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Italian Ricotta Cookies

by Lynne Webb on December 4, 2022 (Updated December 4, 2022) // 20 Comments

Recipes » Baking » Italian Ricotta Cookies

Italian Ricotta Cookies

by Lynne Webb on December 4, 2022 (Updated December 4, 2022) // 20 Comments

Flavored with lemon zest and a bit of limoncello liqueur, our easy-to-make Italian ricotta cookies are a perennial family favorite for the holidays.
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Lemon-glazed Italian ricotta cookies on a linen napkin, and a cooling rack with more cookies and a sprig of pine in the background.

Table of Contents

  • Why These Cookies Are a Family Holiday Tradition
  • Key Ingredients
  • How To Make Ricotta Cookies
  • Ricotta Cookie Flavor Variations
  • More Italian Cookie Recipes
  • Italian Ricotta Cookies

Why These Cookies Are a Family Holiday Tradition

Italian ricotta cookies are simple drop cookies with an easy-to-mix dough. Lightly sweetened, and loaded with tangy lemon flavor, their delicate cake-like texture makes them a nice choice for a light dessert after a heavy holiday meal.

We use a splash of limoncello liqueur in both the dough and the glaze, which makes our ricotta cookie recipe a favorite with adults, but for a kid-friendly version, all you need to do is use lemon extract instead.

We also like to switch up the flavors on occasion and we’ve made both orange and almond versions of this recipe. Those instructions, as well as the alcohol-free version, are available in the printable recipe below.

Key Ingredients

In addition to standard ingredients like all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, etc., here are a few recommendations about the key ingredients in our lemony ricotta cookies.

  • Ricotta cheese: We’ve made these cookies with both whole milk and part-skim ricotta and have come to the conclusion that the whole milk version produces a better texture.
  • Limoncello liqueur: Limoncello adds lemon flavor and a subtle boozy quality that makes these cookies a nice pairing for a cup of cappuccino or espresso.
  • Lemon zest: Nothing beats fresh lemon zest for adding true lemon flavor. You can get away without it, but your cookies sure will taste better with it.
  • Butter: You always want to use unsalted butter in your baking, but we also recommend using a European-style brand for cookies. European butter has a slightly higher fat content and less water than standard American butter and we’ve found it produces somewhat more consistent results.

How To Make Ricotta Cookies

This is an overview of how this dish is made. Detailed measurements, ingredients, instructions, and times are available in the printable version of the recipe below.

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat until the mixture become light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the ricotta, vanilla extract, lemon extract, limoncello liqueur, and lemon zest.
  5. Add in the flour mixture and blend until well combined. Don’t overmix.
  6. Drop the dough using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes until cookies appear set and edges turn a pale golden brown. Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze:

  1. In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar with 1 tablespoon of the limoncello. Slowly add up to 1 more tablespoon of the liqueur until the glaze reaches a spreading consistency. You may need to add a little water.
  2. Spread the glaze on the cookies using a pastry brush.
  3. Arrange the cookies in a single layer and allow the glaze to dry completely before covering them with plastic wrap.

Storing and serving:

  1. To store, refrigerate the cookies in a tightly sealed container with plastic wrap between layers. For best results, don’t stack more than 2 layers.
  2. Arrange the cookies on a serving platter and bring them to room temperature before serving.

Ricotta Cookie Flavor Variations

  • Non-alcoholic: Making these cookies alcohol-free is easy to do by increasing the amount of lemon extract in both the cookie dough and the glaze and adding a little extra milk. Exact instructions are included in the printable version of the recipe below.

You can also switch up the flavors and make orange or almond variations on this recipe. Here’s how:

  • Orange Ricotta Cookies: To make an orange-flavored version of this recipe, replace the lemon extract, lemon zest, and limoncello with orange extract, orange zest, and orange liqueur (triple sec).
  • Almond Ricotta Cookies: To make an almond-flavored version of these cookies, substitute almond extract, finely crushed almonds, and amaretto liqueur.
Three Italian ricotta cookies glazed with limoncello and sprinkled with powdered sugar on a napkin, more cookies, a bottle of limoncello, and a Christmas ornament in the background.

