Lemon ricotta cookies are soft and tender and melt in your mouth. The lemon flavor brightens these cookies up and you will be coming back for more!
In my personal option, lemon anything is HIGHLY underrated! Especially lemon desserts! These lemon ricotta cookies are bursting with a bright and delicate flavor and are so tender they will melt in your mouth.
It is a nice change from your typical super sweet chocolate chip cookies. Not that anything is wrong with those at all! But these lemon cookies have such a tender and soft inside - almost cakey - and not overly sweet.
Everyone will be a big fan so let's just get to baking!

Ingredients Needed for Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- 1 Stick Butter
- 1 ½ Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ½ Cups Ricotta
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste
- 2 ½ Cups Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- Zest and Juice of 2 Lemons
Glaze
- Juice and zest of ½ lemon
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (for 3-4 minutes)
- Add in eggs and mix until just combined (about 30 seconds).
- Add in the ricotta cheese and vanilla, and mix until incorporated.
- Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until combined. The dough will be quite sticky.
- Add the zest and juice of 2 lemons, and mix together with a spatula until all mixed into the dough.
- Scoop out onto a baking sheet using a cookie scoop and place in the oven to bake for 12 minutes.
- Once finished, remove from oven and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- In a small bowl add in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and juice and whisk until smooth with no lumps remaining.
- Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cookies and enjoy!
How to Store
Since these cookies have cheese in them - I store any leftovers in the fridge.
Just place in an airtight container and keep cold after for up to 5 days.
They pair perfectly with coffee in the morning or a cup of tea in the afternoon - not that I am speaking from experience or anything.... 😉
How to Freeze
There are 2 ways to freeze these. Unbaked and baked.
How to freeze lemon ricotta cookie dough
When ready to bake, take the frozen balls out of the freezer and place them on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 13-14 minutes. Bake as many or as few as you want and always have fresh cookie dough on hand!
Make the entire batch of cookies and scoop them out onto a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes until the cookie dough balls are firm, and transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag or vacuum seal*. Keep for up to 4 months or a year if vacuum sealed.
How to freeze baked lemon ricotta cookies
Once the cookies are cooled completely. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag, container, or vacuum seal.
Place in the freezer for 3 months (or a year if vacuum-sealed).
Once ready to eat, remove from the freezer and enjoy cold, or let come to room temp for a couple of hours on a platter then enjoy!
**Use code “SOUTHERNSOUL” to get 10% off all Vesta Precision products. Affiliate link**
More Cookie Recipes
- Lucky Charms Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Espresso Cookies
- Pecan Sandies
- The Munchies Cookie
- No Chill Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- No Bake Cookies
Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 44 1x
Description
Lemon ricotta cookies are soft and tender and melt in your mouth. The lemon flavor brightens these cookies up and you will be coming back for more!
Ingredients
- 1 Stick Butter
- 1 ½ Cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ½ Cups Ricotta
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Bean Paste
- 2 ½ Cups Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- Zest and Juice of 2 Lemons
Glaze
- Juice and zest of ½ lemon
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (for 3-4 minutes)
- Add in eggs and mix until just combined (about 30 seconds).
- Add in the ricotta cheese and vanilla, and mix until incororpated.
- Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until combined. The dough will be quite sticky.
- Add the zest and juice of 2 lemons, and mix together with a spatula until all mixed into the dough.
- Scoop out onto a baking sheet using a cookie scoop and place in the oven to bake for 12 minutes.
- Once finished, remove from oven and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- In a small bowl add in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and juice and whisk until smooth with no lumps remaining.
- Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cookies and enjoy!
Notes
- Store cookies in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
To Freeze:
- Once the cookies are cooled completely. Place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag, container, or vacuum seal.
- Place in the freezer for 3 months (or a year if vacuum-sealed).
- Once ready to eat, remove from the freezer and let come to room temp for a couple of hours on a platter then enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert - Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 101
- Sugar: 9.7 g
- Sodium: 64 mg
- Fat: 3.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.7 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 18.3 mg
Keywords: Lemon Ricotta Cookies