Lemon Cookies

These lemon sugar cookies are sort of like a lemon version of a snickerdoodle cookie; they’ve got a soft and slightly chewy texture thanks to the cream of tartar. These however, are all about the lemon flavor: zest in the dough, lemon extract in the dough, and a lemon glaze on top. They have a beautifully bright citrus flavor from fresh juice, zest and some extract.

Note: these taste great as made below but you can also shape them around a blob of lemon curd like I do on this recipe. 

Recipe Origins 

As you might’ve guessed from the description, this recipe did indeed start with a snickerdoodle cookie recipe. I had asked a friend what her favorite cookie was, with plans to bring her a batch next time I saw her, and she couldn’t decide between a lemon cookie and a snickerdoodle. I immediately thought, what if I combined them and created a sort of ‘lemon snickerdoodle’ for her? 

I infused the sugar with lots of zest and added lemon extract to enhance the flavor. The first batch was rolled in a lemon sugar, then I as I tested and retested, I went for a glaze, and finally, a blob of white chocolate melted on top. I’m giving you options for whichever topping you like. 

Recipe Ingredients 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. 

Lemons: fresh lemons, wash and rub them dry before zesting. 

Butter: unsalted preferably. Cold is fine. 

Salt & vanilla: fine sea salt and pure vanilla extract. 

Lemon extract: this adds a more lemon forward flavor. Use a good quality extract. 

Egg yolks: from two large eggs. 

Leavening: baking soda. 

Cream of Tartar: this will give the cookies a softer chewy texture, rather like a snickerdoodle. 

Flour: all purpose flour of a medium to high protein content. 

Oil: anything flavorless like canola or avocado. Olive oil works too, if you like the flavor. 

Powdered sugar: I prefer powdered sugar made with tapioca starch because it melts on the tongue whereas cornstarch needs to be heated and will leave a powder/chalky aftertaste (check the label on the bag to know which one you have).

How to make Lemon Cookies 

Zest the lemons over the sugar then rub it in: this releases the oils from the zest to bring out a stronger, sweet lemon flavor. 

Melt the butter then whisk it along with the oil into the sugar: 

Add the vanilla, lemon extract and salt and whisk to combine: 

Whisk in the egg yolks, vigorously: until the mixture is cohesive and shiny. 

Add the remaining dry ingredients (baking soda, flour and cream of tartar): and stir to just combine.

Cover and leave at room temperature for 1-3 hours. 

Prep two cookie pans with parchment paper and scoop the cookie dough onto the pan.  

Optional: set a square of white chocolate on top of the cookie dough. 

Bake cookies until golden on the edges. Out of the oven let them cool on a wire rack.

Optional: drop the pan on the counter once or twice, to get the cookies to flatten or squash them with the bottom of a measuring cup. 

Topping Options 

Sugar: do ahead; in a bowl add 50g or ¼ cup fine granulated sugar and zest a lemon over it. Rub the zest with your fingers into the sugar. Cover the bowl to ensure it’s in an airtight container and leave it at room temperature overnight. Roll the cookie balls in the lemon sugar before baking. 

Glaze: this can go on the cookies only after they have baked and cooled. Instructions for it below. Remember, for a thinner glaze add more lemon juice/milk and for a thicker glaze add more powdered sugar. 

White Chocolate: this will give a beautiful cracked marble look to the lemon cookies and, it doesn’t hurt that lemon and white chocolate go so tastefully together. To do this, I did the same thing I did with my black cocoa cookies: place a square of white chocolate over the cookie dough balls before baking. As the cookies bake, the chocolate melts over the top. 

Buttercream/Frosting: Like I do in these raspberry lemon sugar cookies, you can use a berry flavored frosting to top these.  

Making the Cookies Ahead of Time

The dough for these cookies needs to be made at least an hour ahead of time. We want to give the flour time to hydrate, the butter to solidify somewhat, and for the flavor to develop more. If you’d like to make the dough more than a few hours ahead of time, do a room temperature rest for an hour then set the dough, wrapped airtight, in the fridge overnight. Bring the dough to room temperature before scooping and baking.

You can also freeze the dough after it has had it’s chill in the refrigerator: scoop the dough onto a baking sheet and set in the freezer for about 10 minutes to harden. Then transfer to a ziplock bag to freeze for longer. Let the cookie dough come to room temperature before baking. 

You can also freeze the cookies after baking, if you’re making them fully ahead of time and want them to stay fresh. Bug wait to glaze them until the day of serving/eating.

FAQ

Can I make these cookies with limes instead? 

Yes! Zest limes into the sugar and use fresh lime juice for the glaze. Lime extract isn’t too common so just use lemon extract instead. 

Can I double the recipe? 

If doubling the recipe, use a hand mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer (with the paddle attachment) to mix the dough, scrape the stand mixer bowl very well. Chilling time will need to be extended.

Lemon Cookie Recipe 

Lemon Cookies

Lemon cookies that are sort of like a lemon snickerdoodle: soft and slightly chewy, these cookies are bursting with lemon.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Rest Time: 2 hours hrs

Yields: 16 cookies

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

Lemon Cookies

• 150g or ¾ cups fine granulated sugar
• Zest of 2-3 lemons
• 113g or ½ cup butter unsalted
• 1-2 tablespoon flavorless oil 1 if you want domed cookies, 2 if you want flatter cookies
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 egg yolks from large eggs
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 225g or 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Lemon Glaze (optional)

• 65g or ½ cup powdered sugar preferably made with tapioca starch
• Pinch fine sea salt
• ½ tsp pure vanilla
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

• Set the sugar in a medium to large bowl. Zest the lemons over the sugar then rub it into the sugar to release the flavorful oils from the zest.
• Melt the butter then add it, the oil, salt, extract, and vanilla and whisk very well.
• Add the egg and whisk until the mixture is thick and shiny.
• Add the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease then line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Portion the cookie dough into balls that are about 1.5-2 tablespoons (if you are topping with white chocolate, add the square of chocolate on top now). Bake until the edges are starting to turn golden, 10 minutes for smaller cookies, and around 13 for larger cookies.
• Optional: out of the oven, drop the cookies once or twice on the counter (like pan-banging) to deflate. Alternatively, press them down with a measuring cup to flatten. If you prefer thick, domed cookies, leave them as is.
• Let cool completely if planning to glaze. For the glaze: whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. If the glaze is overly runny, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick to drizzle, add more lemon juice.
• For a zigzag glaze: dip the whisk in the bowl of glaze then hold it over the cookies and move it in a zigzag pattern. For full glaze coverage dollop glaze onto the cookie then spread. Zest some lemon over the top before the glaze sets, if you like. Let the glaze set on the cookies, then serve.

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