Soft and moist ricotta cheese cookies have a cake-like texture and sweet taste. Topped with a light frosting they are a classic Christmas cookie perfect for gifting!
Other favorite cookie recipes we love include these sugar cookies, butter cookies and shortbread cookies!
Table of Contents
Italian Ricotta Cookies
If you’ve never have ricotta cheese cookies before (also known as Italian cookies or Italian Christmas cookies), you are really missing out! My cousin shared this recipe with me a few years ago and I’ve made them every year since!
Ricotta cheese in cookies makes them super soft, with a hint of tartness similar to using cream cheese in cream cheese cookies or this cherry almond cookie. Almond extract in the frosting balances any tart flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness.
How to Make Ricotta Cheese Cookies
Start by using a mixer to cream the wet ingredients – butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and ricotta cheese. Next in a separate bowl, stir the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda and salt). Then slowly mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a dough forms.
After you’ve mixed up this simple dough, take a large spoon (or cookie scoop) and drop dough onto a greased cookie sheet. It’s a little sticky, so I actually push the dough off with my finger. I did pretty large drops of dough because I wanted them to be big.
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the bottoms get lightly golden brown. It will seem a little doughy in the middle at first, but they will set up after cooling on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Perfect Frosting
The cream cheese frosting adds the absolute perfect touch to these ricotta cookies! The sweet almond flavor compliments the cookies so well.
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions: Whip together the softened cream cheese, softened butter, almond extract and confectioners sugar in a large bowl. Spread icing with a knife over cooled cookies.
Tips and Variations
Italian ricotta cookies are an easy and delicious cookie recipe. These tips help make them consistently delicious!
- Glaze: You could also use a cream cheese glaze or powdered sugar glaze on top. I would reccommend adding almond extract to the glaze.
- Frosting: These would also taste delicious with a sour cream frosting or classic buttercream.
- Extract: Feel free to play around with the flavors and use lemon extract in place of the almond extract, or use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest if you prefer.
- Cool cookies completely: Make sure to wait until cookies are completely cool before adding the frosting. And don’t taste the cookie first without the frosting! They are a bit bland on their own, but the frosting changes everything! It’s basically a vehicle for awesome frosting.
How to Store Ricotta Cookies
- How long do they last? They will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container.
- Can you freeze them? Sure! However I’d recommend freezing the cookies without the frosting or glaze. Simply store in an airtight container or bag and place in freezer. Thaw in fridge overnight, then add frosting on top once they have thawed.
5 star review
“Another amazing and easy cookie recipe!!! So fluffy, moist and the frosting makes it sweet and fun to decorate with the kids!!! Thank you!“
– Megan
Ricotta Christmas Cookies
This recipe is also great for Christmas baking! They are the perfect Christmas cookies to make for a cookie exchange or to add to your holiday cookie tray.
I added these adorable holly berries on top for an extra festive top. You could also add Christmas sprinkles or use red or green food coloring to color your frosting like I do with Christmas sugar cookies.
More favorite holiday cookie recipes include snickerdoodles, copycat Swig cookie recipe and cinnamon roll sugar cookies.
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Ricotta Cheese Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup butter , softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 15 ounce container Ricotta cheese
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
- ½ cup butter , softened
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cookies:
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar. Then mix in the 2 eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla and 15 ounce container ricotta cheese.
- Dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt). Then add to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Chill dough at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
- Scoop. Using a large spoon or cookie scoop, drop the dough onto the greased cookie sheet. Use another spoon or your finger to help the dough onto the pan.
- Bake. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the bottoms get lightly golden brown. Allow to sit on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Frosting:
- Whip together 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1-2 cups powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Then spread over the cookies once they have cooled.
Notes
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Frosted Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Italian, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Ricotta cheese? WOW, who knew? Delicious!
These are really amazing cookies! My kids loved it! Thanks!
I had never baked with Ricotta before, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good these turned out! The best texture and flavor!
These are amazing. I need to make them asap.
So delicious! What a delightful cookie! Love this! Creamy and good!
these are dreamy! so yummy
I love baking with ricotta but I’ve never tried using it in cookies before. Such a wonderful idea. They come out soft and flavourful!
I’m glad you tried them! :)
Love how moist and soft the ricotta makes these cookies. Delicious!
These look so delicious!! I love ricotta cheese so I can’t wait to make these. Thanks for the great recipe!!
I can’t wait to try these puffy cookies! :)
Another amazing and easy cookie recipe!!! So fluffy moist and the frosting gives it the sweet and fun to decorate patt the kids love!!! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
These cookies look amazing! Need them in my life right now!
Paige
These sound so good. Currently chilling dough in the fridge. They seem similar to the Italian Lemon Ricotta cookie but they add lemon to the recipe. Do you think I can add either the zest or juice of lemon to the frosting? (I’d rather not add it to the cookie dough). But thinking it might give it a little “something” to the taste.
Yes, that would be delicious! You could also sub the almond extract for lemon extract.