Lemon Butter Cookies – Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe

Name: Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookie Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 24 cookies
Ingredients: 228 grams Unsalted butter ((2 sticks)); 125 grams Powdered sugar; 220 grams All-purpose flour; 1/4 tsp Baking powder; 30 grams Semolina; 1 Egg yolk ((large)); 1 tbsp Lemon juice; 1/2 tsp Lemon zest; 1/4 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Lemon extract; 1 drop Yellow food color ((optional)); 30 grams Powdered sugar (for coating)

May 7, 2018 *Updated* November 16, 2019 By Veena Azmanov 42 Comments

Recipe Video Print

Lemon Butter Cookies – Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe

A butter cookie that melts in the mouth with the rich flavor of fresh lemon zest and juice. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for lemon butter cookies is as easy as a cookie recipe can get. Takes no special skills, techniques or tools and gets done in less than half an hour.

A Pinterest optimized image for lemon butter cookies made with soft butter, powder sugar and fresh lemon juice. — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

There was a time when I would frown at the thought of lemon in my cookies. I do love lemon and I can eat lemon curd from a jar with a spoon. And yet, somehow the idea of cookies and lemon flavor did not go well until one day I tasted these. I had them in Amsterdam and they were served with a Lemon Mousse! I know!! Not really what I would serve with my lemon mousse but I must admit it did go well together. That day, I decided I would make lemon cookies. I tried a few good recipes over the years but there is something about my butter cookies that just go so well with the lemon flavor. You have to try it to know what I mean.

I honestly didn’t’ know what better to name them than simply to call them what I know – lemon butter cookies. Because they are a variation of my butter cookies. So, I hope you like the name and I do hope you try these delicious cookies.

Image showing the inside texture of the soft lemon cookies made with a butter-based cookie dough and fresh lemon zest for that ultimate zing. — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)

Butter – well yes, since this is a butter-based cookie – it does need a good quality butter and one that will melt in your mouth. I highly recommend you use firm room temperature but not soft room temperature butter as this will affect how the cookie spreads out (see Tip Thursday –how butter affects cookie baking)
Powder sugar – I love the texture that powder sugar brings to this cookie. You can use regular sugar but the cookies will spread more and it will not be the same cookie.
Semolina – this adds a little of that bite and body to the cookie. It gives it that crumble in the mouthfeel. If you don’t have semolina you can use cornstarch aka cornflour instead.
Egg yolk – sounds like a little but that’s all you need. It’s just the right amount to prevent it from spreading. If you must substitute the egg you can try adding two tablespoons of greek yogurt instead.
Lemon – since it’s a cookie we can only add that much of liquid so the zest and extract do go a long way in adding flavor.
Food color – oh you can totally omit it but these are lemon cookies which we associate with the color yellow – unfortunately no amount of lemon juice is going to give you that so it’s a drop of yellow food color or white lemon butter cookies. You choose. I choose to add just a drop.

Out of the oven on a baking tray - lemon butter cookies made with a butter cookie dough and fresh lemon zest — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

Useful Tips and Tools

I’m not a slave to mixers. And yet, when you need some good creaming I have to insist that you use the K-Mix or Kitchen Aid.
A good baking tray is always important. Try using a light colored baking trayBaking tray. Another option is to line the baking tray with Parchment Paper.
If you aren’t going to fill or decorate these cookies a regular rolling pin will work just fine. And yet, a Cookie rolling pin has the side spacers that will also help you with rolling. So all your cookies are leveled and bake evenly.
Also, it is really important to cool cookies completely on all sides as soon as they come out of the oven. So take them off the baking tray to prevent them from cooking further and place them on an Cooking rack so they air circulates on all sides. This prevents steam from going back into the cookie thus…… keeping them crispy not soggy.
Always bake cookies on the center rack of your Oven. If you have more than one tray simply bake them one at a time. You can bake two trays at the same time, and yet this can lead to some of the cookies in the bottom tray spreading too much. Also, you can rotate the trays during the baking. This is helpful with some cookies.
Most cookies usually bake between 10 to 12 minutes. It took me about 10 minutes. Since cookies bake quickly they can also get over-baked. This is due to our tendency to get distracted at the last minute. Hence, my solution is a kitchen timer that is always set to 10 minutes. I turn it on as soon as I place the cookies in the oven. This has saved me many cookies since my kids always keep me busy.

Lemon butter cookies layers on the table. Made with a butter cookie dough and fresh lemons perfect for this summer months. — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

How to Make Lemon Butter Cookies – Zesty Lemon Cookies (Save/Pin)

Prepare

Combine together the flour, semolina, baking powder, and salt.
Set aside.

