Gluten Free Italian Ricotta Cookies
Holidays at our house would not be the same without gluten free Italian ricotta cookies set out for guests to enjoy. Fragrant lemon zest adds a delightfully bright, yet subtle flavor that tastes irresistible. We actually have to hide an extra batch in the freezer to save some for visitors as our children LOVE them. They enjoy these delicately sweet and pillowy mini-cakes with or without glaze. Ricotta cookies do not last long around here – especially now that we make them gluten free.

Sweet & Fragrant Mini-Cakes
Biting into Italian ricotta cookies is like indulging in the taste of delicately sweet and fragrant mini-cakes. The divine texture begs for a return trip to the cookie plate. Seriously! The beauty of this recipe is that you may add other extracts to suit your taste. For example, I like to add anise extract, (my personal fav,) and a friend of mine likes to add almond. If you prefer to keep the cookies simple in flavor, add different extracts to the glaze for a bit of variety.
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Please let us know how your gluten free Italian Ricotta Cookies turned out! We love to receive feedback. Please rate this recipe and leave a comment in the section provided below. Thank you.
An important note: this recipe successfully uses Flour Farm Organic Gluten Free Flour Blend. This may be purchased through our website or through our partners: Amazon.com & Azure Standard. If you choose to make this with another flour blend, please note that your results may differ.
Peace & Love – Teri
P.S. Flour Farm gives back. We are committed to bringing healthy food to members of our community. If you are looking for replacement ingredients, please consider supporting Flour Farm and 2nd Harvest by clicking on this Amazon Associate link. We donate 50% of the profit made from Amazon purchases to 2nd Harvest, which is a local organization dedicated to feeding our children, our community and helping those in need. You will be sent directly to Amazon.com; we do not store any of your information. Thank you and share the love.
– Teri & Dave
Photos by DuPree Productions; Recipe adapted from NY Times Cooking
Simply Irresistible: Flour Farm’s Gluten Free Italian Ricotta Cookies

Gluten Free Italian Ricotta Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 52 cookies 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Indulge your sweet tooth with gluten free Italian Ricotta Cookies. Enjoy them with or without glaze. Either way, these fragrant mini-cakes will win you over with a bite.
Ingredients
Choose Gluten Free, Non-GMO & Organic Ingredients.
Note: If clicking the 2X or 3X scale boxes to the right, please know that weights listed in parentheses below may or may not change. Please take care to check amounts if increasing the recipe.
Substitutions: Do you need to substitute an ingredient? Click here.
Dry
- 240g (8.5 oz) Flour Farm Organic Gluten Free Flour Blend (2 C + 3 T spoon & level)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda (4.5g)
- 1/4 tsp Extra Fine Pink Himalayan Salt (1.5g – use 1/2 tsp if butter is unsalted)
Wet
- 113g (4 oz) Salted Butter, softened (1/2 C or 1 stick)
- 150g (5.3 oz) Cane Sugar (3/4 C)
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest, chopped (large pinch)
- 198g (7 oz) Fresh Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese (scant 1 C)
- 1/2 T Pure Vanilla Extract (7.5 ml)
- 1/8 tsp Pure Lemon Extract (about 2 drops)
- 1 Large Pasture Raised Egg (50g)
Glaze
- 1/2 T Salted Butter (7g), melted (add a tiny pinch of salt if using unsalted butter)
- 230g (8 oz) Powdered Sugar (scant 2 C)
- 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (2.5 ml)
- Extract of Choice to taste – start with 1/8 tsp (anise, almond, lemon, or liquor)
- 3 T Milk (add more by 1/4 tsp to thin if necessary)
- Candy Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
Equipment: Digital scale (preferred), Cookie/baking sheets, Unbleached parchment, Electric mixer or Stand-up mixer with paddle attachment, Measuring cups and spoons, Mixing bowls, Spatula, Small scoop such as a melon ball scoop
Before You Dive In – Prep: please read!
- Bring egg and butter to room temperature
- Move oven rack to center
- Line baking sheets with parchment
Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, or the bowl that attaches to the stand mixer, add the butter, sugar and zest. Beat on medium until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat for a few more seconds. Turn mixer off.
Step 3: Add the ricotta, extracts and egg to the creamed mix. Beat on medium-low until blended. Slowly add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet as you beat on low. This can also be done in batches. Mix until flour is completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend on low again until mixed. Cover the bowl to prevent drying out and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours (or up to 2 days if making ahead.)
Step 4: Preheat oven to 350F/177C.
Step 5: While oven is preheating, scoop chilled dough out onto parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart using a melon ball scoop. These cookies are not spreaders, but you want to give them enough space to cook evenly. Alternatively, roll the dough into balls and slightly flatten tops (the dough may be sticky) or scoop and drop using a teaspoon. Note: if you have dark, non-stick baking pans, the bottoms of these cookies will be darker than usual.
Step 6: Bake in the center of a preheated 350 F/177 C oven for 12-14 minutes. Cookies will appear golden on top and a darker golden-brown on the bottom. Allow to sit on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before storing or glazing.
Glaze
To make the glaze: whisk together all ingredients, except the sprinkles, until smooth. Now is the time to taste and correct to achieve the best flavor while balancing the consistency of the glaze. We prefer it to coat the back of the spoon with an opaque layer. Add milk in very small 1/4 -1/2 tsp increments if needed. Coat each cooled cookie by dipping in glaze. Immediately sprinkle toppings if using, and then allow to set on a cooling rack.
Enjoy!
Notes
To store: keep cookies in a single layer, loosely covered, for up to three days (a tight lid may cause cookies to soften and loose their bite.) Freeze unglazed cookies for up to a month. Glaze after thawing.
The nutrition information provided below is for the recipe as written using lightly salted, organic butter. Glaze is not included. Each cookie weighs about 14g or 1/2 oz.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 50
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 2.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
Keywords: Gluten Free Italian Ricotta Cookies
For more sweet recipes made with Flour Farm Organic Gluten Free Flour, visit our recipe page.

