Lemon Ricotta Cookies – These lemon infused cake-like Ricotta Cookies are soft, light, moist and totally addicting!  Topped with a simple sweet lemon glaze, these Italian Ricotta Cookies are sure to become a favorite!

Ricotta cookies are like small cake bites, soft, tender and not overly sweet. The lemon glaze adds the perfect hint of tartness and sweetness to these lemon cookies. Although I am not a fan of glazes, in this particular cookie recipe the glaze is a must.

The first time I had Italian Ricotta Cookies was at a friends house. They were delicate and incredibly tasty. I didn’t know their name and was shocked to learn they were made with ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese? You mean the stuff that goes into a lasagna? what? Well, I am here to tell you, these lemon cookies do not taste like cheese and don’t have a hint of savory in them!

How To Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies

• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or into a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer.
• Cream the mixture together on medium speed until creamy and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined.
• Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat on low speed until combined.
• Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
• Spoon the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You want to leave about 2 inches between each cookie as they will expand a bit.
• Bake and when done, let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Making the Lemon Glaze

Ingredients: Powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

• Stir together the glaze ingredients until the mixture becomes smooth.
• If needed, add additional lemon juice until you reach a desired consistency. The glaze should be easy to spread and not too runny.

Glazing the Lemon Ricotta Cookies

• Place the cooling rack over a baking sheet for easy clean up.
• Spoon the lemon glaze over each cookie. Use a butter knife or icing spatula to spread the icing.
• If you would like you can decorate the cookies by adding sparkling sugar and sprinkles at this point.
• Let the glaze set for a couple of hours before storing or transporting the cookies.

Other Dessert Recipes:

• Lemon Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze
• Lemon Poke Cake
• Homemade Peach Crisp
• Shortbread Lemon Bars
• Easy Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

Print

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

By: Chef Kathy McDaniel

4.84 from 6 reviews

This Lemon Ricotta Cookies are soft, light, moist and totally addicting!  Topped with sweet and tangy lemon glaze.

Servings: 38 cookies

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Inactive Time: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Ingredients 

For the Ricotta Cookies

• ▢ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
• ▢ 2 cups sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 lemon

For the Lemon Glaze

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon zest

OPTIONAL

• ▢ Sparkling Sugar
• ▢ Sprinkles

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

To Make the Cookies:

• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
• In an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle or a handheld mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until creamy and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time,and with the mixer on low beat until well combined. Scrape the size of the bowl as needed.
• Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat on low speed until combined. Gradually, stir in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. 
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie.
• Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden around the bottom edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze:

• Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add extra lemon juice if needed until the glaze reaches the right consistency.
• Spoon the lemon glaze over each cookie. Use a knife to gently spread if needed. 

  Sprinkle with decorating sugar and/or colored sprinkles. Let the glaze set for about 2 hours. 

Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram @lemonblossomsblog and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below!

Recipe Notes

• Chilling the dough for 20 minutes in the refrigerator prevents the cookies from getting too flat when baked. Although this is not a necessary step in the recipe, if you have time you can certainly do it.
• You can make the cookie dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the dough for up to 2 to 3 months.
• Recipe adapted from Giada’s Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Amount Per Serving

Calories 134 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 20mg7%

Sodium 95mg4%

Potassium 40mg1%

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Sugar 15g17%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 135IU3%

Vitamin C 2.5mg3%

Calcium 32mg3%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Italian