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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.
🔥 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
For the 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
For the glaze
- 4-5 tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
For the topping
- non-pareils or sprinkle, (optional)
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.2 sticks butter, softened, 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- Beat in the eggs, ricotta cheese, and vanilla extract until fully combined.2 large eggs, 1 container ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon 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.4-5 tablespoons milk, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Dip the tops of cooled cookies into the glaze and return to the wire rack.
- Immediately top with non-pareils or sprinkles before the glaze sets.non-pareils or sprinkle
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.
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Can these be made ahead of time and frozen?
I have never tried, so I'm not sure how they would turn out! I don't think I would freeze the dough, but the cookies (unglazed) might be okay?! If you try it, I would love to hear how it worked!
They freeze beautifully “unglazed”…..
Wondering, if instead of the glaze you could use buttercream frosting. I might have to try it.
You can! I think they would be great with a buttercream frosting! These cookies are so delicate that you can use any flavor!
These cookies really are the best. I have a similar recipe and make them often. THANKS for sharing. I use lemon extract in my frosting.
Made the ricotta cookies last night with my daughter and they turned out amazing. They are moist and not too sweet. I added some lemon zest. Will glaze them tonight. AND I impressed myself – they turned out!!! I can cook but baking not my forte. Thanks for the recipes.
Just made these and while they're delicious, the dough should be refrigerated in between bakings. They were perfect after first mixing and forming, but left out, the spreading began, not too bad, but I prefer the way they looked after first making dough. Otherwise a beautiful cake like cookie!!!
Can these cookies be frozen?
I have never tried it, but I would suggest freezing them without the glaze and glazing them when they are unthawed. If you do freeze them, I would love to hear back.
Yes, I freeze them every year! But I agree the icing doesn’t hold up aesthetically when you thaw, so u also recommend freezing uniced.
Just made these and while they're delicious, the dough should be refrigerated in between bakings. They were perfect after first mixing and forming, but left out, the spreading began, not too bad, but I prefer the way they looked after first making dough. Otherwise a beautiful cake like cookie!!!
Yes, I live in a warm climate and I had to refrigerate between batches!
What gorgeous cookies! I am featuring them in an update of my holiday cookie roundup. It will be part of a Thanksgiving special that we will be having in place of our blog hop that week. 🙂
Would you believe I always have ricotta around? One of the benefits of having a family milk goat :DThis looks like a fun way to use it.
How do you store them and how long are they good for?
I would not store them in a covered container – make sure air circulates to them! I would say to eat them within 3-5 days? I'm really not sure, so use your best judgement since different factors could affect the time.
I made the ricotta cookie, iced them & sprinkles and put them in a airtight container in refrigerator & checked them and icing all melted & sprinkles were watery. What happen?
BEST too ever! Thank you.
I was wondering how to store them.
Congratulations!Your recipe is featured on our Special Edition of Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a very special day and enjoy your new Red Plate!Miz Helen
I can tell from the pics that these are very soft cookies. My mom would love them.