More Italian Cookie Recipes

We like our baked goods and desserts lightly sweetened, consequently, Italian biscotti are right up our alley. We’ve got three biscotti recipes here at MGC for you to try: Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti, Orange Rosemary Biscotti, and Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti. They’re all pretty easy to prepare and make great gifts and a nice addition to a holiday cookie platter.

Limoncello-glazed Italian ricotta cookies on a cooling rack and a green napkin, with a pine sprig in the background

Italian Ricotta Cookies

4.50 from 8 votes
  |  Leave a Review
Flavored with lemon zest and a bit of limoncello liqueur, our easy-to-make Italian ricotta cookies are a perennial family favorite for the holidays.
Yield: 36 cookies
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time : 15 mins
Total Time : 1 hr
Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese, (whole milk is recommended)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 tablespoon limoncello liqueur
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Glaze:

  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons limoncello liqueur
  • Grated lemon zest, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat until the mixture become light and fluffy. Beat in the ricotta, vanilla extract, lemon extract, limoncello liqueur, and lemon zest.
  • Add in the flour mixture and blend until well combined. Don't overmix.
  • Drop the dough using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 12 to 13 minutes until cookies appear set and edges turn a pale golden brown. Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze:

  • In small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar with 1 tablespoon of the limoncello. Slowly add up to 1 more tablespoon of the liqueur until the glaze reaches spreading consistency. You may need to add a little water.
  • Spread the glaze on the cookies using a pastry brush.
  • Arrange in a single layer and allow the glaze to dry completely before covering with plastic wrap.

Storage and serving:

  • To store, refrigerate the cookies in a tightly sealed container with plastic wrap between layers. For best results, don’t stack more than 2 layers.
  • Arrange the cookies on a platter and bring them to room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

For the easiest handling, chill the dough for 30 to 45 minutes before dropping.
If you plan to freeze these cookies, don’t glaze them. It’s also best to place a sheet of waxed paper between the layers.

For a non-alcoholic version:

Increase the lemon extract to 1 teaspoon and add 2 teaspoons of milk to the dough. Substitute milk for the limoncello in the glaze as well.

Flavor Variations:

To make orange ricotta cookies, replace the lemon extract, lemon zest, and limoncello with orange extract, orange zest and orange liqueur (triple sec).
To make almond ricotta cookies, replace the lemon extract, lemon zest, and limoncello with almond extract, finely crushed almonds, and amaretto.
 

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Italian Ricotta Cookies
Amount per Serving
Calories
97
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
15
mg
5
%
Sodium
 
87
mg
4
%
Potassium
 
17
mg
0
%
Carbohydrates
 
14
g
5
%
Fiber
 
0.2
g
1
%
Sugar
 
9
g
10
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
Trans Fat
 
0.1
g
Vitamin A
 
116
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
0.1
mg
0
%
Calcium
 
23
mg
2
%
Iron
 
0.4
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.

Author: Lynne Webb | 

Course: Baking & Desserts
 | 
Cuisine: Italian

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Comments

  1. elizabeth straub says

    December 21, 2022 at 9:42 am

    5 stars
    love this recipe! my grandkids and I baked together…many thx for your colorful blog.
    wishing you only green lights in the new year.
    namaste
    elizabeth from ON

    Reply
    • Lynne Webb says

      December 21, 2022 at 6:19 pm

      Hi Elizabeth,
      I’m so glad you and your grandkids had a good time baking together and enjoyed the cookies. Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know.

      Reply
  2. Lina Yacan says

    January 18, 2015 at 5:37 pm

    Hi, I love lemon cake, and thinking to bake lemon cookie too. I usually bake crispy and chewy hard cookies, but I’ve never baked any drop cookies before, could you pls tell me how the dough texture should be? should it be wet (very sticky) and soft like ganache? How can I understand I dont overmix the dough? Thanks

    Reply
    • Lynne Webb says

      January 18, 2015 at 7:09 pm

      Hi Lina,
      Your first thoughts are correct – the dough for these cookies is definitely rather wet and sticky. Regarding overmixing, all I mean is to stop beating once the ingredients are thoroughly combined so the texture of the finished cookie stays light, moist and cakelike. Hope I’ve answered your concerns!

