Italian Orange Ricotta Cookies (2024)

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.

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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 Cookies 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 for about an hour.

Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls or a small cookie scoop on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for about 12 minutes, let the cookies cool about 10 minutes 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. AndBaked 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.

FAQs

How to Store 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 Ricotta Cookies be Frozen?

Yes they can be frozen, although I think it is better to freeze them without the frosting. Place the cookies in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze, once frozen transfer the cookies to an airtight freezer container. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Once the cookies are thawed then spread with the icing if desired. You could also use a simple glaze if you wanted before serving.

If you prefer you can also freeze the dough or even the formed cookie dough balls, freeze them on a cookie sheet until firm then place in a freezer container. They can be baked from frozen. Add a couple of minutes extra to the baking time. The dough will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Thawing the Frozen Cookies

Remove the cookies from the container, let them sit at room temperature to thaw, this is to prevent condensation forming and the cookies becoming soggy.

I hope you enjoy these perfect Tea, Special Occasion or Just Because Cookies as much as we do. Enjoy!

Updated from September 20, 2018.

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