Soft Baked Lemon Cookies (+ Video)
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These lemon cookies are soft baked and have plenty of lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract throughout for a delicious lemon treat!
Y’all know I’m addicted to all things citrus. I’ve forgone my lime addiction for now, and switched over to lemons and let me tell you, these lemon cookies are simple and even “plain” looking, but that says nothing about how they burst with lemon flavor!
I’ve covered all the lemon flavors that I could: zest, juice, AND extract! It creates one bright, lemony cookie!
And don’t even get me started on how soft these cookies are! Thick, chewy, soft, lemony goodness! I’m ready to make them in lime too! MMM!!!
Soft Baked Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 10 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup sugar
- zest of 2 lemons (about 1 Tbsp lemon zest)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
- 5 drops yellow food coloring
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon extract, and yellow food coloring. Mix thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary.
- Scoop 1½ Tbsp sized cookie dough balls and roll them in a bowl with ¼ cup powdered sugar. Place cookies on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 9 to 10 minutes. Store cookies in an airtight container or plastic bag up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
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Recipe altered from Cooking Classy
102 Comments on “Soft Baked Lemon Cookies (+ Video)”
I love this version of a lemon cookie. The blue, grey, and yellow placemat is adorable, too!
I love a good lemon cookie! These look like they would melt in your mouth. They are so perfect, Amber!
My mom created a similar recipe a few years ago. It’s basically her snicker doodle recipe without the vanilla and adding lemon extract instead. But, the ingredient that really pushes them over the edge is lemon chips (like chocolate chips; only lemon). They’re hard to find and kind of expensive, but oh so very yummy!
Oh! I wish I could get my hands one some lemon chips! I’ve only played with them when I worked in a couple of different bakeries! So delicious!
You can buy them from the King Arthur Flour website
http://www.kingarthurflour.com
you can buy lemon chips plus any other kinds and lots of other baking supplies, spices at the Bargain Barn
These really look wonderful. When life gives you lemons, make cookies! 🙂
I totally agree with that statement! Cookies for the win! Thanks Jim!
Super excited about these! I am also a citrus addict and love ALL things lemon!
quichethecook.blogspot.com
Thanks Lisa! I can’t get enough lemon, especially this time of year!
Citrus desserts are my favorite too! They look absolutely perfect! I love how soft and chewy they are 🙂
I think we need a citrus lovers club! 😉 Thanks Kelly!
I can’t get enough of lemon desserts! Especially this time of the year! These cookies look perfect–soft and chewy just how I love them!
I love lemon in the Spring as well! And these are so soft and chewy! Thanks Michelle!
These look so good, Amber. I love lemon–can’t wait to give these a try!
Thanks Teresa! Lemon is a staple in my springtime baking! Enjoy!
Oooh these look perfectly soft and moist. Love lemon desserts!! Yum!
Thanks Jess! They certainly are! And I love lemon too!
Made these and they are great! Only difference is that I thought I had lemon EXTRACT but it was actually lemon OIL so I only used a few drops for fear of overdoing it. Love the soft, semi-chewy texture and the bright lemon flavor.
Glad you thought to reduce the amount of oil, since it is stronger than extract! And I’m glad you liked them!
I made these cookies yesterday and they are delicious!! Yum!
I’m so glad you liked them Bobbi! Thanks for stopping by to leave your comment!
I just Made these and did a thumb print with lemon filling and just baked two minutes more and they turned out wonderful, my husband loved them. Thanks
That sounds like an amazing addition to these cookies! Thanks for sharing!
Wow! These were incredible! I made them for afternoon tea for my friend from brazil and she loved them!
That’s so great Amanda! I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Well I found your blog by chance and OMGoodness am I thankful. I made these cookies for my Family Easter Dinner this weekend and WOW what a huge hit!! My Hubby rolled his eyes and the idea of a Lemon Cookie he “Old Lady cookies” Well he ate so many everytime he walked to the Platter I asked. Feeling like an Old Lady again?? LOL Thank you Thank you and wait to make more of your yummy food. Have a blessed day!
Ooh, great choice! That’s the best when you prove your hubby wrong. 😉 Glad everyone liked them so much! Definitely look around, I’m sure there is more you would enjoy! Thanks Crystal!
Made these for hubby as a lemon lover also. Great recipe easy to make and lots of lemon flavor! Will be making often glad I found in time for summer season. Thanks Amber!
I’m so glad to hear that Meredith! Thanks for leaving your review!
Thoughts on these staying soft if I freeze them after baking? Trying to come up with desserts for my wedding dessert table that are easy/can be freezed in advance.
I haven’t tried freezing them myself, but I would suggest to try and fit as many as you can in a single-layer on a wax paper lined baking sheet. I’m not sure they would stack well, they might stick to each other and possibly wax paper if you stack them on top of each other. Maybe try one batch and freeze it to see how it does.
