Let’s Make Raspberry Neapolitan Cookies
Bright raspberry, rich chocolate, and smooth vanilla collide in one bold, bakery-worthy cookie.
“These Mountaintop Kitchen Raspberry Neapolitan Cookies come together like a small piece of edible art. Three doughs, raspberry, chocolate, and vanilla, are rolled into one, creating soft swirls of color that bake into a cookie as beautiful as it is delicious. The edges turn lightly golden while the centers stay soft and yielding, with bursts of bright raspberry cutting through buttery sweetness and pockets of cocoa adding depth. Adapted from Volume 9 of Brian Hart Hoffman’s edited Bake from Scratch series, this recipe carries the hallmark balance of precision and approachability. They’re the kind of cookies you pause to admire before taking a bite, and then reach for another without thinking.”
—Stone 👨🏼🍳
(Note: Interactive YouTube elements such as subscribe buttons, recipe end cards, etc. only display if you click “Watch on YouTube.”)
Products Shown in the Video Tutorial
Per viewer request, here is the equipment list:
Disclaimer: MK makes a small commission that helps to pay for recipe development and production costs; you pay the regular Amazon price. Just click items to go to purchase pages. Thanks!
✔Bake from Scratch, Vol. 9 (2024)
✔Stand mixer with paddle (for mixing the batter)
✔KitchenAid 5Qt glass mixing (for budding YouTubers)
✔Digital kitchen scale (for measuring accurately and easily)
✔Oven thermometer (for calibrating your oven)
✔Mixing bowls (for blending dry and wet ingredients separately)
✔Spatulas (for folding batter and scraping bowls)
✔Whisk (for evenly incorporating dry ingredients)
✔Cooling racks (for cooling evenly)
✔Mesh strainers/sieves (for shifting dry ingredients)
✔Baking sheets ( for placing under tin in case of overspill)
✔Silicone oven mitts (for handling hot pans)
Neapolitan Cookies Built on Contrast
In our Mountaintop Kitchen, these Raspberry Neapolitan Cookies grew from a simple idea: three classic flavors, brought together in one dough that feels both familiar and new. The name “Neapolitan” traces back to the Italian tradition of pairing chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, most famously in tri-color ice cream inspired by the flavors of Naples. Over time, it became a symbol of balance and contrast, each element distinct but better together. Here, that idea takes shape in a soft, bakery-style cookie any home baker can pull off.
These are not plain drop cookies. This is a soft, marbled round with lightly golden edges and a center that stays tender after cooling. Raspberry brings brightness and a gentle tang, cocoa adds depth, and vanilla smooths the edges. Pressed together, the doughs bake into swirls of color and flavor, each bite shifting slightly from the last.
Baked just until set, the cookies hold their shape while keeping a soft, yielding middle. The edges offer the slightest structure, while the centers remain delicate and chewy. Break one open and the colors carry through the crumb, a quiet nod to the classic that inspired them.
No complicated steps. Just contrast, balance, and a cookie that proves some combinations endure for a reason.
Break one open and the reward is immediate: a tender center marbled with ribbons of raspberry, vanilla, and chocolate, each bite shifting between bright, sweet, and rich. The edges frame the middle, set just enough to hold the crumb, while the top carries a light crackle from careful mixing and a steady oven. This is a cookie baked the Mountaintop Kitchen way: steady, generous, and just dramatic enough to make you reach for one more while the tray is still warm.
So, welcome into our Mountaintop Kitchen; where, in place of the more traditional strawberry, raspberry brightens, chocolate deepens, vanilla softens the edges, and marbled cookies bake into tender rounds that carry a little balance of contrast in every bite. 🍓🍪
Why You’ll Love These Raspberry Neapolitan Cookies
Three flavors in one bite: raspberry, chocolate, and vanilla layered into a single, balanced cookie
Soft bakery-style texture: tender centers with lightly set, golden edges
Bright raspberry lift: freeze-dried berries bring natural color and a gentle tang
Chocolate depth: cocoa adds richness that grounds the sweeter notes
Vanilla balance: a smooth, buttery base that ties everything together
Marbled visual appeal: each cookie bakes with unique swirls of color
No complicated steps: simple dough divided and recombined for maximum effect
Pantry-friendly ingredients: approachable, everyday baking staples
Perfect contrast: sweet, tart, and rich in every bite
Beautiful and shareable: eye-catching cookies that invite breaking open and passing around
The Recipe
Note: Our recipes are written consistent with most published low-elevation recipes. However; If you live above 3,500 feet, please consult the following resources should any high-altitude adjustments be needed.
