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Soft and chewy Lemon Cookies. Bursting with flavor thanks to using fresh lemon juice and zest!
How do you make lemon cookies from scratch?
The main ingredient needed for making lemon cookies is the lemon! Fresh lemon juice and zest is where the lemon flavor is coming from. Trust me it will give enough flavor.
Other than the lemon the ingredients are similar to regular cookie dough. All purpose flour, salt and baking soda (to counteract with the acid of the lemon).
Room temperature butter (I always bake with unsalted butter, if you use salted then reduce the salt in the recipe) sugar, egg and vanilla.
There is no need to chill this cookie dough prior to baking. And the cookies will bake up perfectly soft and chewy.
How do you make lemon glaze?
Another burst of flavor is going to come from the lemon glaze on top of the cookies!
To make the glaze use powdered sugar mixed with fresh lemon juice and zest. This will result in a very strong lemon flavor.
If you would prefer a more mellow lemon flavor then replace a portion of the lemon juice with milk or cream.
To get your desired consistency of glaze add either more juice/milk for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze.
Other lemon recipes:
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Recipe Video:
Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (1 small lemon)
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
Glaze
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Prepare a large baking sheet with a non-stick spray, or parchment paper, set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
- In large mixing bowl beat the butter for a few seconds, add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix until fully combined.
- Continue mixing while you add in the dry ingredients. Mix until fully combined.
- Drop cookie dough by the spoonful onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until light golden on edges, approximately 12- 14 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool on the cookie sheet about 5 minutes and then remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.
- Once cooled prepare the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until well combined. Spoon onto the top of the cookies. Allow to sit and dry, glaze will harden.
- Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Funny story.. When I first shared this recipe it was a recipe that I was given by someone else. I thought it was theirs. Then I had someone point out to me that it was basically the Martha Stewart Lemon Cookie recipe. Either way, it’s a wonderful lemon cookie recipe that everyone needs to know about!
Delicious, tart and tangy. Loved them—-most importantly, I impressed my 80 yo Texan mother in law! 💕
This recipe is wonderful. Husband brought home… a ton of lemons (his coworker has a tree, so I’d say about 15 or so lemons) And, so I doubled this recipe, made lemon bars, and lemonade. SO MUCH LEMON, but I do NOT believe in wasting. Waste not, want not! These cookies are like lemon clouds with a bite! Thank you SO much for sharing!
AMAZING, yet simple cookies. Made them, whole fam loved. Only took like 10 min. (besides the baking) and yummy and just the right amount of lemon.