Sweet and chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies are made with the buttery base of my classic sugar cookies with added lemon extract and lemon zest, coated in lemon infused sugar for a refreshing sweet treat!
These simple cookies, they're perfect with a cup of hot coffee, or with a cold glass of milk!
Lemon Cookie recipe is super easy to make, I personal love that every bite is filled with a delicious lemon cookie that's coated in an infused lemon sugar mix! Each bite is sweet and tangy rolled into one.
Making chewy Lemon Cookies take less than 25 minutes, and they're full of a fresh, bright lemon flavor. You can't go wrong!
Aways a crowd favorite, so try them with your afternoon coffee, on your holiday cookie tray, or at a special occasion like a bridal shower or birthday party.
More Lemon Cookie Desserts
I love lemon desserts, and these cookies are just the tip of the iceberg!
For more delicious cookies for lemon lovers, check out my Lemon Blueberry Cookies, Strawberry Lemonade Bars, Lemon Cheesecake Bars, Betty Crocker Lemon Oatmeal Bars, and Lemon Curd Cookies!
Ingredients for Lemon Sugar Cookies
Wet Ingredients. Butter, Lemon Extract, Vegetable Oil, Egg
Dry Ingredients. All Purpose Flour, Granulated Sugar, Powdered Sugar, Baking Soda, Cream of Tartar, Lemon Zest, Salt
How to Make Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies
In a small bowl combine ⅓ cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Stir to combine. Set aside. I like to press the zest into the such to release the oils and infuse into the sugar.
Preheat the oven to 350F Degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Take the time to measure the ingredients. It's just a little tip I've learned to ensure I don't forget any ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and granulated sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. The mixture will be light and fluffy. This can take a few minutes. So be patient.
Mix in egg and Lemon extract and continue to cream for an additional 2-3 minutes before adding Vegetable Oil and Powdered Sugar.
The mixture will turn from light and fluffy to a glossy creamy mixture. It's truly beautiful.
Gradually add the remaining dry ingredients of all purpose flour, baking soda and cream of tartar until fully combined. Don't over mix. Just mix until combined.
Scoop the cookie dough using a size #24 cookie scoop and roll each cookie dough ball into the infused sugar before placing them onto the prepared baking sheets.
A size #24 cookie scoop is about 3 tablespoons of cookie dough. This will create a nice larger size cookie.
Allow at least 2 inches between the cookie dough balls as they will spread out as they bake.
Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until edges are set. Do not over bake.
How to create perfectly circle cookies
Creating perfectly circle cookies will not change the flavor or texture of a cookie but it does make it visually appealing to see a plate of perfectly circle cookies.
Make your cookies perfectly circular by placing a circle cookie cutter LARGER than the cookies around the cookies and moving it in a circular motion.
This must be done with cookies hot out of the oven. Once cookies have cooled it's impossible to reshape them.
Allow your freshly baked cookies to cool for a minute or two on the baking tray before moving them to a cooling rack.
Storage & Freezing Cookies
Store: Store cookies in a sealed container or Ziploc Bag for up to 1 week. Cookies are best if enjoyed within 2-3 days.
Freeze: Keep the cookies in a sealed container or Ziploc Bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper or plastic wrap between stacked layers of cookies to prevent sticking together.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use another extract. Use a different kind of extract to change the flavor of these cookies. Vanilla Extract will give you a milder lemon flavor to the cookies, and Almond Extract will add a nutty flavor.
- Add some fillings. Add some white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, caramel chips, or fresh lemon zest to the cookie dough for added flavor.
- Fresh lemon juice. You can add some fresh lemon juice to the cookie dough mix for a stronger lemon flavor, or use lemon zest and lemon juice for the sugary coating.
- Add a topping. Top your cookies with a dusting of powdered sugar, or a simple lemon icing made from fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar, or make a lemon Buttercream Frosting for a more decadent finish.
- Sugar Coated Lemon Curd Cookies. You can use this cookie dough recipe to make my Lemon Curd Cookies with extra lemony flavor!
Pro Baking Tips
What makes a good cookie? Does it have a soft center and crispy edges, and is it chewy? Each of these makes a great quality cookie. To make perfect cookies every time, here are some pro tips.
Weighing Ingredients.
Baking is a science, and adding too much or too little of any of the ingredients will alter the recipe. Weighing and measuring dry ingredients properly makes a world of difference. Investing in a kitchen scale is ideal. When a kitchen scale is not available, make sure to stir and lift ingredients before scooping them into a measuring cup.
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 4 Ounces | 113 Grams |
Mixer.
I like using the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for making cookie dough, but you can use a large bowl with an electric mixer, or even just a wooden spoon if you prefer. You'll need some added elbow grease if you're not using an assisted mixer!
Preheat Oven.
A preheated oven is best for baking a soft and chewy cookie. Without preheating your oven, your cookie dough balls will spread too much and you will end up with burnt edges and an undercooked center.
Room Temperature Ingredients.
Leave the Butter and Egg out at room temperature until it is softened before you start mixing ingredients together. This will soften the butter and make it and the egg mix together more evenly.
Cookie Sheets.
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper, a silicone mat, or use a non-stick cooking spray.
Chilled Cookie Dough.
While chilling the cookie dough can help bake great cookies in other recipes, chilling the dough is not necessary here. You can keep the cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking them if you want to prep them ahead.
Cooling Rack.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring, and it's a lifesaver when it comes to consistent baking.
- Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least two cooling racks.
- Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients.
- Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take two batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available.
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat. Line the Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
- Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or a Ziploc Bag works great too.
- Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons along with a silicone spatula, are all helpful.
To find out more, check out my Pro Tips Guide for making the best cookies every time!
Have you tried this Lemon Sugar Cookies recipe?
Let me know what you think of this recipe! Tag @bestcookierecipes on social media so I can see how great your cookies turned out! I would also love to read your comments below. Let me know what you think of these cookies. It really does help!
More Fruity Cookie Recipes
- Fruit Pizza Cookies
- Pineapple Upside Down Cookies
- White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Blueberry Pie Bars
- Mango Cookies
- Blueberry Pie Cookies
- Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Strawberry Sugar Cookies
Sweet and Tart Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Butter Softened
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar 100g
- ¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ Cup Powdered Sugar 65g
- 1 Egg Large
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 2 cup All Purpose Flour 240g
Infused Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
Instructions
Infused Sugar Directions
- In a small bowl combine ⅓ cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Lemon Sugar Cookie Recipe Directions
- Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and granulated sugar. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Mixture will be light and fluffy.
- Mix in egg and Lemon extract before adding vegetable oil and powdered sugar. Then continue to cream together for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add the remaining dry ingredients until combined.
- Scoop cookie dough using a size #24 cookie scoop and roll cookie dough into infused sugar before placing on cookie sheet. Allow at least 2 inches between cookie dough balls
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Bake until edges are set. Do not over bake.
- Allow cookies to cool for a minute before moving to cooling rack
- Store in a sealed container for up to a week. Best if enjoyed within 2-3 days
Notes
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4 ½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4 ½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 ½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 8 Ounces | 120 Grams |
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