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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Cookies

    Italian Ricotta Cookies

    Published: Aug 27, 2019 Β· Modified: Oct 19, 2021 by Alyssa Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Iced and sprinkled Italian ricotta cookies on a wire rack

    Italian ricotta cookies are a classic cookie favorite! This soft and moist ricotta cookie recipe is flavored with almond extract and lemon juice and zest for a bright flavor, and topped with a simple almond-flavored glaze.

    Iced and sprinkled Italian ricotta cookies on a wire rack

    These Italian ricotta cookies have been a long time in the making!

    Like so many Italian cookies, they're a delicacy I happily ate throughout my childhood. However each time I made them as an adult I felt that they weren't quite as I remembered them.

    Too flat and moist, too lemon-y, not lemon-y enough...let's just say the number of ricotta cookie batches I've made this year falls between five and ten.

    These, though? Ricotta cookie perfection.

    What are Ricotta Cookies?

    If you're not too familiar with baking with ricotta, don't be hesitant. It's a staple in savory pasta dishes like lasagna and baked ziti with meatballs, but is just as versatile in sweet recipes.

    Ricotta adds moisture and a slightly spongy and cake-like quality to cookies. Frequently paired in recipes with citrus flavors (like lemon ricotta muffins), it does not make baked goods taste like cheese at all.

    Traditionally glazed and topped with nonpareil sprinkles, Italian ricotta cookies are often made around holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

    Why This Recipe Works

    • Some ricotta cookies feature lemon flavoring, while others go with almond. This recipe doesn't make you choose and instead uses a delicious balance of lemon juice, zest, and almond extract. All these flavors mesh REALLY well.
    • Worried about ricotta cookies that fall flat? This recipe builds in plenty of chill time and features tips and tricks to ensure they rise up nicely, every time. No flat, pancake-like cookies here.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Labeled cookie ingredients on a marble board.
    • Ricotta cheese: I prefer whole milk ricotta for these lemon ricotta cookies. While you could use part-skim and the recipe would work, the extra fat from the whole milk variety adds a more rich feel to these cookies that is extra enjoyable in a dessert.
    • Butter: Butter is properly softened when you can press the stick with gentle pressure and your finger leaves a small indent. Take the butter out of the fridge an hour or two before you plan to begin baking, placing it near a running appliance like a dishwasher, oven, or coffee pot to speed the process up.
    • Flour: Be sure to measure flour using the "spoon-and-level" method, detailed in the recipe card. This prevents excess flour from inadvertently making its way into the recipe, which can lead to drier baked goods.
    • Lemon juice/zest: It's easier to zest the lemon first (so you have something solid to hold onto), and then juice it.
    • Almond extract: The almond flavoring is not overwhelming, but if you know you're not a fan of it you can replace the almond extract in the dough and glaze with equal amounts of vanilla extract.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    1. Cream together the softened butter and sugar. This means using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer (or just the regular beaters on a hand mixer) and mixing it on medium to medium-high speed for two minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Look for the mixture to have lightened in color a bit and become creamy and fluffed up.
    2. Mix in the egg until combined.
    • Creamed butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment.
    • Butter, sugar, and egg mixed together in a bowl with a spatula.
    1. Add the ricotta, lemon juice and zest, and almond and vanilla extracts and mix well until everything is evenly combined.
    2. Add your dry ingredients to a separate mixing bowl: flour, baking powder, and salt.
    • All wet ingredients, including ricotta, mixed together in a bowl.
    • Dry ingredients whisked together in a separate bowl.
    1. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients in three increments, mixing each in until just combined.
    2. Once the dough is all mixed together, you'll notice that the consistency is thick. Very thick! Look for it to be moist but not too wet or too sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours, but longer (like overnight) works, too.
    • The first amount of the dry ingredients poured into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
    • Italian ricotta cookie dough in a metal mixing bowl with the paddle attachment from a stand mixer
    1. Once thoroughly chilled, form about one-and-a-half tablespoons of dough into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
    2. Bake at 350°F/177°C for around 15 minutes, or until the tops have set and the bottoms are just turning golden- brown. Let them cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
    A side-by-side photo collage of unbaked ricotta cookie dough on a baking sheet (left) and baked cookies on a baking sheet (right).

