Classic, old fashioned easy chocolate chip ricotta cheese cookies, homemade with simple ingredients. They are soft and moist on the inside but crispy on the outside! Great for Christmas cookie exchanges and makes a lovely homemade gift too.
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I feel that soft cheeses, especially in the form of mascarpone, ricotta, cottage cheese or cream cheese work so well in desserts. They add so much moisture and richness to your baked goods. If you don't believe me, try out these Cream Cheese Cookies, my popular Cream Cheese Fruit Dip (With Marshmallow Fluff) and even these Cheesecake Brownies (Cream Cheese Brownies). Today's cookies taste heavenly! They are slightly different than the classic Italian version but are just as delicious. They are sugary and crispy on the outside but insanely soft on the inside. There's almost a "cakey" feel to them.
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Key ingredients
- Flour- Regular all-purpose will do.
- Ricotta cheese- Not your typical cookie ingredient, but trust me on this one.
- Vanilla extract- Adds warmth to compliment the overall flavor profile.
- Brown sugar- Brings in color and unique taste.
- Egg- This should be large and at room temperature.
- Butter- Be sure it is unsalted for best flavor.
- Granulated sugar- You will need some for the batter and some for sprinklings
- Chocolate chips- The higher quality, the better flavor.
- Rising agents- Both baking powder and baking soda are used in this recipe.
Variations
- Replace semisweet chocolate chips- With other flavors of chocolate chips such as milk, dark, or white chocolate chips.
- Add chopped nuts- Such as pecans, almonds, cashews, or even pistachios.
- Mix in sprinkles- To add color to go along with holidays and event themes like I did with these Birthday Sprinkle Cookies (With Cake Mix). You can even use specialized sprinkles in the shapes of holiday items for a nice touch.
- Try other flavors- Such as lemon with lemon zest and lemon extract, especially if you also enjoy these Easy Lemon Cookies (From Scratch). For orange, use orange zest and orange extract. Use almond extract and roll in sliced almonds for another flavor profile. Have fun and try something new.
- For strawberry or blueberry flavor- Simply roll in powdered freeze dried strawberries or blueberries instead of sugar. This not only gives a new flavor but also a pop of color.
- Coat in Cinnamon Sugar- For a spiced flavor profile that would be great for Fall and Thanksgiving.
- Drizzle- Melted white chocolate or semisweet chocolate on top. You can even try Chocolate Ganache or Caramel Sauce.
- Add a frosting in the middle- Such as Coconut Cream Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Ermine), Lemon Frosting (Lemon Buttercream), or Easy Marshmallow Frosting (With Fluff) and turn them into cookie sandwiches similar to my Chocolate Whoopie Pies (With Cake Mix). You can also put Homemade Whipped Cream in the middle.
- Don't coat them in granulated sugar- And instead, top them with a powdered sugar Vanilla Cake Glaze, Easy Chocolate Glaze, Royal Icing, or Easy Glace Icing.
- Make mini cookies- By simply making the dough balls smaller before adding to the cookie sheet. If doing this, use mini chocolate chips because they distribute in the small size much better.
- Use a bit of gel food coloring- To the cookie dough for some festive colors.
- Roll in colored sanding sugar- Instead of granulated sugar for an additional pop of color.
How to make easy ricotta cheese cookies recipe from scratch?
- Beat together- Butter and sugars in a mixing bowl.
- Add in- Egg and vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Mix in- The ricotta cheese.
- In a separate bowl- Whisk together flour and rising agents.
- Combine- Wet and dry ingredients.
- Stir in- Chocolate chips, then chill dough.
- Roll dough balls- In granulated sugar until coated.
- Place on cookie tray- And bake until golden brown.
- Allow to cool- Decorate, if desired, and enjoy.
Tips and techniques
- Don't over bake- These should be soft, not hard and crispy.
- Line pans with parchment paper- For easier cleanup and less mess.
- Use unsalted butter- To prevent these cookies from becoming too salty.
- Room temperature ingredients- This allows for proper mixing of all ingredients evenly.
- Must chill dough- For at least an hour so that it isn't too sticky to handle. It will also help prevent spreading.
- If you are planning on gifting these to family and friends- Check out these helpful posts on easy Food and Cookie Packaging Ideas, making Christmas Cookie Boxes, and Easy Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas (Food) for more inspiration.
- Use full fat ingredients- For the best taste and texture.
- Allow to cool to room temperature- If you are decorating, because otherwise your frosting and decorations will melt. Also, don't box warm cookies unless you want sweaty treats.
Recipe FAQs
It is likely you skipped the step of refrigerating the dough. Without that step, it can turn into a puddle instead of a cookie. Also, be sure to measure ingredients properly, because too much butter tends to have a similar effect.
These ones don't need to be refrigerated for up to 3 days .
Baking is a science, so be sure that all ingredients are measured properly. Otherwise they may be dry or doughy. Also, be careful not to overbake.
