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Home » Recipes » Fruit Recipes

Lemon Sour Cream Cookies

Published: Mar 12, 2020 · Modified: Mar 1, 2023 by Natalie · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

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These soft Lemon Sour Cream Cookies get their bright lemon flavor from the lemon zest and juice in the both the batter and icing.

Lemon cookies with icing and on a cooling rack next to a bowl of icing.

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.
A cookie with a bite in it coated with lemon icing on top lemon slices.

Lemon cookie dough with a paddle in a mixing bowl.

HOW TO MAKE LEMON SOUR CREAM COOKIES

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
  3. 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.
  4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat until combined.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, alternatively add the dry ingredients with the sour cream.
  6. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 2″ apart.
  7. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
  8. 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 cookie dough in balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cakey cookies on a cooling rack.

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.

A lemon cookie dripping with icing on a rack.
Light colored cookies with lemon icing on a round rack.

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!

soft lemon cookies with icing on a rack

Lemon Sour Cream Cookies

Natalie
This easy recipe for Lemon Sour Cream Cookies makes cakey, soft, tender cookies filled with bright lemon flavor! No chill and ready ready in about 30 minutes!
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Course Cookies, Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 18 -24 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • juice f 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

LEMON ICING

  • 1 1/3 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 1/2 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.
Tried this Recipe? Let us know!Let us know how it was!
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About Natalie

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Iri

    September 28, 2022 at 10:40 pm

    5 stars
    love these!

    Reply
    • Natalie

      September 29, 2022 at 1:59 pm

      Thanks Iri! So happy you love these cookies! Thanks for making them and for taking the time to comment. Have a great day!

      Reply
  2. Samira

    April 16, 2022 at 2:29 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Natalie

      April 25, 2022 at 1:49 pm

      Thanks for making these lemon sour cream cookies, Sam! I love that these are a family favorite!! Thanks for baking my recipes! 🙂 -Natalie

      Reply

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I’m Natalie, the baker and photographer here at Parsley and Icing! Here you will find a collection of delicious and decadent dessert recipes made with fresh, from scratch ingredients! More About Natalie and Parsley and Icing

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