Description
Bake soft and chewy lemon cookies with a bright citrus flavor and a signature cracked powdered sugar exterior.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (225g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh or bottled lemon juice, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar (optional, for rolling)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set the dry mixture aside.
- In a large bowl using a mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. The mixture may look curdled; this is acceptable. Scrape down the bowl sides.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick, creamy, and sticky.
- Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is required.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If it chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften slightly for easier handling.
- Scoop and roll the dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each (about 20g each).
- To prevent the confectioners’ sugar from melting quickly, you can roll the dough balls in the optional granulated sugar first. Then, roll each ball very generously in the confectioners’ sugar. Roll 2-3 times for a thick sugar coating.
- Place the coated dough balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes, or until the edges look set and the centers still appear soft. If the cookies are not spreading by minute 9, lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3 times to help them spread, then return to the oven.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will deflate slightly as they cool.
- Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Cornstarch helps create a softer cookie texture.
- The dough must be chilled; this prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- For maximum lemon flavor, use fresh lemon zest and juice.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 13 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: Lemon Crinkle Cookies, Easy Cookie Recipes, Homemade Cookies, Baking Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Soft & Chewy Cookies, Sweet Treats, citrus cookies