Name: Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup flour; 3/4 cup sugar; 1 cup ricotta; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1 egg; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 lemon; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; Optional: 5 drops lemon essential oil

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Lemon ricotta cookies drizzled with a light glaze and topped with lemon zest make such an elegant, airy spring dessert! Soft and pillowy, these cookies are sure to add a bit of sunshine to your day.

lemon ricotta cookies on plate with pink flower

Who doesn’t love cookies? Everybody has to have at least 1 kind of cookie they love, whether it be chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or snickerdoodle. For me, it just might be these lemon ricotta cookies. They’re sweet but also bright and tangy – perfect for a spring treat. Give this recipe a try and see for yourself!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Lemon Ricotta Cookies sound so fancy, but they are also really easy to make. The hardest part is waiting while the cookie dough sits in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 🙂
The ricotta makes these cookies so light and fluffy – it’s like eating a cloud of sunshine!
These cookies use lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon essential oil for an extra citrusy flavor.
It’s easy to make these cookies ahead of time and pop them in the oven whenever you like – perfect for when a friend stops by or when you need a little sweet treat.

Do Lemon Ricotta Cookies need to be refrigerated?

Even though these cookies have ricotta cheese, they don’t need to be refrigerated after you bake them. You can store them safely in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Can you freeze Lemon Ricotta Cookies?

You can freeze the cookie dough before baking the cookies – perfect for when you need an easy, quick treat. After you bake and glaze the cookies, you can freeze them in an air-tight container between sheets of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to each other. When you want to de-thaw the cookies, transfer them to the refrigerator for a few hours.

Tips for making Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Using lemon essential oil packs a concentrated punch of lemon flavor that makes these cookies taste so bright! If you don’t have any on hand though, it’s ok, the cookies will still be yummy, just sweeter.
To prevent the cookies from spreading out while baking, make sure to refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before you bake.
If you want, you can also freeze the cookie dough. Just make sure to scoop the cookie dough into balls, put them on parchment paper, and freeze until set. Then transfer the cookies to a ziplock bag or other air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to bake them, let the cookies sit out on the counter while the oven preheats to de-thaw a bit. They may need a little extra time in the oven too.
Save the cookies in an air-tight container for 3-4 days, although they definitely taste best the day you bake them.

Tools you will need

To make these cookies, you’ll need a two bowls, a baking tray, parchment paper, and a handheld mixer or stand mixer.

Ingredients you will need

1 1/4 cup flour – All purpose flour works best.
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup ricotta – You can use whole milk or skim milk ricotta.
1/2 cup butter, softened – If you forget to set out the butter for a few hours before hand, you can heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften. 🙂
1 egg – Room temperature is best if you can remember to set it out for a few hours ahead of time.
2 tsp baking powder
1 lemon – Make sure to wash it well as you’ll be using the lemon zest for garnish.
1/2 cup powdered sugar – aka confectioners’ sugar.
Optional: 5 drops lemon essential oil – This helps enhance the lemon flavor, but it’s not absolutely necessary if you don’t have any.

How to make Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Cream together the softened butter and sugar with a handheld mixer, until it becomes light and fluffy.

Add in the egg and mix it into the cookie dough batter until combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Gently pour into bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Zest the lemon and set the zest aside. Next, cut and juice the lemon. Reserve 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice for the frosting, then add the rest of the juice to the cookie batter along with half of the lemon zest. You can also add in the lemon essential oil now if using it.

Fold in the ricotta with a spatula, making sure not to overmix the batter.

Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough, putting the balls of cookie dough on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. The dough will be pretty sticky, so using a cookie scoop will make this easier.

Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the cookies for 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

While the cookies bake, whisk together the powdered sugar and remaining lemon juice to make a glaze for the cookies.

Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle with the lemon glaze and top with lemon zest.

Looking for more spring dessert recipes?

If so, make sure to head over to the Kitchen Counter for fun and easy treats. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

If you make these this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.