Lemon Sugar Cookies

Published on June 14, 2021

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Quick Summary

Lemon Sugar Cookies-soft and chewy sugar cookies bursting with lemon flavor. If you like lemon, you are going to love this sugar cookie recipe!

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I love all kinds of cookies, but traditional sugar cookies with frosting have never been my favorite. I am just not a frosting gal. (If you put a frosted sugar cookie in front of me, I would eat it, but they just aren't my absolute favorite.)

I do adore these Lemon Sugar Cookies. They are soft, chewy, and bursting with lemon flavor. They are rolled in sugar which creates pretty sugary tops that are oh so sweet!

The cookies are soft and chewy in the middle with slightly crisp edges. Even though the cookies are “sugar” cookies and rolled in sugar, they aren't overly sweet-making it easy to eat cookie after cookie:)

These cookies are simple, elegant, and perfect for baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, or any party. They are also a great cookie to whip up on any old day. Cookies are always a good idea, especially when they are easy to make. I love that you don't have to worry about frosting these sugar cookies. They are perfect without frosting, I promise!

If you bake regularly, I bet you have all of the ingredients to make these delightful lemon cookies!

You will need all of the basics:

all-purpose flour
baking soda and baking powder
salt
granulated sugar
unsalted butter
egg
vanilla extract

The recipe also includes lemon zest and fresh lemon juice which gives the cookies the BEST lemon flavor.

How to Make Lemon Sugar Cookies

Are you ready to bake cookies? I sure am! Let's get this sugar cookie party started!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats. Set aside while you make the dough.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant. This will make the zest come to life and add more lemon flavor to the cookies!
Make sure your butter is at cool room temperature and not super soft or melted. If your butter is too soft, your cookies will be flat and we don't want that!
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar with the lemon until smooth and creamy.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and fresh lemon juice. Mix until combined.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Don't over mix.
Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in sugar. Make sure the cookies are well coated in sugar, you want then to be pretty and sweet!
Place on prepared baking sheets, about 1 ½ inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown around the edges and slightly set, but still soft! Don't over bake or you will have crisp cookies. We want them soft and chewy!
Let cookies sit on the baking sheets for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

How to Store

Place cooled cookies in an airtight container and keep on the counter for up to 4 days. You can place a piece of bread in the container to keep the cookies super soft. The bread will get hard as a rock, but the cookies will stay soft. It's magic!

You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Freeze in a freezer bag or freezer container.

If you want to freeze the cookie dough, roll them in balls and place on a tray or baking sheet. Freeze the balls for 30 minutes or until firm. When firm, transfer to a freezer bag or freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove from freezer when ready to bake. You don't have to defrost the dough. You can re-roll them in sugar if the sugar has faded. Add a few minutes to the baking time.

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