There is nothing quite like the comforting aroma of freshly baked Italian Almond Ricotta Cookies wafting through your kitchen. These traditional treats boast a distinctly moist, cakey cookie base that practically melts in your mouth. With their beautiful pale golden edges and striking bakery-style appearance, they are guaranteed to become a family favorite.
What truly sets these cookies apart is their gorgeous textural contrast and visual appeal. The tops are heavily pressed with lightly toasted, overlapping sliced almonds that provide a delicate crunch. Finished with a generous, uneven dusting of white powdered sugar, these slightly domed cookies look incredibly elegant resting on a wire cooling rack over a light marble countertop.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Moist, Cakey Texture: The addition of whole milk ricotta cheese ensures a remarkably tender crumb that stays soft for days.
- Stunning Visuals: The beautifully domed shape and pale golden baked edges create a picture-perfect dessert.
- Textural Contrast: Overlapping sliced almonds get lightly toasted in the oven, providing the perfect crunch against the soft cookie base.
- Authentic Flavor: A double dose of almond extract and vanilla creates that nostalgic, Italian bakery flavor profile.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese: This is the secret to the ultra-moist, cakey cookie base. Be sure to use whole milk ricotta for the best richness and flavor, draining any excess liquid before using.
Unsalted Butter: Butter provides necessary fat for a tender crumb and helps achieve those beautiful pale golden edges. Using unsalted butter allows us to perfectly control the sodium level in the dough.
Granulated Sugar: Sugar sweetens the dough while aerating the butter during the creaming process. This helps create the light, slightly domed shape of the final cookie.
Large Egg: An egg acts as the primary binder for the dough, giving the cookies structural integrity. It also provides extra lift so the cookies puff up perfectly in the oven.
Almond & Vanilla Extracts: Almond extract delivers that signature Italian bakery flavor, while a touch of vanilla rounds out the profile. Do not skip the almond extract, as it is the star flavor component.
All-Purpose Flour: Flour forms the foundational structure of the cookie base. Measure it carefully using a kitchen scale or the spoon-and-level method to avoid dense cookies.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: This dual leavening combination reacts with the acidity in the ricotta cheese. It provides the exact lift needed to create a soft, cakey, and slightly domed appearance.
Kosher Salt: A small amount of salt enhances the sweetness and balances the almond flavor. It is a crucial invisible ingredient that makes the flavors pop.
Sliced Almonds: You will need plenty of sliced almonds to heavily press onto the tops of the dough. As the cookies bake, these almonds become lightly toasted and overlapping.
White Powdered Sugar: A generous, uneven dusting of powdered sugar is the finishing touch. It adds a final layer of sweetness and a beautiful snowy aesthetic.
Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Large mixing bowls
- Wire cooling rack
- Cookie scoop (2-tablespoon size)
- Light-colored baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- Fine mesh sieve (for dusting powdered sugar)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Cream the Butter and Sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 1/2 cup (113g) of softened unsalted butter and 1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar on medium-high speed. Whip them together for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This aeration is essential for a soft, cakey texture.
2. Incorporate Wet Ingredients
Add the 1 cup (240g) of whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, 1 tsp (5ml) almond extract, and 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure an even mixture.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the 2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour, 1 tsp (4g) baking powder, 1/2 tsp (3g) baking soda, and 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients to your wet ricotta mixture. Mix on low speed just until the flour disappears to avoid overworking the dough.
4. Portion and Coat with Almonds
Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into round balls, about 2 tablespoons each. Pour your 1 cup (100g) of sliced almonds into a shallow dish. Heavily press the top of each dough ball into the sliced almonds, ensuring they are overlapping and stick firmly to the surface.
5. Bake to Pale Golden Perfection
Place the almond-coated dough balls onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 14 minutes. Watch for the visual cue: the cookies are done when they have a slightly domed shape and pale golden edges, while the centers remain pale and soft.
6. Cool and Dust
Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Once they are completely cool to the touch, use a fine mesh sieve to finish them with a generous, uneven dusting of white powdered sugar.
Expert Tips for Success
- Drain your ricotta: If your ricotta cheese is overly watery, let it sit in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl for 30 minutes before baking to prevent a runny dough.
- Do not overmix: Once you add the flour, mix only until no dry streaks remain to guarantee a tender, moist cakey cookie base.
- Press firmly: The dough is slightly sticky, which perfectly helps the sliced almonds adhere. Press the tops of the dough firmly into the almonds so they overlap generously.
- Cool completely before dusting: If you apply the white powdered sugar dusting while the cookies are still warm, the sugar will melt and disappear into the cookie.
Storage & Reheating/Freezing
Store these beautifully soft baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Because of the moisture from the ricotta cheese, place a sheet of parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together.
To freeze, let the baked cookies cool completely but do not dust them with powdered sugar. Freeze them in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and apply the powdered sugar dusting just before serving.
What to Serve With This
These Italian Almond Ricotta Cookies are a stunning addition to any dessert table or afternoon coffee break. For an elegant spread, serve them alongside a silky earl grey panna cotta or a slice of bright lemon blueberry pound cake.
If you are planning a holiday cookie exchange, these pair wonderfully with rich dark chocolate orange shortbread cookies, delicate classic cream puffs, and a festive no bake candy cane dessert. Hosting a casual tea party? Offer these cakey treats next to chewy pink sugar cookie bars and a decadent brown sugar caramel pound cake to give your guests incredible variety!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can prepare the dough and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Chilled dough may actually prevent spreading, resulting in an even better slightly domed shape.
For the best flavor and a moist, cakey texture, whole milk ricotta is highly recommended. Part-skim ricotta contains more water and less fat, which can make the cookies drier and less tender.
No, you should use raw sliced almonds. Because they bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes at 350°F, they will naturally become lightly toasted. Pre-toasting them would cause them to burn.
Spreading usually happens if the butter was too warm or if the ricotta was excessively watery. Make sure your butter is only slightly softened and be sure to drain wet ricotta cheese before mixing.
Powdered sugar will melt if dusted over cookies that are still warm. Ensure the cookies have cooled completely on a wire rack before applying the generous, uneven dusting of white powdered sugar.
Closing & Subscribe
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Recipe Card
Italian Almond Ricotta Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add the whole milk ricotta cheese, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture on low speed just until combined.
- Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon rounded balls. Pour sliced almonds into a shallow dish and heavily press the top of each dough ball into the almonds so they overlap.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 14 minutes until the cookies have a domed shape and pale golden edges.
- Let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Once completely cool, finish with a generous, uneven dusting of white powdered sugar.
Notes
Cool completely before dusting: If you apply the white powdered sugar dusting while the cookies are still warm, the sugar will melt.
