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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.
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Lemon Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter cold, cut into cubes
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest may put more lemon zest for extra flavor
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 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.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank as always for all of your incredible support. xo Happy Baking!
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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.
Can you double the recipe without difficult??
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 🙂
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!
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?
Soooo. I have a batch in the oven. I made mine with gluten free flour and coconut sugar …im praying it turns out yummy.
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!
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? ]
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!
I just made it and it turned out yummy ????
Thanks for the recipe ????
So happy to hear that, Mai! Thank you for your kind comment.
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!!