Soft chewy lemon sugar cookies are always a hit! A light lemon cookie that will be a crowd favorite.
Lemon Sugar Cookies
I may be a chocoholic but these cookies got me from the first bite. Actually, I lie. It was from the first bite of cookie dough because after one taste, I was hooked! Since my Mom loves all things lemon, I decided I had to break free from my chocolate love affair and make something that she would love - a sweet, soft lemon sugar cookie.
She was smitten with the first taste! This cookie is bursting with fresh lemon flavor without being too tart and if you could imagine a marriage between a soft sugar cookie and a tangy lemon, you will get this delectable lemon sugar cookie.
This is a soft, chewy lemon cookie with a light lemon flavor. It is a simple, crowd-pleasing recipe that everyone loves! Add more lemon zest for extra lemon flavor.
Key Steps for making the BEST Lemon sugar cookies:
- Cream butter and sugar for four minutes or until light and fluffy. This breaks down the sugar so you don't end up with grainy cookies. It also whips in the air, which not only helps to give the cookie body but keeps it from going completely flat once it hits the hot oven.
- Use fresh lemon juice. The fake stuff you find in the grocery store just tastes fake. Fresh lemon transforms so many dishes and since it's the star ingredient in this cookie, fresh is best.
- Use a zester to get the vibrant yellow skin from the lemon and leave the bitter white part behind. We want the good stuff! Click HERE to buy a zester for about $10 bucks.
- These cookies are best soft so don't overbake. An outstanding cookie can become mediocre just from overbaking. I always use non-stick silicone baking sheets. These silicone baking sheets are some of my favorites because they work well and are reasonably priced.
- Top with sparkling sugar just as you are removing the cookies from the oven.
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter cold, cut into cubes
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest may put more lemon zest for extra flavor
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- *may put in a drop of yellow food coloring for color
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir to combine.
- Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined.
- Drop dough onto light colored baking sheet.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar or white sparkling sugar.
Thank as always for all of your incredible support. xo Happy Baking!
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Christy
My daughter made these but we didn’t have any lemon so we just made it a regular sugar cookie, normally I don’t care for sugar cookies unless they have a ton of sweet icing on them,,,, BUT they were sooooo good i can only imagine how good they are with lemon!! I told her how good the texture and chewiness in the middle is and crispy outside the edges, I sounded like good ole Mary Berry. This is going in my recipe book,, and probably won’t be the last from skimming through your others! Thanks!!
Savannah
Made these yesterday and they were awesome! I did, however, modify a bit by adding 1/2-3/4 tablespoon of lemon extract after step 3 (I made the mistake of measuring over the bowl and the 1/2tbspn overflowed, so I can only estimate how much actually made it in lol). I also had some extra batter, so I grabbed a mini cupcake tin, filled the cups about halfway with batter, then smooshed a raspberry on to the top for a 'thumbprint'-esque cookie. These needed an extra minute or two in the oven and the centers surrounding the raspberry stayed gooey 🙂
Next time I think I'll add some toasted coconut flakes to the tops or a raspberry glaze... Thanks for the recipe!
Cassie
I refrigerated my dough because it was feeling a but soft, maybe for about 10-20 mins. I ended up having to cook for 5-6 mins extra to get the dough to cook all the way.
Morgan Livingston
Hi there. I am making these for a dairy-free friend. Do you think vegan butter will suffice? Thank you!
Modern Honey
Hi Morgan! What a nice friend you are! I think it should work just fine. I haven't tested this recipe will vegan butter but I would suggest making sure it is chilled and it should work out well. Good luck!
BRIDGETTE LEONAUSKAS
YES!!! I used soy free vegan earth balance butter (I can't have soy, but there are other earth balance brand choices) AND flax eggs instead of regular eggs and also gluten free flour instead of regular and these ARE THE BOMB!!! Will make large dough batch to freeze and cook fresh handfuls 'as needed' - LOL
Nancy
I need 6 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange. Will this recipe make that many?
Rene
I made 64 cookies from 1 Tbs (rounded) dough. Don't just drop them onto the cookie sheet, they won't spread. I ended up making balls, then flattened them out and dipped them in sugar
Gaby
I doubled the amount of lemon juice and zest and it still wasn’t that lemony. Can’t imagine the original recipe.
Louie
I halved the recipe but added 1 whole lemon + 2 lemons zest. It was closer to the lemony flavor that I enjoy but slightly altered the cookie texture. I too am wondering how to enchance the flavor while keeping the texture… maybe lemon extract?
Kim
Thank you for the recipes! I tried a different cookie recipe, and it was a big hit!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but would it work if I used cookie cutters to create fun shapes? Or would it change the texture and chew too much from the original cookie (since I assume I’d have to roll out the dough and chill it first)?
Rene
Yes, I think so. You would have to roll it and chill it first, but I bet it would work since these cookies needed to be flattened or they ended up retaining pretty much the shape they had when dropped on the cookie sheet. Just don't play with the dough too much and when you are mixing the dry and the wet ingredients together, fold them together rather than mix it too much.
A.
I've made these several times, they are sooo good.
I like to roll and freeze the dough, and toss them in the oven when I want a quick treat. They work well for that.
Overall a great cookie 🙂
Brittney and Leia
I was looking for a simple lemon cookie recipe to make with my two year old daughter as we learn the alphabet. This one was an instant winner because the pictures are beautiful and look so appealing, and I had all the ingredients on hand! I followed the recipe completely and after reading the comments I decided to stick the dough in the fridge for about twenty minutes. For some reason it was still pretty sticky even after so I wonder if it had to do with my butter being too warm. Either way, it did not take away from how awesomely delicious these cookies were or how well they cooked up. Theyre soft and chewy with a little crisp and the perfect touch of lemon. Everyone in this house ate them so I can't attest to how well they freeze but I would imagine they'd be just fine if stored properly. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Mel
I have frozen these and they are perfect
Kei
These cookies are sooooo incredibly delicious! My baby loves them and so do I!
beth protsman
These look delicious. Have you ever used them with cut out cookies. Will they retain the shape?
Thanks so much. Great Blog!
Kia
Great recipe! I did double the lemon juice and added some of the lemon pulp. My girls love these cookies. Thanks
Laura
Very yummy! As others mentioned I would double the lemon juice to give it a bit more of a lemon flavor.
Virginia
These looooooooook soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!!! I am so excited to make these for a school bake sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MirKat
This is my new go to recipe. I have been experimenting with different citrus. I made these with ruby red grapefruit, and I think it is my new favorite flavor. Anytime it said lemon I read grapefruit. My work mates thought grapefruit cookies - odd, but once they bit into them - scrumptious.
Rachel
So good! I blend the lemon after I get the zest and add it to the cookie dough. I shape them into a ball after putting them on the baking sheet. Thank you!
Elizabeth @ Bowl of Delicious
LOVE these! Simple and easy to make. I used a small teaspoon measure and got about 64 tiny cookies! I had to cook them for 12 minutes but my oven runs a bit cool. It's literally taking all my self control to not go back to the cooling rack and pop yet another in my mouth right now.... ok nope can't resist gotta go! Thanks again! 🙂
Rose
Fantastic recipe. I wanted a light lemon flavor and these came out perfectly. Your tip about whipping the butter and sugar thoroughly was helpful. I added some lemon zest with a tablespoon of sugat and rolled some of the dough balls in it to create an extra lemony sugar topping. Though my husband preferred the ones I made without that addition. I am going to make another batch this week trying it with some gluten free flour to send to my mother-in-law for mother's day. Thanks.
taylor phillips
Just took these out of oven and they are SO good. I mixed dough yesterday and left in fridge all night. Don't have a cookie scoop so just rolled dough in hands. I have about 10 lemon trees so always in need of lemon recipes and this is a real keeper. Thank you.
Safiyya
My kids devoured this like they've never had a cookie before, LOL. I'm from Toronto, Canada and stumbled on your blog some time back. I've made the vanilla cupcakes and now these cookies. Both times my kids said it's the best cupcakes and cookies they've ever had (and we have amazing bakers in our family). Thank you for making this mom feel like a baking hero to my kids!
Laurie
Cookies are delicious! I didn’t change a thing and made 30 cookies. I don’t see a place to add a photo.
Jessica
Love your recipes and this one was no exception! So delicious. I was wondering however, if you have tried to lessen the sugar? Perhaps instead of 2 full cups, could I use 1 1/4 cups? I want to make another batch and try, but with only two people in our house... we can’t eat that many cookies. Haha Thank you!
Chaya
I have been looking for the perfect chewy lemon sugar cookie for ages, and today I found it! Thank you!!
I measured my flour the way recommended in the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, and then sifted my dry ingredients together to ensure thorough mixing (instead of scooping the flour with the measuring cup, use a smaller scoop to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then level off, it packs the flour less and gives you a more accurate measure) , and they were perfect and crinkly just like yours.
Elizabeth Murley
Do you combine all the dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet
Heidi K
usually
SurlyProf
This is one of our favorite cookie recipes. We have 6 lemon trees in the yard so we are always looking for good citrus recipes. This is one of the best so far. Thank you!
Kc
Hi... in you lemon sugar cookies, how long do I need to bake it and in what temperature in Celcius? Thanks. Much love.
Michelle
These are dangerously delicious. This time I added white chocolate chips to the recipe and they did nit disappoint! So yummy!
