Video
Lemon Sugar Cookies
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.
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.
