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A plate of Lemon Ricotta Cookies decorated with a blue drizzle and star sprinkles.
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4.64 from 11 votes

Special Occasion Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies Recipe

Italian Ricotta Cookies are soft and cakey holiday cookies, topped with a simple tinted icing and festive sprinkles. They’re sweet with a subtle lemon flavor from the zest and lemon juice in the glaze.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Let cookie set.30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Italian cookies
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 175kcal

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 1 lemon
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
  • 15 ounce ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For glaze:

  • cups confectioners' sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon water
  • blue food coloring or the coloring of your choice.
  • edible food decorations

Instructions

Ricotta Cookies:

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. From the lemon grate 1 teaspoon zest and squeeze 3 Tablespoons juice (reserve the juice for the glaze).
  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar, butter, and lemon zest until creamy.
  • Add ricotta cheese, eggs, and vanilla, beating until combined, stopping and scraping down the side of bowl occasionally. Beat in flour mixture until just smooth.
  • Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. With a small cookie scoop (about 2 teaspoons), scoop dough into balls; place on cookie sheet, spacing 1½ inches apart. With fingers, pat each down into a flat disk.
  • Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ricotta Cookie glaze:

  • In a medium bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar, reserved lemon juice and ½ teaspoon water until smooth.
    Tint with food coloring to the desired shade. Place the icing in a small plastic bag with one corner snipped off.
  • Drizzle all over cookies. Decorate with edible stars if desired or a decoration you like. Let stand until set about 30 minutes.
  • Cookies can be stored in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    Makes about 3½ dozen.

Notes

TIPS
  • ou don’t have a piping bag to drizzle the icing over the cookies, use a plastic bag and cut off the corners. 
  • Serve these cookies at cookie exchange parties or gift them to friends, family, and neighbors during the holidays.
  • Using a cookie scoop is a good way to ensure uniform-sized cookies that will cook evenly in the oven. 
  • Make sure enough space is allowed between each cookie to allow for normal spreading while baking.
  • The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer (wrapped in plastic wrap) to reduce prep time. 
  • To prevent cookies from spreading too much while baking, line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat instead of applying cooking spray.
  • Allow the cookies to cool before adding the icing. The fresh icing will also need about 30 minutes to harden.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 224IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg