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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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Yum! If I wanted to add fresh raspberries could I just gently fold them into the dough or what would be the best way?
These turned out fantastic! My new favorite cookie completely. I added an extra half a tablespoon of lemon juice and a half a tablespoon extra of zest because I like a lemon flavor. It wasn’t overpowering, it’s just had a nice zing to it. I added some sugar crystals for topping, but I added it halfway through baking and gave it a nice sparkle tha didn’t brush off.
So, they’re in the oven, and true to form, I can’t bake anything according to someone else’s recipe LOL. I doubled the juice & zest, added shredded coconut and made a 3rd of the flour almond. The batter tasted exactly like WF lemon coconut cookies (which I love, except they never bake them right). Keeping an eye on them…..<3 THANK YOU!
Hey there!
Technically still being a kid, or at least adolescent, I give these my seal of approval!
This recipe is great, I couldn’t stop licking my fingers while making the batter. Very easy and fun to make, and I’ll definately make them again. ❤️
These were amazing!!! Can not believe how easy they were to bake! Will be keeping this recipe!
Yummy! I needed a non-chocolate cookie and this fit the bill: 3/4 of a batch made 2 1/2 dozen. I suggest baking until just barely browned around edges and then cooling on the cookie sheet. At 11 minutes they were still slightly raw on inside so I put them back in cooling oven for 2 minutes which also helped to melt the sparking sugar a little.
I made these for a Memorial Day picnic and I’m in love! I threw in a quarter cup of rainbow sprinkles to give them a funfetti look. Chewy, delicious, lemony. They were a big hit!
these were so so tasty!! i made them with limes instead of lemons so they weren’t as strong as i would’ve liked but now i know why! the texture was nothing short of heavenly.
I’m not usually one for random reviews but this cookie recipe is truly something special.
I don’t like cookies too much and I’ve never made a good cookie but these were awesome and I would easily make them again.
The only thing I would change is the one cup of sugar to 3/4 (x2), I would also add more lemon and more zest but I tend to prefer more tart and sour flavours.
Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful thing ????
This may be a silly question, but when you say 1 cup of butter, do you mean 1 cup of butter filled by the cubed butter? I ask because 1 stick of butter is 1/2 cup, but when cut in cubes it fills 1 cup.
Thanks in advance!
Amazing! These cookies are the best cookies I’ve ever made. The recipe make around 40 cookies. I measured about a heaping spoon full, rolled them into balls, and cooked them for around 11 minutes. They spread out a lot in the oven, so I spaced them out with 2 inches between each. If you want to make lemon cookies, these are the ones to choose.
Amazing! These cookies are the best cookies I’ve ever made. The recipe make around 40 cookies. I measured about a heaping spoon full, rolled them into balls, and cooked them for around 11 minutes. They spread out a lot in the oven, so I spaced them out with 2 inches between each. If you want to make lemon cookies, these are the ones to choose!