The first time I tried a ricotta cookie I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Once you’ve tried one of these pillowy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, you’ll never be the same.
And, you know me. If I can add lemon to something, lemon is being added. And so we have Lemon Ricotta Cookies that get a double dose of lemon, both in the cookie and in the frosting.
Even my brother-in-law, who literally lives to tease me about my lemon fetish, went in for seconds and thirds of these cookies.
Oh, and they’re the easiest holiday cookie you’re going to make this year. Let’s get into it!
What are ricotta cookies?
Italian ricotta cookies are an absolute classic. It’s the copious quantities of butter and ricotta cheese that makes them super soft, moist, and fluffy.
Most commonly, you’ll find Italian ricotta cookies made with almond extract instead of, or in addition to, vanilla. Almond flavor also traditionally appears in the frosting.
If you love the flavor of almond, try the following modifications to this recipe:
- Swap out the vanilla extract for almond extract in the cookie batter and omit the lemon zest
- Replace the lemon juice with almond extract in the frosting
But if you love lemon…. stick with me, my friends.
What is in these Lemon Ricotta Cookies
The ingredients list for these fluffy bites of magic is short and sweet. Here’s what you’ll need:
- all-purpose flour
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- ricotta cheese
- lemon zest
- baking powder
- salt
To make a gluten free version of these cookies, simply swap out the all-purpose flour for a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend. A 1-to-1 blend means that you can use the gluten free flour in the same amounts as regular flour.
How to make Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Making these holiday beauties couldn’t be easier. Mix your butter, eggs, ricotta, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in one bowl. Then, mix your flour, salt and baking powder in another.
Put ’em all together and drop the batter in big spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.
No chilling, no rolling, no cutting into shapes. Told ya it was easy.
The frosting will be loose, so instead of trying to spread it onto the cookies, I like to dip the tops of the cookies into the bowl of frosting. Then just let it set for a few minutes.
The recipe for these Lemon Ricotta Cookies makes dozens of them – perfect to bring to a cookie exchange or to wrap as gifts. One thing is for sure – everyone who is lucky enough to try them will love them!
If you make these Lemon Ricotta Cookies, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment or drop a rating below. Happy baking!
For more holiday cookie recipes, try these:
For more lemony bakes, try these:
Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Ingredients
The Cookies
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 4 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 lb. ricotta cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
The Frosting
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 4 Tbsp. milk
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat butter and sugar together on high speed until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, ricotta and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture into the ricotta mixture until combine.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop the cookie dough in heaping spoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between them. Bake 20 minutes. Cool.
- To make the frosting, whisk all ingredients together in a shallow bowl. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the frosting. Set onto a wire rack to let dry.
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