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    Home » Holidays

    Updated: Dec 10, 2024 · Published: Mar 16, 2022 · by Angela · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Soft Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

    Jump to Recipe

    For soft Italian lemon ricotta cookies, this classic recipe is just what you are looking for. They have a hint of citrus and a sweet frosting glaze with sprinkles just like the traditional Italian cookies I grew up on. They are also sometimes called Italian Easter or Christmas cookies and are a part of many family meals.

    overhead image of plated cookies.

    The ricotta in the cookie recipe makes the most tender dough. Just look how amazingly soft these little guys look on the inside. A pillowy cookie center with a sweet glaze and topping of round rainbow sprinkles for all things sweet, sticky, and crunchy.

    Hand holding a cookie cut in half showing the fluffy soft insides.
    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This Italian Cookie
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Lemon Ricotta Cookie Dough
    • Scooping & Shaping Round Italian Cookies
    • How Long to Bake Ricotta Cookies
    • Make the Lemon Icing
    • How to Frost Ricotta Cookies
    • Decorating for Holidays & Parties
    • Variations & Substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Storing & Freezing Ricotta Cookies
    • Decorating Top Tips
    • Soft Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

    Why You Will Love This Italian Cookie

    I must admit as a kid I didn't eat a lot of these. They typically had anise in them which has a licorice flavor that I am not a fan of. Once I learned that the lemon ones had a bit of zest in the glaze I could tell the difference & haven't stopped baking & eating them since.

    Here is why you will fall in love with these tiny two-bite cookies too:

    • Amazing flavor combo of vanilla and almond extracts
    • Fresh real lemon flavor
    • Fluffy, moist, & pillow centers
    • Colorful & festive for holidays
    • Store well & stays soft for days

    Ingredients

    This easy Italian cookie recipe of course calls for ricotta. You need to use whole milk ricotta, not part skim. The rest of the ingredients you likely already have in your pantry or kitchen.

    This is a great recipe to make when you want a cookie without chocolate. Or you crave a citrus cookie. It is also the ideal cookie to make ahead of time for parties since they store and remain soft for days.

    Ingredient on a table.
    • Salted butter - softened at room temperature
    • Granulated sugar - no brown sugar in this recipe
    • Whole milk ricotta cheese - do not use low-fat, you want it thick and creamy
    • Lemon - zest & juice for bright citrus flavor
    • Vanilla extract - touch of floral notes
    • Almond extract - subtle nutty flavor
    • Egg - room temperature works best
    • Flour - all-purpose flour works best
    • Baking powder & baking soda - for a tender rise & the puffy interior
    • Salt - to balance the sweetness
    • Confectioner's sugar - for the easy glaze
    • Milk - makes a rich glaze & better than using water
    • optional - nonpareil rainbow sprinkles

    See the recipe card for quantities. These ingredients include those for the cookie dough & the frosting.

    How to Make Lemon Ricotta Cookie Dough

    This is a simple one-bowl cookie recipe that whips up in minutes. It does have a short chill time which helps the dough set and ensures you get the classic round ball cookie shape these are famous for. So plan ahead and make sure you start the dough about 2 hours before you want to enjoy fresh-baked frosted ricotta cookies.

    It is also best to use room-temperature ingredients. So plan ahead so that the butter is softened and at room temperature. Eggs also mix in easier when they are at room temperature.

    Step 1 - Combine the Wet Ingredients

    Once you have all your ingredients gathered, it is time to mix up the cookie dough. You will need a large mixing bowl so that all ingredients will fit into it. Add the softened butter and sugar to the bowl.

    Using an electric mixer, cream the butter with sugar until combined. Do this at low speed and gradually move up to medium speed over a total of 2 minutes.

    Next, add the ricotta, lemon zest, and both of the extracts. Beat on low to medium speed with the hand mixer for 30 seconds.

    combining wet ingredients in a bowl and grated lemon zest over it

    Now it is time to add the egg and beat again for 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula, to be sure all the wet ingredients are blended and smooth.

    adding the egg to the other ingredients in the bowl.

    Step 2 - Add in the Dry Ingredients

    Once all the wet ingredients are incorporated, it is time to add the dry ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat to combine for 2 minutes.

    adding the dry ingredients to the bowl.

    Step 3 - Chill the Dough

    Cover dough and chill for 1 hour. Once the hour is up it will be a bit firm and easier to scoop. It should also hold its shape so that when it bakes, the round shape retains for the most part.

    bowl of dough that has been chilled.

    Scooping & Shaping Round Italian Cookies

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  While it is preheating, it is time to prepare the baking sheet and get the cookies scooped.

    Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray. Shape dough into 2 teaspoon size balls. I suggest using a cookie scoop so they are ball-shaped.

