While I love all my recipes, these lemon cookies are a family favorite in heavy rotation. We can’t get enough of these perfectly sweet, soft cookies, especially when topped with a crunchy lemon glaze! By the way, these cookies stay super soft fr days, it’s not one of those situations where you need to eat them straight out of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use lemon juice instead of lemon extract in cookies?
You can add some extra lemon juice in a pinch but the juice has less sugar, and more acid than the extract so be careful.
What happens when you put baking soda in lemon juice?
Is there a substitute for lemon extract?
I actually prefer using lemon paste from Nielsen Massey but if you have a recipe that calls for lemon extract you can substitute in a lemon liqueur in it’s place.
What can you make out of lemons?
How to Make Lemon Cookies
1. Add the white and brown sugar to the bowl of your food processor then zest two lemons and add the zest to the bowl.
2. Whiz the zest and sugars together until totally combined then set aside. If you don’t have a processor just mince the zest and mix into the sugars.
3. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and corn starch into a bowl then whisk together and set aside.
4. Cream the room temperature butter then add the infused sugars and beat until light and fluffy. I’m using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment but an electric hand mixer will work too.
5. Mix in the egg, lemon juice and lemon paste; I use lemon paste for this recipe which is a bit milder, if you’re using extract use way less. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more before adding the dry ingredients.
6. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Scrape the bowl down and mix in any bits that are hanging around. Cover and chill dough for at least two hours but ideally 3hrs to overnight.
7. Scoop out roughly two tablespoon-sized balls of the chilled dough and roll in the palms of your clean hands. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350F. Allow to cool completely for a few minutes on the sheet then transfer to a wire rack.
9. Mix about a cup of powdered sugar with a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Add more lemon juice for a looser drizzle and less for a spreadable paste.
10. Drizzle the the lemon glaze onto the cooled cookies and allow to set.
These cookies are amazing without the glaze but I LOVE the little bit of crunch and extra zing it gives the cookies. You can also roll the balls of dough in powdered sugar for a crinkle cookie look.
Pro Tips for the BEST Lemon Cookies
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Chill time is very important for these cookies so try not to rush things.
- Add more zest to the sugar for an intense lemon flavor.
- These cookies will keep for up to a week in a sealed container.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this lemon cookie recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp lemon zest zest of two lemons
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113g, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar 50g, packed
- 2 cups flour 240g
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp lemon paste or 1 tsp extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- yellow food coloring optional
Instructions
- Whiz the lemon zest and sugars in a food processor. This step is optional but it really infuses the sugars with lots of lemon oil and makes a big difference. If you don't have a processor just mince the zest, mix with the sugar and set aside.
- Sift the flour, salt, corn starch, and baking soda together then whisk together and set aside.
- Beat butter and infused sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, lemon juice and 1tbsp lemon paste or 1 tsp lemon extract. Scrape the bowl down and mix once more. If you're adding some food coloring this is a good moment to mix it in!
- Add the dry mixture to the wet and beat until almost combined. Scrape the bowl down one last time then beat until combined.
- Cover and shill the dough for at least 30 minutes. You can chill it overnight or make the dough months ahead of time and freeze it.
- Once chilled set oven to 350F and scoop out potions of cookie dough roughly two tablespoons in size (a little larger is fine too. Place the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets leaving about two inches of space between the cookies to allow for spreading.
- Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes or until the edges are set, you don't want these cookies to brown really but the bottom of the edge may just be turning golden.
Video
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Chill time is very important for these cookies so try not to rush things.
- Add more zest to the sugar for an intense lemon flavor.
- These cookies will keep for up to a week in a sealed container.
They were really soft after the initial bake. I didnt use the lemon pasta/extract and put extra juice and rind which didnt work as the lemoney taste wasnt really there 🙁
But baked them again for 20 min + and they got crunchier and tasted better! Not as per my taste overall but maybe better if i followed recipe
The best cookies I’ve baked so far. Thank you for the recipe.
Just a small question: So I’m not a huge fan of sweetness, is it okay if I reduce the sugar, maybe about 1/4 cup? Will it make any difference other than the taste in the end?
Thank you again.
you can take out a couple tablespoons.
These are delicious cookies! I didn’t use the food processor, since I didn’t feel like more cleaning, so I just let the sugars and zest sit for a little bit and the taste was awesome. However, next time, I definitively need to double or triple the recipe! My family devoured them; 18 cookies is definitely not enough 🙂
Hi John,
I am currently making your Lemon Cookies. You may want to fix the recipe directions in step #2 to read ‘baking soda’ and NOT baking powder.
Wish me luck as I bake these.
~ Carmen
Baking is my Zen
corrected, thanks!
I absolutely love this recipe! They’re easy to make and delicious. I made them for a Super Bowl party and two weeks later I was asked to make them again for a birthday party! Thank you for all your recipes <3
This is a wonderful recipe to use my lovely lemons! I can’t wait to enjoy these luscious lemon cookies!
A big thank you from me as well for giving the amounts in grams.
Thank you, John, for posting the ingredients in grams! As a baker in Europe, I find the cup situation in the States a bit bizarre, and I always prefer to weigh my ingredients. 🙂
The taste is so good. I did it without the lemon paste. But the 10 minutes at 175 c was short. The middle of the cookie was a bit soft on the baking paper. But the ones on the silicone pad was good.
hi John. first of all thank you for yr great recipes. i love the fact that you give exact measurements and i dont have to convert or guess. yr remarks tips and explainations add and help a lot. Ive tried the shortbread ( major success) and now im making these lemon cookies. So far so good. Keep up the good work! ??
P.s. I double (and triple) the quantities.just to be on the safe side ?
YAY! Thank you!