Ricotta Cookies Recipe

These perfect ricotta cookies are beyond soft, butter, melt-in-your-mouth and flavorful from the mild tangy hint of ricotta.
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When you need to mix your cookie game up, try my ricotta cookies recipe. It’s a game changer boos! That ricotta adds a unique flavor profile while also creating the most soft and tender texture ever. Plus these are buttery and rich beyond anything you can dream of. Whether you make a batch for the holidays or just to munch on during the week, get ready for a little upgrade when you try my ricotta cookies y’all.

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Ricotta cookies overhead stacked on each other next to a bowl of ricotta on a white countertop

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Five star review

โ€œSuper good sugar cookies with a twist. I had some ricotta left from lasagna, and I used it for these cookies. Soft, fluffy, delicious. Everyone loved them and these are so easy to eat haha.โ€

โ€”GRACE

Listen y’all, I know you have probably tried every classic cookie recipe in the game but sometimes you need to switch it up so things don’t get stale. That’s where this ricotta cookie recipe comes in. Ricotta is a unique ingredient that can add a unique tangy richness that can elevate your cookies and add a distinctive twist. The texture is also soft and melt-in-your-mouth so that makes it a straight up hit. Let’s get into it!

The Lowdown on This Ricotta Cookies Recipe

Closeup of Jocelyn in pink dress smiling

Cuisine Inspiration: Italian-American Sweets

Primary Cooking Method: Baking

Dietary Info: Can be made gluten-free with ingredient swaps

Key Flavor: Sweet, perfectly tender and buttery with the unique flavor profile of ricotta

Skill Level: Easy y’all (No Sweat Fam!)

Ricotta cheese brings a delectably soft texture that makes each bite heavenly. Plus that creaminess and subtle tang enhances the cookie’s richness as well.

With straightforward steps, these cookies with ricotta cheese are as easy as it gets boos. It’s perfect for my boos that are new to the baking game. However my seasoned bakers will get a kick out of making this no-fuss treat as well.

These cookies are just begging to be dressed up or down. Glaze or no glaze, powdered sugar or no powdered sugar; It’s your world! Do you boos!

Ingredients you’ll need to make Ricotta Cheese Cookies

Flour, sugar, ricotta, egg and other ingredients to make ricotta cheese cookies on white countertop
  • Butter: This adds so much richness and flavor to these cookies y’all. Just make sure it’s room temp boos.
  • Ricotta: Our star ingredient adds such a creamy charm that’s hard to resist plus that softness and subtle tangy richness is addictive.
  • Sugar: This adds that crave-worthy sweetness to the cookies also softening the texture.
  • Egg: This binds everything together boos.
  • Vanilla: Add a little for some warmth and aromatic essence.
  • Flour: This adds the structure to our perfect cookies.
  • Baking Soda: This helps give our cookies a little lift so they puff perfectly.
  • Salt: Just a little helps balance the sweetness while also making all those flavors pop.

How to make Ricotta Cookies

Butter, ricotta cheese and granulated sugar in a stand mixer bowl on white background
1
Add butter, ricotta cheese, and sugar to your stand mixer bowl (or to a mixing bowl with your hand mixer), and mix until it is light and fluffy.
Eggs added to a cookie batter in stand mixer on white countertop
2
Add your egg and vanilla extract then mix it up until combined.
Dry ingredients added to a stand mixer bowl on white background
3
Slow your mixer down to the slowest speed then add your flour, baking soda, and salt.
Finished ricotta cookie recipe batter in a stand mixer bowl on white background
4
Mix just until it all comes together. Don’t overmix y’all.
Italian ricotta cookie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet on white countertop
5
Refrigerate the dough for about 40 minutes. Measure out the dough with a tablespoon scoop and roll into balls. Add balls to a parchment lined baking sheet and slightly flatten the tops.
Baked ricotta cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet on white countertop
6
Bake in a preheated 350ยฐF oven for 10 minutes; Cool the cookies on a wire rack then serve them up!

What to serve with Italian Ricotta Cookies

Recipe Substitutions

  • Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter instead. Just make sure you leave out the salt in the recipe boos.
  • Ricotta: This is an Italian ricotta cookie after all but you can also use cream cheese as a swap.
  • Granulated Sugar: Add a bit more caramelized intensity from molasses by using brown sugar instead.

