Sour Cream Lemon Curd Cookies

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These delicious Lemon Curd Cookies are so tender and soft that they literally just melt in your mouth. They're made with a very lemony sour cream cookie dough that you roll into balls, then press a little well into the middle and fill with homemade lemon curd. The cookies are baked with the lemon curd right in which makes them stable and also sets into a thick, smooth and creamy gel-like consistency. I know that sour cream is not readily available in some countries, so you can absolutely use full fat Greek yogurt and achieve the same results. These cookies are irresistible and will become very popular among lemon lovers. If you love baking with lemon curd, check out my Lemon Curd Crumb Cake too!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Soft and tender sour cream cookies - I love the texture of these cookies because they literally melt in your mouth!
Bold lemon cookies - lots of lemon zest ensures that these cookies pack a punch with lots of lemon flavor.
Homemade lemon curd filling - each cookie is baked with my easy homemade lemon curd right into the cookie dough. It sets up to a wonderful, thick and luscious texture.
Powdered sugar coating - a snowy white coating of powdered sugar gives these cookies a gentle crinkle appearance and also balances the tart lemon curd.

INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON CURD COOKIES

All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for most cookie doughs.
Unsalted butter - this recipe uses pure unsalted butter for the best flavor and tender texture. You can also use salted butter and then reduce the added salt.
Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar tenderizes these cookies and doesn't interfere with the bright lemon flavor.
Eggs - one large egg will set these cookies to a soft texture.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is an excellent back note to lemon. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.

Sour cream - use full fat sour cream (low fat sour cream has more water and will affect the texture of the cookies) and be sure to level it off. Too much will cause the cookies to spread excessively. If you don't have sour cream where you live, read down below in my FAQ section for my substitution recommendations.
Lemon curd - I use my easy one pot lemon curd recipe (the version with 1 whole egg and 2 yolks) that really is as delicious as it is easy to make! It's thick and rich in lemon flavor and you can make it up to a week in advance.
Lemon zest - the cookie dough requires only lemon zest and no juice. Use a full tablespoon from 1 large lemon or two small lemons for the most flavor.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEMON CURD COOKIES

STEP 1). Blend dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
STEP 2). Cream butter and sugar. Combine soft butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
STEP 3). Mix in egg. Beat in egg until evenly incorporated. Mix in sour cream. Add the flour mixture and fold it in by hand with a spatula until it is just combined.
STEP 4). Chill the dough. Transfer the sticky dough to a piece of plastic wrap, flour your hands and carefully shape it into a 10-12 inch log. Wrap it well and refrigerate for 2 hours.
STEP 5). Roll the cookie dough. Slice the log into 18 equal portions and roll each one into a smooth ball. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and then roll in powdered sugar until evenly coated. Place dough balls onto cookie sheets leaving at least 3 inches of space between them as they spread quite a bit.
STEP 6). Fill with lemon curd. Use a round ½-teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indent into the center of each dough ball. Fill the indent with a heaped teaspoon of lemon curd.
STEP 7). Bake. Bake for 3 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes until cracked and just lightly golden around the edges and the lemon curd looks matte.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR LEMON CURD 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.
Make the lemon curd a day in advance. This will ensure that you get a nice thick set so it will spoon easily and hold up in the cookie dough.
Chill the cookie dough sufficiently. This dough is quite wet and 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.
Shape the cookie dough with your fingers. When you press the indent into the dough balls for filling with lemon curd, use one hand to gently press it together to keep it from cracking as you press the spoon in to make the indent. If it cracks, simply press and shape it back together with your fingers.
Leave room for spreading. Space the dough balls out well enough on the baking sheets to allow room for them to spread.

RECIPE FAQ

Why did my cookies spread too much?

These cookies are meant to spread out (they are not thumbprint cookies), however if they spread too much then it could be that the dough wasn't chilled long enough or that there is too much moisture in your dough. To prevent this, make sure you measure exactly 2 level tablespoons of sour cream and 225g of flour. Too much sour cream will make them spread and too little flour will also cause them to over-spread.

Can I use store-bought lemon curd?

I highly recommend that you try my one pot lemon curd recipe. It is so simple and has a wonderful flavor and thick texture (make sure you make the version with 2 egg yolks). However, if you are short on time you can use store-bought lemon curd but make sure you understand how they vary in quality. Use one that is made with eggs and butter and no corn starch. That will mean that it has a firmer set and will hold up better in the cookie dough. A lot of shelf-stable lemon curd sold in jars in the supermarket rely on a lot of corn starch to thicken them instead of eggs and butter.

What can I use as a substitute for sour cream?

If you can't find sour cream where you live, you can also make these cookies with thick full fat Greek yogurt.

STORAGE AND FREEZING

How to store lemon curd cookies?

These cookies will keep well in an airtight container for 2 days at a cool room temperature, and then they are best stored refrigerated for up to 5 days. They are delicious served cold!

Can I freeze lemon curd cookies?

I would not recommend freezing these cookies as the texture of the lemon curd will be compromised once thawed and the cookies will be very soft.

Looking for more recipes with lemon? Try these:

More cookie recipes

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

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Video

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

Tender soft sour cream lemon cookies with luscious lemon curd baked right in. These are perfect for any time of the year and are a true taste of sunshine!

4.94 from 15 votes

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 13

Chill Time 2

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups plus 1 tbsp (225g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
1 large egg at room temperature
2 tablespoon (30ml) full fat sour cream (make sure it's leveled)
powdered sugar for rolling

1 x recipe for One Pot Lemon Curd with 1 whole egg and 2 yolks

Instructions

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
Combine soft butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg until evenly incorporated. Mix in sour cream. Add the flour mixture and fold it in by hand with a spatula until it is just combined.
Transfer the sticky dough to a piece of plastic wrap, flour your hands and carefully shape it into a 10-12 inch log. Wrap it well and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (NOTE: you will not bake at 375 for the whole time. You will need to lower the temperature to 350 after 3 minutes). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Slice the log into 18 equal portions and roll each one into a smooth ball. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and then roll in powdered sugar until evenly coated. Place dough balls onto cookie sheets leaving at least 3 inches of space between them as they spread quite a bit.
Use a round ½-teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indent into the center of each dough ball. When you press the indent into the dough balls for filling with lemon curd, use one hand to gently press it together to keep it from cracking as you press the spoon in to make the indent. If it cracks, simply press and shape it back together with your fingers. Fill the indent with a heaped teaspoon of lemon curd. Bake for 3 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes until cracked and just lightly golden around the edges and the lemon curd looks matte.
Let cookies cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them individually to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar once they are cooled and serve!