I love to bake with lemon in the Spring and Summer, there’s no doubt about it! Lemon is bright and citrusy and brings a pop of flavor that just makes people happy, plain and simple. These Lemon Crinkle Cookies balance out that pop of tart lemon with a subtle sweetness. And those crinkles on top give these cookies a fun texture and chew that will have your friends and family reaching for more.
Making these Cookies Lemony
These cookies are bursting with lemon flavor! If you are as into lemon desserts as I am, these cookies are for you. They have two full tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and another tablespoon of lemon zest. I used about two lemons total for this recipe. So, you don’t need a lot, but lemme tell ya, that’s enough to bring out a lot of lemon flavor. But don’t worry, they’re not overly tart. There’s a full cup of sugar in the cookie dough which balances out the tartness. Plus, more powdered sugar on top.
Creating the Crinkles in Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Ah, the crinkles! That texture on top not only makes the cookies look fun and inviting, it also helps give the cookies a nice bite to them. These lemon cookies retain a nice chew on the inside, too. I find these cookies make for the perfect dessert to bring to a Spring or Summer potluck or outdoor party as they hold up really well in heat and the flavor is quite refreshing!
Tips for Making this Recipe
- As I recommend in most of my recipes, use the freshest ingredients possible. For this recipe, that means buying your lemons as close to when you’ll be baking as possible. If you’re lucky enough to have a farmer’s market close by and open, buy them there the same day as you’ll be baking
- Zest the lemons first then juice them. This may seem pretty obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cut into my lemons to start juicing them only to realize I needed to zest them first! Let my failures prevent you from making the same mistakes
- To extract the most juice from your lemons as possible, roll them on the counter before slicing them open. Put a little pressure on them while you’re rolling, too. I press down with my palm and sometimes, if the lemon has a particularly thick rind, I use my elbow to press down on it as I’m rolling. This will get the juices flowing, literally!
- Slice lemon in half and squeeze into a strainer set over a measuring cup so you can strain out any seeds or pieces of fruit and measure at the same time
- Bake these cookies just until they begin to brown and the tops get that crinkly look. You don’t want overly browned cookies here. Leave the cookies on the trays for at least 10 minutes after you remove them from the oven to allow them to continue cooking slightly without browning
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 26 cookies 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
These Lemon Crinkle Cookies balance out the pop of lemon with a subtle sweetness. And the crinkles on top give these cookies a fun texture and chew that will have your friends and family reaching for more.
Ingredients
½ cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest from 2 small lemons, approximately)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, strained (juice from 2 small lemons, approximately)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats and set aside
Prepare cookie batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Scrape sides of the bowl and mix again until well incorporated. With mixer off, add in flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and stir until just combined. Scrape sides of bowl and stir again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough
Bake cookies: Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are just turning golden brown on the edges and the tops look cracked and crinkly. Remove cookies from the oven and cool on trays for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature up to one week
- Cookie dough may be frozen after rolling into balls, but before rolling in powdered sugar. Bring to room temperature then roll in sugar and bake
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: lemon cookies, sugar cookies, crinkle cookies, lemony, spring, powdered sugar, confectioners sugar, crinkle top, nut free recipe
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Thank you so much for visiting me at kickassbaker! I'm Kim. I'm a working mom and home baker who's constantly in search of a life in balance. Come join me in baking up some sweet treats mixed in with the occasional healthy and savory recipe. Thanks for joining me on my journey called everyday life!
Can’t wait to make these!!
These cookies look so delicious! Can’t wait to make them.
I can’t wait for you to make them either! They’re so delicious 🙂