Lemon Crinkle Cookies

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.

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. 

Love crinkle cookies? Check out my Chocolate Crinkle cookies recipe. Looking for more lemon dessert recipes? Try my Lemon Bars with Crumb Topping.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How to make cookies lemony

These cookies are bursting with lemon flavor! If you are as into lemon desserts as I am, these cookies are for you lemon lovers. 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 are nice chewy cookies on the inside, too. I find these cookies make for the perfect cookie 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!

How To Properly Store Lemons To Extend The Shelf Life

Want to know how to store lemons to get the most from them in for baking, cooking and eating? Check out my tips on ideal storage methods and storage conditions.

Ingredients & Substitutions for this Lemon cookie recipe

See the recipe card below for exact amounts of these ingredients. Here are the simple ingredients you'll need and best substitutions:

• Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. In this case, the butter should be cold and cut into cubes. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much when they bake. And prevents the need to chill dough, too!
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Egg: I use a large egg. Be sure to remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking so it has time to reach room temperature. Cold eggs will not incorporate well into the other ingredients
• Fresh lemon zest: using fresh lemons instead of lemon extract will give the best results. Use approximately 2 small lemons. And always zest before juicing
• Fresh lemon juice: Use the same two lemons that you zested and juice them. Be sure to strain the juice to ensure no pits get into the cookie dough
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Powdered sugar: This is also known as confectioner's sugar. The cookie dough will be rolled in this before baking.

How To Make this recipe for Chewy Crinkle Cookies

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets and set aside.

STEP 2

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 3

Mix in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Scrape sides of the bowl and mix again until well incorporated.

Step 4

With the mixer off, add in dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) and stir until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir again briefly.

Step 5

Pour powdered sugar onto a plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheets with the remaining dough.

STEP 6

Bake in preheated oven 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 wire rack for 10 minutes before transferring from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

How to Store CHEWY LEMON COOKIES

Store cooled cookies in an airtight 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.

Pro Tips FOR MAKING THIS LEMON CRINKLE COOKIE 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 and they keep that slightly crisp edge

Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.

FAQs

WHY ARE MY CRINKLE COOKIES NOT CRINKLING?

If your cookies are not crinkling, check your oven temperature. The oven likely is not hot enough. Also check the expiration date of your baking powder. If it is expired, toss it and get a fresh box. The baking powder helps to leaven the cookies, which helps in creating those crinkles as they cool.

SHOULD CRINKLES BE REFRIGERATED?

Store cooled cookies in an airtight 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.

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF CONFECTIONERS SUGAR IN CRINKLES?

You can try a few different substitutions for confectioners' sugar. Blend dry milk powder with cornstarch or regular sugar with cornstarch. A powdered sugar replacement such as Swerve would work as well.

FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!

More recipes

Did you enjoy a KICKASS BAKER recipe? Please share a comment and leave a 5 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating on this recipe! We appreciate you sharing your feedback!