Soft & Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies

Updated: Apr 28, 2026 by christina.marsigliese · 74 Comments

These delicious Lemon Sugar Cookies have so much lemon flavor with a super chewy texture and slightly crisp edges that melt in your mouth with the first bite. They're made with plenty of lemon zest and some lemon juice which makes them very tender, and they're rolled in lemon sugar before baking. These cookies are irresistible and will certainly tempt any lemon lover. If you love lemon desserts, check out my Lemon Curd Crumb Cake and my Sour Cream Lemon Curd Cookies too!

lemon sugar cookies on baking sheet with cookie broken in half showing fudgy texture

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Soft and chewy sugar cookies - these cookies are so soft and chewy with a texture that's almost fudgy in the middle and they maintain their chewiness for days.
Bold buttery lemon cookies - lots of lemon zest and lemon juice ensures that these cookies pack a punch with lots of buttery lemon flavor.
Easy to make - this is a simple recipe with basic ingredients that you can make by hand without a mixer.
Perfectly thick - the cookies are not too thick and not too thin. To me, they are just right. Thoughtful ingredient ratios ensures that these cookies do not fall flat since the powerful acidity of lemon juice can compromise the texture of cookie dough unless it is used wisely.
Not too sweet - there's just the right amount of sugar to keep them chewy, but not soo much that they are overly sweet like many sugar cookies can be.

lemon sugar cookie dough rolled in lemon sugar

INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for chewy cookies.
Salted Butter - this recipe uses pure butter for the best flavor and tender texture. You can also use unsalted butter and increase the salt to ½ tsp.
Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps these cookies soft and chewy without interfering with the bright lemon flavor.
Eggs - one large egg will give these cookies structure and a soft texture, while one extra egg yolk makes them chewy and rich. It also deepens the yellow color without having to add food dye.

lemon sugar cookies broken in half and stacked on baking sheet

Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is an excellent back note to lemon. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Lemon juice - the acidity will tenderize these cookies and add tart lemon flavor. Be sure to measure accurately though because too much moisture will make them spread far too much.
Lemon zest - use 2 tablespoons from 1 large lemon or two small lemons for the most flavor and rub it into the sugar to extract the essential oils.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

STEP 1). Cream butter and sugar. Combine soft butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until a bit pale and slightly fluffy. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. TIP: you can rub the lemon zest and sugars together between your fingertips to help release the natural oils in the lemon and infuse even more lemon flavor into the cookies.
STEP 2). Mix in egg. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated, then mix in egg yolk and vanilla.
STEP 3). Blend dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
STEP 4). Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture and mix gently on low speed until mostly combined but not smooth. There should still be some dry patches of flour visible.
STEP 5). Mix in lemon juice. Add the lemon juice and mix on low to just to incorporate. The dough will be sticky at this point. Scrape down the beaters to get all of it off, then switch to a spatula. Add the rest of the flour and fold it in.
STEP 6). Chill the dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
STEP 7). Roll the cookie dough. Use a 1-oz cookie scoop to portion dough and roll into smooth balls. Add ¼ cup granulated sugar to a bowl and roll the balls of dough in the sugar so they are evenly coated.
STEP 8). Bake. Place dough balls on the lined baking trays spacing them 3 inches apart and bake for 9-11 minutes until lightly golden on the edges and still slightly soft in the middle. Do not over-bake. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on the trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

chewy lemon sugar cookies on wooden table

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

Use room temperature ingredients. Ensure that the butter and egg are at room temperature so that they blend evenly and maintain the air that you've built into the butter during the creaming step.
Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the sticky cookie dough.
Chill the cookie dough sufficiently. This dough is quite sticky so it needs time in the fridge for the flour to fully hydrate and for the butter to firm up. It will prevent them from spreading too much and also develop a more prominent lemon flavor.
Roll the dough into smooth balls before rolling in sugar and baking so that the cookies bake evenly into nice round shapes and crack evenly on top.
Leave room for spreading. Space the dough balls out well enough on the baking sheets to allow room for them to spread.

RECIPE FAQ

How do I get thinner cookies?

If you prefer slightly thinner cookies, you can use ¼ teaspoon baking powder in the recipe instead of ½ teaspoon and they will spread a little more, and still be soft & chewy.

Why did my cookies spread too much?

These cookies are meant to spread out slightly and still be relatively thick and soft, however if they spread too much then it could be a few things. The dough wasn't chilled long enough or there was too much moisture in your dough. To prevent this, make sure you measure the lemon juice and flour precisely. Too much liquid will make them spread and too little flour will also cause them to over-spread.

Can I add lemon extract to lemon sugar cookies?

Yes, you can add ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon lemon extract if you want to bump up the lemon flavor even more.

Can I use store-bought lemon juice?

I highly recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. You'll need the zest anyway so there's no reason to use bottled lemon juice.

chewy lemon sugar cookie with bite stacked on top of more cookies

STORAGE AND FREEZING

How to store lemon sugar cookies?

These cookies will keep well in an airtight container for 5 days at room temperature. After the third day, the will start to loose their moistness, but they are still great.

Can I freeze lemon sugar cookies?

Yes! I freeze these cookies after baking in a resealable freezer bag and they keep very well for up to 3 months. They stay chewy and you'd hardly notice they were previously frozen.

Looking for more recipes with lemon? Try these:

More cookie recipes

If you love making cookies as much as I do, check out these recipes:

If you love baking with fruit, check out these recipes!

Caramel Apple Cake Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf recipe Raspberry Almond Cake ULTIMATE Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Lemon Curd Frosting Creamy Raspberry Cheesecake Sticky Toffee Date Cake Moist Lemon Blueberry Bread Olive Oil Chocolate Bundt Cake Blueberry Peach Upside Down Cake Blueberry Swirl Lemon Loaf Cake

Video

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

These are the BEST Lemon Sugar Cookies with the softest texture. They are moist and chewy with big, bright buttery lemon flavor. These are perfect for any time of the year to serve at any occasion and are sure to please lemon lovers! I love to make them in early Spring and always serve them at Easter and during the Christmas holidays.

4.85 from 26 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 2

Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

Lemon Cookie Dough:

⅔ cup (150g) salted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tbsp (225g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 large egg room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder (see notes in above FAQ section for baking powder quantity alternatives)
¼ teaspoon salt

Lemon Sugar:

3 tablespoon (40g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

Combine soft butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until a bit pale and slightly fluffy. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. TIP: you can rub the lemon zest and sugars together between your fingertips to help release the natural oils in the lemon and infuse even more lemon flavor into the cookies.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the egg and mix until well incorporated. Add egg yolk, vanilla and lemon juice then mix until smooth and creamy.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture and fold it in until evenly incorporated. The dough will be soft but not sticky at this point.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Make the lemon sugar. Combine sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and rub it together until the sugar smells fragrant.
Use a 1.25-oz cookie scoop to portion dough and roll into smooth balls. Roll the balls of dough in the sugar so they are evenly coated.
Place dough balls on the lined baking trays spacing them 3 inches apart and bake for 9-11 minutes until lightly golden on the edges and still slightly soft in the middle. For flatter cookies, flatten the dough balls slightly before baking. Do not over-bake. Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on the trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.