Cookies • Currently Craving • Seasonal
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
January 31, 2025
Lemon lovers, meet the Lemon Crinkle Cookie. Every since I tasted my first chocolate crinkle cookie, I’ve been dreaming of […]
Lemon lovers, meet the Lemon Crinkle Cookie. Every since I tasted my first chocolate crinkle cookie, I’ve been dreaming of creating a lemon version. These little lemon gems are years in the making and let’s just say they were worth waiting for. Buttery soft, moist and tender and filled with loads of tart and tangy lemon flavor, these are the cookies you never knew you needed!
Why are these cookies so good?
These lemon crinkle cookies are buttery soft, super moist and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Not only are they incredibly delicious but they’re easy to make in 30 minutes or less. Here’s why you’ll love these cookies:
- Full of bright, fragrant lemon flavor.
- Easy to make. Just mix the dough with a bowl and a whisk.
- No chilling required!
- A bright and cheery cookie – like sunshine in cookie form!
- No fancy ingredients needed.
- Soft-baked cookies with an irresistible melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Ingredients
These soft and tender lemon cookies are a cinch to make with just a handful of basic ingredients. Grab some lemons (Meyers are my fave!) and check your pantry for these ingredients:
- Flour – regular all-purpose flour is all you need. For best results, measure the flour using a digital scale.
- Butter – we’re using melted butter for rich flavor and the perfect texture.
- Sugar – rub the zest into the sugar to intensify the lemon flavor once baked.
- Lemon zest and juice – fresh is best!
- Eggs – use large eggs that are at room temperature.
- Baking powder – helps the cookies rise while baking.
- Cornstarch – keeps the cookies extra soft.
- Vanilla and lemon extract – the lemon extract gives the cookies the perfect citrus punch.
- Salt – to balance the sweetness.
- Powdered sugar – for rolling.
How to make lemon crinkle cookies
You won’t need any special equipment to make these cookies. Just grab a bowl, a whisk and a spatula. Oh, and a zester for the lemons. You can juice the lemons by hand or use this juicer. Follow this step-by-step guide and check the recipe card below for ingredients and detailed instructions.
Step 1: Mix together the cookie dough by whisking together the wet ingredients and then folding in the dry ingredients using a large spatula.
Step 2: Roll the cookie dough into balls and coat with granulated sugar. Then roll the cookies in powdered sugar.
Step 3: Bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes or until the edges are set and the tops are puffy and soft.
Step 4: The cookies will be soft and delicate fresh from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes.
Tips for the best cookies
These lemon crinkle cookies might look fancy-ish but they’re surprisingly easy to make. Follow the tips and tricks below for the most perfect lemon crinkle cookies you’ll ever sink your teeth into!
Don’t skimp on the lemon. For the very best flavor, use lemon zest, lemon juice AND lemon extract. This combination delivers the perfect amount of tart and tangy flavor.
Do not over mix the dough. Too much mixing will activate the glutens in the flour resulting in a dense, crumbly cookie. Mix just until a few streaks of flour remain and stop there.
Roll in granulated sugar AND powdered sugar. To get those picture-perfect sugar-coated crinkles, we roll the cookies in granulated sugar first and then give them a good dunk in a bowl of powdered sugar. This helps the powdered sugar to stick to the surface of the cookie and prevents the moisture from the cookie dough from dissolving the sugar.
Do not over bake. I repeat. Do not over bake. Too much time in the oven will lead to a dry, dense cookie. Because the cookies continue to bake after being removed from the oven, it’s important to remove them from the oven before they are fully baked. Look for the edges to be set, but with soft, puffy centers. The cookies will deflate slightly as they cool.
How to store
If you don’t polish off every last cookie crumb soon after baking, store any leftover cookies tightly covered at room temperature. These cookies can be frozen but I recommend freezing the cookies before rolling in sugar. This is because the moisture created from freezing will dissolve the powdered sugar and they simply won’t look as pretty once defrosted.
To freeze, place the cookie dough balls in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and then roll in granulated and powdered sugar and bake as directed.
Happy baking, lemon lovers!
Love these lemon crinkle cookies? Try these delicious lemon recipes next:
Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 18 to 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make a batch of these pillowy soft lemon crinkle cookies in 30 minutes or less with just a bowl and a whisk. They bake up moist and buttery with loads of fresh lemon flavor that melts in your mouth. Betcha can’t have just one!
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 10 minutes
- 3/4 cup plus two tablespoons (175 g) granulated sugar
- 1 heaping tablespoon lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, plus one egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For rolling
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to a medium bowl. Use your hands to massage the zest into the sugar for about 30 seconds. This helps to release the oils from the zest into the sugar, giving you a more pronounced lemon flavor in the cookie once baked.
- Add the melted butter, lemon extract and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine well.
- Add the egg, followed by the egg yolk, mixing to combine between each addition.
- Add the lemon juice and whisk to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions. Fold the dough together using a spatula, being careful not to over mix. Stop when a few streaks of flour remain.
- Place the remaining granulated sugar and powdered sugar in separate bowls. Portion out the dough into 1 to 1.2 ounce balls and roll each ball first in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar. Be sure to coat all sides of the cookie dough ball generously.
- Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until the cookies are puffy and set in the center. Do not over bake or the cookies will be dry.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
May be frozen.
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