Cookies • Currently Craving
Lemon Blueberry Cookies
May 9, 2023
After recently launching a cookbook entirely devoted to cookies, you would think I’d be fresh out of cookie recipes. But […]
After recently launching a cookbook entirely devoted to cookies, you would think I’d be fresh out of cookie recipes. But there was one more cookie flavor combo that I couldn’t wait to create! This Lemon Blueberry Cookie has been on my must-bake list for years!! I wanted to make a lemon and blueberry cookie that was soft and chewy, with crispy edges and bursting with fresh citrus flavor. Basically, the opposite of all the other lemon blueberry cookie recipes out there that are more like muffins. Sorry cakey cookies, you’re not for me.
Why are these cookies so good?
These cookies are as easy as they are delicious – good luck not eating the whole batch at once! Here’s why these cookies are so good:
- The perfect summertime cookie. These cookies are light and refreshing. Everyone will love them!
- Filled with flavor. These cookies are bursting with blueberries and fresh citrus flavor.
- The best texture! Slightly crispy edges, soft and chewy centers and dusted with a halo of coarse sugar – these cookies are irresistable!
- Easy to make. This recipe calls for just a short chill time so you can whip up a batch in about an hour.
Ingredients
These cookies are a cinch to make when the craving strikes with just a handful of simple ingredients. Keep freeze dried blueberries stocked in your pantry year around for fresh lemon blueberry cookies anytime!
- Flour – regular all-purpose flour is all you’ll need. For best results, be sure to measure it correctly using a kitchen scale.
- Butter – this recipe calls for softened butter. Set your butter and egg out about an hour before baking.
- Sugar – we’re using both granulated and light brown sugar for sweetness and texture. For added crunch on top that makes these cookies extra special, I dunk the cookie dough balls in a bowl of coarse sanding sugar before baking.
- Egg – just one egg helps bind the ingredients together and adds richeness to the dough.
- Lemon zest – the zest is where all the flavor is. The recipe calls for 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon zest – add as much or as little as you’d like.
- Freeze dried blueberries – fresh and frozen blueberries contain a lot of moisture which makes for a very cake-like cookie. I wanted a traditional cookie texture that is both soft and chewy so we are using freeze dried bluebs which have all of the flavor and none of the moisture.
- Vanilla – all good cookies have a splash of quality vanilla!
How to make lemon blueberry cookies
These cookies come together easily with just 10 simple ingredients and a short chill time. Follow this easy step-by-step guide and check the recipe card below for a list of ingredients and detailed instructions.
Step 1: Add the sugars and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Run the mixer on medium low speed or use your hands to massage the zest into the sugars. This helps to enhance the lemon flavor in the cookie dough.
Step 2: Add the butter and mix on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 3: Add the egg and vanilla. Mix to combine well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low speed until combined. Do not over mix.
Step 5: Add the freeze dried blueberries and use a spatula to stir them into the dough, being careful not to overmix.
Step 6: Chill the dough uncovered for about 30 minutes. Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough out into balls and roll each ball in coarse sanding sugar. This adds extra crunch to the baked cookies.
Step 7: Space the cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8-9 minutes or until the edges are beginning to turn a light golden brown. For soft and chewy cookies, do not overbake. Remove from the oven and top with extra sanding sugar if desired.
Tips for the best cookies
- Measure the flour with a digital scale. The number one reason cookies come out too puffy and cakey is that too much flour is added to the dough. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy.
- Do not overbake. I always underbake my cookies just slightly so that the edges are slightly crisp but the centers are still soft and chewy.
- Use the cookie scoot! To make cookies perfectly round and more uniform in size, use a large round cookie or biscuit cutter to swirl around the outside of the cookies. This helps to “scoot” the edges of the cookies in towards the center. Be sure to do this while the cookies are warm from the oven.
How to store cookies
These soft and chewy lemon blueberry cookies are a crowd favorite – there’s rarely a crumb left over. If you do have a few extra cookies to save for another day, store them tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. The cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. Bring to room temperature before serving with a sprinkle of sugar.
FAQ’s
There are a few reasons your cookies may be tall and cakey instead of soft and chewy. First, check that you did not add too much flour. For best results, always measure the flour using a digital kitchen scale. Too much flour (or too little!) will alter the texture of the cookie. Second, make sure your butter is at room temperature and that your oven is calibrated to 350°F.
Using fresh blueberries will change the texture of the cookie. The moisture from the blueberries will result in a puffier, cake-like cookie.
Yes! To make the cookies gluten free simply replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill Cup-For-Cup Gluten Free Flour. Keep in mind that the taste and texture will be slightly different.
I love the texture and extra crunch that coarse sanding sugar provides in this recipe. If you don’t have sanding sugar, you can substitute Demerara sugar or regular granulated sugar.
For perfectly soft and chewy sugar cookies, it’s important to remove them from the oven once the edges are set but the center is still puffy and slightly underbaked. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool. Be careful not to overbake the cookies as they will be dry.
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @brownedbutterblondie.
Enjoy the cookies!
If you love these Lemon Blueberry Cookies, try these delicious recipes:
Lemon Blueberry Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 19 minutes
- Yield: 14 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft and chewy lemon blueberry cookies are bursting with blueberries and fresh citrus flavor. Easy to make and delicious to eat!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (to taste)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup freeze dried blueberries, chopped
- 1/4 cup course sanding sugar, for topping
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, add the sugars and lemon zest. Use your fingers to massage the lemon zest into the sugars for about 20 seconds. This helps to elevate the lemon flavor in the cookies once baked.
Add the room temperature butter and mix on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Do not over mix. A few streaks of flour remaining is okay.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large spatula to fold in the freeze dried blueberries, being careful not to over mix.
