Italian Ricotta Cookies

Italian Ricotta Cookies are soft, cake-like cookies. They’re deliciously tender and topped with a sweet almond icing. They’re simple to make and perfect for any holiday!

When I was first dating my husband, I remember visiting his Italian family in Brooklyn around the holidays. My favorite part of the day was when the desserts rolled out

All types of cakes, pastries and cookies… oh, the cookies. Pignoli cookies, sesame cookies and my favorite… Italian Ricotta Cookies

Making a batch of these brings me right back to their holiday table!

I like to measure out all of the ingredients before I start baking. What do the French say? Mise en place. Everything in its place

Why use ricotta cheese in a cookie recipe?

Believe me, these cookies do not taste like cheese. Adding in the ricotta gives the cookie a fluffy texture that is so light and delicious

Add 2 cups of sugar and 2 sticks of room temperature butter to the bowl of a mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes

Add in 2 eggs and beat until combined

Add in 15 ounces of ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of almond extract. Mix until combined

Smells heavenly already!

Now let’s mix in the dry ingredients. You’ll need 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 4 cups of flour. I add the flour in one cup at a time so it incorporates evenly

Don’t overbeat, we want a tender dough

At this point, I separate the dough into two balls and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least an hour

Line your sheet pans with silpat mats or parchment paper sprayed with cooking oil. I like to use a cookie scoop so my cookies are all uniform in size. I actually go a step further and weigh each cookie dough ball so I know they’re exact. It’s optional, don’t feel pressured into this crazy step

My little cookies are each 7/8 of an ounce. Add the balls in rows to your prepared cookie sheets. Now I like to chill the balls for about 10 minutes so they retain their somewhat round shape

Once they’ve chilled a bit, bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are slightly browned

Let the cookies sit on the tray for a minute or two and then remove to cool on a wire rack

While the rest of the cookies are baking, let’s make the sweet almond glaze

Measure out 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of almond extract and 3 tablespoons of milk. Add the almond extract to the sugar and add in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir until smooth

I glaze a few cookies at a time and then add the sprinkles so they stick to the icing

Just a tip to make cleanup a little easier… place the wire cookie racks over a sheet pan to catch the drips of glaze. I’m not a fan of sticky-ness

Let the icing set up completely before serving

These freeze well if you’d like to make them ahead of time. Just be sure not to add the glaze until you’ve defrosted the cookies

And there you have a delicious batch of soft Italian Ricotta cookies!

Check out some of our other cookie favorites:

Rolo Cookies

Salted Caramel Pretzel Snaps

We love it when our readers make and share our recipes!

Post a pic on your social media and tag us @ #simplysundayshomecooking

Sweet!

Simply Sundays ~ Italian Ricotta Cookies

Servings: Makes 56 cookies
Time: 20 minutes prep, 1 hour chill, 10 minutes bake per batch
Difficulty: Easy
Print

Ingredients

2 cups of sugar

2 sticks of room temperature butter

2 eggs

15 ounces of ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 teaspoons of almond extract

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

4 cups of flour

For the glaze

2 cups of powdered sugar

2 teaspoons of almond extract

3 tablespoons of milk

Colored sprinkles

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Add 2 cups of sugar and 2 sticks of room temperature butter to the bowl of a mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes; add in 2 eggs and beat until combined

Add in 15 ounces of ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of almond extract. Mix until combined

Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 4 cups of flour to the mixer. I add the flour in one cup at a time so it incorporates evenly

Separate the dough into two balls and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least an hour

Line your sheet pans with silpat mats or parchment paper sprayed with cooking oil. Use a cookie scoop so the cookies are all uniform in size; add the balls in rows to your prepared cookie sheets. Chill the balls for about 10 minutes so they retain their somewhat round shape

Once they’ve chilled, bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are slightly browned

Let the cookies sit on the tray for a minute or two and then remove to cool on a wire rack

To make the glaze: Measure out 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of almond extract and 3 tablespoons of milk. Add the almond extract to the sugar and add in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir until smooth

Place the wire cookie racks over a sheet pan to catch the drips of glaze; glaze a few cookies at a time and then add the sprinkles so they stick to the icing

Let the icing set up completely before serving

Tools used to make this recipe

<br />

Mini Prep Glass Bowl

Silicone Flexible Rubber Baking Spatula

Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Mat

Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece

KitchenAid Stainless Steel Cookie Dough Scoop

OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale