Keto Italian Ricotta Cookies offer a delightful low-carb twist on a beloved Italian classic. These sugar-free treats are celebrated for their exceptionally soft and tender texture, achieved by incorporating full-fat ricotta cheese into the dough. Topped with a simple sugar-free glaze and optionally adorned with keto-friendly sprinkles, these cookies are as visually appealing as they are delicious. Each serving of two cookies contains about 3 grams of net carbs, making them a guilt-free indulgence for those adhering to a ketogenic diet.
Why Keto Ricotta Cookies?
Many people following a ketogenic lifestyle find themselves missing traditional baked goods. This recipe aims to satisfy those cravings without compromising dietary goals. Unlike many almond flour cookies, these ones are soft, not crunchy.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's a breakdown of the key ingredients:
- Almond Flour: The base of the cookie, providing a gluten-free and low-carb alternative to traditional flour.
- Ricotta Cheese: Whole fat ricotta cheese is recommended for the best texture and flavor. It contributes to the cookie's signature soft texture.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor to the dough. Salted butter is used, so there's no salt added to the cookie dough.
- Sweetener: A granulated sweetener is needed for the cookies and a powdered sweetener for the glaze. Erythritol-based sweeteners are recommended.
- Eggs: Help bind the ingredients together. Adding another egg will result in more cake-like cookies if you'd like.
- Extracts: Vanilla extract is essential, and make sure you use a vanilla extract with no added sugar. You can also try different flavor extracts like almond or anise for a unique twist.
- Coconut Flour: A small amount of coconut flour helps improve the cookie's consistency.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Leavening agents that give the cookies a light and airy texture.
- Lemon or Orange Zest: A little citrus zest is classic in ricotta cookies.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy cream plus powdered sweetener creates a lovely white glaze.
- Sugar-Free Sprinkles (Optional): For a festive touch. You can also do chopped nuts or citrus zest.
Step-by-Step Recipe Guide
The cookies are made in three easy steps: making the dough, baking the dough, and glazing the tops. Photos are provided here to help you with making the recipe.
- Combine the wet ingredients: Beat the butter with the sweetener until well combined, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract until creamy. Lastly, beat in the ricotta and lemon zest.
- Add the dry ingredients: All at once, add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together until a dough forms and comes together. Add the dry flour mix into the creamed mixture until dough forms.
- Form the cookies: Roll dough into balls using about 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough per ball or use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop to form cookies. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheet(s). Drop scoops of dough about two inches apart on a lined baking sheet. With your palm, press down on the balls to flatten slightly. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Slightly flatten them out (as seen in our recipe video).
- Chill the dough (Recommended): I recommend freezing the cookie dough scoops for 10 to 15 minutes before baking to prevent them from becoming too flat. For the best results, freeze the scoops for ten to fifteen minutes.
- Bake the cookies: Bake 15 to 20 minutes, swapping the location of the baking trays if needed, until golden brown. Bake at 325 °F for 15 to 20 minutes, switching the pans partway through baking, until lightly browned. They will still be very soft. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. They should be lightly browned on bottom and sides but not over baked. Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking tray(s). Allow to cool on baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before removing as they are fragile when warm.
- 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. Mix melted butter with confectioner's sugar, almond extract and milk until creamy.
- 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. Dip the cookie top side down into glaze. (You can also spread the glaze on, and shake the cookie gently to even it out).
- Add sprinkles (Optional): Place on a cooling rack and optionally add sprinkles if desired. Put sprinkles on immediately. Let cookies set for about an hour.
- Cool and Store: Place on a cooling rack and optionally add sprinkles if desired. Store in a covered container for up to 4 days or 8 days in the fridge.
Tips for Success
- Ricotta Cheese: I used full fat ricotta for this recipe. There is no need to drain it in advance.
- Sweetener Choice: 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.
- Baking Time: They should be lightly browned on bottom and sides but not over baked.
Variations and Adaptations
- Flavor Extracts: 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 did not have keto sprinkles but sprinkled some crushed almonds on top.
- Nutty Addition: Add unsweetened coconut.
- Low FODMAP: When the ricotta cheese is strained well, there will be less lactose (the lactose is in the wet part of milk). For those of you trying to find a very low lactose ricotta cheese, and can’t find one low enough in lactose for your personal tolerance, another option to try is Friendship Farmer Cheese. This cheese option is very low lactose and has a similar consistency and flavor -slightly drier-than ricotta cheese. If you choose to try this-I might cut back on the gluten free flour blend a bit and use 2 cups.
Storage Instructions
- Store the cookies in a covered container on the counter for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 8 days.
- You can also freeze the unglazed cookies for several months. I recommend glazing them after thawing so it’s fresh and bright.
Common Issues and Solutions
- Flat Cookies: The primary reason for flat cookies is that the butter melts too fast in the oven. That's why it's best to chill the dough before baking.
- Cake-like Cookies: Adding another egg will result in more cake-like cookies so feel free to add in another if you'd like.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber. 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. Each serving of two cookies contains about 3 grams of net carbs.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ricotta Cheese on Keto?
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.
Make Ahead and Freeze
You can make the dough ahead of time and freeze until needed. It's best to freeze the dough in mounds. That way, you can just remove the exact number of cookies you want to bake. The baked cookies also freeze well. So if you want to make a big batch, just freeze what you can't eat right away. The baked cookies freeze well and can be stored for several months. I recommend glazing them after thawing so it’s fresh and bright.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto