There are SO many wonderful Christmas cookie recipes. It’s hard to decide which one is my favorite. Biscotti? Nutella Snowballs? Italian Ricotta Cookies?
Well my hands-down favorites are Italian Ricotta Cookies. The name sounds odd for a cookie with “ricotta” cheese included. But don’t worry! There isn’t a slight cheesy flavor at all! The cheese contributes to the light, fluffy texture of the cookies. They’re simply heavenly!
And with all of the heavy foods offered during the Christmas season, it’s so nice to nibble on something that is oh so light, sweet and delicious! Plus these cookies are so festive with the colors of the season sprinkled all over. With just a slight hint of lemon in both the cookie and the delicate icing of these Italian Ricotta Cookies, you just might have visions of lemon groves bursting with fresh citrus fruit along the Amalfi coast!
Italian Ricotta Cookies are very popular throughout the year because they can be sprinkled with any color for decoration. The flavor is also seasonless because there is no ginger, molasses, or typical Christmas flavors included in these delicious little cookies.
For a more hefty cookie to dip into your hot chocolate, coffee, latte’, or wine, bake some Biscotti with Dried Cranberries, White Chocolate and Pistachios. Drizzled with more white chocolate, you’ll fall in love with these biscotti! Here’s the recipe: Biscotti with Dried Cranberries, White Chocolate and Pistachios
TIPS FOR BAKING ITALIAN RICOTTA COOKIES
- It’s a good idea to make cookies that are all the same size. To do this, use a small cookie scoop to help you keep the cookie size uniform.
- Use softened butter (to room temperature).
- Using both baking powder and baking soda helps the cookies achieve their famous softness and pillow-like texture.
- Use parchment paper to in your baking pans. This helps prevent the cookies from sticking to the pans. It also helps in the clean up!!
- For Christmas, decorate Italian Ricotta Cookies with colorful decorating sprinkles in red, green and/or white colors.
- Add the sprinkles immediately after icing the cookies with the glaze. The glaze hardens fast, so add the sprinkles very quickly so they stick to the glaze.
- Italian Ricotta Cookies stay fresh for 2 days and up to one week stored in the refrigerator.
- Freeze cookies in airtight containers for up to 1 month.
I use and recommend any of these kitchen tools:
Set of 3 different sizes of scoop spoons
Set of 3 different sizes of baking pans/sheets
Set of 4 different sizes of cooling racks
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Italian Ricotta Cookies
A very soft, tender cake-like cookie with hints of lemon. Decorate with your favorite cookie sprinkles. A favorite at Christmastime! Decorative sprinkles are set in a sweet and simple glaze. You'll eat at least 2 or 3 guaranteed! The dough can be made two days in advance so it’s a good, time-saving, make-ahead recipe.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 1/2 cups (495g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups (370g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 15 oz. ricotta, whole milk or fresh (1 3/4 cups)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 3-½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (or 1-1/4 tsp almond extract)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk, adding more if necessary to your desired consistency -- we like the icing more 'light' than thick and heavy, but it is entirely up to you and what you prefer.
- Red and Green colored sugar sprinkles, but it would also be festive with Silver and Gold sprinkles too
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 3-½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (or 1-1/4 tsp almond extract)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk, adding more if necessary to your desired consistency -- we like the icing more 'light' than thick and heavy, but it is entirely up to you and what you prefer.
Instructions
For the cookies
- In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy (scrape down sides and bottom of bowl occasionally throughout entire mixing process).
- Mix in ricotta and vanilla extract then blend in eggs one at a time.
- Set mixer on low speed and slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 20 minutes of dough chilling.
- Scoop chilled dough out 1 Tbsp at a time (and no larger!) and shape into balls (if it's too sticky just drop onto sheet using two spoons), drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in preheated oven 12 - 14 minutes until underside of cookies are golden.
- Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool dip tops of cookies in glaze and return to wire rack, immediately add sprinkles if using. Allow glaze to set at room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in a single layer.
