These chewy lemon sugar cookies are like a warm hug with a citrusy twist-refreshing, comforting, and totally impossible to eat just one! Plus, that lemon glaze on top is worth a thousand bucks.
You know that perfect cookie that's just the right balance of chewy and soft? Now imagine that, but bursting with bright, zesty lemon flavor. Yep, that's this cookie recipe.
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Recipe at a Glance
- Bake Level: These cookies are so insanely easy anyone can make them!
- Bake Time: Including the chill time in the fridge to set the dough, this recipe take you just over an hour.
- Taste: Bright lemon flavor, sweet sugary chew, with a lightly crisp outside.
- Pair With: You can make a gorgeous springtime or bright and sunny brunch with these lemon cookies along with cookies and cream cookies, a delectable kitchen sink skillet cookie, or a yummy and moist lemon blueberry loaf cake.
Trusted Tips and Reminders
- In my very first test of this recipe, I added too much lemon, not enough sugar, not enough flour, and had too much butter. It resulted in yummy cookies, BUT not the THE cookie I was going for. This recipe cut a little of the butter, added in a little more flour and sugar, and cut half the lemon juice. FOLLOW THE RECIPE VERBATIM!
- Do not over-mix the batter. If you over-mix it will work the gluten too much in the flour, causing the dough to become dense and tough. We want chewy and soft. My trusty tip is to switch to a sturdy rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients. Works like a charm!
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients - The softened and room temperature butter and eggs gives these cookies their chewy texture and rich flavor. Let the cookies cool all the way before adding the lemon glaze.
- Bake the cookies until they set, do not over bake. Meaning, if you are nervous that the timing is too much or too little, trust the process, as the cookies will continue to bake and settle as they cool down.
Important Ingredients
- Eggs - In this particular recipe, we use one whole egg and one egg yolk. The additional egg yolk helps give the gorgeous yellow color and adds to the chewy mouthfeel.
- Sugar - Sugar cookies need the sugar. Not only for the sweetness, but for the classic chew and texture sugar cookies have. I don't prefer to use a light brown sugar, only cane or granulated sugar.
- Butter - In my first test, I used two whole sticks of butter (16 tbsp), but in my second test, I used 12 tablespoon (1 ½ sticks), and it helped tremendously with spreading. I like using salted butter so I don't have to add in any extra salt.
- Lemon Juice and Zest - Fresh squeezed lemon juice and fresh zest is paramount in this recipe. My first go round, I added way too much zest and juice, so this final version is a little scaled back, but still super citrusy and flavorful.
- All Purpose Flour - AP flour as it's commonly referred to is a staple and reliable flour for just about anything. If you want to swap for gluten free, be sure to use a 1:1 cup GF like Bob's Red Mill.
- Baking Soda - The baking soda is our leavening agent to help the cookies with the rise, spread, and texture.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Step by Step Process Photos
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar by rubbing both ingredients together. Doing so will release the natural lemon oils from the zest creating a robust lemon flavor.
Step 2: To the same bowl, using a hand whisk or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
Pour in the lemon juice, whole egg, and egg yolk, then whisk again until fully combined.
Step 3: To the wet ingredients, gently pour in the flour and baking soda.
Switch to a spatula to fold in and combine. STOP mixing when the flour is fully incorporated.
Step 4: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then using a large cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough batter into balls, then place on the baking sheet.
Repeat until all the batter is formed into cookie balls, then chill for an hour in the fridge.
About five minutes before the chill time is up, preheat the oven to 350º, remove the cookies from the fridge, and bake the cookies in batches of 6, evenly spaced. Bake for 11 minutes, then let cool and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling for 30 minutes.
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- Swap for an quality gluten free 1:1 flour.
- I would not omit any of the sugar or eggs as this recipe is built around using the exact measurements of those ingredients.
- If you wanted to add in some orange zest and fresh squeezed orange juice instead of lemon, that works too!
Frequently Asked Questions
How are these cookies best stored? What about adding to the freezer?
You can easily add these cookies to an airtight container and place ont he countertop for up to 3-4 days. They will stay very chewy until then. If you want to freeze some of them, add the cookies to a plastic food storage bag and store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months.
I would also suggest maybe holding off on adding the glaze until you want to thaw them or reheat.
Can I use lemon extract instead of fresh lemon juice?
I would refrain from using lemon extract as it is very concentrated and more than just 2-3 drops will be over the top and can be off putting.
I also wouldn't recommend using lemon juice from a bottle that you might have in your fridge. Fresh squeezed lemons are lot more flavorful.
Why do we chill the dough before the cookies bake?
The chilling time in the fridge helps lessen the spread when the cookies bake. Softened butter will spread in the oven causing the cookies to not bake the way we want. The cookies should have a slight dome, be soft and chewy in the center, with a slightly crips perimeter.
Can I add poppy seeds to these cookies to make them lemon poppy seed cookies?
I LOVE THIS IDEA! Yes, add just one tablespoon of poppy seeds to the batter and fold in with a spatula. Bake for the same amount of time.
Hungry for More, Lemon?
Check out these other lemon forward recipes!
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheets
- large mixing bowl
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- Cookie scoop
- spatula
Ingredients
- 250 grams Granulated Sugar 1 ½ cups
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 12 tablespoon Butter 1 ½ sticks, room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoon Lemon Juice fresh squeezed
- 1 whole Egg room temperature
- 1 Egg yolk
- 330 grams All Purpose Flour 2 ¾ cups
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
For the Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup Confectioner's Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Half and Half
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar by rubbing both ingredients together. Doing so will release the natural lemon oils from the zest creating a robust lemon flavor.
- To the same bowl, using a hand whisk or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Pour in the lemon juice, whole egg, and egg yolk, then whisk again until fully combined.
- To the wet ingredients, gently pour in the flour and baking soda. Switch to a spatula to fold in and combine. STOP mixing when the flour is fully incorporated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then using a large cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough batter into balls, then place on the baking sheet.
- Repeat until all the batter is formed into cookie balls, then chill for an hour in the fridge.
- About five minutes before the chill time is up, preheat the oven to 350º, remove the cookies from the fridge, and bake the cookies in batches of six, evenly spaced. Bake for 11 minutes, then let cool and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling for 30 minutes.
- If you are adding the glaze, whisk the powdered/confectioner's sugar with the half and half and the lemon juice until well combined. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled cookies, let set for 10 minutes before serving.
kathy says
I RAN to post this review of these cookies because I saw you post them on instagram and knew I needed to make them, and WOW are they soft, so chewy, and the lemon is perfect. I love lemon anything so these were right up my alley! Could I use a different citrus if I wanted to make them orange too?
Morgan Peaceman says
Yay so glad you loved them !! yes, you can use oranges or even grapefruit!