Storage
- Room temperature- Place in a cookie jar for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate- I don't recommend this because the moisture from the fridge can make the sugar topping sticky.
- Freeze- Uncoated cookie dough balls can be placed in a sealed container for up to 1 month. Thaw, coat in sugar, then bake and enjoy.
- Make ahead- You can make these 1 to 2 days in advance if just kept in a cookie jar. They can also be frozen for up to a month following the instructions above.
More cheese desserts
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie (Cheesecake)
- Spiced Chai Tiramisu Cake (No Bake)
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- New York Cheesecake (No Water Bath)
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars (4 Layers)
Recipe
Easy Ricotta Cheese Cookies (With Chocolate Chips)
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Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese Full fat
- ½ cup Butter Unsalted, Room temperature
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- ½ Granulated sugar
- 1 cup Chocolate chips Semisweet
- 1 Egg Large, Room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ cup Additional granulated sugar For rolling cookie dough balls
Instructions
- Add butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and beat everything together.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
- Add the ricotta cheese and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Dump this dry flour mixture into the wet mixture and mix everything until just combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and chill the dough for about an hour to make it easier to handle.
- Now, scoop out tablespoons of the cookie dough and drop them in a bowl filled with granulated sugar. Roll them around until they are properly coated.
- Place them on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until edges are slightly crispy and golden brown.
- Let them cool to room temperature and enjoy.
Notes
- Try different flavors of chocolate chips such as milk or white or dark.
- For spiced flavor, coat in cinnamon sugar. For fruity flavor, coat in powdered freeze dried strawberries or blueberries.
- Drizzle tops with melted chocolate or royal icing once these cookies cool to room temperature, if you like.
- Make sure to use unsalted butter to prevent these cookies from getting too salty.
- Chill the dough for at least an hour so that it’s easier to handle and not sticky.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Zahida Nayyer
they were very yummy and success with my children
Michelle
These are amazing! I Googled recipes using left over ricatto and found this recipe. I'm glad that I decided to bake these. You can not taste the cheese, Thank you.
Diane G
These Cookies are AMAZING...I followed the recipe exactly with perfect results..So light and delicious and this is my new recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies..The days of flat, hard Cookies are over. .I am so happy I found this site...Thanks a bunch!
Abeer Rizvi
You just made me so happy!
dona
Cookies are amazing!!! Can you freeze the cookies?
Abeer Rizvi
I wouldn't recommend freezing the baked cookies because the sugar coating will become sticky upon thawing. However, you can make cookie dough balls and store those in a sealed freezer bag until you are ready to bake.
Kat
Loved these cookies. Huge hit with everyone! Great idea on using ricotta.. and thanks for the nutritional info as well.
Abeer Rizvi
That's great to hear!
Jamie
Why do I need parchment paper? Can I just cook on cookie sheet?
Abeer Rizvi
I always use parchment paper for all my cookie recipes to prevent cookies from sticking to the pan.
Sobeida Rodriguez
These sound amazing! Would the cookie dough freeze well? I’m going to make a batch later but I’m thinking of freezing the dough to bake for another day.
Abeer Rizvi
I haven't tried freezing the dough to know how it would affect the cookies but if you try it, please let me know how it goes.
Bernie
Made these today. It took closer to 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Maybe they were larger than the recipe said. I used chocolate and white chips. Didn't have enough of either. Real soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Will make them again.
Abeer Rizvi
Happy to hear you enjoyed them! Yes, I like to make smaller cookies and if you make bigger sized cookies, the timing will vary a bit.
Rebecca Dugan
These are REALLY good. I have been baking for over 30 years,and this will be added to my list of favorites. I did not have any parchment paper and they were fine right on the cookie sheet.
Abeer Rizvi
I am delighted to hear you liked them and THANK YOU for your sweet feedback!
I also made cinnamon crinkle cookies, using the same recipe with minor modifications and my family loves those as well: https://cakewhiz.com/cinnamon-crinkle-cookies
Happy baking!
k
Made them exactly to recipe and they turned out beautifully- a crunch on the outside, light and airy on the inside. I made them pretty small and got 52 cookies out of this recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
Abeer Rizvi
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. I make mine very small too. Don't you just love that crunch?! Mmmmm!
lisa g.
Thats so funny! Cause every time I make chocolate chip cookies theyre so hard my teeth could break off! I must have been halucinating and got my cookies (choc chip rocks) from the back alley! So I been looking for your kind of recipe. Ive made vanilla bean ricotta cookies with vanilla bean glaze and they are AWESOME! I keep them in the fridge uncovered and theyre so moist and tender and the flavor multiplies as the days go by. Thanks for your recipe. I wonder how these would taste cold?
Abeer Rizvi
Hahahaha! It's amazing how ricotta cheese can add so much moisture and flavor to chocolate chip cookies! I personally like these cookies hot out of the oven but my little one likes them cold. So, I guess it's a personal preference