Lemon ricotta cookies are wonderfully airy, loaded with bright lemon flavor, and have just the right amount of sweetness. Topped with a creamy glaze and nonpareils sprinkles, these Italian cookies are always a hit for the holidays!
Lemon ricotta cookies, also known as Italian ricotta cookies are a favorite in our home.
These cookies are incredibly easy to make, are loaded with wonderful citrus flavor, and remind me a bit of a mini Italian cheesecake (minus the effort).
Depending on the season I’ll top them with different colored nonpareils, or even lemon zest.
These ricotta cookies, much like our lemon blueberry ricotta cake and our orange olive oil cake, are a must for the citrus lover in your life!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- The ricotta. Ricotta can be very wet depending on the brand you buy. Brands like Galbani tend to be on the drier side and work better for this recipe. If the ricotta you do have is very moist, draining it through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve for a few hours will help eliminate the extra moisture.
- Sprinkles. Any color will do, but it’s nice to change it up for Christmas and Easter.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl combine 4 cups (520g) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside.
- In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 1 cup (226g) of room-temperature butter and 2 cups (400g) of sugar on medium speed (about 2 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add two eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat on medium until incorporated. Add 15 ounces (426g) of ricotta cheese, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and continue to beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add the flour mixture a little at a time while beating on a low speed just until everything is incorporated.
- The dough will be quite sticky and thick.
- Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, begin to drop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls of the dough onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart and place in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
- The cookies should be lightly golden on the edges. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Repeat the process for the remaining cookies.
- When the cookies are cool, begin to make your glaze. In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups (260g) confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup (57g) melted butter, 1/4 cup (60 grams) heavy cream, 1 pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until well combined and smooth. The perfect consistency is not runny but also not too thick. If the mixture is too loose, add a bit more sugar; if it’s too thick, add a touch more cream.
- Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and place back on the parchment paper to be decorated.
- Decorate each ricotta cookie with nonpareils sprinkles or lemon zest, if desired. Be sure to do the decorating before the glaze hardens so that they stick and hold. Allow the glaze to firm up before storing the cookies. Enjoy!
Top tips
- The dough. Lemon ricotta cookie dough is very sticky and can be hard to work with if you’re using a spoon to drop the cookies onto the baking sheet. For this reason, I suggest using a cookie scoop as it makes the process so much easier.
- Decorating. These cookies look great when decorated with the glaze and a sprinkle of lemon zest or nonpareils. Depending on the time of year or venue you can certainly get creative with how you decorate the cookies. Make sure to get the decorations on before the glaze firms up otherwise they won’t stick. And be sure to let the glaze harden before packing the cookies up for storage.
More Italian cookies
If you love Italian cookies as much as we do, give these other recipes a try.
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Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Lemon ricotta cookies are wonderful little cookies filled with bright citrus flavor and airy texture. Topped with a creamy glaze and sprinkles, these cookies are perfect around the holidays but good enough to eat all year long!
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 15 ounces (426g) ricotta cheese drained and at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest plus more for decoration if desired
- 4 cups (520g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the glaze and decoration
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter melted
- 2 cups (260g) confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 2-3 tablespoons sprinkles optional
Instructions
For the cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed (about 2 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Add both eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat on medium until incorporated.
- Add the ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon zest and continue to beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Begin to add the flour mixture to the ricotta and butter mixture a little at a time while beating on a low speed until the mixture just until everything is incorporated. Don't overmix. The dough will be sticky and thick.
- Using a scooper or spoon, begin to drop 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls of the dough onto the parchment paper about 2 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.
- Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
For the glaze and decoration
- In a large bowl whisk together the confectioner's sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth. The consistency should not be runny but not too thick where it won't spread. If the mixture is too loose, add more sugar until you achieve the desired consistency. If too thick, add a bit more heavy cream.
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, begin to dip the top of the cookie into the glaze and add sprinkles or lemon zest, if desired.
- Allow the glaze to firm up on the cookies before packing or storing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Some ricotta brands are wetter than others. It’s a good idea to drain the ricotta through a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve for a few hours to remove extra moisture.
- The dough will be quite sticky. Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop will help the scooping process.
- If the glaze is too thin, add more sugar; if the glaze is too thick, add a little more cream.
- Be sure to use the sprinkles or zest while the glaze is still wet.
- Allow the glaze to fully harden before storing the cookies. Placing them in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes can help speed up the process.
- This recipe was written for a conventional oven. For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness at the 75% mark.
- Lemon ricotta cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days and up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 5.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 13.8g | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can I chill this recipe before baking?
Yes.
Jim I really like this recipe for lemon ricotta cookies. I have a large container of ricotta. How do I measure out 15 oz? For the dry measuring cup or a wet measuring cup?
Hi Rosemary, 15 ounces of ricotta is typically 1 3/4 cups, but you can ensure 100% accuracy if you use a kitchen scale to weigh it.
Love getting your recipes.
Want to go on Keto.
Can I substitute almond flour for all-purpose ?
Splenda for sugar?
Dark chocolate chips for sprinkles?
Happy holidays.
Hi Ellie, we haven’t tested this recipe using the substitutions you’ve asked about so we can’t say for sure how it would turn out or what the subbed amounts would be (they wouldn’t be 1:1 swaps). You’d likely be better off searching for a keto-specific food blog/recipe rather than trying to make substitutions with ours.
Can I freeze the dough and then bake later on?
Yes, you can.
I made these several months ago and threw them unglazed in the freezer. My husband now calls them “ice cream” cookies and has given them to everyone that comes over. I am now getting requests for them..thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!
We’re so happy you enjoyed these, Teddie!
This is a great recipe, just like the one I have had for years from Mom’s friend Barbara. Barb brought them to every party and now I make them for every gathering, too. I live in the Midwest now and the cookies are always such a huge hit, as most folks haven’t tried them and everyone falls in love. EAST COAST RECIPES always beloved. Thanks for sharing!
We’re so happy you love these, Colleen!
Do these cookies freeze well? I do remember having these cookies at a Christmas and Easter and they are so delicious!
The cookies themselves freeze well but the glaze and sprinkles won’t be as good if frozen. You might be better off freezing the cookies and then glazing afterwards. I’m so happy you liked the recipe!