Italian ricotta cookies have the sort of old-fashioned charm that makes a holiday kitchen feel familiar, even if it’s your first time baking them. The ricotta keeps each one soft and light, with a moist middle that almost melts as you eat it. A sweet glaze and sprinkles finishes it off.
Plan Ahead
Italian ricotta cookie dough comes out of the mixer very thick, and it has to sit in the fridge for at least two hours before you scoop and roll it. If you don’t have a lot of time, it’s my Christmas shortbread cookie recipe you want.
Mix the dough at least two hours ahead, or the night before if that suits your day better. I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and give it anywhere from two hours to overnight, so you can choose whichever window works for you.
If you’d like the scooping done ahead too, scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet with the balls close together. Keep them chilled until you’re ready ress them flat and bake.
Ingredient Notes
I use full-fat ricotta in these, the tub labeled whole milk ricotta cheese. Part-skim and whole milk ricotta come in tubs that look almost the same from the front. Read the label and pick the one that says whole milk before it goes in your cart.
Between the dough and the glaze, you’ll go through one teaspoon of vanilla extract and ¾ teaspoon of almond extract in all. If you’d rather have lemon, I also make lemon ricotta cookies.
Dip And Sprinkle One Cookie At A Time
Nonpareils only stick to glaze that’s still wet, so the order you dip and sprinkle in decides how the tops look.
Before you dip anything, set a clean wire rack over a cookie sheet or a large piece of parchment paper, because some glaze will drip off the sides.
Dip the entire top of one cookie, let all the extra drip back into the bowl, and set it on the rack glaze side up.
Sprinkle the nonpareils over that cookie while the glaze is still wet, before you pick up the next one.
If you glaze a whole rack first and come back with the sprinkles, the glaze on the first cookies has had time to start setting, and the sprinkles won’t hold on.
Set Centers And Golden Bottom Edges
Italian ricotta cookies come out of the oven close to the width you pressed them to, so you can’t wait for them to spread as a sign that they’re ready.
I check two places on every sheet, and I start with the middle of each cookie. The center should look set. Then I look at the bottom edge, right where the cookie meets the parchment, for a light golden color there.
Take the sheet out as soon as the centers look set and the bottom edges have turned lightly golden. If the centers still look soft, or the bottom edges are still pale, give the sheet a little more time and check both places again.
Storing And Freezing Ricotta Cookies
After the glaze has fully set, I keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you stack them, lay a sheet of parchment between each layer before you close the lid. That keeps the glazed tops from sticking to the cookies sitting on them.
To freeze the dough, chill it and roll it into smooth balls first, then pack the balls into an airtight container. When you’re ready to bake, move the container to the refrigerator and let the dough balls thaw there. Then bake, glaze and sprinkle them just like a batch you mixed that day.
Baked cookies also go in the freezer for two to three months, as long as you leave them unglazed. Hold off on the glaze and the rainbow nonpareils until the cookies have thawed.
Italian Ricotta Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 to 5 tablespoons whole milk, start with 4 tablespoons and add more if needed for desired consistency
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 2-ounce container Rainbow Nonpareils Sprinkles Betty Crocker brand used
Instructions
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl then set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat again just until the egg is fully incorporated.
- Add the ricotta cheese, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix on medium-low speed just until evenly incorporated.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture, being sure to stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, until all the flour has been incorporated. The batter will be very thick.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1 tablespoon sized cookie scoop, scoop a level amount of dough. Gently roll the dough ball in the palms of your hands just until smooth. Do not overwork the dough. Place the dough ball onto a prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough balls have been rolled and placed 2 inches apart onto all the prepared baking sheets. Each sheet should hold 12 cookie dough balls.
- Using the palm of your hand gently press the balls into a disc approximately 1 ½ inch wide. The cookies will not spread much when baked.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes or just until set in the center and lightly golden around the bottom edges. If you can not fit all the baking sheets into your oven at once, refrigerate the cookie dough balls on the baking sheets until ready to bake.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once all the cookies have been baked, and cooled, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons whole milk, vanilla extract and almond extract until smooth. If needed, add the additional 1 tablespoon whole milk to get a thin smooth glaze.
- Place a clean wire rack over a separate cookie sheet or large piece of parchment paper. This is to catch any glaze that may drip off the sides of the cookies as they are decorated.
- Dip the entire top of a cookie into the glaze, allowing all the excess glaze to drip back into the bowl, then place the cookie onto the clean wire rack glaze side up. Sprinkle the wet tops with the rainbow nonpareils sprinkles. Repeat until all the cookies have been glazed and sprinkles added.
- Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes or until the glaze has fully set before plating and serving.
Notes
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If stacking, place parchment between the layers to prevent sticking.
- Chilled and rolled dough balls can be frozen and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking, glazing, and serving.
- To prep dough balls in advance, scoop them and place them close together on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill until ready to roll smooth, flatten, and bake.
- Customize sprinkle colors for holidays and events.
- For best results, use full-fat ricotta cheese in the recipe.
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