I made these and they were absolutely fabulous! I froze half the batch and baked it a week later – turned out just as good! I shared your link on my blog! https://iamproductivelyprocrastinating.wordpress.com/2015/11/20/adventures-in-procrasti-baking-the-cookie-edition/ Cheers!
That’s so great! Good to know they freeze well. Thanks for linking back to my recipe!
could i substitute lemon extract by adding more lemon juice?
You can. The lemon extract flavor doesn’t get baked out as much as lemon juice does, but the only thing it may do is flatten your cookie slightly depending on how much extra you add.
Excellent recipe…..made it as part of the dessert menu for a group of 80 people – a HUGE hit! Thanks so much for sharing.
Wonderful news Jess! So glad everyone enjoyed them! Thanks for your review!
Sooooooo I don’t know what I did wrong but they turned out as little lemon cake circles. Good nonetheless. Definitely suggest this recipe if you do it right. Either way, it’s still delicious.
Glad they tasted good at least. Next time you can try leaving out the extra egg yolk or increasing the butter 2 to 4 Tbsp to make them denser.
Can you make these w/o the extract and zest? Because at the moment I cannot find any lemons lying around my house. 🙂 Also, I just rediscovered your page and I <3 <3 <3 it as always! 🙂
Hi Val! So glad you found me again! You could make these without the extract and zest, but they won’t be very lemony. Most of the lemon flavor comes from those two ingredients. I like a really tangy lemon flavor though. If you like a hint of lemon, these might still work great with what you have on hand. Good luck!
Thank you! Is there any possible way that I could add a little extra lemon juice without ruining the recipe?
They might be okay, otherwise they will flatten more or do the complete opposite and puff up more. It’s hard to say.
Hi, Amber! I posted this recipe on my blog and gave credits to you and I put it in my own words. I used your picture but, I gave credits!
Hi Val, thanks for your honesty, but unfortunately I don’t allow my images to be posted with the full recipe even if it’s in your own words. If you take your own picture that’s fine, but please remove mine. Thank you!
OK. 🙂
I took it down. 🙂
Thank you!
I’m a little confused about how much butter to put in recipe
10 Tablespoons or 5 ounces. If you live in the U.S. and use the sticks of butter, it’s one full stick plus 2 Tablespoons. It’s usually marked on the paper that the butter is wrapped in.
I am inspired to make a blueberry + lemon cookie – would it be okay to link your recipe for the lemon cookie base? My site: http://www.mixedbagashley.com!
Of course! I can’t wait to see how they turn out with the blueberries!
These are delicious! Instead of the lemon extract I used rum, really brings out the lemon!
Nice! Thanks for your comment Tay!
I just came across your blog and it didn’t take me long to sign up for the emails!!! I want to make these for a ladies tea this weekend but they want a lemon and lavender cookie. Could I put a light lavender glaze on these and sprinkle with fresh lavender without weighing down the wonderful soft texture?
I think a light lavender glaze would work out perfectly! Just keep it thin and light. Let me know how they turn out! Thanks for subscribing LeeAnn!
How many cookies does this recipe yield?
Hi Mary! This recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. I typically put the yield towards the top of the recipe card, so you know where to look for it next time. 🙂 I hope you love these!
My 21 year old daughter, ho is crazy for lemon cakes/cookies/deserts, emailed this recipe to me 3 days ago.
I couldn’t wait for the weekend to come so that I will have time to bake them. Today, finally came the weekend and I did! They came out so wonderful, lemony, with great texture, great aroma, and so easy to make !
Thank you for this great recipe !
That’s great news Orit! Thanks for your comment, I’m so glad you liked them!
I have made cake mix cookies for several years and Lemon is one of my favorites. I also finish my Lemon cookies with a glaze made with Powdered Sugar, Lemon juice and zest with some Vegetable Oil.
Very cool!
Just delcious. Amything lemon, one of my faves this. Thanks .
Simon
Anyone tried using a gluten-free flour?
Many thanks. [email protected]
I haven’t, sorry Lucie, but please let us know if you try it and how it turns out!
Oh.my.yum!!!!! Words.fail.me…
Add a little lemon-powdered sugar-half and half frosting and you have a recipe for being sick all night because I ate WAY more than I would EVER admit!
Too bad my husband and kids came in…I could have eaten the whole batch!!!!
Great recipe! Awesome job!!
Well, I’m sorry you ate too many, but if you enjoyed them that much, I’m glad too. 🙂 Thanks for your feedback Lesa!
do you need the paddles or will just the beaters do
Just be sure your butter is soft so it doesn’t break your beaters.
Just finished trying this recipe, turned out really good. I changed the quantities because I only wanted about half of what your recipe was making. So half butter, half sugar, half flour, half baking powder, but the same amount of eggs, zest and juice of one lemon instead of the extract and no food coloring.
