Old-fashioned lemon sugar cookies are delightfully citrusy, thick & chewy, and have a touch of sweetness. They're a crowd favorite that you can make at Christmas or any time of the year. Easy to freeze for later.
I am not usually a fan of lemon desserts.
There's no reason in particular, I just prefer the creamy sweetness of chocolate or cheesecake to the tart sweetness of lemon.
However.
I participated in a cookie swap at my MOPS group last month.
My favorite cookie from the whole event was a very small tart cookie.
The cookies were sweet and tasted like grapefruit to me, so I was shocked when my friend said they were simple lemon cookies.
She proceeded to explain exactly she made them. Simple indeed.
I have to pause also to say that this friend from my MOPS group is actually a former student. That warps my reality somehow. It's just weird to hang out with my former student who is now a wife and stay at home mom just like me.
Another of my students plays football in the NFL. One owns a modeling agency and jets all over the world. One bought the house next door. Being a former teacher is crazy.
Anyway, on to the cookie recipe from my student turned friend.
Why these are the best lemon sugar cookies
These little cookies have the best citrus flavor. It's neither overpowering nor underwhelming. It's the perfect amount of tart sweetness.
The texture of these cookies is halfway between a traditional sugar cookie and a traditional shortbread cookie. They are chewy and soft at the same time.
What you'll need to make lemon sugar cookies
EQUIPMENT
- Microplane grater - You'll need this to get the zest from the lemons.
- Stand mixer - This recipe is really easy to pull together with a stand mixer. You could also use an electric hand mixer if that's all you have.
- Baking sheet - I prefer to bake cookies on metal baking sheets, not on pizza stones or stoneware baking sheets.
- Parchment paper - I always line baking sheets with parchment. It makes clean up easier. Alternately, you can use silicone mats, but I prefer parchment paper because I don't have to wash it.
- Wire rack - You'll need to remove the cookies from the baking sheet so that they stop cooking and don't get hard.
INGREDIENTS
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.
- All purpose flour
- Table salt
- Unsalted butter - This needs to be room temperature, not cold and not melted.
- White granulated sugar
- Lemon zest finely grated
- Vanilla - I prefer vanilla bean paste because it has actual vanilla beans crushed up in it, and it has a richer and more robust vanilla flavor. Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol and then removing the beans. You can use them interchangeably.
- Large egg yolks - Yolks only. Save the whites for coconut macaroons or some other recipe.
How to make lemon sugar cookies
To make the dough
- Whisk flour and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla on medium-high. Occasionally scrape the sides of the bowl, continuing to beat until the cookie dough is light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks, beat just to blend. Do not overbeat the dough or your cookies will be tough rather than chewy.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat on low, scraping down the sides, until the cookie dough is just blended.
- This recipe can be rolled and cut with cookie cutters.
- If you prefer an easier way, try the Slice and Bake method: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 10-inch-long log that's a little less than 2" across. Wrap dough logs in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least an hour or up to 2 days.
- To bake, unwrap one dough log. Using a sharp, lightly floured knife, cut the dough log into ¼-inch thick rounds.
To bake
- Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of the oven. Preheat to 350ºF.
- Place cookies 1-inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350ºF for 16-18 minutes until cookies are firm, and edges are golden brown.
- Let cool for one minute, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.
Variations
These cookies are so simple and easy, and you can make them with lime zest, orange zest, or even grapefruit zest.
You can add a handful or two of white chocolate chips to these cookies.
You can whip up an easy lemon glaze to drizzle over these cookies. Whisk 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl, adding additional sugar as needed to achieve desired consistency. Spread or drizzle icing over the cookies. Let cookies stand until icing sets, at least 10 minutes.
How to store Slice and Bake Lemon Sugar Cookies
Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.
You can freeze the dough before baking. Simply wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place in a plastic freezer bag. It should stay fresh for up to a month or two. To bake the cookies, defrost in the fridge overnight and then bake as directed in the recipe.
You can also freeze the unglazed cookies. Flash freeze the fully cooled cookies by placing on a baking sheet in the freezer for an hour or until hard. Then transfer to a plastic freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and store in the freezer for up to two months. To serve the cookies, you can pull out as many as you want (they shouldn't stick together because of the flash freezing) and defrost them on the counter or in the microwave on half power.
Try these other delicious cookie recipes:
- Homemade Thin Mints Girl Scouts Cookies Recipe
- The Perfect Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe for Christmas
- Thumbprint Sugar Cookies with Jam Centers
- Secret Hershey Kiss Sugar Cookies
- The Very Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Toasted S'mores Bars
Recipe
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest finely grated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 4 large egg yolk
Instructions
To make the dough
- Whisk flour and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla on medium-high, occasionally scraping down the sides, until the dough is light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks, beat just to blend.
- Add flour mixture and beat on low, scraping down the sides, until it is just blended.
- This recipe can be rolled and cut with cookie cutters. If you prefer an easier way, try the Slice and Bake method: Divide the dough in half, and roll each half into a 10-inch-long log that's a little less than 2" across. Wrap dough logs in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least an hour or up to 2 days. To bake, unwrap one dough log. Using a sharp, lightly floured knife, cut the dough log into ¼-inch thick rounds.
To bake
- Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of the oven. Preheat to 350ºF.
- Place cookies 1-inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. (I don't like to bake cookies on my pizza stones, incidentally. I prefer metal cookie sheets.)
- Bake at 350ºF for 16-18 minutes until cookies are firm, and edges are golden brown. Let cool for one minute, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.
Cat @Breakfast to Bed says
NOT ME! Give me lemon ANY DAY! these are adorbs, btw. Also, you don't have a stumble button. I'll figure it out-gimme a minute. Golly, I've become lazy.
Feels Like Home Blog┞¢ says
The weird part is that I adore real lemon. I love lemon in my water and lemonade. Just not lemon desserts. Strange, isn't it?
My assistant put a Stumble button at the top and bottom of the post. Isn't she awesome?