Italian Ricotta Cookies are super soft, moist, cake-like cookies that are a family tradition around the holidays but also delicious any time of year. Let me show you how to make cookies using ricotta cheese…yes, it can be done!
This recipe has been updated since it first appeared in 2016 with new photos and a new printable recipe card that includes nutritional information. I hope you enjoy the updates as much as I enjoyed working on them!
12 Days of Christmas Cookies
I hope you’re enjoying the new Christmas cookie recipes I’m sharing with you. Day #10 continues with Italian Ricotta Cookies. Let’s take a look at the other cookies I’ve shared since we began this challenge:
- Heart Shaped Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
- Slice and Bake Cookies with Sprinkles
- Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
- Classic Oatmeal Cookies
- Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies
- Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
- Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vanilla and Chocolate Swirl Cookies
Make sure you enter the KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway at the bottom of this post. Also, don’t forget the $175 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway here to enter as well.
Christmas Cookies – A Family Tradition
I know I definitely need to make these cookies at another time during the year so I can get better photos. Sometimes when I’m baking or even cooking around the holidays, things get so busy I take quick photos thinking they’ll be fine for the blog and then I go look and they’re not.
This is one recipe where the photos just didn’t come out properly and I only have a photo of the baked cookies to show you. But that’s okay because these cookies look best baked with the icing dripping off of them, ready for you to enjoy…don’t you agree?
Italian Ricotta Cookies
Do you have a favorite cookie recipe to make for Christmas? For me it’s Italian Ricotta Cookies. And here’s another fun fact, I’ve only recently started making this cookie, yet it’s been one of my favorite for years.
And don’t let the word ricotta fool you. These cookies do not taste like cheese at all. They’re light, fluffy and almost cake like. I really think I need to start making them more than just at Christmas time.
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Ingredients for Italian Ricotta Cookies
- 2 sticks butter; softened
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 4 cups flour
- Baking powder, 1 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1 container 15 ounces, ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
You need both the baking powder and the baking soda to act as a leavening agent for these cookies. It helps get them soft and pillowy and delicious!
Ingredients For the Glaze:
- 4 -5 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Red, green and white holiday nonpareils – this is the type of traditional sprinkles used for this cookie. You can find them easily on Amazon.
How to Bake the Cookies
In your mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, ricotta cheese and vanilla extract. Mix well until combined.
In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture and mix well.
Roll or scoop the dough into teaspoon sized balls. Place on a cookie sheet that’s lined with Parchment Baking Sheets. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before adding the glaze.
How to Add the Glaze to the Cookies
Combine the glaze ingredients together and beat until smooth. Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze and set the cookies on a baking rack for the glaze to drip.
Add the sprinkles immediately. If you wait too long, the glaze will start to harden and the sprinkles will not stick. Trust me on this one, okay?
Tips for Baking Italian Ricotta Cookies
- I like to use a small cookie scoop to help make sure the size of each cookie is uniform.
- After I scoop the dough out, I then roll the dough in my hands to form the ball.
- Place on the baking tray and continue as directed above.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES
Make sure you check out these other Christmas Cookies featured for Day #5 from a few of my foodie friends joining in on the celebration.
- Flour On My Face: German Spritz Cookies
- Walking on Sunshine Recipes: Italian Ricotta Cookies – this recipe
- Glenda Embree: Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Fat Dad Foodie: Christmas Chocolate Chip Kiss Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @Lois_walkingonsunshinerecipes on Instagram and hashtag it #walkingonsunshinerecipes
How to Store the Cookies
- Glazed cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- I like to use these air-tight containers to store cookies.
Italian Ricotta Cookies
Soft, moist, cake-like cookies that are a family tradition around the holidays but these cookies are delicious any time of year!
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 sticks butter; softened
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 4 cups flour
- Baking powder, 1 teaspoon
- Baking soda, 1 teaspoon
- 2 eggs
- 1 container 15 ounces, ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 4 -5 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Assorted Colored Sprinkles
Instructions
How to Make the Cookies:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, ricotta cheese and vanilla extract. Mix well until combined.
- In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture and mix well.
- Roll or scoop the dough into teaspoon sized balls.
- Place on a cookie sheet that's lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before adding the glaze.
How to Add the Glaze:
- Combine the glaze ingredients together and beat until smooth.
- Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze and set the cookies on a baking rack for the glaze to drip.
- Add the sprinkles immediately.
Notes
Make sure you add the sprinkles while the glaze is still wet or they will not stick to the tops of the cookies.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 50 cookies Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126 Total Fat: 5g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 20mg Sodium: 76mg Carbohydrates: 19g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 10g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g
How do you keep the sprinkles from melting? I have made these or a few years and that
happens every time.
I think the sprinkles are melting because of moisture. Are you storing the cookies in an air-tight container? If you live in a warmer climate, you might want to store the container in the refrigerator. Let me know if any of these ideas work for you. Thank you for visiting.
I have been making these cookies for years….it’s a family tradition….everyone want “ these” cookies , I have never added baking powder to my recipe only baking soda….I am curious as to the benefit of using the powder with the soda in this recipe….thank you
You need both to help with the leavening of the cookies and help give them that soft almost pillow-like appearance and taste. Thank you for visiting!
How should I store these cookies and how long do they keep?
You can store the cookies in an closed container for 2 days at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about a week. Thank you for visiting.
Is 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract really correct? That’s 1 ounce- seems excessive. I think it’s supposed to be 2 TEA spoons?
Yes, it’s 2 tablespoons. This recipe does call for 4 cups of flour, so it makes a lot. Thank you for visiting.
What should the dough be like
The dough will be soft, not like a chocolate chip cookie dough.
Hey, how many servings?
Depending on how big or small you shape the cookies, you could get anywhere from 50 to 60 cookies. Enjoy!