I love all kinds of cookies, but traditional sugar cookies with frosting have never been my favorite. I am just not a frosting gal. (I am sure if you put a frosted sugar cookie in front of me, I would eat it, but they just aren’t my favorite.) I do adore Lemon Sugar Cookies-they are soft, chewy, and rolled in sugar. These cookies are simple, elegant, and perfect for spring.
The recipe includes lemon zest and fresh lemon juice so the cookies have a delightful lemon flavor. The cookies are soft and chewy in the middle with slightly crisp edges. Even though the cookies are “sugar” cookies and rolled in sugar, they aren’t overly sweet-making it easy to eat cookie after cookie:)
Ring in spring with a batch of Lemon Sugar Cookies. They are light, refreshing, and the perfect treat for a sunny day.
Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Servings
- 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
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Add lemon zest, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Mix until combined. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
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Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart.
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Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown around the edges and set. Let cookies sit on the baking sheets for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
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*To keep cookies soft, store cookies with a slice of bread in an air tight container.
If you like these Lemon Sugar Cookies, you might also like:
Lemon Buttermilk Cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod
Lemon Cloud Tea Cookies from Joy the Baker
Glazed Lemon Cookies from Cafe Johnsonia
Lemon Burst Cookies from Brown Eyed Baker
I love lemon desserts and these just look perfect!
How delicious and refreshing. These cookies are beautiful!
Lemon cookies sound amazing!!
i actually adore regular sugar cookies, but i’ve never actually tried them with a little lemon! that sounds like the perfect combo of flavors 🙂
I love lemon cookies! These look delicious Maria 🙂
Lemon cookies…i am loving all your lemony recipes!!
Gorgeous-I love, love the photo!
I just love a good lemon cookie. I can’t wait to try your recipe!
I love a good crackled sugar cookie – simple but delicious!
Beautiful! They look like a spring day captured in a cookie.
These really are a perfect cookie for Spring! I also never liked that hard sugar frosting on cookies very much.
So spring like!! I love unfrosted sugar cookies- its actually my favorite kind of cookie! Looks fantastic. Hope you had a nice weekend 🙂
What pretty and delightful cookies!
Cheers,
Rosa
I love lemon cookies as well. Very refreshing!
Fresh and yummy! I love this recipe 🙂
They look great!
LOVE lemon desserts! I am positive I’d gobble plenty of these right up 🙂
None of that chocolate stuff… lemon is my favorite!
Looks like a delicate and delicious cookie!
I agree, lemon desserts are the best! And these pictures are beautiful- well done!
Now that spring feels like it may be moving in, these will be perfect! I ALMOST bought a huge bag of lemons yesterday – now I’m kicking myself because I didn’t!
These looks amazing! Can’t wait to see you this week
I love switching things up from the usual (chocolate, strawberry, buttercream, etc.). These look positively sunny – sure to make anyone smile! ♥- Katrina
beautiful! Your cookies always look amazing, Maria!
I bet these would be especially great with the Meyer lemons I have sitting on my counter!
lemon + sugar works for me.
These sound like lemon drops – yum!
We are both on the same page girl!! Hilarious. Let’s have a lemon cookie party. xo
I LOVE lemon anything. Wonderful post and cant wait to give them a try.
Now I know what to do with all my lemons
These cookies sound lovely, and your photos have such a feminine quality to them! Thanks for sharing. These will be a great use of all the lemons I have.
these are so pretty! I love lemon anything, and I don’t have any recipes for cookies like this- thanks!
Soft lemon cookies sound like the perfect way to welcome spring.
These look so light and heavenly! Can’t wait to make them!
I adore lemon desserts and these sound perfect! YUM.
i just made lemon lace cookies but my next lemon batch are these! yummy! kennedy loves lemon cookies 🙂
Totally making my mouth water!!! Can’t wait to try these!
Lemon has been my favorite flavor lately – something about the bright citrus in winter 🙂 Your cookies look wonderful!
We’re not big on the frosted sugar cookies here either. These look great!
Those sound and look fabulous! Hope you make some for the bake sale in a couple months!
I made these cookies with lime. SOOOOOO tasty! I almost want to make lemon ones too because I the lime ones disappeared so quickly!
My husband gave up chocolate for Lent and is now craving all things dessert. These might just be the perfect fix for his sweet tooth! Thanks 🙂
I’ll definitely be making these for Easter and I may have to send some to our 3 Placerville missionaries in the MTC as a break from the cafeteria food!
These look so good. I can’t wait to try them. They may even be my Christmas swap cookie this coming year.
Thanks. Peg
These cookies are so pretty Maria and perfect for spring! Love the cookies all tied up in the yellow ribbon. So pretty!
