Neapolitan Layered Cookies (Printable)
Tri-colored layered cookies with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors inspired by classic Neapolitan ice cream.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1½ cups granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
06 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
07 - ½ teaspoon fine salt
→ Flavoring & Coloring
08 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
10 - Pink or red gel food coloring, as needed
→ Optional Garnish
11 - 3.5 oz semisweet chocolate, melted, for drizzling
12 - Sprinkles or chopped nuts, for decoration
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
03 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed, then mix in the vanilla extract until combined.
04 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine salt until evenly distributed.
05 - Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft, uniform dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Split the dough evenly into three separate bowls. Add the cocoa powder to the first bowl and mix thoroughly for the chocolate layer. Add the strawberry extract and a few drops of pink or red gel food coloring to the second bowl and blend until evenly tinted for the strawberry layer. Leave the third bowl plain for the vanilla layer.
07 - Press the chocolate dough evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing with an offset spatula. Carefully spread the vanilla dough over the chocolate layer, smoothing evenly. Finally, press the strawberry dough on top, smoothing the surface flat.
08 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top is just set and the edges are lightly golden. Do not overbake.
09 - Let the cookie slab cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Use the parchment overhang to lift it out, then cut into 36 bars or squares. Optionally, drizzle with melted semisweet chocolate and finish with sprinkles or chopped nuts.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Three distinct flavors in one bite, so nobody at the table has to pick a favorite.
- The dough comes together in one bowl before splitting, which means almost no extra dishes for three layers of flavor.
02 -
- Overbaking by even two minutes turns the bars from fudgy to cakey, so set a timer at 12 minutes and check early.
- Wet or lightly oiled hands make pressing each dough layer into the pan much easier without tearing the layer below.
03 -
- Chill the whole pan for thirty minutes before slicing and the layers will cut cleanly without smearing into each other.
- Adding two tablespoons of finely ground almonds to the chocolate layer deepens the flavor and adds a barely-there crunch that surprises people.