These soft Lemon Sour Cream Cookies get their bright lemon flavor from the lemon zest and juice in the both the batter and icing.
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This is my second variation of my great grandmother’s recipe for sour cream cookies. I made a chocolate chip version a couple months ago and the cookies are heavenly!
Now it’s time for one of my other favorite flavors: lemon. I omitted the vanilla from the original sour cream cookie recipe because the fresh lemon provides all the flavor!
I now have several favorite lemon cookies: these lemon sour cream cookies, my buttery lemon pistachio shortbread cookies, my tangy-sweet Lemon Crinkle Cookies, and these Lemon Rose Water Cookies.
THESE LEMON SOUR CREAM COOKIES ARE:
- Easy: No need to roll out the dough. Just scoop and bake.
- Quick: No need to chill the dough. It can go straight from the mixing bowl to the tray to the oven.
- Delicious: With lemon in the cookie dough and icing, they are perfectly delicious.
- Soft: In addition to making the cookies soft, the sour cream adds a nice tangy flavor.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON SOUR CREAM COOKIES
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- 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 just combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternatively add the dry ingredients with the sour cream.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 2″ apart.
- Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, use the back of a spoon to drop and spread about 1-2 teaspoons of icing on top of each cookie or drizzle the icing on top.
ABOUT THE LEMON ICING
These lemon sour cream cookies are delicious on their own. They become even more irresistible with this delicious lemon icing!
In addition to being super delicious, the lemon powdered sugar icing takes less than a minute to make. Simply add the ingredients to a bowl and mix til combined.
INGREDIENTS IN THE LEMON ICING
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Powdered sugar
HOW TO ICE THE COOKIES
The icing can be drizzled over the cookies or spread over them. To spread the icing as I did, just take a teaspoon or two of icing and pour it over the centers of the cookies. Use the back of the spoon to help it slide down and coat the cookies evenly.
These Lemon Sour Cream Cookies are soft, lemony and perfectly sweet! They are also super simple to make. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself making them again and again!
Lemon Sour Cream Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- zest of 2 lemons
- juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
LEMON ICING
- 1 ⅓ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, 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 just combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternatively add the dry ingredients with the sour cream.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 2" apart.
- Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, use the back of a spoon to drop and spread about 1-2 teaspoons of icing on top of each cookie or drizzle the icing on top.
Lemon Icing
- In a medium sized bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Add the lemon zest and juice and use a whisk or spoon to combine.
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Kristy
Amazing recipe! Everyone loved these cookies, do yourself a favor and make them.
Natalie
Hey Kristy! Thank you for making these. So happy you enjoyed them 🙂
Kristy
Amazing recipe! Everyone loved these cookies, do yourself a favor and make them. I Made these over the Weekend and they disappeared by Sunday evening.
Iri
love these!
Natalie
Thanks Iri! So happy you love these cookies! Thanks for making them and for taking the time to comment. Have a great day!
Samira
Thee cookies are always a hit in our house. From my husband to the kiddos they are so delicious and tangy and just right. Perfect for a treat, snack with an afternoon coffee. We love lemon so in our house these are gone in a day 🙈 thank you Natalie for your pro skills.
Natalie
Thanks for making these lemon sour cream cookies, Sam! I love that these are a family favorite!! Thanks for baking my recipes! 🙂 -Natalie