    Ricotta Cookie Glaze

    1. Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a bowl until smooth: confectioners' sugar, milk, and almond extract. Spoon glaze over top of the cookies and decorate with nonpareils.

    While some ricotta cookie varieties carry on the citrus theme with a lemon-flavored glaze, I prefer adding a simple almond glaze to these lemon ricotta cookies. Reason being that lemon and almond flavors complement one another in a nice balance, and while I love lemon-flavored desserts, I've found there is such a thing as overdoing it with the lemon.

    Though you can always add more or less milk to get a thicker or thinner glaze, as written three tablespoons of milk result in a glaze that can be spooned over top of the cookies and will drip down the sides with just a little nudge from the spoon.

    An overhead shot of lemon ricotta cookies on a wire rack

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • Since chilled dough is best, keep the remaining dough in the refrigerator if you're baking ricotta cookies in multiple batches. Don't scoop out cookies and leave them out at room temperature while another batch or batches bake as you'll risk them warming up too much.
    • On that note, use a fresh cookie sheet to bake each batch. Used ones will be too warm and can risk spreading.
    • This Italian ricotta cookie recipe can be doubled to use a full 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese. However as written with half of a container this recipe yields about thirty-four cookies, which I find to be more than enough for many occasions.
    • I like to repurpose the used parchment paper by placing it underneath the wire racks while glazing the cookies. Easier clean up that way!
    • Rainbow nonpareils are a classic decoration fit for any time of year, but the mix of red/green/white nonpareils are a fun way to switch it up at Christmastime.
    Ricotta cookies with red, white, and green nonpareils.

    Recipe FAQs

    Do I have to chill ricotta cookie dough?

    Yes. All of the added moisture from the ricotta cheese, which delivers a soft and tender cookie at the end, can lead to cookies that flatten out like pancakes during their short stint in the oven if the dough isn't chilled enough. I've experimented with chill times and recommend refrigerating the dough for at least eight hours, or even overnight.

    Can I make ricotta cookies ahead of time?

    Yes, but with conditions. If you're looking to save time, you can bake the Italian ricotta cookies and freeze them without the icing. Then once thawed completely, you can ice and decorate them as you like.

    The issue comes from using rainbow nonpareils. After a day or two, the color begins to bleed from the nonpareils and melts into the glaze. While these cookies wouldn't be the most photogenic if that happens, they'd still obviously taste delicious and be perfectly edible.

    Even if you're not freezing them, my suggestion is to ice and add the sprinkles shortly before you intend to serve them. Or, of course, you can simply ice them and not add sprinkles, or use white nonpareils instead of rainbow. Many options to make these ricotta cookies work for you.

    How do you store ricotta cookies?

    Store cookies in an air-tight container for several days with a sheet of parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent the glaze from sticking to other cookies.

    Do these cookies hold up well for mailing?

    Unfortunately ricotta cookies aren't good cookies for mailing around the holidays. While they're not delicate, they stay moist and by the time they reach your recipient the glaze will likely be crinkled with streaks of rainbow coloring from the nonpareils.

    Iced Italian ricotta cookies on a wire rack with a bite taken out of one

    Related Recipes

    • Italian Anise Cookies
    • Classic Italian Pizzelle
    • Cucidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
    • Pignoli Cookies

    P.S. If you're thinking that these cookies look familiar...well, you're not wrong. These look very, very similar to Italian anise cookies, a beloved family recipe of mine and a reader favorite, as well. With how often I make both of these cookies, I think I'll forever be finding tiny nonpareils in all the little crevices in my kitchen.

