Impress your friends and family with these easy Homemade Milano Cookies - buttery, crispy vanilla cookies sandwiched between dark chocolate ganache.
If you are a fan of Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies, you are in for a bigggg treat! Now you can learn how to make the classic cookie right in your own kitchen. I have to admit, Milano cookies are one of my top favorite store bought cookies.
Milano Cookie Recipe
Milano cookies are oval-shaped butter cookies that are sandwiched between a layer of chocolate. Making the dough is easier than you think, and the ganache center takes only a few minutes.
The hardest part of making the vanilla sandwich cookies, is making sure that all of the cookies are the same shape and size. I use a ruler and draw 12 2 ½-inch lines spaced equal distances apart on a piece of parchment paper. Then I flip the paper over and place it on my baking sheet (written side facing down) and use the lines as a guide. These cookies are piped onto the baking sheet, so make sure that they are as uniform as you can get them.
The filling is a ganache which is made by heating cream and pouring it over chopped chocolate. Once the ganache has cooled, spread it onto the flat side of one cookie and top with the flat side of another cookie. It's that simple! Instead of making a ganache, you can just melt chocolate and use that as the filling. Either way, you'll never want to buy another store bought version after you try these Homemade Milano Cookies!
12 Day of Cookies
Day 1: Chocolate Peppermint Cream Sandwich Cookies
Day 2: Chewy Walnut Spice Cookies with Honey Glaze
Day 3: Salted Chocolate Chunk Espresso Shortbread Cookies
Day 4: Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
Day 5: Strawberry Almond Linzer Cookies
Day 6: Bakery Style White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Day 7: Cut-Out Pecan Sandies
Day 8: Fudgy Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
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Homemade Milano Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups butter room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup egg whites about 8
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 ⅔ cups flour
Ganache
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper and using a ruler draw 12, 2 ½ inch lines spaced about 3 inches apart. Place the papers written side down onto 2 baking sheets and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and confectioner's sugar with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add egg whites and vanilla and mix until combined. Mix in flour.
- Transfer the batter to a large piping bag fitted with a ½ inch round tip. Pipe the batter onto the lined baking sheets using the guides you marked earlier.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
- To make the ganache, place chopped chocolate in a medium size bowl. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan until it begins to simmer (do not let it boil!). Pour over chocolate and let sit 2-3 minutes. Gently stir until combined and chocolate has completely melted. Allow to cool and thicken until spreadable consistency.
- To assemble the cookies, spread the ganache onto the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with the flat side of another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Notes
My dough is very light and fluffy---before I pipe these out, was hoping to find out if that is the normal consistency. 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Vicki! Yes, the dough will be pretty light
Is there a mold for these cookies sandwiches?
Hi Donna! No, there is no mold for these cookies. Their shape is formed by piping the dough onto a baking sheet.
Hi, Can you make the batter in advance and freeze it to bake another day? Thank you
Hi AnnMarie! Unfortunately for this recipe, you cannot freeze the batter. You can however freeze the cookies and when you are ready to serve you can then make the ganache and assemble them.
YUM! Made my kitchen smell glorious for starters. Baked perfectly with the outside of the cookies turning a nice gold. Realized I didn't have whole milk so used coconut milk and some coconut cream in the ganache and sandwiched toasted coconut flakes in between the cookies with the ganache filling. A yummy flavor addition if anyone likes coconut!
Hi Lane!! I LOVE that you used coconut milk and cream. I will definitely have to try it out!
I have made these cookies several times and they always come out perfectly delicious! I have halved the recipe and still perfect! I had a little learning curve on the piping cause I used a ziplock and just had to get the right cut? No substations no changing anything, yummy! I have made them with both melted chocolate and Nutella between them again both yummy!! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Scott! I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe! I love that you used Nutella between the cookies!!
This recipe is a keeper! My family LOVED these milano cookies and keep on requesting more!! Thank you for a fantastic recipe 🙂
I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed this recipe, Abby!!
Hi can you use carton egg whites? or must they be from fresh eggs?
Hi! You can use carton egg whites
Delish moist cookies
Thank you, Nanci!! I'm so happy you enjoyed these cookies!
Unsalted butter or salted ?
I used unsalted butter for this recipe.
Pls tell alternative for eggs !!
I have not tried to make these cookies with an egg substitute, but aquafaba might work.
please
doo not.
measure butter by sticks.
read the disappointment in my gaze.
Why? 1.5 cups butter should be 3 sticks. Did that not work?
Hi Vicki! 1.5 cups of butter is 3 sticks
Yes, I understand that---was curious why the commenter above me said DO NOT measure the butter by sticks?
Wow, these were easy and delicious! The second time I made them I added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to the cookie dough and we loved that taste combo quite a lot too! Thanks for a great Milano recipe!!
I'm sooo happy you enjoyed this recipe & next time I make these cookies I'm going to add some almond extract (love that idea!) !!
What piping tip did you use?
Hi Becky! I used the Wilton Tip 2A which is 1/2-inch in diameter.
Hi, I have not tried this recipe yet, but I am wondering... what could be a substitute for heavy cream that would work for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Diana! You can use a non dairy cream substitute such as full-fat coconut milk.
nice recipes
thank you!!
Love! Baked 8 minutes and came out perfect. Ganache is not my strong point though and I'll need to try that more. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!