For the softest cookies, make sour cream cookies! For the softest lemony cookies, make THESE Lemon Sour Cream Cookies! The sour cream makes the cookies soft and gives them a nice tangy flavor. These cakey cookies get their bright lemon flavor from the lemon zest and juice in the cookie batter and icing. Cannot wait for you to try these soft, lemony cookies with their thick, tart, sweet lemon 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! In addition to making the cookies soft, the sour cream adds a nice tangy flavor.
I now have two favorite lemon cookies: these lemon sour cream cookies and my lemon pistachio shortbread cookies!
EASY AND QUICK
These from scratch cookies are just about as easy as a boxed mix. By easy, I mean no need to roll out the dough. You just scoop and bake. By quick, I mean no need to chill the dough. It can go straight from the mixing bowl to the tray to the oven.
The lemon icing is also super simple. Just mix together three ingredients: lemon juice, lemon zest, and powdered sugar.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON SOUR CREAM COOKIES
Before creaming the butter and sugar, start by getting the rest of your materials and ingredients ready:
- Preheat the oven and line the baking trays with parchment paper.
- Sift the dry ingredients together.
- Zest and juice the lemons.
- Measure out the sour cream.
Now, it’s time to combine the ingredients (make sure to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you add ingredients).
- Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the egg and lemon zest and juice.
- Alternatively add the dry ingredients with the sour cream.
Time to bake the cookies:
- Form into balls of about 2 tablespoons of batter each. I like to use a cookie scoop for this to make sure the balls are the same size. Bake 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and make sure to let them cool completely before icing them.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON ICING
In addition to being super yummy and addicting, the lemon-powdered sugar icing takes less than a minute to make. All you’ll do is stir together the powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice!
It can be drizzled over the cookies or spooned/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.
Lemon Sour Cream Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 18–24 cookies 1x
- Category: Desserts, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
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!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- zest of 2 lemons
- juice f 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
FOR THE LEMON ICING
- 1 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 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.
FOR THE ICING
- In a medium sized bowl, sift the powdered sugar. Add the lemon zest and juice and use a whisk or spoon to combine.
Keywords: Cookies, lemon, lemon zest, lemon juice, sour cream, soft cookies, icing, glaze, frosting, dessert, citrus
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