These soft FROSTED LEMON COOKIES are the perfect way to welcome in spring. The tangy lemon frosting takes them over the top!
Spring is my second favorite season of the year. I love watching the first hardy flowers pop their heads through the chilly soil and feeling the sun slowly warm the air. I love the days growing longer. After being cooped up all winter I start to get antsy and can’t wait for the days when we can leave our windows wide open and play outside all day.
With summer just around the corner, I think we should celebrate. I can’t think of a better way to ring in the warmer weather than with some delicious lemon cookies. What do you say? You in?
This recipe is my go-to sugar cookie recipe that I’ve changed just enough to make tangy and lemony. They’re soft (the way I think a sugar cookie should be) and have the most delicious lemon flavor.
And then there’s the frosting. Cookies with frosting are the best, aren’t they?! This is a butter frosting that is sweet and lemony and goes perfectly with the lemon cookies. It’s totally addicting and 100% takes these cookies from great to freaking fantastic. You’re going to love them.
Ingredients
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- Zest from 1 lemon
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice from 1 large lemon
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil and a few drops of yellow food colouring
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the lemon frosting:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (or 4 if you have) 11x13 inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, lemon zest, lemon juice and, if using, the lemon oil and food coloring and beat to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder and sea salt and beat until just combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough using a small ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons) and roll the dough into balls. Press the dough down slightly using your fingers. Bake, 2 sheets at a time, for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. NOTE: if you only have 2 cookie sheets, make sure the ones coming out of your oven are completely cool before you add the remaining cookie dough.
- While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat the frosting ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl until well combined.
- When the cookies are cool, top them with the frosting. You can add a little lemon zest or a few sugar sprinkles if you'd like.
Nutrition
If you’re a fan of lemony desserts (but of course you are!) you should check out these Coconut Lemon Bars:
Nancy says
What is the amount of butter in the frosting?
This is what I see when I look at the recipe on this page AND when I try to print it: 1/4 butter softened
I am guessing it is 1/4 cup softened butter.
Aubrey Cota says
Yes, that is correct 1/4 cup butter for frosting. Sorry about that and we have updated the recipe to reflect correctly.