Sweet, chewy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor, Lemon Sugar Cookies are a springtime favorite! Whip up a batch now to brighten your day!
This easy sugar cookie recipe is a lemon lover’s dream. The cookies have so much lemon flavor (the recipe uses lemon extract AND fresh lemon zest). I especially love that you can see the little flecks of lemon zest in the cookies.
The edge of the cookies is a bit crispy but the inside is perfectly soft and chewy. The chewiness lasts a few days too (no need to eat them all in one day)! If you’re a fan of homemade sugar cookies, but NOT a fan of lemon, check out this plain Sugar Cookie recipe. You won’t be disappointed!
LEMON SUGAR COOKIES
Like this recipe? Pin it to your DESSERT pinboard!
Follow Real Housemoms on Pinterest
Spring has officially sprung and I couldn’t be happier about it. While we had a relatively mild winter this year, it still seemed to last forever. The cold, dreary, gray skies were kind of a downer. BUT, with spring comes chirping birds, blooming flowers, and LEMON COOKIES!
For whatever reason, I always save my favorite lemon recipes for spring and summertime. Something about the citrus zing hits me just right in warm weather. (I live off of pumpkin and peppermint in the fall and winter!) Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, Lemon Bars, Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake – my list of lemony favorites goes on and on and on.
My boys and I love making homemade lemonade every year. The taste of these delicious lemon cookies reminds me so much of our fresh lemonade. The perfect amount of sweet with a pop of zesty citrus. YUM!
Whether you need cookies for a bake sale, for sharing with a friend, or simply for your own enjoyment – Lemon Sugar cookies are sure to be your new favorite!
Ingredients for Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon extract – not fresh lemon juice. If you don’t have lemon extract available, substitute more lemon zest instead. Use 2 teaspoons of zest for every 1 teaspoon of extract.
- Lemon zest
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
One of my dreams has always been to have my own lemon tree. Imagine it… fresh-squeezed lemonade whenever I wanted it? Heavenly.
But, I’m not the best with plants. So instead of pulling a lemon from my dream tree, I grab a lemon or two from the grocery store make these cookies. Everything else you need for this easy sugar cookie recipe is a pantry staple!
How to Make Sugar Cookies
Lemon Sugar Cookies are simple, quick, and so worth the wait. With about 15 minutes of prep, 15 minutes of baking, and 5 minutes of cooling, you’ll have yourself a batch of the perfect springtime treat!
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (I like to use my stand mixer for this step so that I can continue prepping, but a hand mixer works just as well).
- Add egg, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest. to the creamed butter and sugar.
- Next, add the flour mixture, a cup at a time, and stop once combined. You don’t want to over-mix the dough or the cookies won’t be as chewy as you want them to be!
- Now, roll 2 tbsp of dough into a ball and place onto the baking sheet. Be sure to keep the cookies about 2 inches apart. They do spread a bit as they bake!
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until just lightly browned on the bottom.
- Allow the cookies to cool on a wire cooling rack. Yes, it’s hard to wait because the scent of these cookies is going to make your mouth water!
Can you freeze Sugar Cookies?
YES!!! Sugar cookies are some of the BEST cookies to freeze!
You have two options: freeze the dough before baking it OR freeze your already baked cookies. (Then you have cookies on demand!)
- To freeze the dough: follow the recipe instructions through step 5. Once all the dough is combined, roll it out into a disk and wrap it with plastic wrap. Pop it in the freezer and you’re good to go!
When you’re ready to bake your lemon sugar cookies, pull out your dough and let it thaw on the counter for a few hours. Then start back up with step 6! - To freeze baked cookies: allow your cookies to cool completely. Once they’ve cooled, place them in layers (separated by parchment paper) in an air-tight container.
Now you’ve got delicious lemon sugar cookies whenever you get a craving! If you’ve got the time, allow the cookies to defrost on the counter for a few hours. If you’re in a rush – pop a cookie or two in the microwave for a few seconds!
Looking for more springtime inspired treats? Check out these other Real Housemoms classics!
- White Chocolate Cherry Pudding Cookies
- Chewy Monster Cookies
- Strawberry Jello Cake
- Lemon Cake
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Fat Bombs
- more DESSERT recipes…
Tools used to make this Lemon Sugar Cookies recipe
Stand mixer: I love my stand mixer. It’s a gorgeous countertop item and it is super useful! While not a necessity for this recipe, it definitely makes life easier.
Mixing bowls: You’ll need a medium bowl and a large bowl for this recipe. (Unless you’re using the bowl from your stand mixer!) This set of nesting mixing bowls is perfect!
*This post originally posted on 04/12/2014.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture, one cup at a time, to the wet ingredients mixing until just combined after each addition.
- Roll 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into a ball and place onto the baking sheet, keeping them 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes or until just barely browned on the bottom.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. (If you can wait that long!)
Nutrition
Mariam says
Could I substitute oil for the butter?
Julie @Real Housemoms says
You’ll get a different consistency in your cookie. It’s up to your if you want to give it a shot.
Mandy says
It would probably be better to substitute Crisco rather than oil. The oil will most likely cause the cookies to flatten out.
Julie Bragg says
Great cookies’ Best ever lemon sugar cookies.
Dawn Gosselin says
I am a serious lemon fan. I saw this and must say, it sounds amazing. I have printed the recipe and am looking forward to making them this weekend. Thank you for sharing for us to also enjoy.
Dawn Gosselin says
These sound amazing. I am a lemon fan. Printed the recipe and looking forward to making them this weekend. Thank you for sharing your recipe for us to enjoy.
Robert Koehn says
What do you do if you do not have the lemon zest ??
Julie says
If I wanted to do cut out shapes would I need to add more flour?
T. Sanders says
Very good! Will definitely make again!
SandyG says
I’ve already made 3 batches of these, and they seem to disappear overnight. Today, I’ve got another batch in – with a little change. I’m using orange zest and pure orange extract. The extract is from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc and I found it at Sur La Table. They are wonderful, and I know I will be making them again.
Michele Worthey says
I Love these and my three year old raved about them too! We didn’t have a lemon in the house, so I grated a few clementines and then squeezed the juice of one of the clementines in the mix. Really yummy! Perfect for a winter storm in Wisconsin, as well as a summertime treat! 🙂
shimaa Ahmed says
I made it. Wow it’s so delicious
Renae S. says
These sound amazing! My daughter and I will be making these soon!
Aubrey Cota says
I hope you both LOVE them!
မင္းအိမ္ရွင္ says
Thanks so much.I like cookie so much.Thanks for sharing.
Aubrey Cota says
I’m glad that you liked them.
andrea says
These look good 🙂 can i use fresh lemon juice instead of extract?
Aubrey Cota says
I would use both. The lemon juice isn’t going to be as strong, or if you don’t have any you could probably increase the lemon zest.
shelly bobrowski says
these sound just delicious. im going to make them for our family easter get together 🙂
Fiona says
Hi, Just wondering why the lemon extract and not juice, does the juice not provide enough flavour? or too much liquid?
thanks
Aubrey Cota says
I like the strong lemon flavor that the lemon extract provides.
Christina says
Hi. What if you can’t get lemon extract? It’s not available in NZ. Is juice ok to use instead?
Julie E says
You could totally use the juice instead, even a little lemon zest too if you like. 🙂
Arturq says
I believe its both but the extract gives a strong lemon flavor to it