Homemade Milano Cookies

Homemade Milano Cookies are easier to make than you think, with two crisp butter cookies sandwiching a rich chocolate ganache. They're absolutely delicious and make for a fun baking project or DIY edible gift!

This recipe is part of our popular series, Better Than Store-Bought, where we create homemade versions of your favorite store-bought snacks and treats.

Better Than the Bag

Milanos are never my top choice for a store-bought cookie, but whenever I have one, I'm always pleasantly surprised. (And then I eat 5 more.)

But the homemade version? Wow. These are absolutely delicious! I might even choose one of these over our homemade oreos, which is really saying a lot. They're buttery, crisp, and have the perfect snap. The chocolate filling isn't too sweet, so it makes them a bit more sophisticated.

Surprisingly, this recipe took us quite a few tries to get right. For our first few tests, we tried to make it more similar to a langue-de-chat, a thin French biscuit with egg white in the dough. We couldn't quite get the signature shape and snap down, though, so we eventually switched gears to a more classic butter cookie dough.

Once we figured out the perfect bake time to make sure they're crisp, but still nice and pale on top, we were all set! And it turns out, this method is even easier than what we started with.

Enjoy one (or two, or three) of these with a nice cup of coffee or tea. You can even package them up as a fun gift for a friend, host/hostess, teacher, etc.

Jump to:

• Better Than the Bag
• Key Ingredients Needed for Milano Cookies
• How to Bake Homemade Milanos
• Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!
• More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Key Ingredients Needed for Milano Cookies

• Powdered sugar: We use mostly powdered sugar instead of granulated in the cookie for a few reasons. For one, it prevents the cookies from spreading too much/losing their shape in the oven, which is essential for homemade Milanos. Second, it also yields a more melt-in-your-mouth texture, versus a chewy cookie. Lastly, it also prevents the cookie from browning too much, so they have that signature pale look.
• Cornstarch: This helps make the cookies extra crisp. We tested the recipe without cornstarch, and the cookies were a bit more cakey instead of crisp. If that doesn't bother you, feel free to leave it out.
• Chocolate: We use chocolate between 60-70% cacao, but you can also use semisweet or milk chocolate if you don't like dark chocolate. Feel free to also use even darker chocolate if preferred. 

How to Bake Homemade Milanos

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 175˚C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Add the butter, powdered sugar and granulated sugar to a mixing bowl and cream on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. 
3. Add in the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. 

4. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl, then add to the wet mixture, mixing just until the batter comes together. 
5. Transfer the cookie dough to a piping bag with a ½-inch round tip. For perfectly even sizing, you can use a ruler to draw lines on the parchment paper with a pencil that are 2 ¾ inches long. We did 4 rows of 4 cookies on a standard sheet pan, evenly spaced apart. Once you draw the lines, flip over the parchment. 
6. Pipe the dough in a smooth, straight line (2 ¾ inches long). Wet the tip of your finger to gently press down on the dough to smooth out any sharp edges. Make sure they're spaced about 1 ½ inches apart because they will spread in the oven. 

7. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. 

8. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it's steaming hot, but not boiling. Pour it over the chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Whisk until the ganache is fully smooth and all of the chocolate is melted. 
9. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the chocolate ganache on high speed for 2-3 minutes, until it becomes paler, more airy and slightly thicker. 

10. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag or plastic bag and snip off a small corner. Pipe about 2 teaspoons of ganache in the center of the bottom of half of the cookies. Place another cookie on top and gently press down so the chocolate spreads to the edges. Let the chocolate set (you can speed this up in the refrigerator), then enjoy! 

Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!

• Draw a guide on your parchment paper. This makes piping much easier, and your cookies will be much more uniform! We just use a pencil and flip over the parchment before piping. White parchment paper works best for this, because it's easier to see through.
• Change up the filling: You can use any type of chocolate for this filling. Milk, dark or white will all work. To make a chocolate mint version, try adding a splash of peppermint extract to the filling. For lemon, add a splash of lemon extract to a white chocolate filling, and add some lemon zest to the cookies.

More Cookie Recipes You'll Love

We can't wait for you to bake these homemade Milano cookies in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!

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