These lemon crinkle cookies are for you! Made with LOTS of lemon zest and lemon juice, they are perfectly tart-sweet. Their powdered sugar coating gives them both a delicious sweet exterior and their signature crinkle design! The cookies are super easy to make and are tender, melt in your mouth perfection.
WHAT ARE CRINKLE COOKIES?
This is my second crinkle cookie recipe. The first recipe was made with my other favorite flavor, CHOCOLATE…..actually lots of chocolate which is why they’re called Triple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!
Crinkle cookies get their cool appearance from being coated in powdered sugar before they bake. They’re impressive, but at the same time are super easy and have a homemade feel to them.
SO MUCH LEMON FLAVOR
These lemon crinkle cookies get their bright citrus flavor from over a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest and two tablespoons of lemon juice! These cookies have ALL the lemon flavor without being overwhelmingly tart. The sweetness of the powdered sugar balances out that tart flavor.
If you are a lemon fan, which something tells me you are, definitely try my Lemon Sour Cream Cookies! For a lemon flavored shortbread cookie, definitely try these Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies!
SOFT COOKIE RECIPE
These are probably the softest, most tender cookie recipe on my website! In addition to an egg, the dough has an egg yolk in it which makes these cookies so tender and moist that they will melt in your mouth. For another super soft cookie recipe, try my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies!
HOW TO MAKE LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES
- Cream the butter and sugar then beat in the egg and egg yolk.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla.
- Finally mix in the dry ingredients.
A FEW TIPS FOR MAKING THESE COOKIES
As with most cookie doughs, it’s important to scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl a couple of times while mixing the dough together. This ensures that all your ingredients are fully incorporated.
Another important step is to let the dough chill before baking it. This helps the flavor develop, makes the dough easier to shape, and keeps the balls from spreading when baked.
FOOD COLORING FOR ADDITIONAL COLOR
I tend not to use food coloring very often, but did add three drops to this dough. Since lemon is the star of these cookies, I like the idea of making sure they have a nice yellow color. The yellow acts as a little hint to people as to the flavor of the cookies!
The food coloring is optional, but if you do want to add it, anywhere from two to five drops is a good amount. Add it to the dough after adding the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
POWDERED SUGAR COATING
The final ingredient in these cookies is powdered sugar. Before putting them on the cookie sheet, roll each ball in powdered sugar.
Roll each ball around good and make sure it’s completely coated in powdered sugar. Resist the urge to shake the excess off before putting it on the cookie sheet!
BAKING THE COOKIES
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. They’re done when they just slightly begin to turn brown and have a matte look to them. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
These soft, chewy lemon crinkle cookies are super flavorful and have bursts of lemon in every bite! They’re made with simple, everyday ingredients and are super easy to make!
FOR MORE EASY, DELICIOUS COOKIE RECIPES, TRY MY:
- TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES
- SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
- LEMON PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES
- SHORTBREAD COOKIES WITH MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 34 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Baking, Desserts, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy, from scratch lemon crinkle cookies made with lots of lemon zest and plenty of lemon juice! They are tender, melt in your mouth lemon perfection. Lemon lovers, these are your cookies!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 drops yellow food coloring
FOR THE COATING
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, food coloring and vanilla and beat until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 2″ apart.
- Bake 12-14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Keywords: lemon, lemon crinkle, crinkle, cookies, lemon zest, lemon juice, soft, citrus
Hi Natalie! These cookies sound amazing! I love lemon anything, but I’ve never made lemon cookies before. I’ll have to try these! Also love the look of how the powder sugar pops in sections after baking!
Thanks Monica!! I LOVE lemon too and these are amazing:) So pretty how the powdered sugar looks after they bake! Hope you get to try them!!