These are beautiful! I don’t know why I’ve never thought of lemon sugar cookies considering I love sugar cookies and pretty much anything with a touch of lemon. Perfect!
These look amazing! Perfect for a June engagement party we are hosting!
Love lemon at this time of year! I have made these numerous times since posting them last summer, definitely a family fave and perfect for spring.
these seriously look HEAVENLY!
These looks so pretty and feminine, and would make a nice gift too.
I’m opposite of you – my favorite cookies are sugar with frosting and sprinkles 🙂 So I know I would love these – so pretty and the lemon touch sounds just perfect!
Thanks for including me in your link list–I’m honored! 🙂 I bought two giant bags of lemons the other day and I can’t use them quickly enough. Very pretty cookies. And congrats on the Kitchn article. You are so awesome!
You are awesome! 🙂
I am not too big on glazed cookies either. These cookies look simple and the flavor must be incredible:)Happy spring-like cookies;)
I like the simplicity of these. Less is definitely more, agreed.
I actually made these last night, but in honor of St. Patrick’s Day I substituted lime zest/juice for the lemon – success!! They were pretty darn tasty, and had an awesome consistency (well, after the first batch that browned a tad more than I’d wanted them to). Thanks for sharing my new favorite sugar cookie recipe!
I will have to try them with lime next time. Great idea!
These cookies look stunning! I love lemon, especially this time of year.
Just made ’em – they’re fantastic! Sooooo nice and lemony!
The lemon flavored makes it mouth watering. I just can’t wait to share this with my friends. They will surely be surprised with the lemon flavor too.
bright, zingy, refreshing, and sweet–this is the quintessential spring cookie!
I agree, Maria! I love chewy sugar cookies sans-frosting!
Chewy cookies are so yummy! I prefer chewy than crunchy because if you bite a crunchy cookies there are bits that’s falling down and it makes me feel like I’m messed up. LOL
These are a keeper! I made them today and it is all I can do to just stop at eating just one! The ones I baked for less time I was worried wouldn’t be done, but they are so soft and good!
So glad you liked the cookies!
Just made these from some friends and they got rave reviews, they are so soft and lemony!
Glad the cookies got rave reviews:)
I unfortunately have not made the cookies, but forwarded the recipe to my mom–THEY ARE AWESOME!!! (We are a sugar cookie family but this recipe just became THE recipe!) Thank you for sharing!
Yay! Glad you like the lemon sugar cookies!
Made these the other night and DH and DS LOVED THEM!! Thanks so much!
You are welcome!
These are the BEST cookies I have ever had. I am not kidding.. I forwarded it to my best girlfriend to make for another girlfriends baby shower and they were a hit! Now, all of my college roomates (6 in all) are obsessed and making these for easter and other parties! Thanks so much for posting this! I might try it again in winter with orange… YUM
So glad you and your friends are enjoying the lemon sugar cookies!
We loved these! Mine spread out a lot more than yours though and didn’t look near as pretty, do you have any idea why? Thanks!
Those look amazingg *_* and really refreshing.
Before you cook them should I press the dough balls down to get it flat? Or does it flatten itself?
I didn’t flatten them down, they spread while baking. If they don’t flatten for you, you can press them down lightly before baking. Enjoy!
I made these and they turned out completely flat! I followed the recipe exactly! Happen to anyone else?
Sorry the cookies were flat for you. Maybe add a little more flour and don’t flatten them down before baking.
I just made these- wow, so wonderful! This is definitely a keeper.
An ice cream social was planned this past Sunday at our church. Those attending were asked to bring cookies. Years ago I remember having lemon sugar cookies that were so tasty. Did a search on the “net” and found your recipe. This recipe is simple and the cookies were fabulous! I even posted on my facebook how much I loved the recipe and have added your website to my FAVORITES!
Thanks for spreading the word about our website! Glad you liked the cookies!
These are my favorite also! I don’t like iced cookies either. My friends laugh because I don’t eat mu own. I’d rather have a mall cookie any day of the week! Your blog has been the best new discovery for me! Its like getting a new cookbook in the mail!
I made this recipe for a Fourth of July BBQ. The cookies were excellent on their own but I used them to make ice cream sandwiches with strawberry and blueberry ice cream. Of course the ice cream more pink and lavender than red and blue, but everyone loved them and these cookies held up beautifully.
FYI, I made these for a bake sale and doubled the size (I made 15 cookies from the recipe) so they would seem be in keeping w/ brownie prices. The cooking time for the big cookies was 16-18 minutes and they need about 4 minutes of cooling on the cookie sheet to brown the bottoms completely before transferring to the cooling rack.
