Pillowy soft Keto Ricotta Cookies are a sweet Italian-style treat. These classic cookies are just as tender and delicious as the original, and totally sugar- and gluten-free!
I am over the moon about these fabulous Italian Keto Ricotta Cookies. They’re so mouthwateringly tender, I might start putting ricotta in all of my keto cookie recipes! And they will most certainly be gracing my keto Christmas cookie platter for years to come. They’re easy to make and look so bright and festive.
I asked my followers on Facebook recently for their all time favorite holiday cookie. There were plenty of requests for keto snowball cookies and keto sugar cookies. And spritz cookies came up quite a few times as well.
Italian ricotta cookies got a few mentions and I knew they were perfect for a sugar-free keto makeover.
Why you will love these cookies
Ricotta cookies are rather unassuming little treats, but don’t be fooled. That plain exterior belies some serious deliciousness. And the most wonderful pillowy soft texture! I was surprised by how much I love them.
They’re also very easy to make. You simply beat the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients, and form into flattened balls. The glaze is quite simple as well.
You can make the cookies in advance and freeze them for later. Which always helps if you are planning ahead for the holidays!
And a serving of two cookies has less than 3g net carbs per serving. So it’s a perfect low carb sweet treat when you need one.
Reader Reviews
“Absolutely love them…made with lemon zest and orange zest. delicious both ways. thank you for my new favorite cookie. my husband agrees!!” — Dawn
“I am three weeks into Keto and these Ricotta Cookies give me reason to live! I did not have keto sprinkles but sprinkled some crushed almonds on top. Delicious!” — Nancy
“These were delicious. I love almonds so I added a little almond flavor as well as the vanilla. I tried without the icing with a bit of chocolate chips on top and the icing was better.” — Clair
Ingredient Notes
- Ricotta: I used full fat ricotta for this recipe. There is no need to drain it in advance.
- Butter: You also need a little butter for the base of these cookies. I often use salted but unsalted is just fine too.
- Sweetener: You need a granulated sweetener for the cookies and a powdered sweetener for the glaze. Please see the Tips for Success for more information.
- Keto flours: I find that mostly almond flour, with just a little coconut flour, gives these keto cookies the best consistency.
- Lemon or orange zest: A little citrus zest is classic in ricotta cookies. But some readers add a little almond extract instead.
- Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream plus powdered sweetener creates a lovely white glaze.
- Sugar free sprinkles (optional): You can also do chopped nuts or citrus zest.
- Pantry staples: Eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Combine the wet ingredients: Beat the butter with the sweetener until well combined, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in the ricotta and the zest.
2. Add the dry ingredients: All at once, add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat in until the dough comes together.
3. Form the cookies: Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the 2 baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats. With the palm of your hand, press down to flatten slightly (they should still be rounded and about ¾ inch thick – this helps them crack less on the tops).
4. Bake the cookies: Bake at 325ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, switching the pans partway through baking, until lightly browned. They will still be very soft. Remove and let cool completely on the pans.
5. Prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetener, cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the water, a little at a time, to thin it out. The glaze should be thin enough to dip the cookies.
6. Glaze the cookies: Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze, turn right-side up, and shake the cookie slightly to even it out. Place on a cooling rack and add the sprinkles, if using. Let set 1 hour.
Tips for Success
Most of the conventional recipes for ricotta cookies call for lemon zest and vanilla extract. I used orange zest for a holiday variation. But you can use just vanilla extract or some almond extract instead. Or try anise extract for a classic Italian flavor.
I sincerely feel that the coconut flour helps the consistency of this recipe. But if you absolutely feel it’s necessary, you can replace it with another 3 to 4 tablespoons of almond flour.
Sweetener Options
These keto ricotta cookies work best with erythritol based sweeteners in both the cookies and the glaze. Allulose may work in the cookies but it can cause them to darken more quickly so please keep your eye on them.
