci di Dama, or "Lady's Kisses" in Italian, are traditional hazelnut cookies filled with chocolate. With their rich, nutty flavor and delicate, buttery texture, they’re perfect for any occasion, especially as 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 (keep the rest chilled). Slice into small pieces (about 8 g each) and roll into balls.
    Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for another hour.

Bake

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

Assemble

  1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. 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: You can swap them with almonds, almond flour, or hazelnut flour.
  • Chocolate: Use high-quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate. I prefer 70% dark chocolate. Nutella is a tasty alternative.
  • Crumbly dough? Add cold water one teaspoon at a time until it holds together.
  • Gluten-free version: Substitute a gluten-free flour blend.
  • Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
  • Freezing baked cookies: Freeze without the chocolate filling. Thaw in the fridge overnight and assemble a few hours before serving.
  • Freezing dough balls: Shape and freeze solid. Store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen; no need to thaw.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 96 kcal, Carbohydrates: 9 g, Protein: 1 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