Ricotta Cloud Squares with Almond Crunch (Printable)

Light, fluffy ricotta squares with sweet crunchy almond topping—perfect for dessert or special snacking.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

01 - 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1/4 cup whole milk
05 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
07 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Almond Crunch Topping

10 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds
11 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
12 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
03 - In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
04 - Gradually fold dry ingredients into ricotta mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
05 - Pour batter into prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
06 - In a small bowl, combine sliced almonds, sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
07 - Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is golden and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
08 - Cool completely in pan before lifting out and slicing into 12 squares.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly light, like eating a sweet cloud that still satisfies your dessert cravings
  • That almond topping creates the most perfect crunchy contrast to the tender base
  • They come together in under an hour but taste like something from a fancy pastry case
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will make these dense instead of cloud-like, so fold gently and stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The topping might look like too much when you are sprinkling it on, but it settles perfectly into the batter while baking
03 -
  • Room temperature ricotta whisks into the batter much more smoothly, so take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start
  • Watch the almonds closely during the last 5 minutes of baking, as they can go from golden to dark quickly

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