    If you do not have a cookie scoop, roll 2 teaspoons of dough in your clean hands. You may need to dust them with a VERY tiny bit of flour so they do not stick. DO NOT add too much flour to your hands or it will dry out the cookies. Place them 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

    How Long to Bake Ricotta Cookies

    Once the ricotta cookies are in the preheated oven, these small balls of dough do not take long to make. Bake them until they are pale golden on the bottom and the tops are set. This takes only 10 minutes.

    Once done, use an oven mitt and carefully remove the cookie sheets from the oven. With a spatula, remove cookies from the cooking sheet and onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before dipping into the frosting. 

    using a spatula to move hot cookies to a cooling rack.

    Make the Lemon Icing

    While the cookies are cooling, it is time to mix up the frosting. It is more of icing or glaze. The thin consistency perfectly coats the little cookies.

    Using a sift, fork, or whisk, break up confectioners’ sugar so there are no big lumps. Add to a small mixing bowl.  Then whisk in melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and milk to make a thin icing. This will be like a thick sticky glaze and not fluffy like cupcake icing. 

    Cooled ricotta cookies on a rack with frosting ingredients.

    How to Frost Ricotta Cookies

    Take a cooled cookie one at a time and dip the tops into the icing glaze. Swirl it around to coat most of the top. Let excess drip off back into the bowl. While the glaze frosting is still wet, sprinkle on the nonpareils.

    There will be plenty of icing. I had about ⅓ of it left over. It can be stored in an air-tight container in your refrigerator for up to a week to use later. Bring it to room temperature and use it on homemade doughnuts or other recipes.

    And save those little sprinkles too. They are the star of my homemade Chocolate Nonpareils Candy and Rainbow Sprinkle Sugar Cookies. Also my favorite to shake on my recipe for Classic Spritz Cookies.

    Dipping cookie into the bowl of frosting.

    Once each cookie is glazed and has the sprinkles on, place it back on the wire rack.  Let them set up for 5 minutes so the frosting hardens and the nonpareils adhere to it.

    Overhead shot of frosted and sprinkled cookies on the cooling rack

    Once the lemon icing is set, the cookies are ready to enjoy. These cookies are fantastic as is but even better with coffee, tea, or a glass of dessert wine. Since ricotta cookies are light and fluffy with a lovely frosting, they are almost cake-like. They are a great dessert to go with Pasta al Forno, a wonderful baked rigatoni casserole.

    Hand holding a frosting and spinkle covered ricotta cookie.

    Decorating for Holidays & Parties

    These lemon ricotta cookies are traditionally served at Easter. The colorful sprinkles on top are a great pop of color for the Spring holiday. Here are some great ideas for all the time to bake ricotta cookies and make them a holiday or party treat.

    • Christmas - use green & red sugar or sprinkles.
    • Baby Showers - use pink, blue, or yellow sprinkles
    • Wedding Showers - color the glaze to match the colors of the special day
    • Tea Parties - use pastel sprinkles for a dainty look
    • Kid Parties - have the cookies, frosting, and sprinkles ready on a table and let kids decorate their own ricotta cookies - Messy but FUN & TASTY!
    Plated ready to eat.

    Hint: To color the glaze, add 2 drops of gel food coloring to the frosting ingredients. Stir them together and see if it meets your desired color. Add more gel coloring if you want it darker.

    Variations & Substitutions

    Though there is not much room to make substitutions, you can make variations of these cookies. You can change a bit of the flavoring if you wish.

    • Anise - for licorice flavor, omit the almond extract & lemon zest, replace with 1 teaspoon of anise extract
    • Citrus - for more citrus flavor, add 2 teaspoons of orange zest

    Equipment

    This recipe does not require any fancy equipment. However, basic baking kitchen items like a hand mixer and baking sheets will be needed. I also suggest as noted earlier, to sue a cookie scoop.

    Here are the pieces of kitchen equipment I recommend for this recipe. Along with some ingredients as well to make the best soft Italian ricotta cookies.

    LILPARTNER Hand Mixer Electric, 400W Food Mixer 5 Speed Handheld Mixer, 5 Stainless Steel Accessories, Storage Box, Kitchen Mixer with Cord for Cream, Cookies, Dishwasher Safe
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    07/17/2025 07:21 pm GMT
    Wilton Easy Layers Sheet Cake Pan, 2-Piece Set, Rectangle Steel Sheet Pan
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    McCormick Pure Almond Extract, 2 fl oz
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    07/15/2025 09:51 pm GMT
    Amazon Brand - Happy Belly Pure Vanilla Extract, 1 fl oz
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    07/17/2025 04:26 pm GMT
    Mini Cookie Scoop, Cookie Dough Scoop, 2 Teaspoons/ 10 ML, ⅔ Tablespoons Spring-Loaded Scoop, Melon Baller Scoop, 18/8 Stainless Steel, Comfortable Grip
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    07/18/2025 02:36 am GMT
    Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper Roll, 60 Square Feet
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    Stainless Steel Cheese and Citrus Zester Grater w/Extra Sharp Blade - Perfect for Lemons, Parmesan, Garlic, Chocolate - Spice Up any Kitchen Dish in Seconds with Your Premium Hand Held Shredder
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    07/17/2025 09:56 pm GMT
    Wilton Rainbow Nonpareils Food Decorative, 7.5-Ounce
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    07/14/2025 01:11 am GMT

    The Short Order Cook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you. This helps with the costs of running the blog. Thank you!  

