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Soft Ricotta Cookies With Vanilla Bean Glaze

These cookies are super soft and full of real vanilla flavor.

This Soft Ricotta Cookie recipe came to me from one of my dad’s coworkers. She got the recipe from a lady from Italy who said it was okay to share the recipe. I’m so glad, because these cookies are really good. Really good, like I ate so many this weekend and my jeans are threatening not to zip. Like I ate the last five cookies for breakfast this morning just so I wouldn’t be tempted anymore! Does anyone else use that logic? And good thing they are so soft, with no noisy crunching required, because yes I did eat five cookies for breakfast in the same room as my boys, without anyone suspecting a thing. Some may call it sneaky, I call it discreet. It’s just one of my many talents, I guess!

These cookies are super soft and full of real vanilla flavor.

I did make one little addition to the recipe, and that is real vanilla bean in the cookies and glaze. You know those petite vanilla scones you can get at Starbucks? I really like those, but depending on the time of day I buy them, they can be a little dry. These cookies taste like I wish those scones did. So I decided to mimick the vanilla bean glaze just like the Starbucks scones.

These cookies are super soft and full of real vanilla flavor.

The vanilla flavor is just right, and I love how the cookies have such a soft, tender texture.

These cookies are super soft and full of real vanilla flavor.

If you’ve never used a real vanilla bean in your baking before, you will need to slice the pod open, and then scrape it with a knife to extract the vanilla caviar. It’s pretty fun, and you can pretend you’re on a cooking show.

These cookies are super soft and full of real vanilla flavor.

David Lebowitz says, Vanilla is the salt of the pastry world, but sometimes it’s nice to let it come out of the background and into the spotlight, so it can have the attention it deserves. And these cookies do just that!

These cookies are super soft and full of real vanilla flavor.

Print
Soft Ricotta Cookies With Vanilla Bean Glaze
Serves: 5-6 dozen
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 15 ounces Ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Caviar of one vanilla bean pod
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Glaze
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Caviar of one vanilla bean pod
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar and eggs on medium speed.
  3. Add Ricotta cheese and mix until smooth. Add vanilla extract and vanilla caviar and blend.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix flour with baking powder and salt.
  5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed until a dough is formed.
  6. Drop the dough by level tablespoons onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Cookies will just be started to get golden around the bottom edges.
  7. Remove from baking sheet and place on a cooling rack with parchment paper underneath.
  8. Spoon glaze onto cookies and allow it to fully set before storing.
Glaze
  1. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and vanilla caviar in a small bowl until smooth.

Comments

  1. I think I’ve falling in love with these cookies – they look incredibly darling! I like how you used real vanilla seeds to flavor them, they must have turned out really delicious. I would have eaten them all for breakfast as well ;–) x

    Reply

  6. Hola!
    These cookies look absolutely amazing! I just tried a lemon ricotta cookie for the first time ever and I must say, ricotta cookies are…..HEAVEN!! I want to make these, but am trying to cut sugar out of my diet or at least, most of it. Any idea how I can make these with Stevia or without any sugar at all? perhaps using honey or nectar agave in place of the sugar?

    Angela

    Reply

    • Angela, as much as it would be good to cut sugar, I wouldn’t do it with these cookies. Sugar just mixes perfectly with the butter and browns the way it should in the oven. Unfortuately the only thing you can do is taste one and give the rest away…FAST!
      I live in a heavily “Italian-American” area and these are incredibly popular. I love the idea of using the vanilla caviar in the recipe.
      Maybe I’ll make these tonight (and bring to work so I don’t get any plumper!).

      Reply

    • Hi Rebecca, thanks for your question. I’m thinking a close substitute for the ricotta would be sour cream. But I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t guarantee the outcome. Let me know how it goes if you try it yourself!

      Reply

  8. I love that you had five for breakfast, I would of had 10! They look (and sound) delicious.

    I am contemplating making these for a test run prior to the holidays and have a question. You mention that you made one change, using the vanilla bean but you also mention mimicking the Starbucks glaze. My question is, did the original recipe have a glaze and if so, how was it different from what you did? Being Sicilian I just have to ask 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Eliza, thanks for your question. The original recipe had two teaspoons of vanilla extract in the cookie, and the glaze is 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons of milk. The Starbucks scones that I was mimicking have the tiny flecks of vanilla bean in the scone and in the glaze. I hope you enjoy these and love that you are already planning for the holidays!

      Reply

      • Thank you so much Julie. Really appreciate the information. I adore your site and was just reading your post regarding the Glazed Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread which also sounds divine! I really want to make that too.

        I also like that you take goodies over to your mother (that speaks volumes in my book). My late mother was my biggest fan and the center of my baking/cooking universe and I was always taking over meals and desserts to her. I dearly miss not having her here to sample my baking this year. First Holiday without her however, I keep her picture right where she can see me baking in the kitchen.

        All of your recipes look great and now, I’m having a tough time deciding what to make! I already have various cookie doughs in the freezer (which will make 600+ cookies). Have to start early since we hand out numerous goodies to family, friends and I don’t move as fast as I used to 🙂

        Reply

        • Eliza, I’m so very sorry that you lost your mother. Baking and memories with loved ones are so closely tied! I love that you keep a picture of her in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I’m so glad you found my site, and I so appreciate your kind words.

          Reply

  9. These look good. I plan to make them tonight. Do you spoon the glaze on immediately or wait for the cookies to cool?

    Reply

  10. Thanks for the quick response about the glaze. The cookies were fantastic. They were easy to make and the cooking time, measurements, etc. were all spot on. I cut the recipe in half and it worked out great. This recipe is a keeper.

