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4.3 from 12 votes

Ricotta Cookies Recipe

The soft, delicate taste of Italian Ricotta Cookies keeps everyone coming back for more. With so many ways to change up the flavors and sprinkles, you'll love making these treats any time of year!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 60 cookies
Calories: 105 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Cookies
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 container ricotta cheese 15oz
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Icing
  • 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons milk
  • Red and green colored sugar rainbow non parelis or rainbow jimmies for everyday

Instructions

For the Cookies
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter with a hand mixer until blended. Beat on high for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in ricotta, vanilla extract and eggs on medium speed until combined.
  4. Reduce speed to low and add flour, baking powder and salt. Continue to mix until the dough holds together. Don’t overmix. 
  5. Drop by level Tablespoons (or use a small cookie scoop) onto an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.  
  6. Bake 15 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden brown around the bottom edges. Cookies will remain soft. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack.
For the Icing
  1. In a small bowl, add the milk to the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until you get the desired consistency. 
  2. Once cookies have cooled completely, spread icing on the cookies or dip the tops of the cookie in the glaze. Decorate with rainbow sprinkles or red and green sugar.
  3. Set cookies aside and let icing set up for about 1 hour.

Notes

  • FLOUR- Be sure to spoon and level flour, following my easy tips on how to measure flour. This helps prevent tough cookies. Icing Tips: The icing should be spreadable, but not so runny that it doesn’t stay on the cookie. The icing will begin to harden fairly quickly. I dipped 3-4 cookies and then decorated them before the icing got too hard. STORAGE: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.  Use parchment or wax paper between the layers of cookies to prevent them from sticking together. COOKIE SHEET: On a dark cookie sheet, these tend to brown quickly on the bottom.  Cook time closer to 13 minutes.  On a shiny cookie sheet, your cook time will be near 15-16 minutes.  If they don’t get browned on the bottom slightly, they will stick to the cooling rack.   Cool Completely. If the cookies are underdone, this can cause problems with dipping as they are easily broken. Icing can be spread on top if this happens. FREEZE: After cooling, freeze unfrosted cookies in airtight container. Thaw overnight then frost. FLAVOR: Change up the flavor and use almond, lemon, anise, or orange extracts. Replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of flavor.
  • FLOUR- Be sure to spoon and level flour, following my easy tips on how to measure flour. This helps prevent tough cookies.
  • Icing Tips: The icing should be spreadable, but not so runny that it doesn’t stay on the cookie. The icing will begin to harden fairly quickly. I dipped 3-4 cookies and then decorated them before the icing got too hard.
  • STORAGE: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.  Use parchment or wax paper between the layers of cookies to prevent them from sticking together.
  • COOKIE SHEET: On a dark cookie sheet, these tend to brown quickly on the bottom.  Cook time closer to 13 minutes.  On a shiny cookie sheet, your cook time will be near 15-16 minutes.  If they don’t get browned on the bottom slightly, they will stick to the cooling rack.  
  • Cool Completely. If the cookies are underdone, this can cause problems with dipping as they are easily broken. Icing can be spread on top if this happens.
  • FREEZE: After cooling, freeze unfrosted cookies in airtight container. Thaw overnight then frost.
  • FLAVOR: Change up the flavor and use almond, lemon, anise, or orange extracts. Replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of flavor.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cookie Calories 105kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 17g (6%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 15mg (5%) Sodium 91mg (4%) Sugar 11g (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 60cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 105

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cookie
Calories 105kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 91mg 4%
Sugar 11g 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.