Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Brighten up your world with a burst of citrusy bliss with these easy-to-make and delectably delicious Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies! With their soft melt-in-your-mouth texture and perfect balance of tangy to sweet, these lemon cookies are a true delight! Whether you serve them alongside your favorite hot beverage or take them to your next family gathering, they are sure to be a hit!

Jump to:

• 🌟 Why this is the best Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies recipe
• 📝  Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions
• 🎓 Expert tips
• 🥣 Equipment notes
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🍪 More Cookie Recipes
• Lemon Ricotta Cookies

🌟 Why this is the best Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies recipe

1. Irresistible texture:  Almost like cake, these cookies are soft, moist, and airy! With every bite, it's a delicious combination of creamy ricotta and fluffy goodness.
2. Burst of lemon flavor: Loaded with fresh citrus flavor, these tart lemon ricotta cookies are perfect for lemon lovers! They offer a vibrant burst of lemon flavor with just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the tang. 
3. Easy cookie recipe: The recipe doesn't require any fancy ingredients or baking skills! So whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice, you can effortlessly whip up a batch to impress your friends and family.
4. Versatile recipe: Lemon takes the spotlight in this ricotta cookie recipe, but feel free to experiment with other citrus fruits like limes and oranges. Or, stir in a variety of mix-ins like nuts, white chocolate, freshly grated ginger, or coconut flakes!

📝  Ingredient notes

For the ricotta cookies

1. Unsalted Butter: Make sure the butter is at room temperature for easy incorporation into the cookie dough and always use unsalted butter to control the amount of added salt. You can even use homemade butter!
2. Granulated Sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness and helps to create a tender. To learn more, my sugar guide covers the differences between granulated sugar vs. cane sugar.
3. Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract is best to infuse the cookies with aromatic flavor. 
4. Egg: It helps to bind the dough. The egg needs to be at room temperature. You can learn more about what eggs do in baking here.
5. Ricotta Cheese: The star ingredient that gives these cookies their soft and creamy texture! It’s important to use full-fat whole milk ricotta cheese at room temperature. Make my Sicilian Ricotta Pie, with any leftover ricotta!
6. Lemon Juice: Using fresh lemon juice is a must! It gives the cookies a lovely tart lemony taste.
7. Lemon Zest: Incorporating fresh lemon zest into the dough helps to intensify the lemon flavor. Yet, if you used bottled lemon juice, you can easily use a lemon zest substitute. 
8. All-Purpose Flour: Brings the dough together and provides structure. Simple all purpose flour can be used to make almost any kind of cookie recipes.
9. Baking Powder: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the cookies to rise and become light and fluffy. You can find a baking powder substitute here if you don’t have any on hand.
10. Salt: Just a pinch enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

For the lemon glaze

1. Powdered Sugar: Used to sweeten and form the base of the glaze, be sure to sift your powdered sugar to ensure a smooth consistency. In a pinch, you can use a substitute for powdered sugar if needed.
2. Lemon Juice: You will need a tablespoon lemon juice and preferably fresh juice to thin out the glaze and give it a burst of lemon flavor!

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. How to make Lemon Ricotta Cookies

1. Whip the room-temperature butter together with the sugar using an electric hand mixer until it’s light and fluffy. Now, whip in the egg and vanilla.
2. Whip the ricotta cheese and lemon zest into the butter mixture. Next, add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice slowly as you continue to whip.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the wet ingredients. Now, use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients. Be very careful not to overmix.
4. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5. Use a spoon or cookie scooper to place 1 tablespoon portions of the ricotta cookie dough onto the baking sheets. The cookies should be spaced at least 2 inches apart to give them room to puff up.
6. Put the baking sheets in the fridge to let the cookies chill for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 1 day.
7. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 347°F (no fan).
8. Transfer the chilled cookies to the preheated oven and bake them for about 13 minutes. They should still be pale on top but fully baked on the bottom. So you need to pay close attention while they are in the oven. 
9. Allow the lemon ricotta cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.

💡 Top Tip: If the dough seems too runny to scoop the cookies, do not add extra flour. Just put the dough in the fridge to firm up a bit and then scoop the cookies.

2. Glazing the cookies

1. Whisk together fresh lemon juice and sifted powdered sugar together in a small bowl. The glaze should not be overly thick or runny. If it is, just add more juice or powdered sugar.
2. Use a spoon or piping bag to apply the glaze on top of the cookies. Then sprinkle each cookie with a bit of lemon zest.
3. Store the lemon ricotta cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

💡 Top Tip: Apply the lemon zest to the ricotta cookies while the glaze is still wet and hasn’t had time to set and harden.

🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions

These cookies are undeniably delicious, however, you can easily customize the recipe to craft new flavors. Swap out the lemons for limes or oranges to infuse the cookies with a different citrus twist. To add an aromatic touch, incorporate a little culinary lavender into the dough. For an extra bit of zing, grate fresh ginger into the dough. Or, indulge by folding in decadent chunks of white chocolate!

To enhance the texture, mix in chopped almonds or pistachios for a nutty crunch. Fold some shredded coconut into the dough for a tropical twist. For an even creamier cookie, skip the lemon glaze and top your cookies with my cream cheese frosting.

And if you have any dietary restrictions or you’d like to make vegan lemon ricotta cookies. You can find a butter substitute, ricotta cheese substitute, and egg substitute in these baking substitute guides. You can learn even more about the science behind baking by checking out my baking guides.

If you love Italian desserts, why not also try these Italian Sesame Cookies recipe from Jenn?

🎓 Expert tips

1. Make sure the butter, ricotta cheese, and egg are at room temperature before you begin. This is imperative for proper emulsification.
2. For the best results, use high-fat ricotta cheese and drain it if it seems overly watery.
3. Always use a rubber spatula to combine the wet and dry ingredients to prevent overmixing. 
4. You must chill the cookies before baking them or they will turn out flat like pancakes. But if they do, here are some ways to save flat cookies.
5. Make sure to space your cookies at least 2 inches apart, so they have room to puff up.
6. Be careful not to overbake the cookies. They should still be pale on top. But if you do have a baking mishap, here’s how to soften hard cookies.
7. The cookies must be completely cool before applying the glaze or it will melt.

🥣 Equipment notes

These easy lemon ricotta cookies are a breeze to make! However, being equipped with a few handy tools will greatly enhance your baking experience! 

A digital scale is essential for the most precise measurements and a digital oven thermometer helps to ensure that your cookies are baked at the right temperature.

An electric hand mixer is also super helpful for whipping the butter and sugar into a light and fluffy mixture! And rubber spatula is the best tool to gently fold the ingredients without over-mixing the dough.  

After the delicious Italian ricotta cookies are baked, you need a cooling rack to cool them properly. Then to decorate, using a piping bag to apply the glaze will make the process a lot less messy!

❓Recipe FAQs

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