Also, if you’re into size uniformity I found it was easier to make all the dough balls then go back and roll them in sugar rather than rolling in sugar as I went. This way I could go back and adjust the cookie sizes without too much trouble.
I just made these and they are delicious! They are cooling now and I have snuck two already. Thanks for the recipe.
Just made these cookies and they are YUMMY!!! I did add a lil more lemon and lemon zest since I like my cookies lemony! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’ve been looking to try out a new cookie, and I can’t wait to make these!
These cookies are amazing!! The whole family loves them
Hmmmm…mine turned out really, REALLY flat! I just replaced my baking powder and soda, so I’m not sure what happened. The taste is there, but they just don’t look as pretty as in the picture. 🙁
I know this post is really late, but OMG! I just made these and they are delicious! And the recipe was incredibly easy for a novice baker like me. Thank you for sharing!
These cookies are really good, I love anything with lemon. They are soft and chewy and the tip for the cookies in the container with a slice of bread really keeps them soft. Thanks. I love your site, everything looks so good I can’t wait to try another one of your recipes.:)
hi, i just made these. they taste amazing but my cookies spread really big and they came in completely flat! what did i do wrong? =(
Sorry your cookies spread! Was the butter too warm? Not enough flour?
A wonderful recipe for summer enjoyment!!! You can not stop at just one of these blissful treats.
Mmm, these look amazing! I love the yellow bow! 🙂
Made these last night and they are a hit! Absolutely delicious! The bread trick really does work too. Fresh lemon is a MUST!!!
Glad you liked the cookies. And fresh lemon is the best!
These cookies are FANTASTIC!!!
Made these tonight for a Christmas cookie exchange. Made a little icing with powdered sugar and lemon juice and lemon extract and drizzled that on top. Very nice and easy cookies! Will make these again. 🙂
These cookies will make an appearance on my mom’s Chinese New Year cookie table. Thing is, how long can these be kept in an airtight container in room temperature. I need them to last at least 1 week in that condition. Think it’ll be alright?
Just made these and they are soo scrumptious! Great recipe!
I totally made these the other day. My mom loved it so much because of how lemony they were. Very different and unique cookies to have for Chinese New Year. Only thing, a tad bit too sweet. Might reduce the sugar next time. Really good with black coffee though.
I just have to say, I tried these and they were not very good
Delicious cookies ! Real lemon zest makes all the difference. Not too sweet, juste perfect. Will bake them again for sure.
Yay! Glad you liked the cookies!
I just made these and added some white chocolate – delicious!!! They really taste like spring. Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Delicious!! Loveeee this recipe. It’s perfect. For those of you whose cookies spread, try putting your cookie sheet with dough balls in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Shouldn’t spread if the butter is chilled. After I roll in sugar, I flatten a bit with a buttered glass bottom dipped in sugar, then sprinkle them with a bit before they go in the oven. YUMMY!
Glad you liked the cookies!
I made these yesterday and there are only two left. No, I didn’t eat them all by myself! My parents where here, my boyfriend was here and my kids all helped! So I need to make more!! I get a hankering for lemon desserts every year around this time and these were so simple to make and so tasty and wonderful!! I’m going to try lime in the recipe next! Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Just made these. So good. Didn’t have a lemon to zest so I substituted lemon chips.
If you bake one to three minutes longer they turn crispy instead of chewy. Also very yummy and delicate.
I just made these cookies. I followed the recipe exactly except that I used egg whites instead of eggs, and they are amazing! I will definitely make these again. Thanks!!
I just made these for a friend’s birthday, but they did not turn out at all. Very flat and can’t get them off the pan in one piece. Huge disappointment. I’ll have to find a back up recipe.
These were delicious. I rolled some in plain sugar, some in a lavender ginger sugar. We used them for homemade ice-cream sandwiches with homemade Jeni’s vanilla ice cream and frozen cherry puree. Thank you! They were just what I was looking for…. and the dough was good too…. :0
We love these cookies! Best I have ever had! I made them to send to school for my daugthers birthday, not one came home:) I put a lemon frosting on them with all natural colored spinkles, they looked so yummy. Thank you both for this amazing recipe!
Made these today for a Labor Day picnic. They are delicious!
These came out great. I cut back on the sugar a bit and added a lemon’s more worth of zest. I also had to throw in a bit more flour at the end because the batter was too runny (it’s possible that I didn’t measure out as much as I should in the beginning). Overall, I liked them. My only wish was for there to be a stronger lemon profile. Next time, I’ll try to add more lemon zest and may be coat them in a lemon infused glaze.
Hi!
Just tried this lemon sugar cookie recipe last night & they were a huge hit.