For the glaze
- In a mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice or almond extract, vanilla.
- Add ½ cup of milk until smooth, adding in more milk 1 a little bit at a time to thin as you desire.
Notes
- If you enjoyed this recipe, please pin it on Pinterest and/or share it on Instagram! Thank you for your kindness!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Let us know in the comments below and send your photo to share with everyone
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This was first posted in 2016 and updated and re-posted in 2019.
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Those sprinkles make those cookies really beautiful and festive!
Have a wonderful holiday season!
It’s a festive time of year, Angie and it was a lot of fun decorating these cookies!
Merry Christmas to you and your family,
Roz
I don’t see any signs of slacking in the holiday department here, Roz 🙂 These cookies look wonderful! I’ve never baked a cookie with ricotta before but they look and sound wonderful – especially with that lemon zest. Delish! Merry Christmas to you and your family, Roz! ♥
Thanks Susan, these are super light and spongey which is nice when everything is so heavy this time of year! Merry Christmas and Happy 2017 Susan!
Roz
these look really nice must try. Merry Christmas
Bravissima! I really love these and what a presentation! I would love to make them they make my mouth water.
Buon Natale e buon anno!
Roz – Your photos always have me wishing I could eat the screen – or live next door to you! Buon Natale.
You are so sweet Linda! It would be so awesome to live closer to each other and to AT LEAST meet someday!
Hope your Christmas was full of love and joy!
Roz
HI ROZ! These are our favorite cookies, and we haven’t made them in few months, gosh we need to finish our baking before Saturday!
We want to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!! all the best to you and your beautiful family….
xo anna and liz
Hi Liz and Anna,
I can understand why these cookies are some of your favorites . . . they disappear instantly in our family! I hope that you had a most wonderful Christmas and wish you a blessed 2017!
Roz
What beautiful festive cookies! I have never used ricotta in cookies. This is definitely a recipe I should try! Happy new year!
I just found these cookies, and decided to try them to see if they were worthy of making for my cookie trays. OMG, they were great! My coworkers went crazy over them. I usually try not to eat many cookies, but found myself eating 2 or 3 at a time! Thank you, thank you!! They will be on my cookie tray next Christmas!
Hi Ann,
I am so thrilled to read your comment about these cookies! I have to tie myself to a post to resist eating these one after another too! They are so soft and tender. Just the right amount of sweetness! You can decorate them any way or without any sprinkles too!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
Ciao,
Roz
Little charms! I need to try these one day as the ricotta sounds wonderful, just like cream cheese or sour cream in cookies, it must taste great. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Roz, and a happy and healthy New Year!
Thank you so much for your Christmas greetings Susan! I have so enjoyed our friendship throughout our years of blogging and looking foward to all that is to come! Have a blessed new year too!
Ciao,
Roz
How did I miss these delicious little cookies the first time you wrote about them…they sound great. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas on this special day.
And to you too Karen! Happy New Year! I’m grateful for our friendship and everything that I learn from you!
Roz
Absolutely beautiful, Roz ! I wish you all have happy holidays my dear 🙂
Buon Anno a te, bella amica! Have a wonderful holiday season too!
Ciao my friend,
Roz
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Will be making this soon. In your tips you had mentioned to use baking powder and baking soda in the recipe but I only see in your list of ingredients using baking soda.?
Lori,
I use one teaspoon of each. Thanks for your great question! Let me know how they turn out please!
Roz
I miss these delicious little cookies the first time you wrote about them. they sound great. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas on this special day. I need to try these one day as the ricotta sounds wonderful, just like cream cheese or sour cream in cookies, it must taste great. I really love these and what a presentation. I would love to make them they make my mouth water.
I hope you do try them Thomas!
Happy Holidays!
La Bella Vita Cucina
I need to try these one day as the ricotta sounds wonderful, just like cream cheese or sour cream in cookies, I miss these delicious little cookies the first time you wrote about them…they sound great. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas on this special day. I just found these cookies and decided to try them to see if they were worthy of making for my cookie trays.