Lemon Ricotta Cookies

These Lemon Ricotta Cookies are silky soft, bursting with lemon flavor and are topped with a lemon glaze. 

Ricotta is a smooth and creamy cheese that is actually very low in sodium. Because of this, it’s the perfect addition to sweet and savory dishes. I use this ingredient in many of my recipes such as my zucchini ricotta pasta recipe, lasagna soup with herbed ricotta, and my skillet lasagna recipe.

Why This Recipe Works

• Like Giada lemon ricotta cookies. Have you ever had the famous Giada lemon ricotta cookies? They are so pillowy soft and bursting with lemon flavor. This recipe brings those amazing textures and flavors into your own kitchen! 
• Packed with delicious (and nutritious) ricotta cheese. Did you know that ricotta cheese is high in calcium, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids? It also provides additional vitamins and minerals such as zinc and Vitamin A. This creamy cheese is naturally low in sodium and can be paired with sweet or savory dishes. 
• Ultimate lemon flavor. These lemon cookies with ricotta have a prominent lemon flavor. This is thanks to using lemon juice and lemon zest! The lemon zest helps brings out the lemon flavor in the cookies. The glaze also uses both, and with the fresh zest in the glaze you get a beautiful lemon flavor right when the cookies touch your mouth! 

Ingredient Notes

• Flour: A previous version of this recipe had less flour. I’ve reworked the recipe and added more flour to help the consistency of the cookie dough be better. 
• Baking Powder: The baking powder is the leavening agent for these lemon cookies with ricotta. When baked, the cookies will puff up a bit and have a light, fluffy texture. 
• Unsalted Butter: If using salted butter instead of unsalted, reduce the amount of salt 1/4 of a teaspoon per 1/2 cup of butter in the recipe. 
• Eggs: Use room temperature eggs to help them incorporate into the cookie dough better. 
• Ricotta Cheese: Let the ricotta cheese come to room temperature to help it incorporate into the cookie dough better.
• Powdered Sugar: Add more or less powdered sugar to the lemon glaze to get the consistency you want. It isn’t a frosting (although you surely could make it thick enough to be frosting like), so you want it to run off the sides of the cookies. 
• Lemon Juice: The lemon juice will be used in the lemon cookie with ricotta and the lemon glaze. 
• Lemon Zest: Adding lemon zest (in addition to the lemon juice) will help the lemon flavor really come through! 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. 
2. Cream together wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed (using a hand or stand mixer) until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
3. Add the ricotta and lemon. Add in the ricotta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until combined. 

4. Add in the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients mixture. Mix until just combined.  
5. Bake. Using a 2 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375ºF for 13-15 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are barely golden and the centers gently spring back when touched. 
6. Remove and let cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

7. Make the lemon glaze. Once the cookies are cooled, whisk the ingredients for the glaze together until smooth.
8. Glaze the cookies. Set the wire rack over the baking sheet or on top of parchment paper and top the cookies with glaze. The glaze should run off the sides of the cookies onto the parchment paper or baking sheet. 

Recipe Tips

The lemon ricotta cookie dough will be softer than a traditional chocolate chip cookie dough. 

Be careful not to over mix the cookie dough when adding the dry ingredients to the wet. Over mixing at this stage will create a tough structure within the cookie dough which will affect the bake and texture of the cookies. 

Nestle a cooling rack over a baking sheet; place the cooled cookies on the rack and then gently spoon about 1-2 teaspoons of the glaze over each cookie. Having the baking sheet underneath the rack makes the clean up easy.

Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours so that the glaze can set.

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

To make the dough ahead of time, cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scoop onto baking sheets and bake as directed.

Don’t make the lemon glaze in advance. It will begin to set, so do it after the cookies have been removed from the oven and have already cooled.

Store the lemon cookies with ricotta in an airtight container. Glazed cookies will stay fresh at room temperature for 2 days and up to one week if stored in the refrigerator.

To freeze the cookies, freeze before glazing. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. The cookies will stay in the freezer for 1-2 months. For better results, wrap each cookie in plastic wrap prior to storing in the container or bag. 

Recipe FAQs

More Lemon Recipes

• Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
• Moist Lemon Poppy Seed Cake 
• Lemon Bar Cake
• Lemon Cookies
• Lemon Sour Cream Pie

 

This recipe was re-tested and adjusted March 22, 2022. I made adjustments to the amount of flour used in the dough, and reduced the amount of powdered sugar used in the glaze. I also eliminated the instruction to “chill” the dough prior to baking. It doesn’t need it!