For the glaze, powdered allulose tends to make it so soft that it almost disappears when used to coat things. It also never quite firms up properly. If you need to use something like allulose, I recommend adding a little softened cream cheese to give it structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ricotta cheese is an excellent choice for the keto diet. Whole milk ricotta has only 7g of carbs per cup, as well as 28g of protein. And it’s wonderful in both sweet and savory recipes.
Absolutely! The baked cookies freeze well and can be stored for several months. I recommend glazing them after thawing so it’s fresh and bright.
Soft cookies like these are more moist and tender than most. They are fine on the counter for 3 or 4 days but should be refrigerated if they will be around longer than that.
These tender keto cookies have only 5.1g per serving. They also have 2.2g of fiber. That means that they have 2.9g net carbs per two cookies.
More delicious keto ricotta recipes
Keto Italian Ricotta Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (91 g) erythritol sweetener
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (183 g) whole milk ricotta, room temperature
- 2 tsp orange or lemon zest
- 2 cups (210 g) almond flour
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) baking soda
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
Glaze
- 1/2 cup (91 g) powdered sweetener
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tbsp water
Garnish
- 2 tbsp keto sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Beat the butter with the sweetener until well combined, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in the ricotta and the zest
- All at once, add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat in until the dough comes together.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. With the palm of your hand, press down to flatten slightly (they should still be rounded and about 3/4 inch thick – this helps them crack less on the tops).
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, switching the pans partway through baking, until lightly browned. They will still be very soft. Remove and let cool completely on the pans.
Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetener, cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the water, a little at a time, to thin it out. The glaze should be thin enough to dip the cookies.
- Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze, turn right-side up, and shake the cookie slightly to even it out. (You can also spread the glaze on, and shake the cookie gently to even it out). Place on a cooling rack and add the sprinkles, if using. Let set 1 hour.
Notes
Nutrition
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I just made these Italian cookies. Oh my gosh! They are wonderful. I did substitute the vanilla with almond because I love it… Follow the recipe and you’ll have a winner! You have the best recipes.
@ Carolyn Ketchum, I just want to tell you I gave this five stars because they are so great! They are my favorite cookie I’ve ever made keto. I’ve been keto for six years. They’re so good that at Christmas half of them I left the icing off! But one thing I wanted to tell you and other people reading my review is that they are excellent in a cookie press!! My first batch I did exactly as you had explained bravo to you they were brilliant! But I got a new cookie press and thought I would try it out. Instead of icing them I took granular erythritol with one drop of food coloring which normally is a no-no for me but One Drop isn’t gonna kill me at Christmas time lol I made green and red sweetener. When they came out of the oven shaped like Christmas trees I sprinkle them with my colored erythritol. We’ve been keto for so long that we no longer really crave things that are too sweet so we actually like them more without the icing. But both ways are great! I decided to play around with it a little bit now that I have ricotta cheese left over from Christmas. This time I swapped out the baking powder and subbed in all baking soda. I also added one extra tablespoon of almond flour.( Not coconut but almond.)I used my heart shaped disc from my Wilton success cookie press and they’re beautiful! I will say some of the other discs didn’t work as well, obviously we all know keto foods especially when baking don’t work as well as the standard American diet cookies full of flour. But nonetheless these are amazing cookies! With and without the icing . When using the cookie press I baked the timeframe two minutes less instead of 15 to 20 minutes 13 to 18. In my oven they do very well with these size cookies at 13 minutes. I just want to let you know how much I enjoy all of your recipes and always have! I own your cookbooks and my husband says your food is one of his absolute keto favorites! Also thank you for your recipe several years back for the chocolate cake! His first birthday on keto and he was beside himself. I made him a giant birthday cake! It’s a staple now 🙂 next week I’ll be making your lemon cheesecake to bring in the new year! Thanks again Susan from Michigan♥️
Also forgot to add it made over 60 cookies!
