Lemon Cookies Recipe

Lemon Cookies on a plate made like sugar cookies with lemon zest.

These lemon sugar cookies are soft, chewy, and full of fresh lemon flavor from real zest and juice. This easy lemon cookies recipe comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients and bakes up perfectly tender every time. A bright, citrusy twist on classic sugar cookies that’s perfect for spring, summer, or whenever you’re craving homemade lemon cookies.

Author Amber Brady

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 11

Total Time 41

Yields cookies

Ingredients

Lemon Sugar Coating

⅓ cup (68 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest, (about 1 large lemon)

Lemon Cookies

3 ¼ cups (406 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level) *See Notes
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature*
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest, (about 1 large lemon)
1 large egg, room temperature
¼ cup (59 ml) lemon juice, fresh
½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line half sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
For the Lemon Sugar Coating: Rub together the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Set aside for coating the cookies in a later step.
For the Lemon Cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together. Add the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix, scraping the bowl as needed.
Add the dry ingredients all at once to the wet ingredients, and mix until everything comes together.
Use a #30 cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp of cookie dough) to scoop the dough into balls. Roll each ball in the lemon sugar to coat the outside, and then place it onto the prepared baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart (no more than 8 per tray).
Bake at 350˚F for 10-12 minutes until the cookies have spread, and the edges are set. Do not over-bake. (These cookies do not brown.) Allow cookies to cool for 1-2 minutes on the tray, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Measure the flour carefully. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale. I tested this recipe with 3 ¼ cups (406g) of flour (cookies shown in pictures) and 3 cups (375g) of flour. The greater amount will create thicker cookies, but they tend to dry out faster unless you slightly underbake them. The lower amount is a just bit thinner, but could spread a lot if your butter or cookie dough gets too warm. (Risky for novice bakers.) If you want to go in-between that, 3 cups + 2 Tbsp (391g) of flour would probably be just right, even though it's a weird measurement.
Use room temperature butter. This is colder than you think. The butter should be slightly cold still, and give a little when touched.
Only coat the cookie dough balls with lemon sugar just before baking. Otherwise the cookies won’t spread as far and the outside will crust (dry out slightly) and crack more.
Do not coat with sugar if adding frosting. Or the sugar may make it hard for the frosting to stick to the dough. You may also want to add that extra lemon zest to the cookie dough itself if you don’t plan to use the lemon sugar coating.
STORAGE: Store cookies in an airtight container or on a plate covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 3-4 days.
TO FREEZE COOKIE DOUGH: Scoop cookie dough balls onto a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Set in the freezer for 1-2 hours until firm. Then transfer frozen dough balls into a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. (NOTE: Do not coat dough balls in lemon sugar until ready to bake.) Allow the cookie dough to come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Then roll it with your hands slightly before rolling it in the lemon sugar, so it will be warm enough for the sugar to stick to the cookie dough. Then bake normally.
TO FREEZE BAKED COOKIES: Freeze baked cookies in single layers divided by parchment paper, wrapped well or in a freezer bag, up to 3-4 weeks. Thaw at room temperature.

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