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
Equipment
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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Mila
Really good but I found it to be too sweet for me and I put a little less than 2 cups too. Other than that, a winner.
Claire
Absolutely delicious! Super simple recipe, too. I’m not much of a baker but these were easy for me to make and my family went crazy for them! I like that they are a bit thinner but still soft and chewy. They had the perfect amount of lemon taste to me. I did add a little more juice because I didn’t add the exact amount of zest; so maybe that gave it more flavor? Will definitely save this recipe!
Oat
Pretty good! They ended up spreading a lot more in the oven than I expected and ended up becoming weird cookie squares, but the taste was great! Delicious cookies with a little lemon to it. It wasn't very tart, so if you're looking for that maybe you could add extra lemon juice or substitute an egg for lemon juice, baking powder, and oil (I've heard that water, baking powder, and oil substitutes eggs fairly well).
Suzanne McLean
Hi, all. Thanks, Honey for the recipe. I used Meyer lemons as I had a bunch - nice flavor but should probably have used more pith to get some tartness.
Unlike others, my first 2 trays didn’t “fall”, but were crunchy. I diagnosed as too much top heat. (I do not like these modern top-heat only ovens.) So I moved them down to the bottom and watched them like a hawk. Took them out even though little browning. That did it.
Oh, for those of you worried about quantity, I used a scoop 1& 3/8” (3.4 cm) across, pretty well packed, and got about 5 dozen cookies.
Camryn
Thank you soooooo much for this recipe! They were really good but I couldn't find the lemon in them I could taste it before I put them in the oven but not after. I was really weird. By the way OMG I love you pictures, your soooooo good at it!!!
Tiffany
Yum! Great tasty way to get rid of a lemon that’s about to go to waste. Simple and delish
Adi
Hi! I would love to make these, but I definitely want a lemon-y flavor, would substituting the vanilla extract with lemon extract be too much?
Jo
I tried this recipe and it was really good! My only question is they didn't come out like the picture though. Do I flatten them before I bake them?
Annie
I have made these twice and OMG they are delicious (and so easy to make)! The first time, my family and I just ate them as is. The second time, I decided to experiment and whipped up an icing made with confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice. It really took them up a notch - for anyone who likes really intense lemon flavor, I really recommend it! Either way, 5 stars for this amazing recipe!
Carmen
I make Xmas cookie tins for alot of people for the holidays w/ different cookies.I make them in advance so store them in tins until I can give them out.What is a proper way to store these until time to give them out?
Michael
Not bad. Personally, not lemon-y enough for me, was expecting it to be a bit more tart and vibrant, but my partner couldn't stop eating them! In the future, I'd bypass the vanilla extract which makes it more cake-y tasting and use lemon extract instead, maybe even bump up the lemon zest. Loved the texture, pretty good cookie...making another attempt tomorrow.
Just curious, most lemon cookies (or cookie recipes in general) call for room temperature butter, you suggest cold, any reason for that? I couldn't get the granular sugar texture to go away and turn airy and creamy as you described ...not that it effected the cookie much, but I thought I'd ask.
Audra Collins
Can you double the recipe without difficult??
Sophie
This is my first recipe from this blog and I will be back for more! I made them with orange instead and it was really tasty. Only thing that I think would be a great addition to the recipe is to give an approximate idea of how many lemons are needed to get the tablespoon of zest (I was way off with the oranges!). Thanks 🙂
Joanna
Hello! I'm sure this is a silly question but I gues I have to separate the dough into insividual cookies before transferring it on tray? Also, what would you substitue the sugar for as I hate to use white sugar. Thank you!
Jennifer Blackburn
Help! I made these several times and they were perfect! After a month or so tried again and they spread TERRIBLY....So I tried again...They spread again! 4 times all failed!! Several days in a row so it wasn't humidity...I'm lost! I know it's a great recipe because I've had success with it! Any ideas?
Nadia
Soooo. I have a batch in the oven. I made mine with gluten free flour and coconut sugar ...im praying it turns out yummy.
Lauren
Hi!
I'm don't bake very often but i absolutely love it and this year i've decided to make christmas hamper baskets full of nice home baked treats for my family, and i'd love love LOVE to include these because they look amazing, but i live in the UK and i find it hard to use cups instead of grams to measure things out in, if it isn't too much trouble is there any chance you could translate the measurements for a poor brit like me? i'm going to give them a go either way i just think i have more chance of getting them right if i use grams haha.
Thanks!
Terry Douka
Love the flavor. Did add more lemon juice as my lemon didn't give me enough zest. Next time it will be 2. LOL
I did have a problem and hopefully you can help me out. When they baked they just went totally flat, no texture like yours. Did the extra juice make a difference? Should I have added more flour? ]
Modern Honey
Hi Terry! Great point. Yes....when you add more lemon juice it throws off the ratio of dry vs. liquid ingredients. When I want to boost the lemon flavor, I tend to reach for lemon zest more often since it gives the flavor without making the cookies go flat. 2 lemons would work like a charm next time!
Mai
I just made it and it turned out yummy ????
Thanks for the recipe ????
Modern Honey
So happy to hear that, Mai! Thank you for your kind comment.
Erin
Hi! Thanks so much for this recipe! I've never been to your site before but am excited to make these cookies. Does the recipe call for salted or unsalted butter?
Also- beautiful pictures!!
Thank you!!