Lemon Cookies Recipe

Name: Lemon Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 3/4 cups flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 cup salted butter, softened; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 teaspoons lemon extract; 3 cups confectioner's sugar; 1 teaspoon lemon juice ((or substitute 1/2 tsp lemon extract and 1/2 tsp water)); 2 eggs ((just whites)); Food coloring

Jump to Recipe | Pin Recipe

This Lemon Cookies Recipe is the perfect sweet and zingy treat for warm weather. Sweet, citrusy, and soft, with an optional icing that will give your lemon sugar cookies an extra boost of sweetness and some crunch. These cookies are a cute and simple way to make a sunny, summery treat!

Close up shot of three lemon cookies laying on each other garnished with lemon shavings with a lemon slice in the background. — These fresh lemon cookies are perfect for any occasion or even as an everyday treat!

Jump to:

👩🏻‍🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
🥘 Ingredients Needed
🔪 Instructions for this Lemon Cookies Recipe
👪 FAQs
🧊 Storage
💭 Helpful Tips
📖 Variations
🧁 Even More Dessert Options
🍪 More Easy Cookie Recipes
Lemon Cookies Recipe
📋 Recipe Card
💬 Reviews and Comments

👩🏻‍🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe

This lemon cookies recipe is an old favorite, and one that garners rave reviews every time! These cookies always turn out so sweet and soft, with the perfect amount of lemony flavor to pair perfectly with the vanilla sweetness.

There's also an optional royal icing which adds an extra layer with a little bit of crunch, as well as some more sweetness and a little boost of lemon flavor.

You'll love these as a special dessert for any occasion or even as a little everyday treat!

Looking for an even EASIER cookie recipe? Try these Easter Sugar Cookies that can be customized with colors for any occasion and are super simple to make. (They are great for an afternoon kitchen activity with the kids!)

For another delicious lemony baked good, make these Lemon Poppyseed Muffins or these amazing rich and tart Lemonies, and fans of fruits in their cookies should also check out Red White and Blue Cream Cheese Cookies.

🥘 Ingredients Needed

Overhead shot of cookie ingredients- flour, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, lemon extract, an egg, sugar, salted butter, and unsalted butter. — With less than ten ingredients required, these lemon cookies are super simple to make!

For a complete list of ingredients, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

flour
baking soda and baking powder - using both baking powder and soda ensures that the cookies are soft and fluffy.
butter
sugar
egg
vanilla extract - the base of this cookie is just a classic sugar cookie, which needs vanilla for that classic sweet taste.
lemon extract - this is what makes this lemon cookies recipe so delicious and citrusy!

Overhead shot of ingredients list for icing- powdered sugar, lemon juice, eggs, and food coloring. — With only four ingredients needed, this lemon icing ready is super simple to prepare!

And for the optional icing:

confectioner's sugar - the base of this yummy icing.
lemon juice - brings the zingy citrus flavor into the frosting as well!
egg whites - can be substituted if you don't want to use raw eggs.
food coloring - use whichever colors you think will go best with these lemon sugar cookies.

🔪 Instructions for this Lemon Cookies Recipe

Six panel collage of process shots for the cookies- mixing together ingredients gradually and forming the cookies to bake. — With minimal clean up required, you will love this easy lemon cookie recipe!

Please note: This is an overview of the instructions. You'll find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine sugar and butter.
Once smooth, beat in the egg, vanilla, and lemon extract.
Toss in all of the dry ingredients.
Mix until everything is well combined.
Drop by rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet, then bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees F. Allow to cool before icing.

Six panel collage of icing process shots- sifting the powdered sugar. separating the egg, mixing together ingredients, and icing the cookies. — With these six simple steps, your delicious lemon cookies will be iced in no time!

For the icing, start by sifting the confectioner's sugar into a bowl.
Add the lemon juice and the egg whites, then use an electric mixer to beat for about 5 minutes.
Separate into bowls and dye with as many colors as you want.
Spoon or drizzle onto the lemon sugar cookies. Let it sit to harden.

If you enjoy lemon cookies, you'll want to try these tangy rhubarb cookies. They have a soft texture and a deliciously sweet rhubarb glaze!