On Measuring Ingredients: My preferred method of measuring is weight by grams. Baking by volume rather than weight can lead to varied and unexpected results. Flour is especially problematic when measured by volume (sifted, not sifted, spooned, not spooned, fluffed or not … you get the point). Grams are always the same; they are your friend as a baker. King Arthur Baking Company’s Ingredients Weight Chart is helpful for converting recipe weights.
On Altitude Adjustments: Before measuring ingredients, preheating your oven, or setting your timer; it’s important to consider any necessary adjustments for baking at higher altitudes, which is generally considered to be 3,500ft and above. Most, including ours, recipes are written for sea level up to 3,500ft. Take at look at our baking at High-Altitude Baking Adjustments page for guidance.
Yield
14 cookies
About 2–2½ oz each (55–70 g)
Baked on parchment-lined sheet pans
Timing & Workflow Overview
Hands-On Time: ~25 minutes (mix, divide, color, and shape)
Bake Time: 10–12 minutes
Rest on Pan After Baking: 5 minutes
Optional Additional Cooling: 10 minutes for a fully set crumb
Overall Timeline:
A simple, same-day bake with no chilling required, making these cookies as approachable as they are striking. The dough comes together quickly, divides easily, and bakes into soft, marbled rounds with tender centers and lightly set edges. Best enjoyed just slightly warm, when the crumb is soft and the raspberry, chocolate, and vanilla flavors move together in every bite. 🍓🍪
Cookie Dough
1.2 oz (34 g) freeze-dried raspberries
2¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
¾ cup (170 g) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg (50 g), room temperature
1 large egg yolk (19 g), room temperature
1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (5 g) cocoa powder
Oven Settings
Conventional: 350°F (180°C)
Convection: 325°F (165°C)
Method
1. Prepare the Raspberry Powder
Add freeze-dried raspberries to a food processor and pulse into a fine powder. A few seeds are fine—they add texture. For a smoother finish, sift out the seeds.
2. Prep
Preheat oven and line baking sheets with parchment.
3. Dry Mix
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Creaming Stage
In a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more.
Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until fully incorporated and airy, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl.
5. Combine
Add dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined (about 30 seconds). Do not overmix.
6. Divide & Flavor
Divide dough into three equal portions (~240 g each):
Raspberry: Mix in raspberry powder until fully pink
Chocolate: Mix in cocoa powder until fully brown
Vanilla: Leave plain
7. Shape
Using a 1-tablespoon scoop (~17 g), portion each dough.
Roll into balls.
Take one of each flavor, press them together, then roll gently into a single ball.
Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
(Some final cookies may lean more raspberry depending on yield.)
8. Bake
Bake one pan at a time for 10–12 minutes, until edges are set and centers are slightly puffed.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Baker’s Notes (Mountaintop Tips)
Color pop: For a deeper pink, use high-quality freeze-dried raspberries—some brands are duller than others. We used Trader Joe’s.
Texture control: Slight underbaking keeps these soft and chewy for days.
Visual impact: Don’t over-blend the tri-color dough—distinct sections create that Neapolitan look.
Scaling tip: This dough doubles cleanly for small-batch production.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months.
Approximate Nutrition (per cookie): Final values may vary depending on specific ingredients used. Nutrition Disclaimer
Calories: ~170
Carbs: 22 g
Fat: 8 g
Protein: 2 g
Sugar: 12 g
Allergen Notes
Contains: wheat, dairy, eggs
Nut-Free Option: Recipe is naturally nut-free; verify ingredients if needed
Gluten-Free Option: Substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
Dairy-Free Option: Replace butter with plant-based baking butter
Variation Notes
Raspberry Intensity: Use all the raspberry powder for a bold, tangy flavor or reduce slightly for a softer fruit note
Chocolate Depth: Swap Dutch-process cocoa for natural cocoa for a lighter, more classic chocolate profile
Vanilla Boost: Add an extra splash of vanilla for a warmer, rounder flavor
Color Contrast: Keep dough portions distinct when shaping for more defined swirls
Texture Finish: Bake on the shorter end for softer centers or slightly longer for a more set crumb
Freeze Ahead: Dough portions can be frozen up to 2 months; bake straight from frozen with 1–2 extra minutes
Portion Size: Scoop smaller cookies for everyday baking or larger portions for a more dramatic presentation
Until the Next Bake: Thanks for joining me here at the Mountaintop Kitchen. I’m Stone, and I’ll see you next time with more bakes, more flavors, and more stories from the kitchen. Until then—keep your ovens warm and your aprons tied.
P.S. Love what you’re baking with me? Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter for first looks at new recipes, and join the Mountaintop Kitchen YouTube channel to see every swirl, scoop, and sizzle in action! —Stone👨🏼🍳
The Mountaintop Kitchen recipe newsletter is available to everyone. If you like it, please subscribe and/or share it with someone else you think will also like it. —Stone The Mountaintop Baker👨🏼🍳
