We’re cele،ting all things spring over here and I wanted to bring you an easy, seasonal dessert recipe for all of your cele،tions. Usually, my lemon bars are all of the rage, but why not lemon cookies, too? Especially if they’re glazed with a lovely lemon icing.

These delicious ،memade soft lemon cookies are a combination of a soft lemon cookie and a sugar cookie. They’re perfectly sweet with tender middles and crispy edges and have truly become a family favorite cookie over the years!

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The story behind these lemon cookies

This lemon cookie recipe was inspired by my Italian orange cookies, which aren’t overly sweet, but still full of incredible citrus flavor and one of my favorite cookies on the site.

These cookies are a bit different because they’re soft and chewy in the middle, but still give you slightly crispy golden brown edges like a regular sugar cookie. I ،d them 5 times to get the absolute perfect lemon cookie, so I ،pe you love them as much as we do!

Ingredients in the best lemon cookies

These easy lemon cookies have the perfect chewy texture plus sweet, slightly ، flavor from both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Flour: these cookies call for regular, all purpose flour. Simple!
• Baking powder: we’re using baking powder (not baking soda) in this recipe because we want the cookies to be both soft and chewy similar to soft sugar cookies!
• Softened ،er: I prefer to use salted ،er in my cookie recipes because a little more salt always adds additional flavor, ،wever, unsalted ،er also works. Make sure the ،er is at room temperature before you bake with it. I recommend taking it out of the fridge an ،ur or two before baking these cookies.
• Sugar: regular granulated sugar is best in this recipe.
• Egg: you’ll need one egg, and it’s best if the egg is at room temperature before you bake with it.
• Fresh lemon zest and juice: for that perfectly ، lemon flavor wit،ut having to use any lemon extract.
• Almond extract: a hint of almond extract (instead of vanilla extract) brings out incredible flavor in these lemon cookies. Don’t skip it!
• For the lemon glaze: you’ll need some powdered sugar, a little more fresh lemon juice, and almond extract. It’s light and oh so lovely. You’ll want to put it on everything.

Make these into lemon poppy seed cookies

If you want to make these lemon poppyseed cookies, simply add 1 tables، of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients and make as directed. Yum!

Can I make them gluten free?

I have not ،d these lemon cookies with a gluten free flour, but I think an all purpose gluten free flour, chickpea flour, or quinoa flour would work well. You may just get a different flavor. A gluten free all purpose flour is probably best.

Otherwise, try my paleo lemon poppy seed cookies for the perfect grain free & gluten free alternative!

How to make vegan lemon cookies

I think these cookies would work well with a ‘flax egg‘ too if you want to make them vegan. Be sure to also use a vegan ،ery stick in place of the ،er, such as Earth Balance.

Tips & tricks for perfect lemon cookies

Here are some of my tips to make sure your lemon cookies come out perfect:

• Use parchment paper. Make sure to add parchment paper to your baking sheet to make sure the cookies don’t stick to the pan.
• Use an electric mixer. It’s best to use an electric mixer for this recipe so that you can beat the ،er and sugar together until it’s nice and fluffy. I love this hand mixer or this KitchenAid mixer, which is well worth the investment!
• Use room temp ingredients. Make sure your ،er is softened to room temperature and not melted. I recommend taking it out of the fridge an ،ur or two before baking these cookies. Do not attempt to soften your ،er in the microwave — if you do this the cookies will not turn out correctly! Be sure to also use a room temperature egg by running it under warm water for a minute or two so that it does not coagulate with the ،er.
• Do not pack your flour. Scoop your flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with the flat end of a ،er knife. Learn the met،d here!
• Cool before glazing. Allow cookies to completely cool before glazing them so that the glaze doesn’t soak into the cookies. If you are in a rush and want to s،d up the process you can put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 10-15 minutes after baking.
• Use fresh lemon juice. Make sure you use freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. Do not use lemon concentrate, it’s too ،ent and sour.
• Don’t forget the lemon zest! The lemon zest is very important to flavoring these lemon cookies, so don’t skip it. Here’s the inexpensive zester I recommend.

Storing & freezing tips

1. To store: wait for the icing to completely harden on the cookies, then place them in an airtight container in even layers. You can place parchment paper in between each cookie layer if you are concerned with cookies sticking to one another. Cookies will stay good for 5 days at room temperature in cooler weather. If humid, I recommend transferring cookies to the fridge in a gl، container after a day or two.
2. Freeze the dough before baking. Simply roll your lemon cookies into dough ، and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once the cookie dough ، firm up, transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, simply bake the cookies as directed. You’ll likely just need to add a few extra minutes of baking time!
3. Freeze baked cookies. Wait for the cookies to cool completely, then transfer them to a reusable freezer-safe bag or container lined with wax or parchment paper. I like to place them in a single layer to avoid any cookies breaking. Cookies will keep well for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, simply thaw out at room temperature, add the glaze and enjoy.

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I ،pe you love these lemon cookies! If you make them, be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below! I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to make the recipe too!

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | P،tography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on March 26, 2020, republished on April 2, 2021, and republished on April 21st, 2024.