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Lemon Crinkle Cookies -Made from scratch lemon cookies that are sweet and slightly tart. Super soft on the inside with slightly crispy edges.
Are you ready to add a zesty twist to your baking repertoire? Dive into these homemade Lemon Crinkle Cookies, where every bite brings a burst of fresh lemony sunshine!
Unlike their store-bought counterparts, which often rely on cake mixes, these cookies are crafted from scratch with real lemon juice and zest, ensuring a natural and vibrant citrus flavor that truly shines through. They’re the perfect balance of sweet and tart, with a delightfully soft center complimented by crispy edges and dusted with powdered sugar.
These cookies are delicious and incredibly easy to whip up—they’ll be hot, and out of the oven in only 20 minutes! Whether you’re a novice baker or a seasoned pro, you’ll appreciate how simple and forgiving this recipe is.
And if you’re exploring more lemony delights, why not pair these cookies with a Lemon Tiramisu or No Bake Lemon Cheesecake for a full citrus-themed dessert spread?
Why You’ll Love Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Quick and Easy Preparation: These lemon crinkle cookies take just 20 minutes to prepare. They are not only delicious but also incredibly easy to make, perfect for last-minute gatherings or spontaneous baking urges.
- Perfect Texture: These treats achieve the ideal cookie texture—a soft, chewy interior surrounded by a slightly crispy edge, all coated in a beautiful dusting of powdered sugar for that classic crinkle look.
- Natural Ingredients: This recipe is free from artificial colors and flavors and uses natural ingredients to achieve its pure lemon taste, ensuring a healthier option compared to commercially made cookies.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
How To Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Heat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This helps create a smooth and airy base for your cookies.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and zest to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Gradually blend in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir until the cookie dough is smooth and free of lumps, but make sure not to overmix.
- Form and Sugar Coat Cookies: Scoop the dough using a small cookie scoop to form even balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar to fully coat them, which gives the cookies their distinctive crinkle appearance.
- Bake and Cool: Place the sugared dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your freshly baked Lemon Crinkle Cookies!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Avoid Overmixing: To keep your cookies tender, mix the dough just until the flour is incorporated. Overmixing can develop the gluten, making your cookies tough.
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: Before you start, make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature. This ensures they cream together smoothly, which is crucial for the texture of your cookies.
- Lemon Zest Tips: When zesting lemons, avoid the white pith beneath the yellow skin, as it can add a bitter flavor. Only the outer, colored part of the peel should be used for its aromatic oils.
- Uniform Cookie Size: Use a cookie scoop to form your dough balls. This helps ensure that all your cookies bake evenly and finish at the same time.
- Cooling Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes after removing them from the oven. This helps them set before moving to a cooling rack, preventing them from breaking.
The crinkle effect in Lemon Crinkle Cookies is achieved through the expansion and contraction of the cookie dough during baking. The dough expands as it heats up and then settles as it cools, while the powdered sugar coating cracks and separates, creating the characteristic crinkled appearance.
Yes, you can make Lemon Crinkle Cookie dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours. This can actually help enhance the flavors and make the dough easier to handle when rolling in powdered sugar.
Avoid overbaking cookies to ensure they are soft and chewy. Remove them from the oven when the edges are just set but the centers are still soft. Once out of the oven, they will continue to cook slightly from residual heat.
More Lemon Desserts
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, about 2 lemons
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup for rolling powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well blended.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough and roll each ball through powdered sugar. Place on a baking sheet, at least 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until edges are set.
- Remove from oven and rest for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet until moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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**I have an ongoing relationship for recipe development with Imperial Sugar. I was compensated for my time to create this recipe. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
These cookies were amazing! I made a batch over the weekend and they turned out so good! I couldn’t stop eating them!
These are a lemon lover dream – so delicious and easy to make!
I loved the flavor of these! So good!
I baked the Lemon Crinkle Cookies, and they were a huge success! They were so easy to make and turned out perfectly. The bright lemon flavor was just what I needed. Thank you for this great recipe!
Loved these! They’re so chewy and lemony!
Their sweet and slightly tart flavor ensures they will melt in your mouth with every bite with a delightful texture!