Lemon Sugar Cookies
These lemon sugar cookies are super soft on the inside and perfect for Easter or any occasion you are craving a cookie! The fresh lemon juice and zest make the flavor of this cookie so light and zippy. You'll never need another lemon sugar cookie recipe again!
Equipment
- Zester or small grater
- Cookie Sheet
- Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
- Cookie Scoop (2 TBSP size) optional
Ingredients
Lemon Sugar
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp Fresh lemon zest
Lemon Sugar Cookies
- ½ cup (one stick) Unsalted Butter ; Room temperature
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tsp Fresh lemon zest
- 1 Large Egg
- 4-5 Tbsp Fresh-squeezed lemon juice Start with 4 Tbsp, add the last one if the dough seems too dry
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 1½ cups All-Purpose flour
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Cream of Tarter
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
Make The Lemon Sugar:
- Add the ¼ cup of sugar and 1½ tsp of lemon zest to a bowl.
- Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until combined. (This makes the sugar absorb the lemon flavor.)
Make the Lemon Sugar Cookies:
- In a stand mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Mix for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture is lighter in color and fluffy in texture.
- Using a handheld spatula or whisk, gently mix the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla into the butter mixture until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Use a fork and mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredient until JUST combined. Do not overmix the dough.
- Using a cookie scoop or a spoon (each cookie needs to be about 2 ish TBSP's), scoop the dough into individual balls and place on a plate.
- Shape each piece of dough into a ball and roll in the lemon sugar mixture until fully covered.
- Place dough onto a parchement lined cookie sheet (only bake 8 per sheet to prevent them from sticking to each other). Very lightly press down on each dough ball with your hand to flatten it a bit.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges BARELY start to turn golden. Do not over-bake these cookies. If anything, pull them a bit before you think they are done because they will continue to cook on the pan.
- Cool the cookies completely and store at room-temperature for 2-3 days for maximum freshness.
Notes
- You do not have to bake all of the dough at once. Feel free to bake a few and store the rest of the dough in the freezer. Just place the dough on a parchment-lined plate or sheet and put it in the freezer. Once each dough ball is frozen (about an hour), transfer the dough balls into a freezer bag and store for up to three months. Before baking, let the dough thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes and then bake as normal.
- Calories are calculated from numbers I got from Google and My Fitness Pal. I am not a nutritionist, and the calories listed here are only estimates, not guaranteed numbers.