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Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies
These Lemon Ricotta Cookies are soft, tender, and wonderfully fresh, almost like little clouds with a hint of sunshine. The ricotta keeps them moist and creamy, while the bright lemon zest adds a lively, fragrant touch that makes every bite feel light and joyful. Each cookie hits the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and aromatic.
The dough comes together in minutes using everyday ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, ricotta, butter, and fresh lemons. Finish them with a drizzle of lemon glaze, and you get a glossy, citrusy touch that makes these treats irresistible.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Cooling & Glazing Time 20 minutes
Total Time 54 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookies
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (240 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze
  • 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
  • 3 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Instructions
 

  1. Preheat the Oven
    Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients
    In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar
    In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add Wet Ingredients
    Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy.
  5. Combine
    Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir until just combined — the dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
  6. Scoop and Bake
    Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between cookies.
    Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set.
  7. Cool
    Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Glaze
    In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest until smooth. Drizzle or spoon the glaze over the cooled cookies. Let set for about 15 minutes.

Notes

Use whole-milk ricotta: It gives the cookies their rich, creamy texture. Low-fat ricotta can make them drier. If your ricotta seems watery, drain it for 10–15 minutes in a fine sieve before using.
Fresh lemons make all the difference: Don’t skip the zest — it’s where most of the lemon flavor lives. One large lemon usually gives about a tablespoon of zest.
Don’t overmix the dough: Mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing can make the cookies dense instead of light and tender.
Scoop evenly: Use a small cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon so the cookies bake evenly.
Let them cool completely before glazing: Warm cookies can melt the glaze and make it runny. Patience pays off here!
Adjust the glaze consistency: Add more lemon juice for a thinner drizzle or a bit more powdered sugar for a thicker coating.