Italian Ricotta Cookies

Ricotta cookies are fluffy on the inside with a delicately crispy exterior. Although they are made with cheese, they don’t taste cheesy at all! The ricotta just makes them tender and delicate.

These traditional Italian cookies have been holiday favorites for generations. But why should Christmas be the only baking season? Their lemony accents and delicate flavor make these melt in your mouth cookies perfect for any occasion or just weekend baking!

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These delicious cookies are coated with a simple sugary glaze and decorated with seasonal sprinkles.  You can decorate them for anything, from Easter brunch to the 4th of July to Halloween. And of course, they are a must-have on any Christmas cookie tray!

🧈Key Ingredients

For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below

There are a few ingredients that give these their distinctive texture and taste:

Ricotta cheese – These use 15 ounces of ricotta cheese, so an entire container. I use whole milk ricotta for the best texture and taste.

Lemon zest – A little bit of lemon zest added to the batter gives them a subtle yet distinctive flavor.

The remaining ingredients are baking staples, including flour, baking powder, salt, butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs.

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🥣How to Make Italian Ricotta Cookies

1. Mix

First, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set these dry ingredients aside for a few minutes.

Then use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until they are light and fluffy. Stir in the ricotta and vanilla extract and blend to combine.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each. Adding the eggs one at a time helps make sure the eggs mix with the butter. Finally, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix it until the flour is just combined.

2. Chill Dough

Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. This will ensure the dough is easier to handle and the cookies don’t spread too much. 

The dough can stay in the refrigerator chilling for up to 48 hours before baking, making it easy to make the dough ahead of time.

3. Bake

Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to line the cookie sheet. Scoop out the chilled dough using a 1-inch cookie scoop and put the balls of dough on the trays, keeping them about an inch apart.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 9-11 minutes. Watch them during the baking time since you want the underside of cookies brown, but not the tops.

Once they are firm and the bottom of the cookies are brown, take them out and put them on wire racks to cool.

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🎄Decorating the Cookies

These are decorated with a simple glaze made from melted butter, confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla. If you want to keep the glaze bright white, use clear vanilla to make it. 

To make the glaze combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat it until smooth. The glaze will be thin but not completely runny. 

Either dip the cookies in the glaze or spread it on top. Add the sprinkles or other toppings right away because the icing on cookies hardens quickly.

You can decorate them with colored candy sprinkles or sugar or nuts such as slivered almonds.

💭How to Store

This recipe makes a big batch of cookies, so there is a good chance you will have leftovers! Put them in an airtight container with a sheet of parchment paper between the layers.

Even though the icing hardens, it still is best not to stack the cookies right on top of each other. They will keep at room temperature for 3 days. If you want to keep them longer, then refrigerate them for up to a week.

Find lots more Italian Christmas desserts here. Or bake more cookies with Birds Nest Cookies, Carrot Cake Cookies, or Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies!

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