Name: Lemon Sugar Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 24 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour1; ¾ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature); 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar; 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest; 1 large egg (room temperature preferred2); ¼ cup (56mL) vegetable oil; 1 Tablespoon (15mL) fresh lemon juice; ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

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These pillowy soft lemon sugar cookies are bursting with bright citrus flavor, perfectly sweet, and irresistibly chewy. With no chilling required, they come together quickly and melt in your mouth with every bite! You can also find this recipe on page 71 of my cookbook.

Aerial photo of lemon sugar cookies on a plate with lemon slices

THESE BELOVED SUGAR COOKIES ARE BRIGHT & ZESTY

When you’re in the mood for something sweet with a refreshing twist, look no further than these lemon sugar cookies. These lemon-infused drop sugar cookies are incredibly simple to make, but don’t let their simplicity fool you! They have a lightly crisp, lemon-infused sugary exterior and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth center. The real star, however, is the burst of zesty lemon flavor that adds a delightful brightness to every bite.

Here’s why you will absolutely love this lemon cookie recipe:
• the cookie base is a long-time reader favorite
• it’s a no chill cookie dough
• pillowy soft texture
• melt-in-your-mouth buttery flavor
• amp up the lemon flavor with extract, if desired (more on that in a bit)

A plate of lemon sugar cookies with lemon slices.

These cookies offer a light and refreshing alternative to richer desserts, and their simplicity means they’re easy to whip up with little prep and a handful of staple pantry ingredients.

LEMON SUGAR COOKIE INGREDIENTS

These chewy lemon cookies are a variation of my beloved drop sugar cookie recipe that has dozens and dozens of 5-star reviews. With some simple swaps and additions, those vanilla cookies transform into bright lemony cookies.

Aerial photo of the ingredients to make lemon sugar cookies with text overlay labeling each ingredient.

Grab these 11 ingredients:
• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• unsalted butter
• powdered sugar
• lemon zest
• egg
• vegetable oil
• lemon juice
• granulated sugar

WHY ARE WE USING POWDERED SUGAR IN THIS COOKIE RECIPE?

Using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar in the dough for this lemon sugar cookie recipe serves a few purposes. First, it can incorporate into the butter much quicker, which means your butter and sugar cream faster, but more than this, it lends a smooth and tender bite to the cookie dough. It also makes them absolutely melt in your mouth!

HOW TO MAKE LEMON COOKIES

This is a no chill cookie recipe that still yields thick and chewy cookies, as long as you follow the recipe exactly. Be sure you’re checking out all of the success tips so your soft lemon sugar cookies stay that way!

MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH

STEP #1

Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then setting this mixture aside.

STEP #2

Next, cream the butter, powdered sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Powdered sugar, butter, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer to make lemon sugar cookies.

For best results, use a zester & juicer: this is my favorite citrus zester which gets zest nice and small. My favorite citrus juicer is one that has graduations for measuring and a way to catch the seeds.

STEP #3

Stop the mixer, add the egg, vegetable oil, and lemon juice, then beat again on medium speed until everything is combined, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

STEP #4

Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the dry ingredients in two additions, ensuring the first addition is mostly incorporated before adding the second, then continue to beat on low until just combined.

Your lemon cookie dough should be soft but not very sticky, and you should be able to scoop it with a cookie scoop without issue. Once it is dropped into the sugar, it will decrease in stickiness (we’ll get there in a second).

MAKE THE LEMON SUGAR COATING

STEP #5

Once your cookie dough has come together, place the granulated sugar and lemon zest into a small bowl, then use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until most of it is very pale yellow.

A bowl of sugar and lemon zest with lemons in the background.

Someone is using their fingers to rub lemon zest and sugar together to make a lemon sugar coating for lemon sugar cookies.

STEP #6

Next, using a cookie scoop, drop balls of dough into the sugar and use your fingers to gently roll the ball in the sugar. When dough ball is completely covered in sugar, place it on the prepared baking sheet to bake.

Someone is using their hands to roll a ball of lemon sugar cookie dough in a bowl of lemon sugar.

A ball of lemon sugar cookie dough on a baking sheet.

For a more intense lemon flavor, add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract with the wet ingredients.

VARIATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS

I have tested these cookies with gluten free flour with great success. Be sure you’re using a cup-for-cup blend. I prefer King Arthur Flour.

For a more intense lemon flavor, add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.

I have tested this chewy lemon sugar cookie with plant-based butter to make them dairy free. Omit the vegetable oil and proceed as directed with the rest of the ingredients and instructions.

Consider using orange, Meyer lemon, lime, or grapefruit to change up the citrus flavor.

Aerial photo of a plate of lemon sugar cookies with lemon slices and a bite has been taken out of the one on the top.

A plate of lemon sugar cookies with lemon slices and a bite has been taken out of one of them.

LEMON SUGAR COOKIE SUCCESS TIPS

FLUFF/SPOON/LEVEL YOUR FLOUR OR WEIGH IN GRAMS: two cups of all-purpose flour, which is what this recipe calls for, is 240g. Too much flour will result in a dense cookie, and that is the most common complaint I hear from readers when they’ve made this cookie. I always ask about how they measured their flour, and 9 times out of 10, it is a flour measuring issue.

USE A COOKIE SCOOP: since this cookie dough is a bit sticky and hard to handle by hand, using a cookie scoop will ensure not only uniform cookie sizes but prevent your hands from getting too messy when rolling the cookie dough balls in the sugar.

USE A SOFT HAND WHEN ROLLING THE DOUGH: these soft lemon cookies have an equally soft cookie dough along with them. Try not to squish the cookie dough balls too much when you’re tossing them in the sugar. If it’s really too sticky to handle, pop the dough into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up a bit and try rolling again.

DO NOT OVERBAKE THESE COOKIES: they will only need 8-9 minutes, and you just need the edges to be set. They will continue to bake on the baking sheet when they come out of the oven, and overbaking them can turn them crunchy.

HOW TO FREEZE LEMON SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH

I prefer to freeze my cookie dough without any sugar coating, but it can be tough to use that method with how light this cookie dough is.

You can either:

• drop rounded balls of dough onto a baking sheet, chill in the fridge until you can easily transfer them to a container or bag to be frozen.

OR!

• roll them in the lemon sugar and follow that same chilling/freezing method, knowing you may want to re-roll into some additional sugar once the cookie dough thaws. You can also bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.