    Reply

  11. This recipe is baller! Looking to do somethin like this for a cookie competition coming up in December…
    This cookie is very “Golden Girls” and i’ll be looking to add choc chips/chunks and a little DiSarrono to it

    Reply

  13. Hello..I was wondering if I can make these ahead of time and wait on glazing them until ready to use? Thanks so much for your time!

    Reply

  14. Mixed all the wet ingredients. Discovered i only have than half the all purpose flour to continue. Questions….may i use bread flour for the balance…..OR .may i store the wet mix overnight in fridgand continue tomorrow?? (MAKING ITALIAN RICOTTA COOKIES)

    Reply

    • Hello Elda, I’m afraid the bread flour which has more gluten, may make the cookies a little tough. Although I haven’t tried it, I think I would take my chances and refrigerate the wet ingredients until you have the rest of the all purpose flour. Hope they turn out for you!

      Reply

  16. These cookies look so yummy. I am planning on making them for holiday work party and wondered if you have any alternative ideas for the vanilla bean in the icing and cookies. I don’t want to use lemon either. Can I do it without the vanilla beans since I don’t have easy access to that? I am a little late in the game. 🙂

    Reply

    • Enid, if you leave out the vanilla bean in the cookies and icing, they will still be just fine with the vanilla extract that is called for. You could also add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract to the cookies and icing if you like that flavor. Maybe decorate with a few sliced almonds?

      Reply

    • Enid, you could consider orange zest if you don’t want to use lemon, but want an alternative flavor.
      Some of the Italian bakeries use anise flavor.
      Season with Love!

      Reply

  19. Used this recipe but didn’t have vanilla bean. Flavored half of them with fresh lemon and the other half with anise. They were enjoyed by all.

    Reply

  20. wow your photos looked so beautiful that i made some of these amazingly soft cookies. had to alter the recipe a little bit since i didn’t have the exact amounts in my kitchen. but it still turned out incredible 🙂

    thanks for sharing

    xxHoney

    Reply

  22. I just made these and they came out perfectly. I love using the vanilla bean and vanilla extract. They are soft, delicious and beautiful. I use a frosting recipe of 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 1 Tbsp light corn syrup, 1 Tbsp softened butter, 2 Tbsp 1/2 & 1/2 or milk, and a 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix all together well and you can add food coloring if you like.
    This recipe will now be my go to recipe for these cookies. I love your site!

    Reply

  25. OMG I made these and brought to the office today. Everyone loves them. Thank you for providing such a yummy recipe. I love your blog. Happy New Year to you!!

    JoAnne

    Reply

  26. Just made these! The flavor in amazing! BUT…the dough didn’t spread at all in the oven. I ended up rolling the dough into balls and flattening each one a bit, to give the cookies a nice looking final shape. They’re very dense…like biscuits or scones. Does it sound like I may have done something wrong, or is that how yours came out also?

    Thanks for the recipe! My husband loves them 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Jennifer! So glad you liked them. It sounds like your dough may have had a bit too much flour. It should be pretty sticky, and not really one you could roll into a ball very easily. Sometimes just the way we measure our flour out can affect the dough. I keep mine in a large jar, and I always fluff it before scooping it out (gently so as not to pack it). They are sort of a cross between a scone and a cookie though. Hope this is helpful!

      Reply

  27. I made these and they were out of this world!! However, I live alone and had cookies coming out of my ears…lol!! Some recipes can’t be cut in half because it throws the measurements off, do you see a problem with doing it with this one?

    Reply

  32. I’m about to make these and was wondering how long do they keep for? Like If i made them on Monday, would they still be just as delicious if served on Thursday or will the taste be affected by then?

    Reply

    • Hi Terri, to be honest I have never tried making them more than 1-2 days ahead. The glaze does keep them moist, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they tasted great three days later! Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  33. Hi I was wondering if I can use vanilla bean paste instead of caviar of the bean? I’m not sure where to buy the beans. Thanks

    Reply

  34. These cookies look amazing!!!! I have seen recipes that use confectioners sugar…is that what you used or did you use regular sugar? I’m gosorry NG to be making these for our Christmas cookie party at work!! Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Hi! The recipe uses granulated sugar in the cookie dough and powdered sugar for the glaze. I clarified that in the recipe so it is more clear. Thanks for your question. I hope you love these as much as we do!

      Reply

  36. My husband and grandsons made these a week and a half ago. They were kept covered tightly with plastic wrap on a platter and they taste just as good and have the same texture that they did right after they were made. Still soft, still delicious and the icing didn’t run off nor did the sprinkles melt. Perfect! OH….and we checked all over for any mold, and didn’t see any. No one got sick frome eating them, so as far as I’m concerned…two weeks is not beyond the realm of possibility for storing them!

    Reply

  37. I just made these to bring for Christmas Eve and was so excited to make them. I don’t know what I did wrong but they taste very flourey and not much other flavor. I followed the recipe to a T. Not sure how to fix 5 dozen cookies quick, any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Hi Wendy, the cookie itself is pretty basic but the vanilla glaze adds sweetness and flavor. If you feel like they still need a little something more, I would add another layer of glaze flavored to your preference. Adding a little lemon or almond extract would go well with the vanilla. Hope this is helpful for you. Merry Christmas!

      Reply

  38. These are addictively yummy. Just enough sweet, even without the “dressing” of icing. I enjoy them with my coffee in the morning…. and as a snack after work…. and after dinner… ok, I enjoy them all day. And I don’t feel guilty at all! Thanks for sharing, Julie.

    Reply

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