    If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!

    Glazed ricotta cookies with nonpareils on a wire rack.

    Italian Ricotta Cookies

    Italian ricotta cookies are a classic cookie favorite! This soft and moist ricotta cookie recipe is flavored with almond extract and lemon juice and zest for a bright flavor, and topped with a simple almond-flavored glaze.
    4.48 from 38 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cookies
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Chill Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
    Servings: 34 cookies
    Calories: 120kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    For the Cookies:

    • ½ cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 7.5 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
    • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about one lemon)
    • ¾ teaspoon almond extract
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    For the Glaze:

    • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
    • 3 Tablespoons milk, any variety (I used 2%)
    • ½ teaspoon almond extract
    • Rainbow nonpareils
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Using an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed, cream together softened butter and sugar in a mixing bowl for around 2 minutes, or until slightly fluffy and smooth. Pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
    • Add the egg and beat in until combined. Add the ricotta cheese (drained of excess moisture if your ricotta is on the watery side, see note), lemon juice and zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix well until all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
    • To a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk thoroughly. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients in 3 increments, beating until just mixed in each time. Take care not to overmix.
    • Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight.
    • Once the cookie dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Using a 1-Β½ Tablespoon capacity cookie scoop, scoop cookies and very briefly roll them between your palms to form a sphere. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep the remaining cookie dough in the refrigerator if you're baking them in multiple batches.
    • Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the bottoms are just browning and the tops are fairly firm and spring back when lightly pressed. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 15-20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
    • Once the cookies are completely cooled, add confectioners' sugar, milk, and almond extract to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Spoon glaze over each cookie, then top with nonpareils.
    • Let the glaze harden completely before serving/storing in an air-tight container with parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.

    Video

    Notes

    Ingredient Notes
    Butter: Butter is softened when you can poke the stick using gentle pressure and your finger leaves a slight indent in it. Depending upon the temperature of your kitchen, this may take 1-2 hours, or even a bit longer. You can speed this process up by placing the butter stick near a running appliance for its warmth, such as a dishwasher or oven, turning the stick over periodically so it softens evenly.
    Ricotta: While I don't usually need to drain the ricotta, you may find that some brands are more watery than others. If the kind you're using has a fair amount of excess moisture, pour/drain it off before adding to the recipe.
    Flour: To measure flour correctly, first fluff up the flour in its canister with a spoon by stirring. Spoon fluffed up flour into your measuring cup, making sure you don't pack it in/tamp it down. Spoon it until the cup is overflowing, at which point level off the cup using the flat edge of the spoon (or a knife). Doing this over the opening of the flour canister or bag minimizes mess as the excess just falls back in.
    Lemon: It's easier to zest the lemon before you juice it (so you can hold onto it better).
    Almond extract: If you know you're not a fan of almond flavoring, you can replace it with equal amounts of vanilla extract.
    Recipe Tips
    • Use a fresh (room temperature) cookie sheet to bake each batch of cookies. The residual warmth from used sheets can cause excess spreading and flatter cookies.
    • Swapping in a red/white/green nonpareil mix for the rainbows is extra festive around the holidays.
    • After a few days, the rainbow nonpareils will bleed into the icing. If you want these cookies to be photogenic until the last one is eaten, 1) ice and decorate the cookies within a day or so of serving, 2) ice the cookies but use white nonpareils, or 3) ice the cookies and don't add sprinkles.
    • Glaze inactive time: The glaze should harden within about an hour.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 20.2g | Protein: 1.9g | Fat: 3.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 12.9g | Calcium: 17mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
    « Lemon Ricotta Muffins with Almond Glaze
    Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Wendy Glenn says

      February 12, 2023 at 3:25 pm

      5 stars
      I thought this recipe was the most helpful! Beside being a delicious recipe!!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        February 13, 2023 at 7:43 am

        I'm so glad you like it, Wendy! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Christie says

      December 23, 2022 at 9:47 am

      Do you have to let the dough chill for that long?

