Healthy Lemon Ricotta Loaf

Truth be told, this recipe was born out of the tub of Ricotta that I got by mistake in my last grocery order (i get groceries delivered typically since I live in a city). I meant to get Greek yogurt and got ricotta instead. It’s not something I use often (aside from when I make my lasagna soup, which if you haven’t tried yet, you really need to), so it forced me to get creative and do some recipe testing. I know that ricotta and lemon pair well together, so I got to work, and the end result is this delicious Healthy Lemon Ricotta Loaf.

It’s light and fluffy, higher in protein thanks to the ricotta and Greek yogurt, and it’s lower in calories and WW friendly. It has a light lemon flavor in the cake, and I top it with a tangy, sweet lemon glaze. It’s quick and easy to make and is perfect for a weekday sweet treat or a weekend bake to share with loved ones. I hope you enjoy!

Making Healthy Lemon Ricotta Loaf

Making this cake is super simple, so it’s great to throw together on a busy weeknight for a sweet treat, or make it on a weekend, for a holiday, etc. To make it, you’ll need:

• Ricotta (if following WW, opt for part skim)
• Nonfat greek yogurt (or you can sub plain yogurt)
• Eggs
• Lemon Zest
• Lemon extract
• Flour
• Baking powder
• Powdered sugar (or powdered sugar replacement)
• For the glaze – some extra powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice

You’ll start by mixing together the ricotta, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract in one bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350F for ~45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Once fully cooked, remove, let cool before glazing. To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar with just enough lemon juice to create a runny glaze and drizzle over lemon loaf. Let set and cut into 10 slices. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temp (or up to 6 days in the fridge) and enjoy!

Healthy Lemon Ricotta Loaf

Jacklin Altman

This cake is light and fluffy, has a subtle lemon flavor, and it's WW friendly!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Cooling Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 slices

Calories 96 kcal

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• 9×5 Loaf Pan
• Oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar replacement

Icing

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar replacement
• 2-4 tsp fresh lemon juice enough to create a runny icing

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta, yogurt, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Set aside.
• In another bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
• Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350F for ~45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Once fully cooked, remove, let cool before glazing.
• To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar with just enough lemon juice to create a runny glaze and drizzle over lemon loaf. Let set and cut into 10 slices. Enjoy!

Notes

Each slice is 3 WW points when made with powdered sugar replacement. You can add it to your WW app here!

Nutrition

Calories: 96kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 109mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 142IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 115mgIron: 1mg

Keyword lemon, weight watchers, WW, cupcake, ricotta, loaf

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