Recipe Variations and Additions

  • Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking flour blend for your gluten-intolerant boos.
  • Frost it Up: Add a little cream cheese frosting or caramel frosting to the tops of the cookies.
  • Add Citrus: Easily make these into lemon ricotta cookies by tossing the zest of one lemon or lemon extract into the batter.
  • Spice it Up: Add some warm spices like cinnamon or nutmeg to your batter.
Italian ricotta cookies on a white plate on a white countertop

Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best cookies with ricotta cheese

  1. Use Full-Fat Ricotta: For the best texture, make sure you use full-fat so you can get some delish moisture and richness added to your cookies which results in them being softer too!
  2. Go Room Temp: Make sure your butter, ricotta cheese and eggs are room temperature so they mix into a super smooth dough.
  3. Drain Extra Liquid: If your ricotta is super wet, make sure you drain that water so it doesn’t weigh down your cookie batter too much.
  4. Don’t Overmix Boos: Once you add your dry ingredients, don’t overdo it. Or you will end up with super tough cookies.
  5. Chill That Dough Y’all: Don’t skip this step boos. This will help your dough from spreading too much.

Add your cooled cookies to an airtight container. If theyโ€™re a bit on the softer side, you can layer them between sheets of parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.

How long will they last at room temperature?

Store your container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Can I freeze ricotta cookies?

Yep for sure boos! They will last a few months this way if you wrap them well in plastic wrap. Just remember to let them thaw at room temp when youโ€™re ready for a cookie fix.

A ricotta cookie recipe on a white plate with ricotta in a bowl with a bite inside of it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make these ricotta cookies ahead of time?

Yep for sure! You can make the dough up to two days ahead. The extra chilling will make sure they won’t spread either.

How do I make sure you ricotta cheese cookies aren’t dry?

Make sure you don’t over mix them, over bake them or use low-fat ricotta. That’s it boos!

Why did my ricotta cookie recipe spread?

If you didn’t allow the dough to chill properly, the dough will spread as soon as it hits the hot oven unfortunately.

Stacked ricotta cheese cookies on top of each other with a bite in one

Y’all I hope I’ve sold you on these ricotta cookies with their unique yet delicate flavor. Plus that soft texture is such a huge win. I love how easy they are to throw together plus you can jazz them up any way you want. Get at this recipe boos.

Other Fave Cookies

Ricotta cookies overhead stacked on each other next to a bowl of ricotta on a white countertop

Ricotta Cookies Recipe

These perfect ricotta cookies are beyond soft, butter, melt-in-your-mouth and flavorful from the mild tangy hint of ricotta.
4.67 from 6 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 18 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/4 cup full-fat ricotta cheese room temperature (make sure you drain of any extra water if there is a lot)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ยฐF and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In bowl of stand mixer on medium speed (or using hand mixer and medium sized bowl), add butter, ricotta cheese, sugar, and mix until light and fluffy. 
  • Next add egg and vanilla extract; mix until combined. 
  • Slow mixer down and add flour, baking soda, and salt until combined.
  • Refrigerate dough for at least 40 minutes. Measure out dough with a tablespoon and roll into balls. Add balls to baking sheet and slightly flatten tops.
  • Bake cookies for 10 minutes; cool on wire rack and serve.

Notes

Add your cooled cookies to an airtight container. If theyโ€™re a bit on the softer side, you can layer them between sheets of parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.

How long will they last at room temperature?

Store your container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Can I freeze ricotta cookies?

Yep for sure boos! They will last a few months this way if you wrap them well in plastic wrap. Just remember to let them thaw at room temp when youโ€™re ready for a cookie fix.

Nutrition

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 22mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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Filed Under:  Cookies, Oven, Winter Recipes

Comments

  1. Super good sugar cookies with a twist. I had some ricotta left from lasagna, and I used it for these cookies. Soft, fluffy, delicious. Everyone loved them and these are so easy to eat haha

  2. Okay, this might be a horrible idea but when you mentioned the tang of the ricotta cheese it made me think of cream cheese and how much my family loves it. Do you think the ricotta could be subbed for cream cheese and still have a good texture? Cream cheese is definitely thicker but it does have a similar tang. Either way I’m gonna give these a go!!

    1. Morning Cathy, Make sure you click the print button in the actual recipe box on the bottom of the post and then it will take you to a print ready page with the recipe. Let me know if you have anymore problems. Just tried it and it seemed to work fine. Thanks so much!

4.67 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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