Gluten-Free Lemon Ricotta Cookies
These homemade GF cookies are soft, moist, and made with creamy ricotta cheese and fresh lemon zest. The almond flour gives a soft texture, and they’re topped with a perfect lemon glaze. Easy to bake, these cookies are a great option for anyone looking for a sweet, wheat-free treat.
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About these soft lemon cookies
These easy GF cookies are soft, tender, and perfectly sweetened. They´re made with creamy ricotta cheese, almond flour, fresh lemon zest, and topped with a rich lemon glaze. For more citrus cookies, you can’t miss these lemon cookies.
The cookies are easy to make and perfect for an afternoon treat, dessert, or a special occasion. Naturally gluten-free and easy to bake, these cookies are a great option for anyone looking for a sweet, wheat-free treat.
Ingredients
These are the main ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Flour: gluten-free all-purpose flour and almond flour. The almond flour gives a soft texture.
- Ricotta: full-fat ricotta cheese.
- Butter: unsalted butter.
- Eggs: room temperature eggs are better.
- Lemon: fresh lemon zest for the cookie and lemon juice for the glaze.
- Sprinkles: Ricotta cookies are traditionally topped with sprinkles.
How to make GF lemon ricotta cookies
Whisk together gluten-free all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, and fresh lemon zest with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
Beat in ricotta, vanilla extract, and the egg. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula, and then beat in, slowly, the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. The dough is sticky.
Let the dough chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350º F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Drop tablespoons of cookie dough on the prepared sheets, spacing them an inch or so.
Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before removing.
For the icing
In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar with two tablespoons of lemon juice and mix. Add two tablespoons of milk, little by little, and incorporate it until you get the desired consistency. If it’s too runny, you can add a little bit more milk, or more powdered sugar if it’s too thick.
When the cookies are completely cold, spread the icing and top with colorful sprinkles.
Top Tips
- Give all the cookies the same size, so they are cooked at the same time.
- Give the cookies space on the baking sheet.
- Don’t over-bake them.
- Let the cookies cool before removing them so they will not break.
Variations
- Regular cookies: replace gluten-free all-purpose flour with all-purpose flour.
- Topping: replace colorful sprinkles with fresh lemon zest.
- Blueberries: add berries to the batter for freshness and colour.
Storing
Store the cookies covered at room temperature for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days.
Can I freeze the cookies?
You can freeze them in an air-tight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough, and when ready to enjoy them, bake the cookies and top with the icing.
For more GF tender cookies
GF Lemon Ricotta Cookies (with almond flour)
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g), softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 7 ounces Ricotta cheese (210g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temperature
For the lemon glaze:
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Whisk together gluten-free all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, and fresh lemon zest with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in ricotta, vanilla extract, and the egg. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula, and then beat in, slowly, the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. The dough is sticky.
- Let the dough chill cover in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Drop tablespoons of cookie dough on the prepared sheets, spacing them an inch or so.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool before removing.
For the lemon glaze:
- In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar with two tablespoons of lemon juice and mix. Add two tablespoons of milk, little by little, and incorporate it until you get the desired consistency. If it's too runny, you can add a little bit more milk, or more powdered sugar if it's too thick.
- When the cookies are completely cold, spread the icing and top with colorful sprinkles.
I substituted orange zest and juice and made these for our annual extended family party. They were a hit and my family loved them. I love the soft tender inside and the pillowy texture! We have a number of celiacs as it runs in our family, and they were excited for a new cookie. However all the non celiacs loved them just as much!
Thanks Lucy for sharing! ⭐⭐