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Soft, cake-like Italian Ricotta Cookies topped with almond glaze and sprinkles! 🎄🎉 A classic holiday favorite that melts in your mouth!
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Soft, tender, and topped with a simple almond glaze, these Ricotta Cookies are a timeless treat you’ll want to make again and again. Whether you’re baking for the holidays or just because, this classic cookie recipe is sure to please. The secret to their melt-in-your-mouth texture? Ricotta cheese, which adds incredible moisture and richness.
This easy recipe for Ricotta Cookies comes together in just 20 minutes and is perfect for cookie trays, bake sales, or gifting. Dress up these soft, lightly sweet ricotta cheese cookies with festive sprinkles for any occasion.
If you’re looking for unique cookies with ricotta cheese, this is the perfect place to start.
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make with simple ingredients
- Soft, cake-like texture
- Great for holidays or everyday baking
- Easy to customize with glazes and sprinkles
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
cookies
- unsalted butter, softened – substitute with margarine if needed
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- ricotta cheese – use full-fat for best texture
- vanilla extract – substitute with almond extract for a different twist
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
glaze
- milk – use any milk or plant-based milk
- powdered sugar
- almond extract – substitute with vanilla extract
- sprinkles – use any kind for seasonal flair
✨ Variations
- Use lemon extract in the glaze for a citrus version.
- Try orange zest in the dough for a fun flavor twist.
- Swap almond extract with vanilla if preferred.
- Add a drop of food coloring to match holiday themes.
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🔥 Tips
- Be sure to use softened butter for easy creaming.
- Chill the dough if it’s too sticky to scoop or roll.
- Glaze only after the cookies are completely cool.
- Store the glaze separately if not serving all at once.
❓ FAQs
Ricotta Cookies are soft, Italian-style cookies made with ricotta cheese for a moist, tender texture.
Yes, freeze unglazed cookies with ricotta cheese for up to 3 months, then glaze them after thawing.
Absolutely! This recipe is perfect for cookie trays and festive gatherings.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Yes, they can be baked a day or two in advance. Just wait to glaze them until shortly before serving.
No, these cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Refrigeration is not required unless your kitchen is very warm.
Any kind! Use seasonal sprinkles for holidays or rainbow sprinkles for birthdays. They stick best when the glaze is still wet.
Yes, this recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for a crowd or as a gift.
🍽️ Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Italian Ricotta Cookies Recipe
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Equipment
- parchment paper (optional)
- mixing bowl (large and medium)
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- cookie scoop or spoon
Ingredients
cookies
- 2 sticks butter, softened, 1/2 pound
- 1-¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 container ricotta cheese, (15 oz.)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
glaze
- 4-5 tablespoons milk
- 1-½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
To make the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use ungreased baking sheets.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, ricotta cheese, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
- Scoop or roll dough into teaspoon-sized balls and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and almond extract until smooth.
- Dip the tops of cooled cookies into the glaze and return to the wire rack.
- Immediately top with sprinkles before the glaze sets.
Notes
🥡 STORAGE
- Store the cookies (unglazed) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Glazed cookies can be stored in a single layer, but they may become sticky over time.
♨️ REHEATING
- Not typically reheated, but you can refresh cookies in a 300°F oven for 3-4 minutes to revive texture.
❄️ FREEZING
- Freeze the baked cookies (unglazed) in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.
💡 TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS
- Use full-fat ricotta for richer cookies.
- Chill the dough slightly if it feels too sticky to roll.
- Only glaze the cookies when you’re ready to serve.
🍳 ALTERNATE COOKING METHODS
- No alternate methods are recommended for baking these cookies.
♻️ LEFTOVERS
- Leftover glazed cookies are best enjoyed within 2 days.
- Save unglazed cookies separately and glaze fresh as needed.
📦 TIPS FOR MAILING
- Skip the glaze if mailing in warm weather or for long distances. Instead, include a small container of glaze and instructions to dip at home.
- Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap or parchment, then pack snugly in a sturdy tin or food-safe box.
- Use crinkle paper or bubble wrap to cushion cookies inside the shipping box.
- Mail early in the week to avoid weekend delays.
- Choose USPS Priority Mail or UPS 2-Day for best freshness and minimal transit time.
🛍️ TIPS FOR BAKE SALES
- Individually wrap cookies in plastic wrap or clear treat bags for freshness and hygiene.
- Add festive ribbon or stickers to make them more appealing and gift-ready.
- Label clearly with flavor and allergen info (e.g., contains dairy, eggs, wheat).
- Sell in sets of 2-3 cookies for a higher perceived value while keeping portion sizes manageable.
- Glaze the night before and allow cookies to dry completely so they won’t smudge in packaging.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I could not find my mom’s recipe so I made yours! So very good. I am impressed as to how easy and wonderful these turned out. I am about to glaze! Cheers
These are so soft and delicate!! We absolutely love them. The recipe is quick to make which is always a bonus!!! I got 100 cookies out of this recipe using a 1 teaspoon scoop.
Amazing! This recipe, followed as written, yielded 100 cookies for me.
I put the icing in a condiment bottle and drizzled the cookies. This made it go so very quickly! Just used my fingers and pinched nonpareils over the tops.
Next time, I will probably make the icing thicker. I used 4T of milk and it was thin. I’ll try 3T milk next time. They are still awesome, it was just a bit runny for me.
Thank you so much for the recipe. They are actually going to my dear Italian friend who recently lost his wife of 50 years. They made all of their pasta, ravioli, etc by hand together. I hope he approves!
GREAT recipe, these are my new Christmas favorite!
To avoid any “instability” in the icing I substituted 2tsps of the confectioners sugar for meringue powder, which made for a stable (but not overly brittle) icing.
I make cookies every month for a “Friendship Meals” at a local church. I need to put two cookies in a snack bag. I usually make chocolate chip ahead of time and freeze them in the bags. Would this work for these cookies? I’m thinking to make the glaze a little bit thicker, more like frosting and they might work??
Amazing recipe! So fluffy and nice and not too sweet.
I have rosewater I’m trying to get rid of so I used that for the icing instead of vanilla and they’re so delightful.
(Only if you like rose flavor of course though).
Should’ve read a little closer though because I was not prepared to have 60 cookies, even with guests coming, oops.
Thanks so much for a delightful recipe.
The Italian Ricotta Cookies are a delightful treat that instantly transports you to the streets of Rome. These soft and pillowy cookies are a perfect blend of sweetness and tanginess. The addition of ricotta cheese gives them a unique texture and a subtle richness that is simply irresistible. The cookies are delicately flavored with hints of vanilla and lemon zest, adding a refreshing twist to each bite. Topped with a luscious glaze and colorful sprinkles, they are visually appealing and bring a festive vibe. Whether enjoyed with a cup of coffee or as a dessert, these Italian Ricotta Cookies are a true delight for the taste buds.
I just made these for Easter and they were a huge hit! I took the leftovers to work and they flew. I am not a fan of almond flavoring so I grated some orange rind into the batter and substituted orange extract in the glaze. Looking forward to making them again with anise extract.
Wonderful recipe. I was concerned at first about the amount of vanilla and almond extract. But I made per the recipe and I wouldn’t change a thing. I didn’t have colored sprinkles so I used red and green colored sugar for Christmas.