It's no secret that Giada's lemon ricotta cookies are one of her most famous and beloved recipes, and this spin on the classic is perfect for fall. Lemon is swapped out for pumpkin and warm spices for an autumnal treat that brings on all the fall feelings. 

These cookies are light, fluffy, and perfectly moist - they taste a bit like little muffin tops or bites of pumpkin loaf. Pumpkin spice lovers, welcome to your new favorite cookie!

pumpkin ricotta cookies
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Pumpkin Ricotta Cookies

Category

Dessert

Prep Time

20 minutes

Image of Pumpkin Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients

    For The Cookies:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin, (such as Libby’s)

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)

  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides if needed. Add the ricotta cheese and pumpkin, and beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated, being careful to not over-mix.
  4. Spoon the dough onto the baking sheets using 2 tablespoons for each cookie. Bake for 13-15 minutes until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
  5. While the cookies cool, combine the powdered sugar, water, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the glaze onto each cooled cookie and use the back of the spoon to spread it to the edges. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies in an airtight container.
nut free
vegetarian