Lemon Sugar Cookies are the best tasting sugar cookies with a little bit of lemon zest mixed in.
It’s time to bake cookies! This is the next cookie recipe you should try. Sugar cookies are always a favorite, but turning them into lemon sugar cookies makes them even more awesome. Bake these cookies “just because,” or save this recipe for the holidays. If you are a big fan of lemon cookies, you might like to try my lemon crinkle cookies recipe too.
Ingredients needed:
- butter
- white sugar
- egg
- lemon zest
- vanilla extract
- vanilla bean paste
- all purpose flour
- salt
- baking powder
How to make Lemon Sugar Cookies:
Combine butter and sugar, and then mix in egg, lemon zest, vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder to create the dough for your lemon sugar cookies. Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop to scoop out the dough. Roll it into balls and roll the balls in sugar. Place the sugared cookie dough balls on a baking sheet 2-inches apart. This will give them room to grow, when baking.
Bake for about 12 minutes, until they are set along the edge and golden on the bottom. Let them sit on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
Ingredient notes:
- If you would like your cookies to be very lemony, use lemon extract instead of vanilla extract (or use half and half).
- The vanilla bean paste adds a good deal of flavor to the cookies, but you can certainly leave it out if you need to. Vanilla bean paste can be found online or in the baking aisle of your market near the vanilla extract.
What is the texture of lemon sugar cookies like?
These cookies are tender but not cakey. They will be firm enough to stack and store. But they break apart nicely and are more of a soft cookie than a crunchy cookie.
Store lemon sugar cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to one week. Store them in the same manner in the freezer for up to 3 months. I prefer to keep them in the freezer, where they’re safe from excessive munching! Maybe you have this problem too? Enjoy. These cookies are delicious.
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated white sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and ¾ cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the egg, lemon zest, vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir to combine.
- Use a 1½-tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough and roll it into balls. Roll each dough ball in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies are set along the outside and light golden on the bottom, about 11 to 15 minutes.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the trays and then use a thin metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They may be frozen in the same manner for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can’t wait to make these – we love lemon!! Can I double the recipe? Thank you
Doubling the recipe shouldn’t be a problem. Just double each of the amounts in the ingredients.
Could I add some lemon chips to the mix?
sure!
Could the sugar be sub with stevia or another sugar?
I don’t have experience with using Stevia, so not sure.
Can I use more lemon zest for the vanilla bean paste??
Sure!
Where do I find Vanilla Bean Paste??
It’s next to the vanilla extract in your market’s baking aisle.
I hate lemon zest (it feels like sand in my mouth). I use just plain lemon juice or maybe even lemon flavoring (like the bottled mccormick kind although I would never use that brand). Order organic lemon flavoring if you’re like me and can’t stand lemon zest.