These Lemon Ricotta Cookies are soft cookies with lemon cream cheese frosting, flaky sea salt and lemon zest. This ricotta cookie recipe is for all you lemon lovers!
They have just the right amount of tartness, mixed with sweetness and a little salt. These lemon cookies are a little different than the traditional style Italian Ricotta Cookies.
These do not have a cake-like texture. The dough is soft but not cakey.
This luscious lemon frosting really makes these cookies! It's creamy and bursting with lemon flavor. Load up the lemon cream cheese frosting or go light on it.
If this is your firsts time making ricotta cheese cookies then I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Lemon desserts are great to make year round! That's why I make lemon blueberry cookies all year too; they're my husbands favorite!
Some delicious savory recipes to try are Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta, Lemon Chicken, and Shrimp and Lemon Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto!
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Ingredients for this Lemon Ricotta Cookies Recipe
- All Purpose Flour - These Lemon Ricotta Cookies have not been tested with any other flour so I do not suggest subbing anything else.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch gives a little structure to the cookie.
- Baking Soda - Make sure your baking soda is in date! This gives the dough a little rise.
- Kosher Salt - Salt helps bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Unsalted Butter - I use unsalted so that I can control the salt level.
- Ricotta Cheese - Whole milk ricotta cheese is best for these Lemon Ricotta Cookies.
- Granulated Sugar - This is what sweetens the cookies.
- Lemon Juice - Make sure to use fresh lemon juice.
- Lemon Zest - I use fresh lemon zest for this recipe, not dried.
- Eggs - Use room temperature large eggs for the best results.
- Vanilla Extract - I use pure vanilla extract.
- Cream Cheese - Cream cheese is the base for the lemon frosting. It's also used for one of my favorite cookies, Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies!
- Powdered Sugar - Also known as confectioners' sugar, helps sweeten the lemon cream cheese frosting.
- Flaky Sea Salt - Optional but recommended.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Top this whipped goat cheese appetizer with garlic chili oil for a kick!
- Add marinated olives to the top of goat cheese. They're also delicious on Garlic Bread Pizza!
- Use crackers, pretzels or veggies for dipping!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions. If you replace any ingredients, please let us know how they turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Making this Lemon Ricotta Cookies recipe is easy. Follow the step-by-step directions below for perfect frosted lemon cookies!
Step 1: Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Cream butter, ricotta cheese, sugar and lemon zest together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3 minutes until mixture is pale yellow, light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract to lemon ricotta cookie mix.
Step 4: Mix dry ingredients into lemon cookie batter on low until fully combined.
Step 5: Scoop lemon ricotta cookie dough into 2oz balls onto a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
Step 6: Mix cream cheese and butter in a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt then mix on low speed until combined. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix another 2 minutes.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350°F then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough balls from the fridge, place on baking sheet then bake for 14 minutes. Allow to cool on sheet for 2 minute then transfer to a wire rack.
Step 8: Once ricotta cookies are fully cooled, top with lemon cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle flaky sea salt and lemon zest over the top of each of the frosted lemon cookies.
Baking Tips
- Start with room temperature butter, not too warm or soft.
- Don't skip the chilling step for the Lemon Ricotta Cookies. You'll end up with super flat cookies.
- Scoop the dough then chill it rather than chilling the whole bowl then scooping.
- The easiest way to scoop the dough is with a cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop. I make 2oz cookies, which is also just about ¼ cup if you don't have a scooper.
- No need to spray the parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray. This will only burn the bottom of your cookies.
- Allow lemon ricotta cookies to fully cool before adding lemon frosting.
- Add Lemon Zucchini Cake, Lemon Pie, and Honey Lemon Pie to your lemon dessert recipes!
Storage
Refrigerator
This Lemon Ricotta Cookies recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The lemon cream cheese frosting can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days as well. The raw ricotta cookies dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Leftover lemon cream cheese frosting can also be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, in an airtight container.
Freezing
The raw lemon cookies dough can be stored in the freezer in a freezer bag inside of an airtight container for up to 1 month. The fully prepared lemon ricotta cookies can be stored in a double freezer bag in the freezer for 1 month. Make sure to get all of the air out of the resealable bag when freezing the raw dough or baked lemon cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can freeze the raw dough. I recommend scooping 2oz portions of the dough onto a parchment lined sheet tray then freezing the whole tray for 1-2 hours. Remove the tray from the freezer then place dough balls into a resealable freezer bag. Double bag it then store it in the fridge for up to one month. Allow cookies to thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.
Yes, you can. Wait until the lemon cookies are fully cooled then place in a freezer bag, doubled bagged for up to one month. Allow cookies to come to room temperature before eating.
Yes, you need to chill the cookie dough. Baking the ricotta cookies without chilling will result in a super flat, inedible cookie.
Ricotta is great for lasagnas, whipped ricotta appetizers, manicotti, cannoli or this yummy Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Shells recipe!
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Lemon Ricotta Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer
- 1 electric hand mixer for glaze
- 1 whisk
- 1 rubber spatula
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temp
- 4 oz whole milk ricotta cheese room temp
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temp
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh lemon juice
- zest from 1 lemon fresh lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze
- 4 oz cream cheese room temp
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter room temp
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon fresh lemon zest
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Toppings
- ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt optional but delicious
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest to sprinkle on top of cookies
Instructions
Mixing the Dry Ingredients
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl then set aside
Mixing the Wet Ingredients
- Mix the butter, ricotta, sugar and lemon zest together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3 minutes until mixture is pale yellow, light and fluffy
- Add the egg and mix on high speed until fully combined
- Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla on low speed until combined
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix on low speed just until almost fully combined
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop the dough into 2oz balls onto the tray. Chill dough for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours
Making the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make the frosting while the dough is chilling
- Mix the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes
- Add the sifted powdered sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt then mix on low speed until combined. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix another 2 minutes
Baking the Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F then line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Remove the dough balls straight from the fridge onto the baking sheet then bake for 14 minutes
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack. If the cookies seem like they're going to break then let them cool longer on the baking sheet
Frosting and Topping the Cookies
- Once the cookies are fully cooled then drizzle them with the lemon frosting. Add the lemon frosting to a small sandwich Ziplock bag then seal the top. Make a very small snip on one of the corners then drizzle over the cookies
- Top each cookie with lemon zest and flaky sea salt
Notes
Nutrition
Diane H.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love the sweet, sour, and savory combination in lemon ricotta pancakes, so why not in a cookie.
My one question would be: Do you chill them in the fridge uncovered or covered?
admin
Hi! Either way would be fine. When I'm chilling them just for the short time before baking them, I don't cover them. If I were to let them chill for 1-2 days then I would cover them. Hope that helps!