Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy citrus lemon sugar cookies with sweet white chocolate chips.
Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies
A soft chewy lemon cookie is one magical thing. One of my most popular recipes on Modern Honey is my Lemon Sugar Cookies. Since it is such an in-demand recipe, I thought that I would change it up by adding white chocolate chips to make a perfect contrast to the tart lemon. The results are one amazing white chocolate lemon cookie!
Rumor has it -- the Oscars are tonight. Is that an excuse to eat dessert? I should say so. I am actually pacing myself for the Bachelor Finale tomorrow night. I hear it is going to be a doozy. I may need to have a cookie close by. A stash of these white chocolate chip lemon cookies may just come in handy.
We love this time of year in our home because we are busting at the seams with fresh lemons. Since we live by citrus groves and have generous friends with an abundance of lemons on their trees, we are invited to bring our bags and fill them to the brim with vibrant, juicy lemons.
Since our house is full of them, I am making EVERYTHING lemon. The beauty of lemons is they can be used in both savory dishes, in sweet dishes, and everything in between. There's just something wonderful about the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in these cookies.
How to make Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Start with slightly cold butter. Take butter out of the refrigerator and let sit for several minutes. Cut into cubes and place in mixer. Cream with sugar for at least 4 - 5 minutes or until it is light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs one at a time. This gives the creamed mixture time to fully incorporate.
- Use Fresh Lemons. This recipe calls for both lemon zest and lemon juice. Lemon zest is important as it gives the cookie the strong burst of lemon flavor. Use a zester to ensure you only get the outer yellow part. Click here for an inexpensive zester.
- Use a mix of leavening agents. This recipe calls for a mix of baking soda + baking powder. It gives the cookies a nice rise.
- Optional: add yellow food coloring to give the cookies a bright yellow color. The lemon zest alone doesn't give it a vibrant yellow color but a subtle light yellow color. If you want them to look more vibrant, use food coloring.
- Sprinkle with sparkling sugar for crunch, if so desired.
- Use high-quality white chocolate chips. My favorite brands are Ghirardelli and Guittard.
- Bake on Silpat silicone baking sheets or parchment paper to keep from sticking. You can find silicone baking sheets here. Bake just until edges starts to become crispy.
If you love lemon, you will love these lemon recipes:
Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter slightly cold, cut into cubes
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest may put more lemon zest for extra flavor
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups White Chocolate Chips
- *may put in a drop of yellow food coloring for color
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream slightly cold butter and sugar for 4 - 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir to combine. If using yellow food coloring, add it now.
- Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined.
- Fold in white chocolate chips.
- Drop dough onto light colored baking sheet. Use a silicone baking sheet such as a Silpat or parchment paper.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar or white sparkling sugar, if so desired.
Happy Baking, my friends!
Bethany
Can this recipe be made into bars? Has anyone tried? Thanks!
Abby
If using lemon chips instead of white chocolate do you recommend changing the quantities of the juice or zest?
Charlotte Cloninger
Great cookie! I would recommend cooking them until the bottoms brown. Better flavor. Definitely baked for 12 minutes or more. They were still chewy. Also, I preferred the cookies that had cooled completely over those straight from the oven.
Tristan Robin Blakeman
These were my first attempt of the day ... and they taste absolutely heavenly - I doubled the zest and they have a delightful refreshing pop of lemon that counters the sweetness beautifully. I was shy on flour however, and used 2 cups of pastry flour and 1 cup of all purpose. Disaster, of course. They spread everywhere - had to be sliced apart when cooled - and though, as I mentioned, the flavor was super, they just look dreadful. I'm off to the market now to get more flour and I think perhaps I'll get some yellow food coloring - couldn't hurt. LOL. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Angela
HELP!! My cookies taste great but came out flat, I followed the recipe
Erika
Hi! Can you refrigerate the dough and bake it the next day?
Julia
I made this stuffed and it was just perfection
Bee
Hi did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Katherine
They turned out great, have a delicious lemon flavor! I would definitely recommend adding the extra zest 🙂 I also tried adding some toasted coconut which I really liked!
Jackie pryer
When I first saw recipe made my mouth watered.Very easy to make and delicious.
Nicq Cole
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made them for Christmas and after they cooled I put powdered sugar all over them. They are so good and it's the most requested cookie my family and friends ask me to make.
Kathy
I recently signed up for your mailing list and am enjoying it a lot. These cookies are amazing, and dangerous. I first tried something similar at a country bakery years ago, and have been trying to duplicate them ever since. You absolutely nailed it - that bakery has nothing on you. Thanks so much. PS. I doubled the lemon zest - made them really pop!
Jessica Barnett
LOVED this recipe, so simple to follow and the cookies turned out perfect. Thank you so much 🙂 xxx
Kathryn
I made these for a work bake off and they were a massive hit. Thanks for the recipie!
Hannah
Best cookies I've ever made!! (And I make a lot)
Olga
These cookies are delicious, I'll be making them again for sure. Thank you!
Leslie
These Lemon White Chocolate Cookies are so delicious. Very light and chewy. I did bake them for 15mins. Will definitely make them again. Yields 5 dozen.
Matt
When do you put the sugar? Before baking or when they start to cool? Also, how do I know when the cookies are done baking? 12 minutes mine still looked raw...
Leslie
I baked them for 15mins. Added sugar when I pulled them out of the oven.
Tory Ross
I am going to try these tonight. I already tried the plain lemon cookies without the white chocolate and they were a hit at work everybody love them. I love white chocolate!
Annb
Made the lemon white chocolate cookies for the kids lemonade stand they had at the Blueberry festival. They loved them. Had to make a second batch for them two days later to take on vacation! Thanks! Putting this with the keepers!