Lemon Ricotta Cookies are the light and flavorful answer to your craving for a sweet treat.  The ricotta gives them a moist and soft result, while the brightness of lemon keeps them from feeling too heavy.  One bite is never enough with this favorite cookie recipe. 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

If you’ve never tried a ricotta cookie recipe, then this is definitely the one to begin your soon to be love of ricotta cookies.  The addition of lemon, and a light glaze on top, make these feel “fancy” without being time consuming or difficult to make. 

My Italian ricotta cookies are soft and chewy and always a big hit for cookie exchanges. This new recipe with a hint of lemon flavor is also a good choice for a cookie swap or dessert for a party any time of year. 

If lemon is your favorite flavor, you’ll love my lemon thumbprint cookies as another sweet treat idea!

How Does Ricotta Make A Moist Cookie?

Ricotta cheese is one of the mildest options in the dairy family.  That alone makes it ideal for baking or adding into other recipes. It doesn’t have a strong flavor, so it will take on the flavors around it instead.  

The moisture in the ricotta will help keep your cookie dough moist while cooking.  It is also a great binder that can, in some recipes, replace the egg if needed. For this recipe, it’s all about adding a thickness and moisture to the cookie dough. 

Do I Have To Use Fresh Lemon Juice?

There is a time and a place when using processed juice works, this recipe is not that time or place.  For the best flavor, you really need that real fresh lime juice and zest. Without it, the cookies will have a different lemon flavor that isn’t nearly as appealing. 

Have extra lemons and want to use them up?  You can make these cut out cookies and add a bit of juice in them for a brighter flavor. Another favorite you can add a bit of lemon to are the Mexican wedding cookies. 

Do I Need A Glaze On This Ricotta Cookies Recipe?

While I prefer to add a simple lemon and powdered sugar glaze to these cookies, you don’t have to add that.  They are absolutely delicious without the glaze. It just adds a little extra lemon flavor. 

If you do decide to use my glaze recipe for the cookies, you won’t be disappointed.  I do recommend you put the glaze on the cookies and let it dry just a bit before stacking them onto a tray or in a carrier to share.  Otherwise, the cookies will stick to each other and be a bit messy. 

Can Lemon Ricotta Cookies Be Frozen?

Yes!  This recipe makes a large batch, and that sometimes means they won’t be eaten before they get stale. In my house, that wouldn’t be a problem as they disappear almost as fast as they are baked!

If you know you can’t eat them all, you can definitely freeze the dough or the baked cookie.  I prefer freezing the dough and then baking when I am ready for more cookies. 

To freeze the dough, make your cookie balls, and flash freeze them on a baking sheet for about 1 hour.  Then, you can remove them from the baking sheet and drop them into a freezer storage bag you have labeled and dated.  This keeps them from sticking to each other, and makes it very easy to grab just a few at a time to bake for a treat. 

If you want to freeze already baked cookies, just put them into a labeled and dated freezer storage bag and lay flat in your freezer so they don’t get broken. 

Yield: 40-46 cookies

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Print

Similar to Italian ricotta cookies, but with a lightly sweetened with a hint of citrus. These lemon ricotta cookies are perfect treat for the whole year.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 container (15 ounce) ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested - about 1 tablespoon
• Glaze:
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested - about 1 tablespoon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
5. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each until well combined
6. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice and zest, beat to combine
7. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and well combined
8. Drop cookies evenly onto cookie sheet using a tablespoon or cookie dough scoop
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden and firm on the edges
10. Remove and transfer to cooling rack
11. Cool completely

Glaze:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest and until smooth
2. Spread over cooled cookies
3. Let glaze harden before storing cooking in an airtight container
4. Store at room temperature or in refrigerator 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

46

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 80 Total Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 9mg Sodium: 89mg Carbohydrates: 18g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 12g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 1g

Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.