These Lemon Ricotta Cookies are soft, and tender, cake like cookies full of a bright lemon flavor, with the best lemon icing on top. This version gets the texture just right, with a super soft, and cakey cookie that is moist, and holds its ball shape when baked. The cookies stay soft for days, which makes them perfect for gifting, or making ahead!
These lemon cookies are a fun change from the usual chocolate heavy treats, and bring such a bright and cheerful flavor that works perfectly for the holidays, spring gatherings, or anytime you want a cookie that is a little lighter, but still delicious.
The ricotta cheese keeps these cookies incredibly soft, without making them dense, and the lemon juice, and lemon zest gives them a fresh, natural citrus flavor that is so bright and delicious!
The lemon glaze adds the perfect finishing touch, without over powering the cookie. It’s sweet, a little tangy, and soaks a little into the tops of the cookies, and makes them as pretty as they are delicious.
These Lemon Ricotta Cookies are a bright twist on classic Italian Ricotta Cookies, which are known for their soft cake like texture, and glaze on top. I think this lemon version might be my favorite of them all!
Why you should make these cookies
- Bright Lemon Flavor: A fresh and bright citrus flavor from the lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Soft Texture: The cookies are light and tender with a texture almost like a piece of cake. The cookies are soft and practically melt in your mouth.
- Make Ahead Friendly: They stay soft and light for days!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of some of the ingredients you’ll need for this Lemon Ricotta Cookie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- All Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cookies, and helps them hold their shape.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise so they’re nice and soft.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness to the cookies.
- Granulated Sugar: This sweetens the cookies and helps them stay soft.
- Ricotta Cheese: Use whole milk ricotta for the best richness. If your ricotta is extra wet, pat it dry with a paper towel. This is the key ingredient to keep the cookies moist and soft.
- Lemon: You’ll need fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Powdered Sugar: Mixed with lemon juice for a sweet and tangy glaze on top of the cookies.
How to make Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Step 1: Mix the Wet Ingredients. Add the softened butter and sugar to a large bowl and mix together for a couple minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the Ricotta Cheese, Egg, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, and Vanilla Extract and mix until just combined. It may look curdled, but it’ll be okay.
Step 2: Add in the Dry Ingredients. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until you have a super soft cookie dough. Place the bowl in the fridge and chill for at least two hours.
Step 3: Scoop the Cookies. Scoop the dough (which will still be kind of soft) into 1.5 Tablespoon portions (I used about 25g of dough per cookie.) and roll into balls. Place them on a lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
Step 4: Bake the Cookies. Bake the cookie until the tops are set and the bottoms are lightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely.
Step 5: Make the Icing. Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl until smooth. You want it thick enough it won’t drip too much down the cookies, but thin enough to spoon or dip.
Step 6: Add the Glaze: You can carefully dip the tops of the cookies into the icing, lift the cookie up out of the glaze and twirl it around a little so the extra icing drips back into the bowl. Place on a cooling rack to let the icing set. Top with sprinkles or fresh lemon zest if desired. You can also spoon the icing over the top of the cookies.
Tips and Tricks:
- Don’t Over Mix the Dough: After adding the flour and other dry ingredients, only mix the dough until just combined. Otherwise you could end up with dense and overly tough cookies.
- Do not Overbake the Cookies: Bake the cookies just until the tops are soft, and if you check the bottom edges they’ll be a light golden color. They’ll dry out quickly if they’re overbaked.
- Lemons: Zest your lemons first, then juice them. It is much easier to zest a whole lemon.
- Wet Ricotta: If your ricotta is very wet, drain it in a sieve for about 20 minutes, or press it lightly with paper towels to pat it dry.
Storage Instructions
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The icing will start to wrinkle after a couple days, so for the best appearance ice the cookies about an hour before serving. The un iced cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months, thaw them carefully at room temperature then ice them when you’re ready to serve.
These Lemon Ricotta Cookies are such a fresh cookie that will stand out on any dessert table. With their soft texture they feel extra special without actually being complicated to make! You’ll love them for the holidays, or when you just want to try something new!
More Lemon Cookies
- Lemon Snowball Cookies
- Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
- Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Lemon Coconut Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Cream Wafers // Like Mother Like Daughter
Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Ingredients
For the Lemon Ricotta Cookie Dough:
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (Softened)
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
- 1 large Egg
- 1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1-2 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest (optional)
Instructions
For the Lemon Ricotta Cookie Dough:
- Add the Butter and Granulated Sugar to a large mixing bowl and cream them together for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are light and fluffy. 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- Add in the Ricotta Cheese, Egg, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, and Vanilla Extract, and mix until just combined. The mixture may look a little curdled and chunky from the lemon juice, but its okay. 3/4 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, 1 large Egg, 1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice, 2 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add in the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined. Don't keep mixing or you will end up with dense cookies. 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder , 1/2 tsp Salt
- Cover the cookie dough and chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 1.5 Tablespoon portions (I measured mine out to be about 25g of dough) and roll into a smooth ball. Place the cookie dough balls onto the cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are set and the bottoms are lightly golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Lemon Glaze:
- Whisk together the Powdered Sugar and Lemon Juice in a small bowl for the glaze, until it is thick enough to spoon, but not drippy.1 cup Powdered Sugar, 1-2 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
- Dip the tops of each cookie into the lemon glaze, and swirl them around to cover the tops. Let any excess drip back into the bowl, and place them back onto the wire rack. You could also spoon the icing on top of the cookies.
- Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with additional lemon zest, if desired. 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest
Notes
- Don’t Over Mix the Dough: After adding the flour and other dry ingredients, only mix the dough until just combined. Otherwise you could end up with dense and overly tough cookies.
- Do not Overbake the Cookies: Bake the cookies just until the tops are soft, and if you check the bottom edges they’ll be a light golden color. They’ll dry out quickly if they’re overbaked.
- Lemons: Zest your lemons first, then juice them. It is much easier to zest a whole lemon.
- Wet Ricotta: If your ricotta is very wet, drain it in a sieve for about 20 minutes, or press it lightly with paper towels to pat it dry.
Nutrition
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