Simple & Delicious!! THANK YOU!
question, can you cut the dough into shapes before baking or does it not work? I’m looking for lemon chewy cookies but instead of just rolling into a ball, i want to do some shapes. Is that do-able at all?
I haven’t tried rolling them out and cutting them into shapes. Let me know if you try it!
these had a delicious flavor, but the dough was very thin! the cookies spread more than i anticipated. i had to let them bake longer than recommended as well.
they turned out thin and crispy brown around the edges, yummm
I just made these cookies. They are divine!
Although a simple recipe, the flavor of these cookies lacks nothing but an incredible sweet, lemony taste. This is the second time I’ve made them. One of my new favs and a huge hit.
Do you have a gluten free version? These sound so delicious, I do not especially care for frosting on cookies either…
You can substitute gluten-free flour for the the regular flour. I like Cup4Cup.
I just made these Lemon Sugar Cookies. They taste amazing! But I would like to know why mine do not have the “CRACKLE” look like your photo.
I just made these, except instead of two lemons, I used a lemon and an orange! delicious 🙂
Just made these today. They are fantastic! Not overpoweringly lemony, not cloyingly sweet. Perfect! Will be using this recipe again!
I just made these with my girls today, and they were delicious!!! Not too sweet with a delicate lemon flavor. The only thing I would do different is refrigerate the dough before baking because mine were flatter than I like. They were just as advertised, a little crunchy on the outside and soft and in the center – yum!
Just made these delicious and simple cookies. This one is going in the recipe box. Thank you for sharing.
These taste incredible. Just baked half a batch and put the rest of the dough in the fridge for the weekend. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Just made these today using your recipe. DELICIOUS! As of lately, I love to use lemon in a lot of my cooking. I also drink lemon water daily to make my water alkaline as it has so many health benefits.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. It is one I will use for years to come, can’t wait to make more to give as gifts.
We love these!! Thanks for sharing! Last batch we decided to be creative and used orange zest/juice in place of the lemon! Thinking about trying lime next….
I bake probably once a week and I could not wait to make these, unfortunately they melted into one another and I can not figure out what I did wrong. I was wondering if you had any ideas? After the first batched melted into one giant cookie I refrigerated the dough and it just kept happening, please help and I love your website..
Odd, I’ve never had that happen with this recipe. Was your butter too soft? Did you add the right amount of flour? Sorry you had issues!
My grandma loves all things lemon, so I have baked a batch of these to include in her Christmas package this year. SOOOOO yummy! Thanks for the recipe. I shared my photos and a link to your recipe on my blog this morning. :o) http://paperturtle.blogspot.com/2014/12/lemon-sugar-cookies-for-grandma.html
I just made these and they are amazing! Does the recipe double well? I hope so because there are so many people I want to share these with. I am going to get more lemons and bake another batch tomorrow.
Glad you liked the cookies. Yes, you can double the recipe!
YES! This is the recipe I’ve been looking for! If you don’t have silicone mats, you can just lightly oil a traditional cookie sheet (or the bottom of a large rectangular cake pan) and lightly dust with flour.
@ Jenny, if you used margarine or other vegetable spread instead of real butter, they will melt into each other like that.
I am on a strict cleanse and I adapted this recipe to fit my diet. It was incredibly delicious and I really felt like I was cheating! I substituted the Perfect Flour Blend (gluten free AND whole grain brown rice) for AP flour and Xylitol for sugar, all equal substitions. Amazing!
Just delcious. Amything lemon, one of my faves this. Thanks .
Simon
Maria:
I finally got around to baking these Lemon Sugar Cookies. Mine were Lemon-Lime with freshly grated peel mixed with the sugar. Excellent cookies – better than the Cook’s Illustrated recipe! Looked just like the photos. Perfect! I plan on making an Orange-Cardamom version as well as Vanilla Bean. Easy, too!
I will have to try a lemon and lime version! Glad you like the recipe!
Also – I used a #40 Cookie Scoop – a little larger than 1 tbsp. Took about 12 minutes in the oven.
These are one of my husband’s favorites. So delicious.
Can I freeze this cookie dough? How long will it keep in the freezer?
Can this be made with shortening as my son has a dairy allergy?
Mine ended up a bit flat, for some reason. But they tasted amazing. So lemony. Will be trying different variations to see if I can get them to stay fluffy.
My Husband got home hooked on anything lemon but he’s pretty picky when it comes to lemon desserts and I have tried many lemon cookie recipes and all didn’t quite fit the bill (either too sweet, too dry etc) but these are PERFECT! They are not too sweet and have a much more real lemony taste than other lemon cookies. They are the perfecy tart, sweet and fresh
Enjoying these cookies right now. Recipe is a keeper!