These Italian ricotta cookies are orange flavored and decorated for the holidays with an orange glaze and red and green sprinkles. This post includes pictures of some of the steps.
The batter can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking them off and decorating.
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Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
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I make more cookies during the holidays than at any other time - maybe that's true for you too. Some are decorated like these ricotta cookies and these Easy Christmas Butter Cookies. Others are spiced, like these chewy ginger molasses cookies and persimmon cookies with dried figs.
👩🍳 What is a ricotta cookie?
A ricotta cookie is a soft, cake-like Italian cookie made with whole milk ricotta cheese. The ricotta cheese gives the cookie a tender and moist texture with a subtle tang that marries well with either lemon or orange zest.
They're typically topped with a sweet glaze and festive sprinkles and are popular during the holidays, especially Christmas, thanks to their decorative finish.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Very easy to make.
- The batter can be made up to two days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
- Easy enough to decorate for kids to help!
- Very festive when decorated.
🧅 Ingredient Notes
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. Go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post for a complete listing of the ingredients, measurements, and directions.
- Ricotta cheese - I use whole milk ricotta cheese. If you prefer to use a low-fat version, expect a less rich, slightly drier, and less moist cookie compared to using whole-milk ricotta. Be sure to drain the ricotta ahead of time if it’s wet.
- Orange zest - I use zest from navel oranges because their large size yields 2 teaspoons.
📝 Instructions Overview
🎯 Why This Recipe Works
The whole milk ricotta cheese adds moisture, tenderness, and a slight tang to the cookies.
👩🍳 Tips for Making Orange Ricotta Cookies
- Weigh the flour using kitchen scales. Otherwise, fluff the flour with a fork and carefully spoon it into a measuring cup for an accurate amount.
- If your ricotta cheese appears wet, drain the ricotta before using. Most store-bought ricotta will be dry enough without draining. However, if you need to drain it, line a mesh strainer with paper towels to drain.
- One large navel orange yields 2-3 tablespoons of zest and about ½ cup of juice.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or for as long as 2 days before baking. This makes the dough much easier to work with when rolling the dough into balls and prevents the cookies from spreading too much while they bake.
- These Orange Ricotta Cookies won't change much in color when they bake. They're ready when the edges are firm to the touch and their bottoms are slightly brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the glaze.
- Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
- Add the sprinkles immediately while the glaze is still wet.
- Let the glaze set completely before storing the cookies.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
Swap out the orange zest and orange juice for lemon zest and lemon juice.
🙋♀️ FAQ
Yes. The dough will keep in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 days.
When you're ready to bake the cookies, remove the dough from the fridge, and scoop and roll the dough into balls, and bake.
Yes. Chilling the dough for at least 1 hour makes the dough much easier to roll into balls and prevents them from spreading as much.
I prefer using cookie sheets. Baking sheets, also called sheet pans, are rimmed on four sides. This rim changes the way the heat circulates around the cookies which can cause uneven baked results.
Glazed cookies can stored at room temperature in an airtight container, layered with parchment paper, for 3-5 days.
Refrigerate them in an airtight container, layered with parchment paper, for 5-7 days. They'll be firmer than ones left at room temperature, so bring them back to room temp before consuming.
If you plan to freeze some of the cookies, it's best to leave them unglazed and store them in a freezer-safe plastic bag of container. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw on the counter, glaze, and decorate.
Italian Orange Ricotta Christmas Cookies with Glaze
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
Ingredients
Ricotta Cookies
- 2 cups (9 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese drained if wet (See Notes)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Festive sprinkles
Instructions
Ricotta Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Pro-tip: For the best and most accurate results, weigh the flour.
- In a large bowl, rub the orange zest and sugar together between your fingers until the sugar is lightly damp and aromatic.Cut the room temperature butter into tablespoon sized pats and add it all to the sugar. Mix well using a hand electric mixer or a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. The mixture will lighten in color from the air being beaten into the butter.
- Add the ricotta cheese, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Using a silicone spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by hand until just combined.Pro-tip: You can use an electric mixer on low for this, but I recommend doing it by hand for a tender cookie.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use a small-size cookie scoop to measure out about 1 tablespoon cookie dough. Roll it into a ball and place on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, arranging the balls of cookie dough about 2" apart.You'll need to do this in batches, so refrigerate the dough between batches.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are firm and the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes before sliding them onto a wire rack to completely cool.
Orange Glaze
- Sift the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl to remove any lumps. Stir in orange juice and orange zest using a fork until well combined.Pro-tip: I use a wire mesh strainer to sift the powdered sugar.
- Once the cookies completely cool, hold each cookie upside side and dip the tops into the glaze. Return the cookie to the wire rack and decorate with festive sprinkles.Pro-tip: The glaze starts to set up fairly quickly so I glaze 4 cookies at a time, and then decorate them before continuing to glaze the next set of cookies.
- Store on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-5 days or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Notes
- Weigh the flour using kitchen scales for the best, most accurate results. Otherwise, fluff the flour with a fork and carefully spoon it into a measuring cup for an accurate amount.
- If your ricotta cheese appears wet, drain the ricotta before using. Most store-bought ricotta will be dry enough without draining. However, if you need to drain it, line a mesh strainer with paper towels to drain.
- One large navel orange yields 2-3 tablespoons of zest and about ½ cup of juice.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or for as long as 2 days before baking. This makes the dough much easier to work with when rolling the dough into balls and prevents the cookies from spreading too much while they bake.
- These Orange Ricotta Cookies won't change much in color when they bake. They're ready when the edges are firm to the touch and their bottoms are slightly brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the glaze.
- Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
- Add the sprinkles immediately while the glaze is still wet.
- Let the glaze set completely before storing the cookies.
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (286 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat together the butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add in the ricotta, egg, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Cover the bowl of dough and refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a cookie scoop to measure out about a tablespoon of batter and roll into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the bottom of the cookie starts to brown slightly (the tops of the cookies will not change color much). Cool on pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and teaspoon of orange zest. Hold the cooled cookie upside down and dip the top of the cookie in the glaze. Return to wire rack to dry.
Notes
- Weigh your flour for accurate measurement.
- Use room temperature butter.
- If your ricotta appears wet, drain it before using.
- One large Navel orange should give you enough zest and juice for the entire recipe.
- Chill the dough to keep the cookie from spreading too much while baking. This will also make it easier to roll into a ball before baking.
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding glaze. You can dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze or spoon it on top.
- Make sure the glaze has completely set before storing the cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.
Nutrition
Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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