Get ready to discover your new favorite treat! These Lemon Sugar Cookies are the perfect blend of sweet and tangy, with a wonderfully soft and chewy texture that melts in your mouth. If you’ve been searching for a cookie recipe that is bursting with bright, zesty flavor, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to bake the most incredible lemon cookies from scratch, ensuring perfect results every single time. They are simple to make and destined to be a crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
Why This Lemon Sugar Cookie Recipe is a Keeper
This isn’t just another cookie recipe; it’s a promise of perfection. We’ve focused on creating a cookie that is irresistibly soft, delightfully chewy, and packed with authentic lemon flavor. Unlike recipes that result in cakey or dry cookies, this one uses specific techniques and ingredient ratios to guarantee that signature chewy bite. The addition of fresh lemon zest and a sparkly sugar coating makes them truly special.
The Essential Ingredients for Perfect Lemon Cookies
The magic of these cookies lies in using simple, high-quality ingredients. For the best flavor, we highly recommend using fresh lemon juice and zest. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Cookie Dough
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our cookies.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder: A combination that gives the cookies the perfect lift and spread.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the lemon flavor.
Unsalted Butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for proper creaming.
Granulated Sugar: The primary sweetener for the dough.
Egg: Acts as a binder and adds richness. Use a large egg at room temperature.
Vanilla Extract: Complements the lemon and adds a layer of warmth.
Fresh Lemon Juice & Zest: The star ingredients! The zest provides intense aromatic oils, and the juice adds that signature tang.
For the Lemon Sugar Topping
Granulated Sugar: Creates a beautiful, sparkly crust.
Fresh Lemon Zest: Infuses the sugar with even more bright lemon flavor.
How to Make Lemon Sugar Cookies: A Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these simple steps to create the most delicious Lemon Sugar Cookies. We’ve broken it down to make the process as clear and easy as possible.
Prepare the Lemon Sugar: In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest for the topping. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it’s fragrant and slightly damp. Set this aside.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. This ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until everything is well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined—be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
Chill the Dough: This is a crucial step! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 60 minutes. Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much and deepens the flavor.
A batch of sunshine! Freshly baked and ready to enjoy.
Pro Tips for Bakery-Quality Results
Want to take your Lemon Sugar Cookies to the next level? Here are a few expert tips to ensure they come out perfectly every time.
Use Fresh Lemon: Bottled lemon juice just doesn’t compare to the flavor of fresh. The zest is where most of the essential oils are, so don’t skip it!
Don’t Skip the Chill Time: We can’t stress this enough. Chilling the dough solidifies the butter, which means your cookies will spread less and bake up thicker and chewier.
Measure Flour Correctly: The most accurate way is to weigh your flour with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, use the “spoon and level” method: spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level it off with a straight edge.
Don’t Overbake: For soft and chewy cookies, pull them from the oven when the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown, and the centers still look slightly underdone. They will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet.
Fun Variations to Try
While this classic Lemon Sugar Cookie recipe is fantastic as is, it’s also a great base for experimentation. Here are a few ideas:
Lemon Glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar and a little fresh lemon juice to create a simple glaze. Drizzle it over the cooled cookies for an extra pop of sweetness and tang.
White Chocolate Chips: Fold in a cup of white chocolate chips into the dough before chilling for a creamy, sweet addition that pairs beautifully with lemon. For a similar flavor profile, you might love our Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies.
Add Poppy Seeds: Mix in a tablespoon of poppy seeds with the dry ingredients for a classic lemon-poppy seed combination.
If you’re looking for more inspiration for your next baking project, browse our collection of year-round baking recipes!
Look at that perfect crinkle top and chewy texture!
Storing Your Lemon Sugar Cookies
To keep your cookies fresh and delicious, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay soft and chewy for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls for later. Simply roll the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet to flash-freeze, and then transfer them to a zip-top bag. They can be baked directly from frozen; just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
You can make them by creaming together butter and sugar, then adding an egg, lemon juice, and zest. Separately, whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt), then combine the wet and dry mixtures. The key is to chill the dough before scooping, rolling in sugar, and baking.
The soft and chewy texture in these cookies comes from a few key factors: using butter for flavor and texture, the right ratio of sugar, and, most importantly, not overbaking them. Pulling them from the oven when the centers are still slightly soft is the secret.
While you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch, we highly recommend using fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor. The zest contains natural oils that provide a much more vibrant and aromatic lemon taste that you can’t get from a bottle.
The most important step to prevent flat cookies is to chill the dough for at least 60 minutes before baking. Chilling solidifies the butter, which keeps the cookies from spreading too quickly in the oven, resulting in a thicker, chewier cookie.
Store your cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will remain fresh and soft for up to 5 days.
More Sweet Treats You’ll Love
FL Recipes
Lemon Sugar Cookies: The Ultimate Recipe for Soft & Chewy Treats
The best Lemon Sugar Cookies recipe! Learn how to make perfectly soft, chewy, and zesty lemon cookies from scratch with this easy-to-follow guide. These cookies are bursting with bright lemon flavor and have an irresistible texture.
Prepare the Lemon Sugar: In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp lemon zest for the topping. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until it's fragrant. Set aside.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and 1.25 cups of granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and 2 tsp lemon zest. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 60 minutes.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape Cookies: Scoop and roll the chilled dough into 1.5-inch balls. Roll each ball generously in the prepared lemon sugar topping.
Bake: Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers should still look slightly soft.
Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Calories: 155kcalProtein: 2gFat: 7gFiber: 0.5g
Notes
Use Fresh Lemon: For the best, brightest flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh zest. Do Not Overbake: To maintain a soft and chewy texture, remove the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly underdone. Chill Time is Key: Don't skip chilling the dough! This step is essential for thick, chewy cookies that don't spread too much.
Keyword chewy lemon cookies,lemon sugar cookies,soft lemon cookies
We hope you loved this recipe for soft and chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies! It’s a truly special treat that’s perfect for any occasion, from spring gatherings to a simple afternoon snack. If you make them, we’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below or share a photo of your beautiful creations on Pinterest. Happy baking!
You won't believe how soft and chewy these Lemon Sugar Cookies are!
Hi, I’m Emily Carter, and welcome to FL Recipes! I share simple, healthy recipes that make cooking easy, fun, and delicious for everyone. more about me »
