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Traditional Italian Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Three soft Italian ricotta cookies topped with white glaze and colorful sprinkles stacked on a white plate.
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Make soft, fluffy Italian Ricotta Cookies with a cake-like texture. This recipe includes instructions for the classic sweet lemon glaze and colorful sprinkles, perfect for holiday cookie trays or everyday treats.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 (15 ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese, drained if very wet
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • For the Glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons whole milk, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • For Decoration: Rainbow nonpareils or sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  4. Mix in the drained ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until just combined. Do not overmix.
  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.
  7. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You can lightly flatten them with the bottom of a glass if you prefer a flatter cookie.
  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops should remain pale.
  9. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. While the cookies cool, prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, if the glaze is too thick. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  11. Once the cookies are completely cool, dip the top of each cookie into the glaze. Immediately top with rainbow sprinkles before the glaze sets.
  12. Allow the glaze to set completely before serving or storing.

Notes

  • To ensure a cake-like texture, do not overmix the dough once you add the flour.
  • If your ricotta seems watery, place it in a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth over a bowl for at least 30 minutes to drain excess liquid.
  • For an almond variation, substitute the lemon zest with 1 teaspoon of almond extract in the dough and use almond extract in the glaze instead of lemon juice.
  • Store cooled, glazed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delicerecipe.com/italian-ricotta-cookies/