Italian Orange Ricotta Cookies
These fluffy, light and cake like Ricotta Cookies made with creamy ricotta cheese and a hint of orange or lemon are the perfect tea, snack or any occasion cookie. A tasty cookie topped with a cream cheese frosting or glaze. So good you can’t stop at just one.
I never really had much of a relationship with ricotta cheese. My mother would use it in her lasagna, which I discovered when I moved to the Central area of Italy there was no ricotta in Homemade Lasagna.
And of course since then I have learned to love to bake and cook with ricotta cheese from an easy Breakfast cookie to a delicious Ricotta Cheesecake and Ice cream to even Gnocchi!
Recipe Ingredients
- Ricotta cheese – whole milk ricotta cheese
- Sugar
- Butter
- Egg
- Vanilla – vanilla extract
- Orange zest – if you want to change the flavor you can substitute with lemon zest instead
- Flour – all purpose flour with at least 11% protein
- Baking powder
- Salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese – full fat cream cheese
- Butter – softened
- Powdered sugar – also known as icing or confectioners’ sugar
- Vanilla – extract or lemon or orange extract
For a simple glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Cream
- Juice – orange or lemon juice
I usually finish these cookies off with a simple orange glaze but this time I made a creamy cream cheese frosting that I must say, was the perfect addition!
Different variations
For different variations instead of orange you could use lemon, mandarin or even lime. Or you could substitute the vanilla extract with almond extract, and sprinkle slivered almonds on the cream cheese frosting. Or add some chocolate chips or coarsely chopped nuts to the batter. Or for different holidays add different colored sprinkles!
What is the difference between Zest & Juice?
Lemon zest, the yellow part of the peel only and not the white part which is quite bitter, consists of lemon oil, which is filled with the pure lemon flavour. Whereas lemon juice, has the acidic, tart taste of the lemon. So depending on what you prefer you can either use one or both when baking. For this recipe I used zest.
How to Make a Ricotta Cookie recipe
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with the flat beater attachment beat the ricotta, sugar and butter until creamy, then beat in the egg, vanilla and zest.
Add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix just until combined. Cover the bowl and chill the dough.
Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls or a small cookie scoop on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake until lightly golden, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting or glazing.
Top with some fancy sprinkles or even chocolate curls. And there you have Italian Ricotta Cookies.
Depending on the type of sprinkles you can decorate them for any holiday. They are perfect anytime of the year, or just because!
What is ricotta cheese?
Ricotta cheese is made from leftover whey from other cheeses, it can be from cow, goat, sheep or Italian Buffalo. Sometimes an acidifier is added. Ricotta meaning recooked is just that, the recooking of the whey. Since it is not produced from curd, but from whey, ricotta cannot be considered a real cheese. The term ricotta can also mean the fresh one.
Most if not all the regions of Italy make their own ricotta but the most popular comes from Lazio, Abruzzo, Basilicata, Sicilia, Sardegna, Campania, Puglia, Calabria, Toscana, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardia e Piemonte. And Baked Ricotta is originally from the Region of Sardegna.
Tips for making the best Ricotta Cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients, this combine better and give a better crumb to the cookies, remove from the fridge 45-60 minutes before using.
- Use an all purpose flour with at least 11% protein, this will help keep your cookies from spreading, if you prefer you can also refrigerate the dough for about an hour this will also help with spreading.
- Do not over mix the dough, over mixing will produce a tough cookie.
Why Ricotta cookies are so popular
It could be because of their unique texture. The addition of ricotta cheese gives these cookies a fluffy and light texture, making them almost a melt in your mouth cookie. They are also quite easy to make with no special ingredients.
More delicious Italian cookies to try
- Occhi di Bue / Italian Sandwich Cookies
- Italian Breakfast Cookies
- Abbracci Italian Cookies
- Italian Spritz Cookies
I hope you enjoy these perfect Tea, Special Occasion or Just Because Cookies as much as we do. Enjoy!
Italian Orange Ricotta Cookies
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- ½ cup ricotta cheese (room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese (room temperature)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoons orange zest
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour at least 11% protein content
- 1 pinch salt*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
*If you use unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
ORANGE GLAZE**
- 1 cup icing / powdered sugar
- ½ – 1 tablespoon heavy/whipping/ whole cream
- ½ – 1 tablespoon orange juice (fresh)
**the glaze should be quite thick so start with 1/2 tablespoon first.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- ½ cup cream cheese (softened)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1¼ cups icing / powdered sugar*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
*add more if necessary
Instructions
FOR THE COOKIES
- In a large bowl or stand up mixer with the flat beaters, beat on medium speed until creamy (about 2-3 minutes) all the ricotta, all the sugar and butter. Then add the egg, vanilla and zest and beat to combine, add the flour, salt and baking powder, beat until just combined, do not over mix.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for one hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Drop by spoonfuls (I used a tablespoon) onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden on the bottom of the cookies. Let cool completely before glazing.
FOR THE GLAZE
- In a small bowl mix together the icing / powdered sugar, cream and orange juice. Mix until smooth (should be quite thick). Spread on cooled cookies and sprinkle with chopped chocolate or sprinkles. Enjoy!
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese and butter, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy. Spread over the cooled cookies.
Notes
Can Ricotta cookies be made in advance?
Yes it can, the raw cookie dough will keep covered well or in an airtight container for up to 2-4 days.What is the best topping for the cookies?
I like to use either a simple cream cheese frosting or a orange or lemon glaze. I like to add sprinkles, grated chocolate or even zest.How to store the Ricotta Cookies
Cookies should be stored in an airtight container. They will last for about two to three days at room temperature (as long as your house is not too warm, if it is then store directly in the fridge). If they are frosted then they should be refrigerated. They will last for up to 5-6 days in the fridge.Can the cookies be frozen?
Nutrition
Updated from September 20, 2018.
Can you freeze these cookies with the glaze on?
Hi Doreen, I don’t really recommend it as the glaze can weep or get blotchy, but if you do want to try, be sure to let the glaze set first. Take care!
Looks like a great recipe and I think I will try them with lemon. Can someone clarify why the ricotta is separated in the ingredients list, but not in the instructions?
Hi Kristi, I separated it for the conversion of metric, because the recipe card doesn’t add it in when it is converted. That’s the only reason. Take care and I hope you enjoy them.
Can these cookies be frozen
Hi Dorothy, yes they can be frozen for up to three months, more storage information is in the notes. Take care!
For the icing can I omit the cream and just use orange juice?
Thanks for such clear instructions!
Hi Nancy, yes you can, I hope you enjoy them. Take care!
I made these cookies today and they are delicious. I used the orange glaze this time. They are so good I plan to make another batch and freeze the dough. You have very good instructions on your website which answered any questions I may have. Thank you for being so thorough.
Hi Gail, thanks so much, so glad you like the cookies and the instructions. Take care!
While I love the ability to double or triple the recipe that you provide I noticed that only the cup measures change and the weight in grams does not. As you strongly recommend weighing ingredients it seems a shame that your weight measures don’t change automatically when you click the button to double or triple the recipe,
Hi Andi, unfortunately it was the old method, just let me know if you come across one and I will switch it over. I am trying to do them one at a time but it will take me some time. I corrected this one, so it should show fine now. Take care!
How much zest is one orange l
Hi Lynne about 1 1/2 tablespoons. 🙂