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        December 23, 2022 at 10:46 am

        You can chill the dough for less time, however they might spread a bit more/not bake up as tall. Still delicious!

        Reply
    3. Bonnie Santora says

      December 14, 2022 at 6:23 pm

      5 stars
      Grew up eating these!!Looking forward to making these!!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        December 15, 2022 at 7:59 am

        I hope you enjoy, Bonnie!

        Reply
    4. Kim says

      December 19, 2021 at 1:41 pm

      Was wondering can I freeze my ricotta cookie dough a few days before baking?

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        December 20, 2021 at 10:12 pm

        Hi Kim, for this recipe I would not recommend it, as freezing/thawing may impact the texture, especially with the ricotta.

        Reply
    5. Terri says

      December 16, 2021 at 8:49 am

      4 stars
      Flavor is delicious - I omitted almond extract and used a little extra vanilla - also used a light lemon glaze. Mine are definitely not as uniform or pretty - I think I got a little too much liquid from the ricotta in the dough and many tended to spread a bit. Will make again - thanks

      Reply
    6. Lily says

      November 22, 2021 at 3:33 pm

      3 stars
      Nice flavor but not puffy even though I followed directions and kept dough supercold. Maybe they needed more flour.

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        November 24, 2021 at 10:12 am

        Hi Lily, I'm sorry these didn't meet your expectations. Some things I can think of that could cause less puffy cookies would be if your ricotta had excess moisture or if your baking powder is losing its potency? If you feel that your dough is still just too wet, extra flour, a tablespoon at a time, seems like a good thing to try. Thanks for letting me know your experience!

        Reply
    7. Belinda says

      July 23, 2021 at 11:02 am

      4 stars
      This is the best ricotta cookie recipe out there. Always use it. Fluffy and I dbl dip in the lemon glaze. Yum

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        July 26, 2021 at 9:54 am

        I'm so glad you like it, Belinda! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    8. Kathie Fitz says

      December 22, 2020 at 10:02 am

      5 stars
      Thawing unfrosted cookies now. They appear to be sticky. Any suggestions? Thanks

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        December 22, 2020 at 10:49 am

        Hi Kathie, can you blot the tops with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture?

        Reply
        • Kathie says

          December 22, 2020 at 11:26 am

          Hello! I dont think so. They are sticky and afraid if I do that cookie may stick to the towel.

    9. Nancy says

      April 04, 2020 at 4:12 pm

      These cookies are the best I’ve ever had. Followed the recipe exactly how it was printed and they turned out awesome. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s a winner!

      Reply
    10. Jennifer says

      January 01, 2020 at 3:56 pm

      Sounds so delicious!! Is it alright to use self rising flour??

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 01, 2020 at 9:14 pm

        Hi Jennifer, I don't have much experience with self rising flour so I couldn't say how it would do here. I'm not sure if the amount of flour/baking powder would line up just right? I found this article by the King Arthur Flour blog that's very informative...looks like it could work, but I'd be wary of these cookies spreading a little more than ideal. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2015/09/09/substitute-self-rising-flour-purpose-flour

        Reply
    11. Jenn says

      December 23, 2019 at 10:39 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 01, 2020 at 9:15 pm

        Glad you enjoy! Thanks, Jenn. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    12. sharon says

      December 21, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      These are the most delicious cookies I have ever made. I put more almond flavoring than vanilla.

      They will be added to my Italian cookie recipes.

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        December 22, 2019 at 10:24 am

        So glad you like them, Sharon! Thanks for letting me know how they went. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    13. E says

      December 18, 2019 at 8:07 pm

      5 stars
      Love how versatile this recipe is! I made so many different variations with the batch I made and loved every one of them. Thanks for posting this recipe;)

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        December 22, 2019 at 10:34 am

        You're so welcome -- I'm happy you like them! πŸ™‚

        Reply

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