If you love soft and pillowy cookies with a bright citrus flavor, you are going to enjoy these cottage cheese italian lemon cookies.
Traditional Italian cookies often use ricotta cheese, but blending cottage cheese gives you the exact same wonderful texture.
When you blend the cottage cheese, it turns silky smooth and keeps the dough incredibly moist without making it heavy.
Each bite has a soft, cake-like center that pairs nicely with the sweet lemon glaze on top.
They are simple to prepare and make a lovely treat to share with your family over tea or coffee.
Why I Love This Recipe
Incredible Cake-Like Texture – Blended cottage cheese creates a super soft, pillowy crumb that practically melts in your mouth.
Bursting with Fresh Lemon Flavor – Real zest and fresh juice in both the dough and glaze deliver bright citrus in every bite.
Clever Ricotta Swap – Cottage cheese mimics classic Italian ricotta beautifully while using a budget-friendly staple you already have at home.
Stays Soft for Days – The extra moisture from the dairy keeps these tender treats from drying out quickly.
The Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup Full Fat Cottage Cheese
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 3 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1
Blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. This gives the cookies the same soft, pillowy texture as classic Italian ricotta cookies.
Step 2
In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant. Add the softened butter and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Step 3
Beat in the egg, then add the blended cottage cheese, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is completely normal.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then mix into the wet ingredients on low speed just until combined. The dough will be very soft, so cover and chill it for 30 minutes.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop rounded 1 1/2 tablespoon portions of dough 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops are set but still pale. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 6
Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice until thick but pourable. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, sprinkle with lemon zest and let set for 30 minutes before serving.
Quick Tips
Blend the Cottage Cheese Completely Smooth
You’ll get the best results if you blend the cottage cheese until every single curd disappears. It should look just like smooth, silky sour cream before you mix it into the batter.
If you leave even tiny curds behind, they will melt unevenly in the oven and create wet pockets inside your cookies.
Rub the Lemon Zest into the Sugar
My favorite trick here is to use your clean fingertips to rub the fresh lemon zest directly into the granulated sugar. You want the sugar to feel like damp sand and turn slightly yellow.
This friction draws out the natural citrus oils from the peel so the flavor infuses every single bite. If you just stir the zest in with a spoon, the lemon taste will not be nearly as vibrant.
Do Not Skip Chilling the Dough
This dough is naturally soft and sticky because of the moisture from the cottage cheese. I recommend giving it at least 30 minutes in the fridge so the butter can firm up.
Chilling prevents the dough from spreading out flat across the pan while baking. It keeps the cookies tall, round, and pillow-soft in the center.
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Quick Answers
Do I really need to blend the cottage cheese first?
Yes, blending the cottage cheese until completely smooth is essential for getting the right texture.
If you skip this step, small curds will stay visible in the dough, and the cookies will lose their classic melt-in-your-mouth feel.
Cottage Cheese Italian Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup Full Fat Cottage Cheese
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 3 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Instructions
- Blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. This gives the cookies the same soft, pillowy texture as classic Italian ricotta cookies.
- In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant. Add the softened butter and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, then add the blended cottage cheese, lemon juice and vanilla and beat until smooth. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is completely normal.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then mix into the wet ingredients on low speed just until combined. The dough will be very soft, so cover and chill it for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop rounded 1 1/2 tablespoon portions of dough 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops are set but still pale. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice until thick but pourable. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze, sprinkle with lemon zest and let set for 30 minutes before serving.