Soft cookies with a bright lemon finish

Lemon ricotta cookies have a pale, tender crumb and a little tang under the glaze. The dough is softer than ordinary sugar cookie dough, so it is easier to portion with a scoop. Lemon zest flavors the cookie itself, while the juice in the glaze gives you a sharper lemon note on the first bite.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

260 g all-purpose flour
5 g baking powder
2 g fine sea salt
90 g unsalted butter, softened
155 g granulated sugar
8 g finely grated lemon zest
50 g large egg, without shell (1 egg)
190 g whole-milk ricotta, weighed after draining
18 g fresh lemon juice, for dough
110 g powdered sugar
22 g fresh lemon juice, for glaze

Ingredients and useful substitutions

Whole-milk ricotta makes a tender cookie. Some tubs have enough loose whey to make the dough spread too far, so drain the ricotta in a sieve before weighing it. You do not need to press it dry. Zest the lemon before juicing, and avoid the bitter white pith.

If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt. Bottled lemon juice works in the glaze in a pinch, but fresh zest is what makes the cookie fragrant. Orange zest and juice can replace the lemon for a milder result. The glaze may need a little less orange juice to stay thick.

How to make lemon ricotta cookies

1. Mix the lemon ricotta dough

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingertips, then beat the sugar with softened butter until creamy. Beat in the egg, ricotta and 18 g lemon juice. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Chill the covered dough for 30 minutes.

Butter and sugar being creamed in a mixing bowl

2. Scoop and bake the cookies

Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line two trays with parchment. Scoop 24 mounds, about 33 g each, with room to spread. Bake one tray at a time for 11–12 minutes, until the tops look set and the bottoms are lightly golden. Cool briefly on the tray, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling, about 20 minutes total.

Scoops of lemon ricotta cookie dough spaced on parchment

3. Glaze the cooled cookies

Whisk the powdered sugar with the remaining 22 g lemon juice. Drizzle a little onto each cooled cookie and let the glaze set for 15 minutes before stacking or serving.

Lemon glaze drizzled over cooled ricotta cookies

Troubleshooting the dough and glaze

If the dough looks wet, make sure the ricotta was drained, and chill the bowl again before adding more flour. A cool tray helps the second batch keep its shape. Pull the cookies when the tops have set; waiting for the tops to turn dark brown dries the edges.

Glaze only cool cookies. On warm cookies, the glaze runs off and can disappear into the surface. If the glaze will not hold a line, whisk in powdered sugar by the teaspoon. If it is too thick, add lemon juice a few drops at a time.

Serving and storage

Set these on a cookie plate with something crisp or chocolatey, or serve them with tea after dinner. Refrigerate the finished cookies in a covered container for up to three days. Let the glaze set before separating layers with parchment. For a cleaner finish, freeze the unglazed cookies for up to two months for best quality and glaze them once thawed and cool.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to flatten the dough? No. Leave the mounds round; they relax as they bake.

Can I skip the glaze? Yes. The cookies will be less sweet and the lemon will be subtler.

Why are the cookies pale? The tops should stay light. Look for a set surface and pale-gold bottoms.

See FoodSafety.gov storage and reheating guidance.

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These soft lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze bring a fresh citrus flavor to a mixed tray. Drain the ricotta, chill the dough and let the baked cookies cool before glazing for the neatest finish.

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Soft round lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze and zest

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