Just delish! Like eating a cookie cake and the flavor is just so fresh. Loved it. Def made 17 medium size cookies. Should have gotten the smaller scoop but that’s on me lol
These were so good! I baked mine just at about 10 minutes and they were more soft set and delicious! I made them the first time with orange zest and they had a yummy dreamsicle flavor. The 2nd time I made them, I left out the orange/lemon zest and made chocolate thumbprint cookies with fudge ganache- Devine! (1 part heavy cream to 2 parts lily’s chocolate chips)
Just finishing up the second batch in the oven – I’m in an RV and the oven is small🙂
They came out nice and light. Not as pretty as yours. I added the lemon juice to the icing rather than water which added a nice flavor. Husband is loving them. I also added some low sugar cranberries to the top.
Very good! Made a double batch for a cookie swap.
Do you have any idea on the calories in these cookies. That is something I wish you would post for all your recipes. All of your recipes I have made have been delicious!!!! Thanx so much for sharing them!
I really don’t know why you are saying that when every single one of my recipes has the calorie count right in the nutritional box! 🙂
I am in the process of making them and my batter is super wet. I can spoon out the batter, but it is very wet, so I can’t roll it. I did use the correct measuring cups. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Gayle
YOu need more flour. It’s likely that you either mismeasured or your ricotta was very watery.
Mine too. Just took them out of the oven. they flattened a bit. I did measure 2 cups of almond flour and 1 Tblsp. Coconut flour. The Ricotta was not very watery. hmmm… idk.
Love these delicate pillows of goodness!! Flavored the glaze with lemon and it was spot on for this lemon loving girl.
Made these today, they’re awesome. Hubby likes them without frosting. What’s the best way to store these?
Storage info is in the FAQ!
I made these a couple days ago and they are delicious. The orange zest gives it the perfect touch. I’ve never heard of these type of cookies, but just happen to have a little extra ricotta left over that I had to use up. They were light and buttery, I will be sure to have left over ricotta much more often 😉 Thanks for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Ok, Figured out why my cookies were wet I Used my 3/4 measuring cup to measure flour instead of 1 cup, ????. Also I think if I used cheesecloth to get most of the liquid out of the ricotta cheese that would help as well I had to add extra baking powder to get a rise in my cookie . The cookie is delicious and I am so happy that I found an alternative, as I am Italian and was missing my family recipe. Is there an alternative to swerve sweetener for a icing for these cookies, I just don’t like the cold taste it gives off. Thanks for the recipe.????
Oh no! I’ve done things like that before. Now that I need readers, I have a hard time discerning the little numbers. You could try the confectioners BochaSweet… I just find that it clumps so badly in the bag that it’s hard to work with.
After following instructions my dough was wet, I wasn’t even able to roll them into bowls what do you think went wrong?
I saw your other comment! 🙂
You have done it again Carolyn! The mild orange flavor of these cookies is supreme! ???? my texture is a little course. Next time I will spin up my almond flour a bit. But I love them!!! Your recipes never disappoint! Thank you for providing such dependable recipes!
I replace the zest with 1 t. lemon extract, so yummy!
I bet replacing it with peppermint extract and topping with crushed peppermint candies would make a great Christmas cookie!
Yum! Love that idea.
Your recipes never disappoint. I just love this one, like you said they’re just light and fluffy. I didn’t add any zest and it didn’t seem to matter. It made it nice vanilla flavored cookie; just lovely thank you .
My favorite cookie. It is soft and delicate in texture and flavor. I add orange zest in the dough and glaze, or lemon sometimes.
I am so glad you like them!
So tender with amazing flavor! I made a bunch for the holidays and froze about half. I pulled them out of the freezer and they were just as spectacular as I remembered the first time.
You are so talented and amazing. Thanks for sharing your gift of making healthy and delicious food! I truly cannot imagine keto without all of your recipes!
what can i replace ricotta with
Nothing. These are ricotta cookies.
Yummy! I made them with almond extract instead of the zest.