These Lemon Sugar Cookies are buttery and soft, with the perfect hint of lemon. The lemon frosting makes them over the top delicious. A perfect cookie recipe for lemon lovers!
We love sugar cookies, and especially love this lemon version. If you love sugar cookies as much as we do, you’ll also love our sugar cookie bars and sugar cookie fruit pizza!
Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies
If you love lemon desserts, I have the perfect cookie for you! I took my favorite sugar cookie recipe and adapted it to come up with today’s recipe for Lemon Sugar Cookies.
I am a huge fan of anything lemon, and I was thrilled with how these cookies turned out. They are the perfect cookie for anyone who loves lemon. With such a soft cookie and a delicious lemon frosting on top, it was hard not to love them.
One thing I love about these cookies is that you don’t have to roll them out with a rolling pin. Nope, no hassle at all. Just roll them into balls and place them on greased or silicone lined cookie sheets.
How to make Lemon Sugar Cookies
With no rolling, these cookies are so simple!! Here is what you need to do to make them:
WET INGREDIENTS. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest till well combined.
DRY INGREDIENTS. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.
NO ROLLING OUT. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.
BAKE. Bake at 350° for 9-10 minutes, or till barely light brown on the bottom. Let sit 3-4 minutes on pan, then remove to cooling racks.
Cool cookies completely before frosting.
Recipe Tips
Lemon Flavor To adjust the lemon flavor just decrease or increase the lemon zest.
My cookie came out too thin: If your cookie is thinner that you would like you can do a couple of things:
- Add a bit more flour to the dough
- Chill the dough
Don’t overcook: be sure to remove the cookies before they begin to brown. They may even seem to be a little undercooked, but they will finish cooking as they cool on the hot pan.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting + more additions
After they are baked and cooled you top them with a delicious lemon buttercream frosting.
I used a star tip to pipe my frosting on, and they turned out so pretty, don’t you think? But of course you can just spread the frosting on with a knife, they will still taste incredible!
To make it, just beat together butter, powdered sugar, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice till creamy, adding milk if needed. If you are piping the frosting, it needs to be thick. If you are just spreading it on, you can add more liquid.
Beautiful and Delicious additions: These cookies are simply yummy, but if you want to change them up I have a few ideas:
- Add poppy seeds to the dough
- Top the frosting with fresh raspberries
- Drizzle white chocolate onto the cookie then top with frosting
- Sprinkle sliced macadamia or almonds on top
How to Store + Tips
Place your sugar cookies in an air-tight container and STORE them on the counter for up to 4 days. They can be placed in the fridge to extend that storing time for an extra day or two.
If you’re planning on FREEZING your cookies, try to freeze them before you add the frosting. They’ll hold up better unfrosted. Either way, stack them in an airtight container separated by sheets of wax paper. They should stay good for up to 3 months.
Let defrost before adding frosting and serving.
These sugar cookies aren’t only gorgeous, but they’re delicious. I promise all lemon lovers will be obsessed!! ;D
We hope you agree!! Let us know what you think of them.
For more lemon recipes, check out:
- Lemon Cookies
- Lemon Cheesecake
- Lemon Sheet Cake
- Lemon Bars
- Lemon Brownies
- Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Lemon Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Lemon Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 dash salt
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbsp milk, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest till well combined.
- Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, or till barely light brown on the bottom. Let sit for 3-4 minutes on the pan, then remove to cooling racks.
- Cool cookies completely, then frost. I piped frosting on with a 1M star tip.
Lemon Frosting
- Beat together butter, powdered sugar, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice till creamy, adding milk if needed. If you are piping the frosting, it needs to be thick. If you are just spreading it on, you can add more liquid.
Ooh! I feel like the lemon would balance out the sweetness of a sugar cookie- these look so tasty!!
Let me know how you like them if you try the recipe out. I would love to hear!
These are so bright with lemon flavor and bake up great every time. I love them especially as springtime treats!
What are the nutrition facts per cookie without frosting. My husband is diabetic. I am concerned about sugars & carbs.
Recently made these lemon sugar cookies, so delicious, perfect amount of lemon flavor, the cookie was amazing, thank you for sharing this recipe
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
They look yummy. I am going to make them when i am off next week.
I hope you enjoy the cookies!!
I’m not a fan of desserts that require fresh lemons. But in this cookie recipe I certainly made an exception.. delicious cookies!
I’ve made these 4 times now. Everyone loves them. I do making the cookies bigger then what the recipe say so it only makes about 18 cookies. I’ve tried it with limes instead of lemons and is just as good.
These came out so good. Making them again.
Not bad, but I have tasted better. The cookie has a bit to much of a flour taste. Not very rich and buttery.
This is the best lemon cookie recipe that i have tried! My husband loves these cookies! Since i found this recipe for lemon cookies, its the only recipe i need, its absolutely perfect! i make these occasionally now! Thank you LIL LUNA!
These are such delicious cookies! I made them over a year ago, and can’t remember if I used salted or unsalted butter. Which do you recommend for the cookies and for the frosting? I’m going to make some for a neighborhood gathering, and I want to get it right.
Thanks! I. Can’t wait to enjoy this recipe again!
I just made these and they came out great! Taking to a party today! I will make these again!
These are the best cookies! I’m trying them with oranges today! MMMMM!
Ooh that sounds yummy! You’ll have to let us know how they turned out.
Excellent cookies! I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect. Bravo Lilluna!
Best cookies I’ve EVER made!
Excellent