Lemon Sugar Cookies Recipe

If you love sunshine-bright desserts, these Lemon Sugar Cookies will be your new go-to treat! Crisp at the edges with a soft, chewy center, every bite bursts with real lemon zest and juice—perfect for anyone who craves a cookie that’s as refreshingly zippy as it is sweet.

Ingredients You’ll Need

What makes these Lemon Sugar Cookies so special is the way simple, everyday ingredients come together for maximum flavor. Here’s a quick look at what goes into every scrumptious batch—and how each one makes a difference!

• Unsalted Butter: Use room temperature butter for easy creaming and a rich, melt-in-your-mouth base.
• Granulated Sugar: Not only sweetens, but creates a delicately crisp edge and the classic sugar cookie texture.
• Lemon Zest: Finely grated, it infuses the dough with bright, aromatic citrus flavor—don’t skip this for the best zing!
• Fresh Lemon Juice: Adds real lemony tang, balancing the sweetness for a lively finish.
• Large Egg: Binds everything together and gives the cookies a tender chew.
• All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of the dough, providing structure and just enough heft.
• Baking Soda: Helps the cookies puff, spread, and stay perfectly soft in the center.
• Salt: A little makes all the flavors shine—don’t leave it out!
• Sugar for Rolling: Each dough ball gets rolled in extra sugar, giving the cookies an irresistible, sparkly finish and a slight crunch.

Variations

These Lemon Sugar Cookies are absolutely perfect as written, but there’s plenty of room to make them your own! Whether you want to experiment with extra flavors, swap ingredients, or tweak for allergies, here are some creative twists to try.

• Make Them Gluten-Free: Substitute your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour—no one will ever guess!
• Add White Chocolate Chips: Fold in a handful for pockets of creamy sweetness that pair beautifully with tart lemon.
• Try a Lemon-Lime Cookie: Use half lemon zest and juice, half lime for a citrusy duo that’s extra refreshing.
• Add a Simple Glaze: Drizzle cooled cookies with a quick lemon glaze for extra oomph and a bakery-style finish.

How to Make Lemon Sugar Cookies

Step 1: Cream Butter, Sugar & Lemon Zest

In a large mixing bowl, use your electric mixer to beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest for about 1–2 minutes. You’re looking for a fluffy, pale-yellow mixture—this step is key, as it’s what gives Lemon Sugar Cookies their delicate, tender crumb and allows the zest to fully perfume the dough.

Step 2: Add Lemon Juice and Egg

Crack in your egg, pour in the fresh lemon juice, and beat again until everything’s smooth and well combined. The fresh juice brings a bright tang, while the egg makes the cookies irresistibly chewy.

Step 3: Mix in Dry Ingredients

Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then gradually add them into the wet ingredients, mixing by hand with a spatula. Stir just until the dough comes together and no streaks of flour remain—overmixing can make the cookies tough, so gentle is best!

Step 4: Chill the Dough

Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough chill in the fridge for 30–60 minutes. This little rest is the secret to thicker cookies that hold their shape and pack all that glorious lemon flavor into every bite.

Step 5: Shape, Roll & Bake

After chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F. Use a cookie scoop to portion out dough balls, then roll them in a bowl of extra sugar to coat. Arrange them on a silicone-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 11–13 minutes, until the edges have the faintest touch of golden color.

Step 6: Cool & Enjoy

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes so they set up, then transfer each to a wire rack to cool completely. Trust me—the citrus scent wafting through your kitchen is pure cookie heaven!

How to Serve Lemon Sugar Cookies

Garnishes

For a bakery-style flourish, try sprinkling the baked cookies with a fine dusting of powdered sugar, add a tiny sliver of candied lemon peel, or even a drizzle of tangy lemon glaze for dazzling shine and color contrast.

Side Dishes

Pair your Lemon Sugar Cookies with a pot of herbal tea, a frosty glass of lemonade, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a dreamy dessert duo—anything creamy or cool lets that lemon pop!

Creative Ways to Present

Wrap stacks of cookies in cellophane with a cheerful ribbon for gifts, box them for bake sales, or pile high on a white platter with fresh lemon slices and edible flowers for show-stopping party presentation.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Baked Lemon Sugar Cookies keep beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days—their flavor even intensifies a bit, becoming more mellow and aromatic as they sit!

Freezing

You can freeze both baked cookies and unbaked dough balls. Flash-freeze formed dough balls on a tray, then store in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months; bake straight from the freezer with a minute or two extra on the timer!

Reheating

If you crave that fresh-from-the-oven warmth, simply pop a cookie in the microwave for about 10 seconds—just long enough to revive its soft, lemony glow without compromising texture.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Now you’ve got all the secrets to bakery-style Lemon Sugar Cookies at your fingertips—bright, buttery, and always a little ray of sunshine on any table. I can’t wait for you to taste that first sparkly, lemon-zesty bite—give this recipe a try and see just how quickly they disappear!

Print