A refreshing twist on the classic sugar cookie, these sparkly Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies will brighten your days with sweet citrus flavour. With a satisfying thick and chewy texture, and loads of fresh lemon flavour, these glittery sugar-coated cookies are popular any time of year. Made with both lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice for maximum citrus flavour, these sunny cookies come together quickly with pantry ingredients that you likely already have on hand. With crisp edges and a soft and chewy centre, these lemon sugar cookies are a welcome addition to a holiday sweet table, a springtime celebration or a sunny summer afternoon!
These Lemon Sugar Cookies are one of my classic, go-to recipes that you’ll find in my cookie jar year round. Made from pantry ingredients, they can be whipped up typically without a trip to the store, earning them their place on my list of favourite Lakehouse recipes. Requiring no special equipment (no mixer, no rolling pin…) these lemon sugar cookies are a great recipe for beginner bakers – simply stir, scoop, roll and bake! Paired with fresh berries and whipped cream, these sweet and tangy cookies make a delightful and simple summer dessert. Their bright, citrusy flavour really shines though, when placed on a holiday cookie platter. Covered in a sparkling sugar coating, these sugar cookies were made for both elegant and cozy Christmas gatherings. To really impress your guests, top the cookies with white chocolate and golden sprinkles to transform this easy recipe into an eye-popping and festive dessert.
What goes in Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies?
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar has two purposes in this lemon sugar cookie recipe, being used to sweeten the dough and add a shimmery crust. Roll the unbaked cookie dough balls in granulated sugar before baking, then dip the warm cookies a second time in the sugar for cookies that really sparkle.
- Lemon Zest: For vibrant, concentrated lemon flavour, this recipe calls for fresh lemon zest. When zesting lemons, it is important to only use the bright yellow portion of the peel. Use a microplane zester to finely grate just the top layer, as the pale yellow and white portions of the lemon peel are bitter. The first step in the recipe is to rub the zest into the sugar with your finger tips. This process helps to release the oils from the zest, maximizing the lemon flavour of these cookies. Be sure not to skip this step for lemon sugar cookies with a deep lemon taste!
- Lemon Juice: Lemon is the star ingredient in this recipe, so in addition to zest, this recipe also calls for lemon juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for the brightess flavour. To make the zesting process far easier, be sure to remove the zest first before cutting the lemons and squeezing the juice.
- Butter: These delicious lemon sugar cookies have a rich and buttery flavour, so there is no substitute for good butter in this recipe. (Please don’t substitute margarine or shortening in this recipe – the results won’t be the same!) To achieve the chewy texture of these lemon sugar cookies, the butter is first melted before being combined with the sugar, using a rubber spatula. No electric mixer needed!
- Whole Egg: One whole egg is added to this recipe to bind the ingredients together, help with the rise and add moisture to these soft cookies.
- Egg Yolk: In addition to the whole egg, one extra egg yolk is added for richness and a chewy texture.
- Vanilla: Add complexity to the flavour of these lemon sugar cookies with a generous amount of good quality vanilla extract. In fact, we’re adding a full tablespoon of vanilla extract to the dough for cookies with deep, rich flavour.
- Flour: These cookies keep things simple by using regular all-purpose flour.
- Baking Soda: This ingredient helps the cookies rise. Always be sure that your baking soda is fresh, and that you sift it if you’re baking in a humid environment (like near a lake!)
- Kosher Salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt in all my recipes for consistent results, since it has less sodium per volume than other brands. If you use a different type of kosher salt, reduce the amount of salt by one third in this recipe.
- White Chocolate and Sprinkles (optional): Go ahead and gild the lily with an optional drizzle of white chocolate and a dusting of sprinkles.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
SERVING SUGGESTIONSThese soft and chewy lemon sugar cookies are one of my most versatile recipes. Plain and unadorned, these simple cookies with big lemon flavour are perfect with a cup of tea in the early days of spring. When summer rolls around, serve these soft and chewy biscuits alongside simple desserts such as fresh berries and whipped cream. Surprise guests at a breezy summertime dinner party with ice cream sandwiches, made of strawberry ice cream layered between these lemony cookies. For Christmas and New Years Eve, dress them up in holiday finery with a drizzle of white chocolate and golden sprinkles for a fun and festive dessert!
DRINK PAIRINGS
DRINK PAIRINGSNaturally, these sweet lemon sugar cookies are perfect with a simple cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. To make things a bit more interesting, I like to serve lemon sugar cookies with a London Fog, especially on a rainy spring day. Ice tea and lemonade are other good non-alcoholic choices. To balance the richness of these cookies, a French 75 or a Poinsettia Cocktail (cranberry juice and sparkling wine) would be delicious cocktail choices.
Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp grated lemon zest (bright yellow part only, from about 4 medium lemons)
- 1 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling
- 1/2 cup finely chopped white chocolate and sprinkles for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups sugar and the grated lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the mixture together until the sugar has become a pale yellow colour and the zest is evenly distributed. Pour in the cooled melted butter and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Add the whole egg and the additional egg yolk. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla until fully combined.
- In a medium size bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with the spatula until combined and no traces of flour remain in the bottom of the bowl.
- Lay two sheets of plastic wrap on a work surface, one sheet over the other, in a cross shape. Spoon the dough into the centre of the plastic wrap and pat it into a rectangle shape, about 1” thick. Bring up the sides of the plastic wrap to enclose the dough. Transfer the wrapped dough to the fridge and chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Pour 1/3 cup granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Place the chilled dough on a work surface and unwrap. Cut the dough into 1 Tbsp size pieces and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar until coated all over, then place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the dough balls about 2” apart. You will likely need to bake the cookies in 2 batches. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set and are barely golden on the bottom. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. When the cookies are cool enough to handle but still warm, dip the tops in the granulated sugar again for extra sparkle. Cool completely on a rack before transferring to an airtight container. Cookies can be kept in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Optional: Place the chopped white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring between, until melted and smooth. Drizzle the cooled cookings with the melted white chocolate. While the chocolate is still wet, dust with sprinkles. Allow the chocolate to cool and set before transferring the cookies to a storage container.
RECIPE NOTES
- Don’t skip chilling the dough! This step prevents excessive spreading and results in a thick and chewy texture.
- Don’t over bake! These lemon sugar cookies are done when the centres are just set and the bottoms are barely golden. They will firm up as they cool.
- These cookies will stay fresh and chewy in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Baked lemon sugar cookies freeze well in an airtight container for up to a month. You can also freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container once frozen. The cookies can then be baked from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
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