I used the egg white I had left to make meringue that I put on top of the baked cookies and broiled for 3 min. It make to cookies look even classier!
Meringue on top! That’s a fun idea! Thanks for sharing!
Is it ok to use self rising flour instead of all purpose and baking soda?
I’ve never used self rising flour, so I’m not sure if it would work out okay or not. Sorry!
My daughter loves anything lemon. I made these last year at Christmas and about 5 times during the year. She loved them!!!!! I did add additional zest just for my daughter. I did use the recipe for the base for a fruit tart….rolled the dough, placed in a tart pan, baked, added lemon curd and fruit and baked a few more minutes. What a great dessert!!!!
That sounds amazing! What a fun way to use this recipe!
These stayed in a ball and didn’t flatten
That’s strange. I’m sorry they didn’t spread for you. In the future, you can always use the bottom of a glass dipped in powdered sugar to flatten them before baking if you run into that problem again.
Can you double the recipe, if yes, how?
For sure. Just double (x2) all the ingredients. So, 20 Tbsp butter is 2 1/2 sticks or 1 1/4 cups. Everything else should be fairly simple to double.
Ok thank you. I’ve learned the hard way that doubling a recipe can mess it up.
Can you use lemon juice
For sure! I almost always have a bottle of lemon juice in my fridge at all times. I do love the addition of fresh lemon zest, but it will still work fine without it. Maybe do 2 tsp of lemon extract if you don’t use zest for that added punch of flavor.
Hi Amber. These sound so good. I’m going to make them tonight with lemons from my lemon tree!
One question though… the cookies in your video are more “smooshed” looking than the cookies in the pictures on the blog. Did the video cookies get pressed down before or after baking?
You actually shouldn’t have to press the cookies at all. I don’t but if you run into problems, dip the bottom of a cup in powdered sugar and press them halfway before baking. I hired out that particular video, so that’s why they look slightly different than the pictures. Good luck and enjoy!
Great, thanks.
I made these yesterday, and they were very yummy. I put one batch on a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat, and one on parchment paper. The cookies on the parchment paper spread more (in a good way). I didn’t have lemon extract so I added a bit more lemon juice and zest. They weren’t quite as tart as I wanted, so I finished them with a glaze of lemon juice & a mix of ultrafine sugar and powdered sugar. It did the trick! It was a little thin, so it soaked nicely into the cookies without making them soggy/damp. Overall a success!! I brought them to a July 4 dinner last night and received several compliments and a request for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing your experience Trixie! Glad you were able to alter the recipe with what you had on hand!
I make this cookies this morning and I have to said THEY ARE AMAZING !!!!! we love them and I will be making them for a very long time.
Thank you.
That’s great! I’m so glad you enjoyed these lemon cookies so much! Thanks for your comment Lilia!
Has anyone ever tried adding white chocolate chips to these? Im going to make these for Thanksgiving and was curious 🙂
Should be just fine! Enjoy!
Made this for my man for Valentine’s Day after a 3 course meal and he loved it ! Melts in the mouth ! Delightful.
Wonderful! Glad you liked them!
These are sooo delicious and just melt in your mouth… a recipe I’ll be using over and over!! Thank you!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Jackie! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment with your experience.
Can you please help me with the sugar cause I have to watch my salt and sugars is there another substitute i can use in this recipe thank you
Hi Sheila, I’m guessing Splenda should be okay. I don’t usually recipe test with sugar substitutes, so just use your best judgement with the experience that you have. Good luck!
Ok ,
Thank you so much, if ok I will post it on here if they turn out good 😊
I’m going to try this recipe using oranges instead of lemons. I’ve made these lemon cookies many times, they are amazing. I do the powdered sugar after they’ve cool. I lay them on paper towels and lightly spritz with water about 6 at a time and use a handheld strainer to dust the powdered sugar on top, the powdered sugar stays on the cookie and it doesn’t melt off. I’ll let you know how the orange ones turn out. 🍊🍊🍪🍪
Nice tip! Thanks for sharing Cindi! Can’t wait to hear how it goes with oranges!
Hello Amber,
The orange cookies turned out great. I’ve made them quite a few times., everyone loves them. The only thing I didn’t do was to try to mix colors to get orange..Since the dough is yellow, I just added red food coloring to the dough, 1 drop at a time, I used 5 drops. They were very pretty. My daughter wants me to try grapefruit…which I will, I just hope they “taste” good. I’ll let you know..
I have tried so many of your recipes, you’re my go to for looking up recipes. I’m going to be making the Cinnamon Rolls for Christmasgifts this year…that’s a really good idea.
I’ll let you know about the grapefruit cookies. 🍂🍁🍂
Thanks for the update Cindi! I’ll have to try the orange version. And I’m so happy you are enjoying my recipes! Makes my heart happy!