Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies are soft and cakey with a hint of lemon and vanilla. Dipped in a bright lemon icing and topped with rainbow sprinkles, these classic Italian Christmas cookies are so moist they melt in your mouth.
Lemon ricotta cookies are always on our holiday dessert table, and they're perfect for cookie trays and making a few days in advance. My grandma would always prep the cookies a day or two in advance, and even though they were better with the icing, my brothers and I would steal the un-iced cookies the days leading up to Christmas!
Looking for more Italian-American Christmas Eve classics? Try our Pistachio Torta Caprese (Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake)!
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Why This Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookie Recipe Works
- The ricotta makes the cookies moist and fluffy. They have a cake-like texture that basically melts right in your mouth.
- They're easy to make ahead of time, and you can ice them whenever you're ready to serve them.
- Chilling the dough keeps them nice and plump so they don't spread when you bake them.
- Honey holds onto moisture, helping the cookies stay soft while also giving the otherwise cakey cookie a very slight chew.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Vanilla Bean Paste- I love that vanilla bean paste is a slightly stronger flavor and leaves those classic little vanilla bean spots throughout the cookie. You can substitute vanilla extract in equal amounts.
- Honey- Honey helps cookies retain a little more moisture than just granulated sugar, so it helps keep these cookies moist.
- Ricotta- Use whole milk ricotta for a soft and rich cookie. If the ricotta has a lot of liquid on top, drain it.
- Lemon zest- Fresh lemon zest gives the cookies their bright lemon flavor without adding extra liquid to the dough.
- Lemon zest- I love to add lemon zest to both the cookies and the icing to give these cookies a bright and citrusy flavor.
- Whole milk- Whole milk works best here for a thick enough icing to set.
- Nonpareils- Sprinkles are sort of optional, but these cookies look so boring without them! Plus, you can use the red and green ones during the holidays.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together for about 2 minutes, until light and well combined. Add the honey, lemon zest, ricotta, vanilla bean paste, and egg. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
Step 3: Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
Shortcut: For a quicker option, place the dough in the freezer for 30-40 minutes, or until it is cold and firm enough to scoop but not frozen.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 5: Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The cookies should be set but remain soft.
Step 6: Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before icing.
Step 7: In a bowl, whisk together the whole milk, powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt, and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
Step 8: Dip the top of the cooled cookies in the icing and rest on the cooling rack. Then top with sprinkles before the icing sets.
Step 9: Allow the icing to set for about 15 minutes before serving or storing.
These Lemon Ricotta Cookies were always on the table on Christmas Eve along with the Panettone and the Struffoli (Italian Honey Balls) from the bakery! My grandma always made these for my brothers and me, and it was one of our favorites.
Pro-Tips
- Don't overbake them. These cookies should stay soft and cakey. Pull them from the oven once they are set and just beginning to turn lightly golden on the bottom. If you wait for the tops to brown, they will be overbaked.
- Icing. Do not ice while the cookies are warm. The cookies need to be completely cool, or the icing will run right off of them.
- Sprinkles. Add the sprinkles immediately after icing the cookies so that they stick to the cookies.
- Decorating. The color from nonpareils can bleed into the icing, especially if the cookies are still warm when decorated or if the room is humid. If appearance is important, I recommend decorating the cookies within about 8 hours of serving. Always let the cookies cool completely before icing and adding the nonpareils.
How To Store and Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies in Advance
- Make the cookies in advance. Bake the cookies up to 3 days ahead, let them cool completely, and store them un-iced in an airtight container at room temperature. For the best-looking cookies, make the icing and decorate them closer to when you plan to serve them.
- Refrigerate the dough. The cookie dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. If the dough is very firm from the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes until it's easy to scoop.
- Freeze the cookie dough. Scoop the dough into balls and freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm. Transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding about 3-4 minutes to the baking time, or until the cookies are set and just slightly golden on the bottom.
- Store iced cookies. Once the icing is completely set, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If possible, keep them in a single layer so the icing stays neat.
FAQs about Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Yes, the dough freezes well. Place the dough on a parchment-lined tray and freeze. Then transfer to an airtight container and bake when you're ready.
I would drain any excess water, but I don't put the ricotta in a strainer or anything for these cookies, and they still come out nice and plump with no spreading.
I don't like the texture of baked cookies when they are thawed. They always feel slightly stale to me.
Yes, you can top the cookies with lemon zest or just leave them plain!
More Cookie Recipes
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Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Equipment
- 1 large baking tray
- 1 sieve
- 1 cookie scoop
- 2 Medium bowls
- 1 stand mixer
Ingredients
Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup honey
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¾ cup whole-milk ricotta
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Lemon Icing
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup Rainbow nonpareils optional
Instructions
Ricotta Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together for about 2 minutes, until light and well combined. Add the honey, lemon zest, ricotta, vanilla bean paste, and egg. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The cookies should be set but remain soft.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before icing.
Lemon Icing
- In a bowl, whisk together the whole milk, powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt, and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
- Dip the top of the cookies in the icing and top with rainbow nonpareils before the icing sets.
- Allow the icing to set for about 15 minutes before serving or storing.
Notes
- Don't overbake them. These cookies should stay soft and cakey. Pull them from the oven once they are set and just beginning to turn lightly golden on the bottom. If you wait for the tops to brown, they will be overbaked.
- Icing. Do not ice while the cookies are warm. The cookies need to be completely cool, or the icing will run right off of them.
- Sprinkles. Add the sprinkles immediately after icing the cookies so that they stick to the cookies.
- Decorating. The color from nonpareils can bleed into the icing, especially if the cookies are still warm when decorated or if the room is humid. If appearance is important, I recommend decorating the cookies within about 8 hours of serving. Always let the cookies cool completely before icing and adding the nonpareils.
Vinny DelGiudice says
Try my grandma's Lemon Ricotta Cookies and let me know what you think! They're pillowy soft and definitely a family favorite.