Lemon Crinkle Cookies
These soft and chewy lemon crinkle cookies are bursting with fresh citrus flavor and finished with a sweet powdered sugar coating that gives them their signature crinkled look. They’re quick to make, use simple ingredients, and taste like sunshine in every bite. Whether you’re baking for a party, gifting, or just craving something bright and sweet, this easy lemon cookie recipe is a must-try!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh or bottled lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 1 minute. Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Mixture will appear curdled and that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Dough is thick, creamy, and sticky.
- Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Roll in sugar: Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls. To prevent the powdered sugar absorbing into the dough, you can roll the balls in the granulated sugar first. And then roll each ball very generously in the confectioners’ sugar. If you want lots of confectioners’ sugar to show on the baked cookies, roll 2-3x in sugar! Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft.
- Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can chill for up to 3 days, so this is a great make-ahead recipe. Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls (that are not coated in confectioners’ sugar) freeze well up to 3 months. When it’s time to bake the cookies, remove them from the freezer and thaw on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Roll into confectioners’ sugar as instructed and bake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 151.67kcalCarbohydrates: 24.71gProtein: 1.49gFat: 5.45gSaturated Fat: 3.32gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.28gMonounsaturated Fat: 1.4gTrans Fat: 0.21gCholesterol: 20.45mgSodium: 87.41mgPotassium: 19.68mgFiber: 0.34gSugar: 15.64gVitamin A: 167.82IUVitamin C: 1.16mgCalcium: 4.92mgIron: 0.58mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
