These Italian Christmas cookies use ricotta for a soft, cake-like bite under a sweet vanilla icing, a holiday favorite in many Italian-American homes. If you enjoy these Italian Christmas cookies, try our Italian Easter Cookies or Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies next. The printable Italian Christmas cookies card is below.

Quick answer: Italian Christmas cookies are soft ricotta cookies made with butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, 8 ounces ricotta, flour, baking soda and salt. Drop teaspoonfuls on greased sheets, bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes and frost with a simple butter, powdered sugar and milk icing.

Ingredients

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ tablespoons milk

How To Make Italian Christmas Cookies

Step 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
Step 2In a medium bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and ricotta cheese. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the cheese mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Step 3Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4In a medium bowl, cream together the remaining butter and confectioners’ sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk gradually until a spreadable consistency is reached. Frost cooled cookies.

Why You’ll Love These Italian Christmas Cookies

Soft and cakey thanks to whole-milk ricotta.
Simple icing made from butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.
Holiday-ready: add sprinkles and they look festive on any cookie tray.
Make-ahead friendly: unfrosted cookies freeze well.

Tips for Soft Italian Christmas Cookies

Drain watery ricotta in a sieve for 15 minutes so the dough is not too loose.
Bake only until the edges turn golden; the tops should stay pale.
Let the cookies cool completely before frosting so the icing sets.
Add sprinkles right after icing, before it dries.

Storing Italian Christmas Cookies

Store iced Italian Christmas cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months and ice them after thawing.