Lemon Sugar Cookies
If you love citrus desserts, these Lemon Sugar Cookies are the perfect combination of soft, chewy texture and fresh lemon flavor. This easy lemon sugar cookie recipe makes bakery-style cookies topped with a sweet lemon buttercream that turns them into irresistible lemon frosted cookies that everyone loves.
Perfect for spring, summer, holidays, baby showers, or any occasion, these lemon sugar cookies with frosting are simple to make and full of real lemon flavor.
If you love Crumbl, Swig, and Twisted Sugar cookies, check out my other copycat recipes. Pink frosted sugar cookies, coconut lime sugar cookies, cinnamon roll sugar cookies, and frosted chocolate sugar cookies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’ve ever had a Swig sugar cookie, then you know just how soft and delicious they are. But I made them even more irresistible with fresh lemon zest and juice in both the cookie and frosting. (These are technically more like Twisted Sugar’s lemon sugar cookies.)
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The best part – there’s NO chilling or cutting the dough. These rustic sugar cookies are so simple to make and perfect for parties or any occasion. They look so cute with a lemon slice on top and everyone loves them.
Lemon Sugar Cookies
My copycat coconut lime sugar cookies were so good that I wanted to update this recipe to make it more like those. It’s based off my favorite sugar cookie recipe. These soft lemon cookies with frosting are:
- Packed with fresh lemon zest and juice in both the cookie and frosting
- Soft, chewy, and moist – no dry sugar cookies here
- Easy to make with pantry staples
- Delicious with homemade lemon frosting
The sweet and citrusy flavor makes this one of the best lemon sugar cookie recipes for lemon lovers. If you don’t love frosting, be sure to check out my simple lemon cookies.
Ingredients For the Cookies
NOTE: Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
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- Butter – Unsalted butter is preferred in baking to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Granulated Sugar – To sweeten the cookies and help them spread.
- Powdered Sugar – Adds sweetness and creates a melt in your mouth feel.
- Oil – To keep the cookies moist.
- Lemon Juice and Zest – For real lemon flavor.
- Eggs – To bind and add structure to the cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour – Make sure to fluff it up. Stir, spoon, and level when measuring with cups or use a scale to weigh it. It’s important to use the proper amount of flour for baking.
- Baking Soda – To help the cookies spread.
- Cream of Tartar – Reacts with the baking soda to create a soft, chewy, and slightly tangy cookie.
- Salt – To enhance the flavor of the cookies.
Ingredients for the Frosting
NOTE: Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
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- Butter – The base for any buttercream frosting. Salted or unsalted butter works. If you use unsalted butter, add ¼ tsp of salt to balance out the sweetness of the frosting. If you’re salt sensitive, start with ⅛ tsp of salt and go from there.
- Powdered Sugar – To thicken, build volume, and sweeten the frosting.
- Lemon Zest and Juice – For real lemon flavor.
- Milk – To smooth the consistency.
Make the Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line half sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugars until smooth.
- Then add the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs. Mix well, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture all at once to the wet ingredients and mix until everything comes together. It should be slightly crumbly and not sticky at all.
- Use a #30 cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp of cookie dough) to scoop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart (no more than 8-9 per tray).
- Put 2 Tbsp granulated sugar in a small bowl. Dip the bottom of a cup into the bowl of sugar, and press it into the center of each dough ball until about ½-inch thick. (You may find it helpful to rock the cup in a circular motion.)
- Bake at 350˚F for 8-9 minutes. Do NOT over-bake! The tops will look matte instead of glossy when they are finished. (These cookies do not brown.) Cool on tray for several minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Lemon Frosting
- Place butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk.
- Mix together thoroughly, so the powdered sugar dissolves completely and isn’t gritty. (Add extra milk ½ Tbsp at a time, if needed, until desired consistency.)
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies and top with a lemon wedge, if desired.
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Storing and Freezing
- TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Be sure to separate any layers with parchment paper. (I just scoot the cookies close together on a half sheet tray and put a lid over it. [affiliate]) You can eat the cookies chilled or let them come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before consuming. You can also store these cookies at room temperature without the lemon slice on top for up to 4 days. Just make sure the frosting sets/crusts before you stack any layers.
- TO FREEZE: Lay cookies flat onto a cookie tray, putting parchment paper between each layer. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Freeze frosting separately for best results. Re-whip the thawed frosting, adding extra milk if needed. (Do not freeze with lemon slice.)
Recipe Notes
- Use fresh lemons – Fresh juice and zest give the cookies and frosting a natural citrus flavor without artificial aftertaste.
- Careful with the zest – Only use the outer yellow layer of the peel where the flavorful oils are found. Avoid grating into the white pith underneath, as it can add a bitter taste.
- Don’t over-bake the cookies — Soft centers create the perfect chewy texture.
- Let the frosting fully set before stacking the cookies.
FAQs
Yes. Freeze unfrosted cookies in an airtight container and thaw before adding frosting.
These lemon cookies use powdered sugar and cream of tartar to make them extra soft and melt in your mouth.
Absolutely. They store really well in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 5 ½ cups (688 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (177 ml) oil, (vegetable/canola)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, (about 1 lemon)
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, (about 1 lemon)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp (25 g) *extra granulated sugar, (for flattening the cookies)
Lemon Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) salted butter, (2 sticks) room temperature
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, (about 1 lemon)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 1 lemon)
- 2 Tbsp milk, (or heavy cream)
Equipment
Instructions
- COOKIES: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line half sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugars until smooth. Then add the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs. Mix well, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture all at once to the wet ingredients and mix until everything comes together. It should be slightly crumbly and not sticky at all.
- Use a #30 cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp of cookie dough) to scoop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart (no more than 8-9 per tray).
- Put 2 Tbsp granulated sugar in a small bowl. Dip the bottom of a cup into the bowl of sugar, and press it into the center of each dough ball until about ½-inch thick. (You may find it helpful to rock the cup in a circular motion.)
- Bake at 350˚F for 8-9 minutes. Do NOT over-bake! The tops will look matte instead of glossy when they are finished. (These cookies do not brown.) Cool on tray for several minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- FROSTING: Place butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk. Mix together thoroughly, so the powdered sugar dissolves completely and isn’t gritty. (Add extra milk ½ Tbsp at a time, if needed, until desired consistency.) Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies and top with a lemon wedge, if desired.
Notes
- TO STORE: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Be sure to separate any layers with parchment paper. (I just scoot the cookies close together on a half sheet tray and put a lid over it. [affiliate]) You can eat the cookies chilled or let them come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before consuming. You can also store these cookies at room temperature without the lemon slice on top for up to 4 days. Just make sure the frosting sets/crusts before you stack any layers.
- TO FREEZE: Lay cookies flat onto a cookie tray, putting parchment paper between each layer. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Freeze frosting separately for best results. Re-whip the thawed frosting, adding extra milk if needed. (Do not freeze with lemon slice.)
- BUTTER FOR FROSTING: If you use unsalted butter, add ¼ tsp of salt to balance out the sweetness of the frosting. If you’re salt sensitive, start with ⅛ tsp of salt and go from there.
Nutrition
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*Originally published on 3/26/2017. Recipe and photos updated May 2026.