Lisa
Can I use rising flour to make these cookies?
Cindy
Yes. Mine came out great!
William
Incredible! We love chocolate too but these are definitely life changing cookies! Perfect recipe!
Cindy
These cookies were awesome! Definitely making again!
Lauren
These cookies are irresistible!! Thank you for the recipe. They are beautifully soft with a delicious crunch and the lemon flavor adds the perfect sharpness to a sugar cookie when you want something a little different. I halved the recipe with respect to everything but the lemon juice and zest--perfect combination when I didn't want too many cookies but wanted a stronger lemon flavor. LOVE!
Madison
I absolutely love this recipe! I bake it all the time, especially since these cookies are the perfect amount of sweetness - not too sweet and full of lemon flavor. The only change to this recipe I make is the amount of lemon zest. I found that I have to use the zest of 6 larger scaled lemons to really get that lemony flavor - and that could of course be a me problem in not being able to taste it in smaller doses. But 6 is the sweet spot for me, and this recipe is seriously the best!
D Lin
Loving the cookies, turned out great. One negative is you cannot cream cold butter, it flips out of the bowl. Thank you for the recipe. Oh and there are too many ads popping up on this site.
Priscilla
We just made and LOVED these! We cut the recipe in half and reduced the sugar by 1/4 c. We couldn’t stop eating these. They are perfect! My husband isn’t a cookie person, but he approved!
Bill and Alp
We made these for Christmas cookies and they turned out great! The dough comes together so quickly and easily. We chilled the dough for about five hours and the cookies held their various shapes perfectly. Loved the bit of crisp snap on the outside and the tender chewiness inside. We baked for 14 minutes at 350 (according to the thermometer we keep in the oven) and they all turned out great. We added a little extra lemon zest because we love the flavor. Definitely will be a go-to recipe in the future.
Sarah
My go-to when I need to use up lemons. Not overly sweet or lemony. Great for a BBQ or picnic.
Shauna
I love these cookies, I make them for my mom every Mother’s Day as per her request.
Is the dough ok to freeze, I was thinking to make the dough and give to her to leave in the freezer so she can make it whenever she wants.
Lorena
Warning!! Dangerously delicious! I made these yesterday but only baked and then iced one, as I usually do with all of my cookies. Cookies are my weakness, and these are so good it would be easy to over indulge. Now how am I going to control myself with Melissa’s chocolate layer cake I am making today? That looks like another winning recipe, and I just have to keep baking to soothe myself these days.
STACIE CHAILDIN
Oh my Gosh, one taste and I am hooked! I made a batch for my Daughters for National Daughters Day and now I have to make an additional batch for myself. These are wonderful! One of the very best Lemon cookies for having and sharing.
Modern Honey
How cute are you to make them for your daughters for National Daughter Day? So sweet! I am so glad you loved them. Thank you for trying the recipe!
Bridget
Do you add the sparkling sugar before or after baking? Recipe reads to sprinkle dust on after, and if that is the best way, will the sugar “stick”? My mother is suggesting to add the sugar before baking, but it would melt away I think. If anyone has suggestion for me, please share. Thank you!
Karen
Thanks for the recipe. A good sugar cookie but not enough lemon flavour for me. I halved everything but kept full amount of lemon juice/zest as written, I even topped them with more zest along with the sugar. I will add lemon extract next time.
Mel
These by far are the “BEST” lemon cookies I have ever tasted. Sooooo good. The recipe makes large cookies which I didn’t realize so this made a ton so I took them to a bbq and everyone raved about them I sent 3 ppl your recipe. Best lemon cookies ever!!
Chris
loved how this turned out made large cookies. would love to have added lemonchello to it.
Carol
I am making this right now; did not read the comments first. BIG MISTAKE. Ha ha, just opened oven door and flattened cookies. The dough is not the kind you can drop. So far, it is delicious but I put in more lemon zest and more lemon juice than recipe suggests. I will keep you pasted. (I wonder why the recipe says to drop them?)
Susan Robertson
Why cold butter cut into cubes if you are creaming it?
Julie
These are amazing cookies. The texture is perfect. The crumb is soft and buttery. I did but in 1T more of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp of lemon oil as well as 2 drops of lemon food coloring as mentioned in the recipe. One thing I’d say is that the baking directions are a bit scant. It said 20 cookies. Those must be really big cookies. I used a large 1 T scoop and it made about 37 cookies (after I ate a lot of dough). I would also suggest a bit more salt in the recipe. Because of that, I sprinkled some Maldon Salt on top after the sugar. My cookies took 12 minutes and they looked great and baked great without “smooshing” them down after scooping them.
Caroline
I love this recipe! The cookies are so delicious and have a wonderful pop of lemon.