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These lemon ricotta cookies are a lemon lover’s dream come true! They are soft, moist, and drizzled with amazingly fresh lemon glaze. You will want to serve these up every chance that you get!
That lovely and bright taste brought by a lemon never gets old! Lemon is the most versatile ingredient, and I Iove using it in all meal courses! Try out this lemon salad, this lemon pasta, and these amazing lemon potatoes.
Lemon Ricotta Cookie Recipe
These cookies have a secret ingredient (well, not so secret since it’s in the title) that makes them the perfect texture. That ingredient is ricotta. I’ve used ricotta in some lemon pancakes before, and the end result is fantastic every time! Think soft, creamy, and moist all at the same time. Once you add in the ricotta and mix in some lemon flavor, these cookies have just the right amount of subtle lemon tang to keep you wanting to come back for more!
These cookies not only taste amazing, but they are actually really simple to make. In fact, you probably already have most of the stuff on hand. These are like a bite-size, handheld lemon cake mixed with a cookie. They make my mouth water just thinking about them! Be careful, though… the lemon glaze is so good that you might just want to lick that bowl clean. So save some room for the actual cookies after they are baked!
Ingredients You Need to Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Ok, so you know there is lemon and ricotta in these, but what else is there?? All of your standard cooking ingredients are in these cookies, so go ahead and whip some up. And save some for later (they freeze so well)! Check out the exact measurements on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Cookies
- Flour: I used all purpose flour in this recipe.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These will help the cookies to rise and have a soft texture.
- Salt: The salt enhances all of the flavors in the recipe.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter that has been softened to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar: Good cookies always have sugar in them! Yum!
- Eggs: Set your eggs out so that they are at room temperature before mixing and they will combine better with the other ingredients.
- Ricotta Cheese: I like to make sure that the ricotta cheese is whole milk and not a lower fat content.
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: This will add that tangy, lemon flavor to the acual cookie dough!
Glaze
- Powdered Sugar: I always use this to make a glaze because it is sweet and dissolves into a smooth texture.
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: These bring the perfect amount of lemon flavor to the glaze!
Let’s Make Some Lemon Ricotta Cookies!
These cookies are super simple to make! Just make sure that you leave enough time to fit in the necessary chilling of the dough. The rest is quick and easy!
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl combine and whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each time until combined. Add the ricotta, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat until combined.
- Combine and CHILL: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just barely combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Scoop Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons (you can use a cookie scoop) of the chilled dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, until the cookies are cooked through but aren’t browning. Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for an additional 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Glaze
- Combine: In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Drizzle: Gently spoon about ½ teaspoon of glaze on each cookie. Let the glaze harden before serving.
Toppings, Mix-In’s and Variations
Lemon goes with everything, so adding things into these lemon ricotta cookies and changing things up to fit your needs are super easy! Here are a few ideas that you can try:
- Almonds: Lemons and almonds complement each other so well! Try adding some sliced almonds to the top of the glaze before it hardens and they will stick! Add a splash of almond extract to the dough to really take it up a notch.
- Blueberries: These two (lemon and blueberries) are a match made in heaven! Add some to the dough or add them as a garnish just before eating.
- Juice: If you are out of lemons but want some zesty cookies, then try using oranges or limes instead! It makes a totally different cookie but it’s also very delicious!
Leftover Tips
Lemon ricotta cookies store so well in the fridge and the freezer. So double the batch and you can have them on hand anytime you need them!
- In the Refrigerator: Once your cookies have cooled then store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last about a week!
- In the Freezer: Place your cooked cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag and label it with the date. Your cookies will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
More Delicious Lemon Desserts
Lemon desserts are my all time favorites and man, do I have some more good ones to share with you!! Check out some more of these tried and true favorites. You won’t be able to resist them and I bet the hardest part will be just picking out your favorite!
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Lemon Ricotta Cookies with a Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter Softened
- 1 ¾ Cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs Room Temperature
- 15 Ounces Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
Glaze
- 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each time until combined. Add the ricotta, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just barely combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of the chilled dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the cookies are cooked through but aren’t browning. Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for an additional 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Glaze
- In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Gently spoon about ½ teaspoon of glaze on each cookie. Let the glaze harden before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I make these cookies at Christmas time and give them out and everybody loves them I have done it with orange zest and orange flavoring which is also a good twist