These chewy lemon sugar cookies were made for lemon lovers! They're a drop-style sugar cookie that is bursting with fresh lemon flavor and is rolled in white sugar to add a slight crunch.
This lemon sugar cookie recipe takes the simple ingredients you find in classic sugar cookies and adds fresh lemons to the cookie dough.
Not only are these soft cookies, but they also have a chewy texture and stays that way for days. Definitely get ready to pucker with all of the bright lemon flavor found inside of these cookies!
Looking for more lemon desserts? Then check out these: lemon bars, blackberry lemon cake, and blueberry lemon cookies.
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Why You'll Love These Cookies
- They're soft, fluffy, and slightly thick.
- Both fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest are used.
- There's no chilling required and can be baked immediately.
- They're rolled in sugar for an extra crunchy element.
- During the spring and summertime they're definitely a crowd favorite!
Buttery sugar cookies are delicious on their own, but picture that bite with citrus lemon flavor!
These cookies are also no chill and can be baked right away, making them a perfect cookie recipe to bake this spring and summer.
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour.
- Corn Starch: This helps to create soft and chewy cookies.
- Unsalted Butter: You want to use softened butter.
- Lemons: Two medium-sized lemons is all you should need. You'll use both the zest and the juice. Do not use lemon extract or lemon oil.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make these chewy lemon cookies.
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2: Wet ingredients: In a large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Then add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until fully combined.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients. Slowly add the flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined.
Step 4: Scoop the dough. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the sugar cookie dough. Roll each dough ball in the sugar and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
Step 5: Bake. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or just until the edge of the cookies turn golden brown.
Allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Storage Tips
Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. They will stay soft and chewy for several days.
If you want to freeze the cookies, place them on a baking sheet for about an hour and then transfer them to a freezer bag. You can keep them frozen for up to 2 months.
Expert Baking Tips
- Baking Sheet: I recommend this specific cookie sheet. Line each pan with parchment paper.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Cookie Scoop: For this recipe I used my small cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons) to create smaller cookies. You can use your preferred cookie scoop though.
- Lemons: Prep your lemons before starting. It'll save you a little bit of time. Use a zester and a lemon squeezer to make this process a lot quicker.
- Perfectly Shaped Cookies: The trick to getting more circular cookies is to use a round cookie cutter to essentially “rotate or spin” around each cookie immediately when they come out of the oven. Since they’re really hot, the cookies will easily mold to that circular shape as you move around them.
Recipe FAQs
I wouldn't recommend it. Stick with using fresh lemons. You need both the juice and zest anyways.
This can happen if you add too much flour. Check out my tips above under "expert baking tips" to learn how to properly measure flour.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy baking!
More Cookie Recipes
📖 Recipe
Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Silicone Baking Mat
- Electric Stand Mixer
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sugar (for rolling cookie dough)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fully combined and creamy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Slowly add the flour mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together any remaining loose ingredients.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the cookie dough into your hands. Roll the cookie dough ball into the sugar and repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or just until the edge of the cookies turn slightly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them over to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 7 days.
Notes:
- Baking Sheet: I recommend this specific cookie sheet. Line each pan with parchment paper.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Cookie Scoop: For this recipe I used my small cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons) to create smaller cookies. You can use your preferred cookie scoop though.
- Lemons: Prep your lemons before starting. It'll save you a little bit of time. Use a zester and a lemon squeezer to make this process a lot quicker.
- Perfectly Shaped Cookies: The trick to getting more circular cookies is to use a round cookie cutter to essentially “rotate or spin” around each cookie immediately when they come out of the oven. Since they’re really hot, the cookies will easily mold to that circular shape as you move around them.
Nutrition
Recipe originally published in July of 2020.
I’m relatively new at baking cookies. This recipe looked wonderful and the cookies tasted good however, I found them to be a lot more like cake than a cookie.
I followed the recipe perfectly and though some people might like their cookies this texture I am more of a crispy Cookie lover. How could I work on these cookies to make them become crispy instead of cake like?
Hi Beecee! These lemon cookies are definitely more soft and chewy and not crispy. But, they shouldn't be cake-like in texture. My question for you would be did you measure your flour properly by scooping the flour into your measuring cup using the spoon and knife method or did you directly scoop the measuring cup into the flour? Adding too much flour will definitely make these cookies cakey.
And in terms of making them crispy, I don't have a recommendation for that as I make my cookie recipes soft, chewy, and/or ooey gooey. Crispy cookies tend to be more flat and that's just not how I prefer them. Hope this helps a little!
What is the nutrition label on these cookies ?
Hi Shan. I don't currently use a nutrition label on my recipes because of how often people might substitue ingredients. Because of that, it would make the label inaccurate. You could always type in the ingredients of those cookies into a nutrition website so you can get the exact information you're looking for. Hope that helps!
it looks so good! I'm going to send this to my husband now to make it! 🙂
Good idea! 😉
OMG! I love lemon-flavored desserts! These sound absolutely amazing. My husband isn't a fan of lemon, so I would be devouring the entire batch myself! lol. I'm adding these to the things I want to make. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you! I hope you love them!
Yum! Am making these today! Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! Enjoy!!