Progress picture one - showing creaming of the butter and powder sugar for these lemon butter cookies — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

Prepare Cookie dough

Lightly cream together butter and powdered sugar.
Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, zest, and food color if using – combine well.
Gently fold in the flour mixture.
Lastly, add the lemon extract.
Gather into a ball, wrap in a plastic wrap.
Chill dough for 15 to 20 minutes until firm.

Progress pictures two - cream butter and sugar mixture with an egg yolk added for these simple easy and effortless recipe for lemon butter cookies — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

Make balls and coat cookies

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F.
Roll small portions of chilled dough into balls with your hands.
Roll into powdered sugar.
Place on a cookie tray.

Progress picture 3 - the last of the flour being added to the bowl of lemon cookie dough for these lemon butter cookies — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

Bake

Bake in a preheated oven on the middle shelf.
Depending on the size of your cookies and the oven they take – 8 to 10 minutes.
Mine took 8 minutes – watch the sides – a slight color on the sides is all it needs.
Cool on a wire rack before you store them in a cookie jar.

Progress pictures 4 - ball of lemon cookie dough rolled in powder sugar and place on a baking tray all ready for baking to make perfect lemon butter cookies — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

Storage

These will stay good for about 2 weeks but.
Taste their best in the first week of baking.
The dough freezes beautifully for up to six months.
The cookies keep well frozen too!

Frequently asked questions

How long will these Lemon Crinkle Cookies Keep?

These lemon cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can freeze the dough for up to a month or freeze the cookies for up to three months.

How do you fix cookies that spread too much? How to prevent cookies from spreading?

These will spread a bit but should not spread too much.
Too much butter or sugar in the recipe can lead to cookies spreading.
Too much baking powder or baking soda can also make cookies spread too much.
Also, chill the cookie dough before rolling the cookies.
Place cookies on a cold, not hot baking pan.
And make sure the oven is at the right temperature.

How long should you chill the dough before baking?

I usually chill my cookies for about 15 to 30 minutes. It is always a good practice to refrigerate cookies while the oven is preheating. Chilling cookie dough helps solidify the butter in the cookies. This helps when baking by preventing them from spreading since chilled dough takes longer to melt compared to room temperature fat.

Why did my lemon crinkle cookies spread too much?

Always make sure the oven is preheated well before adding the cookies. A cold oven will result in over-spread cookies. If you live in a warm place it’s best to chill the cookies on the tray before baking this will prevent them from spreading too much.

Is it ok to chill cookie dough overnight? Do I have to make the cookies immediately?

These lemon cookies have a good shelf life as a dough as well as cookies.
The dough, if wrapped well, can usually stay in the fridge for 5 to 6 days before rolling and baking.
And you can even cover the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined tray, wrapped well with cling wrap, for about 3 to 4 days.
In addition, sugar cookies dough can be frozen for a month or more if covered well.
Hence, it’s a great dough to have on hand in the freezer during the busy festive season.

Can I make these Eggless Crinkle Cookies?

I have not tried making these eggless but I do have an Almond Crinkle cookies which are eggless I highly recommend using that recipe and adding 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest.

Can I omit the lemon and add chocolate to make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies?

Actually, I do have a wonderful ginger chocolate crinkle cookies. You can omit the ginger if you want but the chocolate in that is wonderful.

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A Pinterest Optimized image for Lemon Butter cookie aka lemon cookie recipe made with a butter-based cookie dough and lemon zest for that ultimate zing. — Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookies Recipe | Lemon Cookie Recipe

A butter cookie that melts in the mouth with the flavor of rich lemon from the zest and juice of fresh lemons. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for lemon butter cookies is as easy as a cookie recipe can get. Takes no special skills, techniques or tools and gets done in less than half hour including 10 minutes of resting.

Lemon Butter Cookies aka Zesty Lemon Cookie Recipe

Author: Veena Azmanov

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Calories: 133kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 24 cookies

Description

Equipment /Tools

Ingredients

228 grams (8.04 oz) Unsalted butter (2 sticks)
125 grams (1.04 cups) Powdered sugar
220 grams (1.76 cups) All-purpose flour
1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) Baking powder
30 grams (0.18 cups) Semolina
1 (1 ) Egg yolk (large)
1 tbsp (0.5 floz) Lemon juice
1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Lemon zest
1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) Salt
1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Lemon extract
1 drop (1 drop) Yellow food color (optional)
30 grams (0.25 cups) Powdered sugar for coating

ADJUST SERVINGS HERE – 24 cookies