Lemon Sugar Cookies

Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies are buttery soft, with the perfect hint of lemon. They’re a perfect treat for lemon lovers!

We love Sugar Cookies and especially love this Lemon Sugar Cookies 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 a favorite Sugar Cookie recipe and adapted it to make 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, delicious cookie topped with lemon frosting, it was hard not to love them.

One thing I love about Frosted Lemon Cookies is that you don’t have to roll them out with a rolling pin. No hassle at all. Just roll them into balls and place them on greased or silicone-lined cookie sheets.

Making these Chewy Lemon Cookies

With no rolling, these cookies are so simple!!

PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets and set aside.

WET INGREDIENTS. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well combined.

DRY INGREDIENTS. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.

SHAPE. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on cookie sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.

BAKE. 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 a wire rack to cool.

Cool cookies completely before frosting.

LEMON FROSTING. Beat together butter, powdered sugar, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice till creamy, adding milk if needed.

If piping the frosting, it needs to be thick. I piped frosting on with a 1M star tip. If spreading it on, add more liquid to make a Lemon Icing Recipe.

Recipe Tips

Lemon flavor. Each lemon contains about 2 tablespoons of juice and about 1 tablespoon of zest. The easiest way to zest a lemon is to use a citrus zester, the small side of a cheese grater, or scrape it with a paring knife. To adjust the lemon flavor decrease or increase the lemon zest.

Thin cookies. If the cookies come out too thin try adding a bit more flour or chilling the dough.

Do not overbake. 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.

Don’t overmix the dough as it can create a tougher texture.

Room temperature ingredients. Room-temperature eggs incorporate better into the dough. Use this post on How to Soften Butter Quickly. 

Easy clean-up. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Cookie size. Use a cookie scoop to easily make equal-sized cookie dough balls.

Variations. These Frosted Lemon Cookies are simply yummy, but if 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.
• For other citrus flavors, try zesting and juicing oranges or lime.

Storing Info

STORE Lemon Sugar Cookies in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 4 days. Place in the fridge to extend that storing time for an extra day or two.

FREEZE. Unfrosted cookies will freeze better. Either way, stack them in an airtight container separated by sheets of wax paper. They should stay good for up to 3 months.

Let them defrost before adding frosting, and serving.

Recipe FAQ

For more lemon recipes

• Lemon Cookies
• Lemon Cheesecake
• Lemon Sheet Cake
• Frosted Lemon Cookies
• Lemon Bars
• Lemon Lasagna