👪 FAQs

Can I use lemon juice instead of lemon extract?

Yes, but you'll have to use more lemon juice as lemon extract is more concentrated. For every teaspoon of lemon extract, substitute 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Just be aware that because this is more liquid, it may slightly affect the texture of the dough.

Should sugar cookies be soft or hard?

While this comes down to personal preference, I think sugar cookies should be soft and fluffy! Especially for this lemon cookies recipe which is paired with a royal icing that hardens into a shell.

How long do sugar cookies take to cool?

Once on the cooling rack, you should give your cookies at least 10-20 minutes to ensure that they don't melt the icing off.

How do you keep homemade cookies fresh longer?

First off, ensure that your cookies cool completely, then store in an airtight container to help them retain moisture and softness. Chewy cookies can also stick together, so be sure to place wax paper between layers if you're storing a lot of cookies together.

Overhead shot of lemon cookies with powdered sugar on a brown surface with slices of lemons on the side. — With a delicious hint of lemon and a chewy consistency, this is the perfect cookie recipe!

🎁 Kristin's Handpicked Gift Ideas!

Looking for the perfect gift ideas for family or friends? I've got you covered with carefully curated gift guides! From kitchen essentials to unique picks for kids or grandkids, these will help you find just the thing to make them feel special!

🧊 Storage

Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They should last for about 2 weeks (if they're not all eaten in a day or two!)

You can also store them in the freezer, where they'll last for up to sixth months.

Another great option is to freeze the dough before baking. One way to do this is to roll it out into a disc and press it flat, then freeze it that way. You could also scoop it into pre-sized portions and freeze them, which makes baking them later a breeze!

💭 Helpful Tips

For a faster way to soften butter, fill a heat-safe glass bowl with hot water, then pour out the water and place the bowl over the butter for about 5 minutes.
Use a cookie cutter to cut this dough into fun shapes for an extra fun take on this lemon cookies recipe.

Lemon sugar cookies are a simple but yummy treat. This recipe is so easy which makes it perfect to make with or for kids, and the icing can be dyed any color for any occasion!

📖 Variations

Mix in white chocolate chips to make these cookies extra special.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon zest to the lemon cookies recipe for more lemony zing!
Before baking, roll your dough in some sugar (or lemon sugar, which is made by combining sugar and lemon zest) for an extra burst of sweetness.
If you don't want to use egg whites for the royal icing, there are a couple of options. You can create a substitute with some gelatin and hot water, use meringue powder or a no-egg replacement powder, use pasteurized egg whites, or, if you don't care about the icing hardening, you can omit this element altogether.
Love lemon cookies but want to decorate them for a holiday? Check out this lemon cut out cookies recipe for delicious, buttery, lemony flavor that you can make into festive treats for any occasion!
Instead of icing, you could sprinkle the cookies with this delicious vanilla bean sugar before baking for an elegant presentation and extra vanilla flavor!

🧁 Even More Dessert Options

Does this lemon cookies recipe have you craving more delicious lemony desserts? Try this Cream Cheese Lemonade Pie, which only takes 15 minutes to put together!
A Chocolate Orange Cake is another great citrusy dessert, and the pairing of the zingy orange with the chocolate is a match made in heaven.
This recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction for Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies is maybe the perfect dessert; how do you beat peanut butter and chocolate?
20 Lemon Desserts to Celebrate Summer are great if you want even more citrus goodness.

These 3 Ingredient No Bake Cookies are great for any holiday; just like these lemon sugar cookies they're so simple and 100% customizable!
Easy Banana Cookies are a unique and tasty treat that are somewhere between a cookie and a muffin, but all delicious!
And for another super unique cookie, try these Sesame Pretzel Cookie Bites. Sweet and salty and so yummy!

Side close up shot of six lemon cookies with blue, yellow, and blue icing on a brown surface. — Perfect with or without icing, these lemon cookies turn out delicious every time!

If you love lemon flavor in baked goods, you must check out this easy Lemon Curd Cake, topped with cream cheese whipped cream and swirls of creamy lemon curd. Yum!