      Reply
  3. Maja says

    December 16, 2011 at 3:19 am

    This looks so yummy 🙂

    Reply
  4. Gaetana says

    December 12, 2011 at 11:06 pm

    They look delicious and simple to make. How do I calculate the calories per serving? If I want to substitute butter with light olive oil, would that work?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Lynne Webb says

      December 14, 2011 at 8:53 am

      Hi,
      I would not recommend substituting olive oil for the butter. Butter not only adds flavor, it affects the texture of baked goods. As far as the calorie count goes, you would have to enter the ingredients and number of cookies into diet management software or try to calculate from a site like NutritionData.com. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  5. Erika Pitera says

    September 3, 2009 at 8:00 am

    The crushed almonds would take the place of the lemon zest in this variation, so 1 teaspoon.

    Reply
  6. Barbara says

    September 3, 2009 at 7:14 am

    i just made the cookies with the limoncello and they were outstanding. i would like to try the almond version but you don’t say how much almonds

    Reply
  7. Susan from Food Blogga says

    December 8, 2008 at 7:46 pm

    Hey Lynne! Just wanted you to know I included your delicious cookie in my latest article at Foodie View. Happy Holidays!

    Reply
  8. shibani says

    November 23, 2008 at 9:09 pm

    These cookies look divine.Limoncello and ricotta sounds awesome.I love the liqueur and it must be tasting superb.

    Reply
  9. Lynne Webb says

    November 22, 2008 at 11:22 am

    Thanks to everyone for such nice comments. These cookies have been a big hit in our family for quite a few years. If you decide to give them a try, I hope you enjoy them.

    Reply
  10. Karen says

    November 21, 2008 at 7:33 pm

    I think lemon is a nice change for a Christmas cookie… there’s always so much ginger, cloves, cinnamon, etc., involved in most Christmas coookies. These look delicious – and would be delicious in the middle of summer, too! I can picture these at a bridal shower 🙂

    Reply
  11. The Duo Dishes says

    November 21, 2008 at 12:13 pm

    I’ve always wanted to try these after seeing a similar recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. Now I have to try them!

    Reply
  12. Jennifer says

    November 20, 2008 at 10:40 pm

    These cookies look so good! Yum, I can’t wait to try them out for.

    Reply
  13. chef E says

    November 20, 2008 at 7:13 pm

    I had to come back and take another look…lemony mounds of goodness!

    Reply
  14. Heather says

    November 20, 2008 at 6:48 pm

    WOW!

    I mean WOW! Not only do these look YUMMERS they give me yet another reason to make a batch of limoncello very very soon.

    Reply
  15. Rachel 'Tha Pizza Cutta' Joyce says

    November 20, 2008 at 10:52 am

    Oh my, my. my. Every year I make a slew of holiday cookies and you can bet your begonias that these will be the star this year. Grazie! Ciao! Mangia!

    Reply
  16. elra says

    November 20, 2008 at 10:40 am

    These cookies are very unusual, they truly unique. Ricotta and limoncello, finally cookie for adult.That is really mighty delicious.
    Cheers,
    Elra

    Reply
  17. Susan from Food Blogga says

    November 20, 2008 at 8:35 am

    These look just like my mom’s egg biscuits. I love soft, cakey cookies like these. And I guarantee you as soon as my dad sees these in the round-up, he’s gonna ask my mom to bake them. Limoncello and ricotta in a cookie? That’s positively heavenly.

    Reply

Hi there! We’re Lynne & Erika, seasoned home cooks and recipe creators here at My Gourmet Connection. Our aim is to bring variety and new flavors to your everyday meals and we’ve got hundreds of recipes for you to explore. Welcome!

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