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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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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!
Cookies are delicious! I didn’t change a thing and made 30 cookies. I don’t see a place to add a photo.
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!
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.
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.
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! 🙂
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!
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.
These looooooooook soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!!! I am so excited to make these for a school bake sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great recipe! I did double the lemon juice and added some of the lemon pulp. My girls love these cookies. Thanks
Very yummy! As others mentioned I would double the lemon juice to give it a bit more of a lemon flavor.