Lemon Crinkle Cookie Recipe

Easy Lemon Crinkle Cookies turn out soft and chewy every time. Two sugar coatings give them a dramatic crinkled effect and a sweet outer crust.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Chill Time 4

Total Time 4 45

Servings cookies

Calories 139kcal

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, lemon zest, and salt. For extra flavor, rub the sugar and zest together with your fingers until the mixture feels like wet sand. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla until well combined. If you want a brighter yellow color, whisk in the food coloring.
In a small bowl whisk together the flour and baking soda. Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place the granulated sugar and the confectioners’ sugar in separate small bowls. Set aside.
Scoop 12 balls of the chilled cookie dough (about 1½ tablespoons/28g each). Cover and place the remaining dough back in the fridge.
Roll the scooped dough between your palms to form smooth balls. Coat each dough ball with the granulated sugar and then coat with the powdered sugar. Place the coated dough balls 1½ inches apart on one lined baking sheet. (If desired, dust them lightly again with powdered sugar and a fine mesh sieve.)
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the tops crack and the bottom edges are just starting to brown. Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Repeat the scooping and baking process with the remaining dough. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Zest the lemon before juicing! It’s very hard to zest juiced lemon halves, and once the lemons are zested, they are easier to squeeze for juicing. Also, when zesting the lemons, make sure only to zest the yellow parts. The white layer underneath is bitter.
For extra contrast, dust the dough balls with more powdered sugar just before baking. This is optional, but it gives them an extra layer of sugar on top so the coating doesn’t melt too much in the oven, resulting in a very distinct crinkled exterior.