Ricotta Cookies
Soft Italian ricotta cookies with sweet glaze and sprinkles, piled high for Christmas parties.
Updated: Oct 6, 2026
Why you'll like it
- Ready in about 50 min.
- Serves 36 — easy to halve or double.
- Easy level — everyday equipment only.
- Storage, freezing and reheating covered below.
Ready in 50 min, this ricotta Cookies serves 36. Ricotta cookies are soft Italian-American Christmas cookies served frosted with sprinkles at holiday parties across the USA, known for a tender cake-like crumb that stays moist for days.
Helpful guides
Instructions
Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve for 20 minutes, stirring once, until thick and spoonable rather than watery. Excess whey thins the dough into flat spreading puddles. Measure 1.5 cups of drained ricotta for the batter balance that keeps cookies puffy and soft.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Level leavening keeps the soft dough puffed without soapy aftertaste from excess baking powder in the crumb.
Cream the butter with the granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the ricotta, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which smooths out once flour goes in.
Add the dry mixture on low speed just until a soft sticky dough forms, stopping when streaks disappear. Overmixing develops gluten that toughens the cake-like crumb. The dough should be softer than drop-cookie dough and hold a rough scoop without running off the spoon.
Scoop 1.5-tablespoon mounds 2 inches apart on the sheets, keeping them tall rather than flattened. Bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 13 minutes until bottoms turn light gold while tops stay pale and soft. Pale tops are correct; browning means dry texture.
Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then dip each warm top in glaze whisked from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Shower with sprinkles before the glaze sets so they grip. Cool fully on racks, then glaze a second time lightly for the thick white finish that defines the cookie.
Troubleshooting — fixes, not repeats
- If the cookies spread flat, the ricotta stayed watery or butter too soft. Drain ricotta 20 minutes, use cool soft butter, and bake promptly at 350 degrees. Chilling scooped dough 15 minutes also thickens soft batches into puffy rounds instead of disks.
- If the crumb turns gummy, they underbaked or cooled stacked. Bake until bottoms gold, cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then finish on racks with air space. Stacking warm cookies steams the glaze soft and compresses the delicate cake texture into dense chew.
- If the glaze slides off, cookies glazed too hot or glaze too thin. Cool 5 minutes first, whisk glaze thick but spoonable, and dip twice with drying between coats. Sprinkles grip only the wet first coat, so decorate immediately after each dip.
- If lemon flavor disappears, zest went light or extract replaced it. Use a full tablespoon of fresh zest rubbed into the sugar before creaming for the brightest note. Bottled lemon juice adds liquid without aroma and thins the dough toward spreading.
Make it your way
- For almond ricotta cookies, replace vanilla with 1 teaspoon of almond extract and top with sliced almonds instead of sprinkles, keeping method and timing.
- Add 0.5 cup of mini chocolate chips to the dough for chip-studded rounds baked the same way.
- Tint the glaze pale green or pink for shower trays.
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 2 hours, then refrigerate in a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat only the portion you will eat until steaming hot throughout — poultry and reheated rice should reach 165°F (74°C).
Freeze unglazed cookies up to 3 months; thaw, then glaze fresh.
FAQ
Why use ricotta in cookies?
Ricotta adds moisture and protein that keep the crumb soft and cake-like for days without extra fat. Whole-milk ricotta gives the richest texture; drained low-fat works but bakes slightly drier. The cheese flavor disappears into mild sweetness with vanilla and lemon, leaving only tenderness.
Can I use part-skim ricotta?
Yes. Drain it well and expect a slightly less rich but still soft cookie. Keep butter, eggs, and bake time identical at 350 degrees. Avoid fat-free ricotta, which runs watery and produces flat gummy cookies no matter how long it drains in the sieve.
How do I get a thick glaze?
Whisk 2 cups of powdered sugar with just 3 tablespoons of milk and vanilla into a thick spoonable glaze, dipping warm cookie tops twice. The first coat soaks in slightly; the second builds the white shell. Add milk by teaspoons only, since thin glaze turns translucent and will not hold sprinkles.