These delightful Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies are a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that’s surprisingly easy to make. Infused with subtle hints of vanilla and almond, they’re crowned with a sweet, creamy glaze and a cheerful scattering of rainbow sprinkles, making them an absolute joy for any occasion. They’re a perfect way to bring a little sweetness and homemade charm to your day.
Each bite is a little cloud of cookie perfection, delicately glazed and brightly decorated.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: Sweet, vanilla and almond notes, with a delicate ricotta richness.
- Texture: Incredibly soft and tender, with a smooth glaze and a light crunch from sprinkles.
- Total Active Time: Approximately 30 minutes (plus 2 hours chilling time).
- Baking Time: 10-12 minutes per batch.
- Difficulty Level: Easy, perfect for beginner bakers.
What You’ll Need
For these wonderful cookies, you’ll be working with a base of flour, leavening, and salt, combined with creamy ricotta cheese, softened butter, and sugar for sweetness. A touch of vanilla and almond extract will enhance their lovely flavor, and the simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk provides the perfect finishing touch, adorned with playful rainbow sprinkles.
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour – This forms the base of our cookies, providing structure.
- Baking powder – Our leavening agent that helps these cookies achieve their soft, tender texture.
- Salt – A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
- Unsalted butter – Using softened butter is key to achieving a light and creamy cookie dough.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness and a tender crumb.
- Whole milk ricotta cheese – This is the star ingredient that makes these cookies exceptionally soft and moist. Be sure to use whole milk ricotta for the best flavor and texture.
- Large eggs – Bind the ingredients together and contribute to the richness of the dough.
- Pure vanilla extract – Adds a classic, warm flavor that complements the ricotta beautifully.
- Almond extract – A little goes a long way to provide a delicate, sophisticated flavor that pairs wonderfully with ricotta and vanilla.
- Powdered sugar – The base for our sweet, simple glaze.
- Whole milk – Used in the glaze to achieve the perfect smooth, pourable consistency.
- Rainbow sprinkles – For a festive and cheerful finish!
Add-ins and Substitutions
While these ricotta cookies are truly wonderful as they are, you can certainly have some fun customizing them!
- Citrus Zest: For a brighter, fresher flavor, try adding the zest of one lemon or orange to the cookie dough. It pairs beautifully with the ricotta.
- Different Extracts: If you’re not a fan of almond extract, you can substitute it with an equal amount of extra vanilla extract or even a touch of lemon extract.
- Chocolate Chips: Fold in about 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips into the dough before chilling for a delightful chocolate twist.
- Glaze Variations: You could experiment with different extracts in the glaze, such as a tiny bit of orange or lemon extract for a citrusy kick.
How to Make Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies
Let’s get baking! These cookies come together with a few simple steps, and the chilling time is well worth the incredibly soft results.
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. This usually takes about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the container of ricotta cheese until everything is well combined. Then, mix in the large eggs one at a time, followed by the pure vanilla extract and almond extract, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; you want a soft dough.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. This step is crucial for achieving the perfect texture and making the dough easier to handle.
- Pro Tip: Chilling the dough not only firms it up but also allows the flavors to meld together beautifully.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop and Bake: Scoop rounded tablespoons of the chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set.
- Cool the Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Glaze: While the cookies are cooling, prepare the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, whole milk, and almond extract until smooth and creamy. You want a consistency that is thick enough to coat the cookie but thin enough to drip slightly.
- Glaze and Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cool, dip the tops of each cookie into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. Immediately sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles before the glaze sets. Place the glazed cookies back on the wire rack (with parchment paper underneath to catch drips) to allow the glaze to harden.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overmix: When adding the dry ingredients, mix only until they are just incorporated. Overmixing can lead to tougher cookies.
- Proper Chilling: Ensure the dough is chilled for the full two hours. If it’s too soft, it will be difficult to scoop and the cookies may spread too much.
- Consistent Scooping: Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to ensure your cookies are all roughly the same size. This helps them bake evenly.
- Cool Completely Before Glazing: Glazing warm cookies will cause the glaze to melt off and make a mess. Patience is key here!
FAQs
- Can I use part-skim ricotta? While you can use part-skim ricotta, whole milk ricotta is recommended for the best flavor and the signature soft texture of these cookies.
- How should I store these cookies? Store completely cooled and glazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- Why are my cookies spreading too much? This could be due to not chilling the dough long enough, or if your butter was too soft when you started creaming it. Ensure your dough is well-chilled before baking.
Serving Suggestions
These Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies are perfect for any occasion, from a casual afternoon treat to a special celebration.
- Serve them alongside a cup of coffee or tea for a delightful pick-me-up.
- They make a wonderful addition to a dessert platter for parties or holidays.
- Enjoy them with a glass of cold milk for a comforting, classic pairing.
- They are wonderful on their own, but can also be served with fresh berries for a brighter touch.
Make This Recipe in Advance
You can prepare the cookie dough a day ahead of time and keep it covered in the refrigerator. The glaze can also be made a few hours in advance and stored at room temperature, whisking it again before use. For best results, bake, cool, and glaze the cookies the day you plan to serve them for maximum freshness, but they will keep well for a few days in an airtight container.
Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 2 dozen cookies 1x
Description
Discover the irresistible charm of Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies, a delightful treat that perfectly balances tender crumb with a whisper of citrusy sweetness. These cookies are so incredibly soft and melt-in-your-mouth wonderful, they’ll quickly become your new go-to for any occasion.
Ingredients
3.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1.75 cups granulated sugar
1 container (15 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp whole milk, 1/2 tsp almond extract, rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Cream together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy.
Mix in the ricotta, eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts until smooth.
Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients to form a soft dough, then chill for two hours.
Bake scooped dough balls at 350F until lightly golden.
Dip cooled cookies in a sweet almond glaze and decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
For a brighter flavor, add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon or orange zest to the dough along with the extracts.
Feel free to experiment with other extracts like lemon or orange, or a blend, to create a custom flavor profile.
Fold in about 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips into the dough for a little chocolatey surprise.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes per batch
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Italian
