Description
Italian Ricotta Cookies are soft, fluffy, and delicately sweet with a light lemon glaze and festive sprinkles. These classic Italian Christmas cookies are tender like mini cakes and stay moist for days, making them perfect for the holidays, tea time, or dessert platters. A traditional favorite that’s simple to make and impossible to resist!
Ingredients
Scale
-
- For the Cookies:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
- 1 cup (240g) ricotta cheese (whole milk recommended)
- For the Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2–3 tablespoons milk or lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkles for decoration (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, lemon zest (if using), and ricotta. Mix until smooth.
- Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Drop and Bake: Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake 12–14 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool and Glaze: Cool cookies for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Once cool, whisk glaze ingredients together and drizzle or dip cookies. Add sprinkles if desired.
- Set and Serve: Let glaze set for 15–20 minutes before serving or storing.
Notes
- Use full-fat ricotta for the moistest texture and best flavor.
- Do not overmix once you add flour — overmixing can make cookies dense.
- Cool completely before glazing to keep the glaze smooth.
- Flavor variations: Add orange zest, almond extract, or mini chocolate chips for a twist.
- Make-ahead: Refrigerate dough up to 2 days or freeze unglazed cookies up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies, Holiday Baking
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Italian Ricotta Cookies, Ricotta Cookies, Italian Christmas Cookies, Lemon Ricotta Cookies, Traditional Italian Desserts, Soft Ricotta Cookies, Italian Cookie Recipes, Holiday Cookies, Dessert Facile, Italian Baking