    Storing & Freezing Ricotta Cookies

    Frosted ricotta cookies can be stored in an air-tight container. If stored in a cool dry place such as the pantry or kitchen counter, they will last for up to 5 days.

    Ricotta cookies freeze well. I do not suggest freezing the dough like you can for most other cookie recipes. This is because the ricotta in the dough tends to separate a bit and add too much moisture. Therefore, the cookies do not hold their round shape or bake evenly.

    To freeze ricotta cookies that have already been baked, do so in a single layer. Once they are solid, after 2-3 hours, place them in a Ziploc bag. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it tightly. The cookies will last for up to 3 months.

    Decorating Top Tips

    If you plan to make these ahead of time, do not frost the cookies right away. To keep the cookies looking pretty and the sprinkles not bleeding, frost, and enjoy immediately. You can make the frosting and frost some cookies. Both the frosting and cookies store well separately.

    If the frosting becomes too thick after refrigerating, place it on the counter for an hour for it to come to room temperature. Stir often and if needed add a few drops of milk if needed.

    Overhead view of a plate piled with frosted and sprinkles cookies

    Soft Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies

    Angela
    For soft Italian ricotta cookies with a hint of lemon, this classic recipe is the best. This traditional cookie served often at Christmas or Easter is amazing any time of year. The small cake-like cookie has a sweet lemon glaze and crunchy nonpareil sprinkles.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share on Facebook
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Chilling Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 48
    Calories 65 kcal

    Equipment

    • hand mixer
    • Baking Sheets
    • zester
    • cookie scoop

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup softened salted butter (1 stick)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
    • 2 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 egg room temperature
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Frosting / Lemon Glaze Ingredients

    • 2 cup confectioner's sugar
    • 1 tablespoon melted butter
    • ½ tablespoon lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup milk
    • Nonpareils - rainbow sprinkles
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • In a large mixing bowl add the softened butter and sugar. Using an electric hand mixer, cream the butter with sugar until combined, about 2 minutes.
    • Add ricotta, lemon zest, and both extracts and beat well. Add the egg and beat again for 1 minute.
      Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula, to be sure all the wet ingredients are blended and smooth.
    • Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat to combine for 2 minutes. Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
    • Shape 2 teaspoon size balls of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. You can get 12 - 15 cookies on a cookie sheet.
    • Place cookies in the preheated oven. Bake until pale golden on the bottom, 10 minutes.
    • Once done, use an oven mitt and carefully remove the cookie sheets from the oven. With a spatula, remove cookies from the cooking sheet and onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before dipping into the frosting. 
    • Make the frosting - Using a sift, fork, or whisk, break up confectioners’ sugar so there are no lumps. Add to a small mixing bowl. 
      Then whisk in melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and milk to make a thin icing. This will be like a thick sticky glaze and not fluffy like cupcake icing.
    • Take a cooled cookie one at a time and dip the tops into the icing glaze. Swirl it around to coat most of the top. Let excess drip off back into the bowl.
      While the glaze frosting is still wet, sprinkle on the nonpareils.
    • Once each cookie is glazed and has the sprinkles on, place it back on the wire rack.  Let them set up for 5 minutes so the frosting hardens and the nonpareils adhere to it.
    • Enjoy immediately!
    • For storage and freezing instructions - see above. These store well on the counter for up to 5 days. they can also be frozen.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 65kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 79mgPotassium: 15mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 94IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 0.3mg
    Keyword christmas, dessert, Easter, holiday, Italian, sweet
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Angelina says

      April 21, 2022 at 5:27 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies are just like a remember as a child. My mother lost her recipe in a fire so we tried it from memory. It was not exactly the same, I think we were missing the almond extract. Thank you for this.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        April 22, 2022 at 10:51 am

        You are welcome. I am so glad these where what you were looking for.

        Reply
    2. Zoey says

      August 03, 2022 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      It’s like cake & cookie in one. I made exactly as written including the sprinkles & I would not change a thing.

      Reply
      • Angela says

        August 04, 2022 at 8:13 am

        Yes, a "cakie"! I may just call them this moving forward.

        Reply

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