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Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

A tall stack of soft Italian ricotta cookies topped with white glaze and rainbow sprinkles on a white plate.
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Make these soft, fluffy Italian Ricotta Cookies. They have a cake-like texture and are topped with a simple, sweet lemon glaze and sprinkles. This is an easy recipe for traditional Italian baking.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese, drained
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For the Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar
  • For the Glaze: 4 tablespoons milk
  • For the Glaze: 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • For the Glaze: 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • For Decoration: Rainbow nonpareils or sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and drained ricotta cheese until just combined.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
  6. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You can slightly flatten them with your fingers if desired.
  7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops should remain pale.
  8. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add milk, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach a thick but pourable consistency.
  10. Once cookies are completely cool, dip the top of each cookie into the lemon glaze. Immediately top with rainbow sprinkles before the glaze sets.
  11. Allow the glaze to set before serving or storing.

Notes

  • Drain the ricotta cheese well using a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth for at least 30 minutes to prevent a watery dough. This helps achieve the best cake-like texture.
  • For an almond flavor profile, substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of almond extract in the dough.
  • These cookies store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookincorner.com/italian-ricotta-cookies-soft-fluffy-glaze/