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Soft and chewy Lemon Cookies. Packed with flavor thanks to using fresh lemon juice and zest. This easy to make cookie recipe comes together in one bowl and no chilling time required!
Looking for cookie recipes? You will want to try our Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Thick Chocolate Chip cookies, and Mexican Wedding Cookies.
- One Bowl: This cookie dough comes together in one mixing bowl, saving time and dishes!
- No Chilling: Chilling is not required with this dough, the cookies bake up perfectly as soon as the dough is mixed. This means you don’t have to wait around to enjoy them!
- Bold Flavor: No one will be left having to guess at the flavor of this cookie, the lemon flavor stands out.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Lemon: The main ingredient needed for making lemon cookies is the lemon! Fresh lemon juice and zest is where the lemon flavor is coming from.
- Baking soda: The leavening agent that will counteract with the acid of the lemon.
- Butter: This cookie recipe does use room temperature butter. If you are using salted butter you will need to reduce the amount of salt in the recipe. You can substitute the butter with coconut oil at a 1:1 ratio. Making this switch will affect the flavor of the cookies.
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
How to Make Lemon Cookies
- First, in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter for a few seconds, then pour the granulated sugar in and cream together until light and fluffy.
- Add the lemon zest, vanilla, lemon juice, and egg to the wet ingredients. Continue to mix until smooth.
- Then, add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the same bowl. Mix the dry and wet ingredients until well combined. The ending dough will be sticky.
- Next, drop the cookie dough by the spoonful onto a prepared cookie sheet. Due to the stickiness of the dough you won’t be able to roll it with your hands.
- Finally, bake until just starting to turn a light golden color on the edges, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then remove to continue cooling on a wire rack.
How to Make Lemon Glaze:
- Prepare the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. If you would prefer a more mellow lemon flavor you can replace a portion of the lemon juice with milk or cream. The glaze packs a bold lemon flavor which makes it perfect for lemon lovers.
- To get your desired consistency of glaze add either more juice/milk for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze.
After that, spoon the glaze onto the top of the cookies or drizzle. Allow to sit and dry while the glaze hardens. Serve the cookies once they have cooled and the glaze has hardened.
Lemon Cookie Tips
- Cookie Scoop: Due to the sticky texture of the dough you will need to scoop the dough and not roll with your hands before baking.
- Bake Time: This lemon cookie recipe is best when baked until they turn golden on the edges. As they cool, they will set in the center and be perfect.
- Glaze: Adding the lemon glaze is optional, and you can do it in various ways: dunk the entire top of the cookie, part of the cookie, or drizzle.
How to Store/Freeze:
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
- Freezer: To freeze the cookie dough, spoon the dough onto a baking sheet with either a silicone baking mat or a sheet of wax paper. Place this in the freezer until the cookie dough has frozen. Once frozen, remove it from the baking sheet and place the cookie dough into a large freezer bag or container. Remove from the freezer and bake when ready.
Other lemon recipes:
Lemon Cookies Recipe
Soft bakery style lemon cookies with a lemon zest glaze
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (1 small lemon)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
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 large mixing bowl beat the butter for a few seconds, then pour in the sugar and cream together until fluffy.
- Add in the lemon zest, vanilla, lemon juice and egg. Continue to mix until smooth.
- To the same bowl add the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix until fully combined.
- Drop cookie dough by the spoonful onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until just starting to turn a light golden color on the edges, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool on the cookie sheet about 2-3 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 or drizzle. Allow to sit and dry, glaze will harden.
- Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature.
Video
Equipment
Notes
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
- Freezer: To freeze the cookie dough, spoon the dough onto a baking sheet with either a silicone baking mat or a sheet of wax paper. Place this in the freezer until the cookie dough has frozen. Once frozen, remove it from the baking sheet and place the cookie dough into a large freezer bag or container. Remove from the freezer and bake when ready.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Published 2015. Updated in 2018 and 2023.
Photography by Jess Gaertner Creative.
was great used lemon lime and orange and it turned out great.
Hi Serene, how do you keep the cookies from spreading? I followed the instructions exactly. The cookies tasted good but looked nothing like the picture. Should we chill the dough first? Other suggestions or tricks to keep the cookies from spreading? Thank you.
P.S. Used a ripe organic lemon for juice and zest and lemon flavor really came through.
Hi Lisa! If you’re having trouble with the cookies spreading then definitely try sticking the dough in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. This should solve the problem. It’s possible the butter was just a bit too soft when starting to bake, which is possible since it’s summer months!
Could you do this with lime rather than lemon?
You can! I would start with just a small amount of lime juice in the glaze so that it’s not too overpowering. But it should work just fine with lime!
Will be cooking these . Thanks !
Let me know how they turn out!
We made these cookies last night and they were awesome! The texture is perfect and that fresh lemon flavor is on point. Thank you for sharing the recipe, which is very easy to follow, this is a household hit!
I baked these with the glaze exactly as described. Warm cookies right after making tasted good, but they definitely become a little hard after cooling. . They have a bit of a bite but I like Lemon. They probably aren’t for everyone. I used fresh lemon from my tree which are more tart than those in the store
Great story!
Making these tonight.. They look delicious. Can they be frozen, and if so, can they be frozen frosted as well?
Hi Serene, I tried these today my husband and I really enjoyed them. They are a bit to strong for my little kids ( 5 & 2) but I’m thinking of doing it again with Oranges which I think the kids will like more.
Hi Christine! An orange version sounds fun! You could always make them again, and just omit the lemon from the glaze. That should tone down the lemon flavor a good amount.
Hi I would like to try this recipe, quick question what type of flour did you use? Plan or Self Raising? Thanks
Hi Christine! For this recipe I just used All Purpose. Happy baking! Let me know how they turn out 🙂
Has anyone tried to use lemon extract instead of vanilla for more lemon flavor? I don’t think glaze would work for this occasion.
I haven’t done that myself, but it’s definitely something to give a try!
When I made these, I used lemon extract instead of vanilla because the cookies were for my mother, She loved them.
So glad she enjoyed them!