Chill the dough uncovered for 30 minutes. Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the sanding sugar into a small bowl. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the dough and roll each ball in the bowl of course sanding sugar, being sure to coat all sides.
Place the cookie dough balls 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 8 to 9 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and slightly golden brown. The center of the cookies will be slightly puffy.
Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the rack for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle the tops with more course sanding sugar for extra crunch if desired.
Notes
Store the cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
May be frozen.
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24 Comments
Anonymous
December 17, 2024 at 9:21 amCan I use lemon extract instead of lemon zest
Heather Mubarak
December 17, 2024 at 2:51 pmYou can, but I love the less artificial flavor you get from regular lemon zest. Enjoy the cookies!
Megan
April 27, 2024 at 8:16 pmThese are AMAZING. The recipe is perfectly written – had I not used a scale for my flour, I would’ve used nearly 1/2c too much. Wasn’t sure how the freeze dried blueberries would turn out but they were perfect. It’s 2 days later and the cookies are still chewy and soft. Will be making these again!
anonymous
March 5, 2024 at 8:02 pmCan I use dried blueberries instead of freeze dried and get the same results?
Anonymous
March 23, 2024 at 6:50 pmI have the same question.
Heather Mubarak
March 23, 2024 at 7:49 pmDried blueberries still contain about 20% of their moisture so they will have a chewier texture. Freeze dried fruit, on the other hand, contains only about 2% water which makes the freeze dried blueberries airier and crunchy. I suggest using freeze dried blueberries for best results – you can find them at Trader Joes if you have one and also online. Enjoy!
Kim
February 5, 2024 at 10:05 amI made two versions of these. Chocolate chip and lemon and white chocolate. They were amazing. I left them in longer so they weren’t so soft and had a crunch on the edges but still chewy in the middle. They are absolutely delicious and a massive hit with the family!
Briana
September 27, 2023 at 2:26 amThe measurements were perfect and I enjoyed the cookie! I zested a whole lemon maybe mine wasn’t lemony but I didn’t really taste it. I also cooked mine longer maybe it’s my oven but mine looked raw.
Thank you for the freeze dried blueberry suggestion!
David
December 20, 2023 at 3:37 amI recommend mixing the white sugar and lemon zest ahead of time and storing in the fridge until you bake. I usually let mine sit for 24 to 48 hours, but even mixing in the morning and cooking in the evening adds so much flavor.
Jen
May 21, 2023 at 10:24 pmI made these gluten free and they were great! I’m glad you mentioned in the recipe you could do that and with which flour. Are your other recipes able to be done gluten free?
Anonymous
May 17, 2023 at 7:42 pmTasty but for me it needed more blueberries and more lemon zest. I like the chewy dried blueberries better than fresh and will try this again.
Heather Mubarak
May 17, 2023 at 8:18 pmLike the recipe says, feel free to add more lemon zest to taste as well as extra blueberries! Thanks for trying my recipe!!
trish
May 16, 2023 at 4:48 pmI bought your cookbook and I am looking forward to baking my way through it!
I started with the oatmeal cream pie cookie. They looked perfect as I took them out of the oven but fell completely flat within a minute. They were still absolutely delicious!! But could you tell me where I may have gone wrong, please? I followed the recipe to a T and my oven is calibrated. I am not a professional baker but am an experienced one.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Heather Mubarak
May 18, 2023 at 12:52 amHi Trish! Thanks so much for supporting my cookbook!! I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the Oatmeal Cream Pies…the cookies themselves aren’t super thick, but they shouldn’t be thin and crispy either. I would double check the expiration date on your baking soda. Did you use the bread flour? And did you weigh both flours with a kitchen scale for accuracy? You can always do the cookie “scoot” with a large round cookie or biscuit cutter. Be sure to do this when the cookies are warm from the oven – it helps to nudge the edges in towards the center and thicken them up a bit. Let me know if this is helpful. Happy to help you troubleshoot!
Trish
May 26, 2023 at 4:56 pmThank you, Heather. Yes, I did everything you suggested except the “scoot.” I will try that next time.
Btw, I just made your Easy Coconut Loaf. It was easy and delicious!
I found your site after purchasing your cookbook. I am enjoying baking from both.
Thank you!
Heather Mubarak
May 26, 2023 at 7:25 pmI’m so glad you’re here!! Thanks for supporting the blog and the book. Enjoy the recipes!
Suzie
May 15, 2023 at 10:12 pmThese look amazing, love the twist on the classic muffin, but that it is it’s own unique dessert! Definite summer treat on our bucket list.
Juliana
May 14, 2023 at 6:13 pmCan I substitute fresh blueberries for freeze dried blueberries?
Heather Mubarak
May 15, 2023 at 11:42 pmFresh or frozen blueberries will have more moisture which will change the texture of the cookies.
Anonymous
May 14, 2023 at 6:12 pmCan I sub fresh blueberries?
Heather Mubarak
May 15, 2023 at 11:43 pmThe recipe was developed using freeze dried blueberries which have great flavor – the texture of the cookies will be different if you substitute fresh blueberries.
KDell
June 18, 2023 at 2:01 pmCan I use just dried blueberries instead of freeze dried?
Shelli Jarvis
May 12, 2023 at 9:43 pmWhat a fun twist on the ol’ chocolate chip cookie! Just made these and they are exactly as you said: crispy edges and not the texture of a muffin. Taking them to celebrate Mother’s Day tomorrow with my mom and our family. I confess I’m gonna have a hard time sharing!
Also, just a quick edit if you care…it’s coarse sanding sugar (not course). Love the recipe and am adding it to my regular lineup!!
Dorothy
May 11, 2023 at 1:47 amThese sound divine!!! I recently picked up a bag of freeze dried berries at trader joes and this is the pick recipe to try them in! Thanks!