Easy Lemon Cookies
Quick and easy lemon cookies from scratch recipe, made with simple ingredients. These soft and chewy cookies are packed with lemon flavor, coming from lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract.
If you are fond of my key lime cookies, you are going to LOVE these lemon cookies.
They are SOFT and CHEWY with a CRISPY, SUGARY top that’s to die for.
Serve these cookies at weddings, Easter, Passover, Summer picnics, birthday parties, tea parties, cookie exchanges. You can even package them in gift boxes during Christmas time and it makes a wonderful HOMEMADE gift.
I also want to be clear that these are NOT ricotta lemon cookies or Italian lemon cookies or healthy lemon cookies or lemon drop cookies. The recipes for those versions are entirely different than this recipe.
Also known as lemon sugar cookies or lemon crinkle cookies!
Tips for best lemon cookie recipe:
- For BEST results, use fresh lemon juice and not the bottled stuff.
- ALL ingredients must be at room temperature because they will blend together smoothly.
- DON’T use salted butter because that will make the cookies very salty.
- DON’T skip the step of chilling the tray with cookies because that prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
- BOTH, baking powder and baking soda need to be used in this recipe to create the perfect texture. Don’t replace one with the other or omit one.
- This recipe makes about 35 cookies but that number will vary, depending on how big or small you roll your cookie balls.
Add a glaze on top for crazy good glazed lemon cookies!
How to make lemon cookies from scratch?
The process is very SIMPLE. Start off by creaming together butter and sugar. Then, mix in the egg, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and gel coloring. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Roll out small balls of cookie dough and cover them in granulated sugar and place them on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper. Chill the tray for a bit and then, bake!
How to make lemon cookies from cake mix/ lemon cake mix cookies?
Make cake mix cookies according to my instructions HERE but use a yellow cake mix instead of chocolate cake mix. Then, add 2 tbsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice and replace vanilla extract with 1 tsp lemon extract.
Can you freeze lemon cookies?
Unbaked cookie dough balls without any sugar coating can be frozen for up to 1 month in sealed freezer bags. Prior to baking, roll them in granulated sugar or powdered sugar.
If you baked plain lemon cookies and didn’t roll them in any sugar, then you can easily freeze them in sealed freezer bags for up to 1 month.
How long will lemon cookies last?
Store them in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Other Flavor Variations for Soft Lemon Cookies:
- Lemon sandwich cookies– Flip over one cookie and spread frosting. Stick another cookie on top to make a sandwich.
- Lemon orange cookies– Add a combination of lemon and orange zest, lemon and orange extract, lemon and orange juice in the cookie dough.
- Lemon lime cookies– Add a combination of lemon and lime zest, lemon and lime extract, lemon and lime juice in the cookie dough.
- Lemon coconut cookies– Add 1/3 cup shredded coconut in the cookie dough mixture.
- Lemon Oreo cookies– Add 1/2 cup chopped Oreos in the cookie dough mixture.
- Lemon cookies with cream cheese frosting– Or use any other icing of your choice (even Cool Whip). Spread it on top of the cookie and enjoy.
- Lemon cookies with white chocolate chips– Stir in any chocolate chips of your choice in the cookie dough.
- Lemon cookies with lemon curd– Flip over one cookie and spread curd. Stick another cookie on top to make a lemon curd sandwich.
- Lemon cookies with powdered sugar– Replace granulated sugar with powdered sugar and roll the cookie dough balls in that.
Other Lemon Recipes:
Easy Lemon Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter, Unsalted
- 1.5 cups Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg, Large
- 1 tsp Lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Lemon zest
- Yellow food coloring, I recommend gel coloring
- 2 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 cup Additional granulated sugar, For rolling cookie dough balls
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg, lemon extract, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, yellow gel coloring until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Scoop out small portions of the dough and shape them into balls. Roll them in a plate filled with granulated sugar. Place them on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper and chill the tray for 15-20 minutes.
- Then, bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the edges are firm and slightly golden brown.
- Allow these cookies to cool down and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a cookie jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Until next time, tata my lovelies!
They are a perfect summer cookie and so delicious
These are incredible! I left out the food coloring and rolled them in raw turbinino sugar and they were golden crispy deliciousness.