I have always loved the smell of lemons. It makes my whole kitchen feel fresh and happy. My grandson calls them “sunshine balls.” I still laugh at that.
These cookies capture that sunny feeling. The secret is using the whole lemon. You need the juice and the zest. The zest is the bright yellow skin. It holds so much flavor.
A Sweet Mistake
The first time I made these, I was in a hurry. I forgot to chill the dough. My cookies spread out into one big, flat mess. They were tasty, but so ugly!
Now I never skip the chill time. It gives the dough a chance to rest. This helps the cookies keep their perfect round shape. Patience matters in baking, just like in life.
The Magic of the Roll
Here is the best part. You roll the dough balls twice. First in regular sugar, then in powdered sugar. It feels like a little kitchen magic trick.
As they bake, the cookies crackle. The white powder splits to show the yellow cookie inside. It is so pretty. *Fun fact: The double sugar coat is what makes that beautiful crinkle top!*
Knowing When They’re Done
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They are soft and chewy with a sweet, crackly top. You just mix the dough and roll it in sugar. It is so much fun. I still laugh at the time I used a whole bottle of yellow coloring. We had neon yellow cookies for a week!
Let's get our bowls ready. Here is how we make them together.
Step 1: First, grab a medium bowl. Whisk your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. This gives our cookies a good start. Set this bowl aside for later. Doesn't that smell amazing already?
Step 2: Now, let's make the dough fluffy. Use your mixer to cream the butter and sugar. Mix it for a few minutes until it looks pale. It should be light and creamy. This is the secret to a soft cookie.
Step 3: Time for the lemon magic. Add the lemon juice, extracts, and zest. The zest is my favorite part. It adds such a bright flavor. Mix it all in for about half a minute.
Step 4: Crack in the egg next. Keep the mixer going on medium. Mix until you cannot see any yellow streaks. We want everything to be just one happy, yellow mixture.
Step 5: Now, add your flour mixture. Do this slowly, about a cup at a time. Mix on a low speed. (A hard-learned tip: stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. This keeps them chewy!).
Step 6: Let's add a drop or two of yellow color. It makes them look so sunny. Stir it in gently. Then cover the bowl and chill the dough for one hour. This is very important.
Step 7: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. This makes cleanup so easy. I never bake without it now.
Step 8: The fun part is here. Scoop the dough and roll it into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar first. Then roll it in the powdered sugar. This makes that wonderful crinkle top.
Step 9: Place the dough balls on your cookie sheet. Give them two inches of space to grow. They need a little room to become perfect cookies. Why do you think we chill the dough first? Share below!
Step 10: Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should not be brown. The centers will look a little soft. That is exactly how we want them. It makes them so soft later.
Step 11: Let the cookies rest on the hot pan for five minutes. This is the hardest part, waiting. Then move them to a rack to cool completely. I always sneak one while it is still warm.
Cook Time: 12min Total Time: 1hr 27mins Yield: 21 cookies Category: Dessert, Cookies
Let's Mix It Up!
Once you know the basic recipe, you can play. Here are a few fun twists I like to try. They are all so delicious.
Lemon Blueberry Bliss: Gently fold in a handful of dried blueberries. They add a sweet, chewy surprise in every bite.
Lemon Lavender Dream: Add half a teaspoon of culinary lavender to the flour. It makes the cookies taste so fancy and floral.
Lemon Poppy Seed Fun: Mix in two tablespoons of poppy seeds. It gives them a lovely little crunch and a classic flavor.
Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving Your Sunshine Cookies
These cookies are wonderful all on their own. But I love making a little occasion out of them. They deserve to be the star of the show.
For a pretty plate, stack them high on a vintage cake stand. You could also crumble one over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is a perfect summer dessert. A little dollop of whipped cream on the side is nice, too.
For drinks, I love a hot cup of Earl Grey tea with mine. The bergamot and lemon are old friends. For a fancier treat, a glass of chilled Prosecco is lovely. The bubbles cut through the sweetness so well.
Which would you choose tonight?
Lemon Crinkle Cookies Soft Chewy Citrus Treat
Keeping Your Sunshine Cookies Fresh
These lemon cookies stay soft for days. Just keep them in a sealed container. I use my old cookie tin with the blue flowers.
You can freeze the dough balls for later. Roll them in the sugars first. Then lay them on a tray to freeze hard.
Once frozen, pop them into a bag. This way you can bake just a few. I once forgot to label my frozen dough. My grandson thought they were strange new meatballs!
Batch cooking like this saves so much time. It means fresh cookies are always close. A little planning makes busy days sweeter.
Have you ever tried storing it this way? Share below!
Little Cookie Hiccups and How to Fix Them
Sometimes the cookies spread too flat. Your butter was probably too soft. I remember my first batch looked like lemon pancakes!
Chilling the dough fixes this. It gives the butter time to firm up. This step matters for a thick, chewy cookie.
If your cookies are cakey, you mixed too long. Stop as soon as the flour disappears. Gentle mixing keeps them tender.
Getting the bake time right is key. Pull them out when the centers look soft. They finish cooking on the hot pan.
This gives you that perfect soft center. Knowing these small things builds your kitchen confidence. Which of these problems have you run into before?
Your Lemon Cookie Questions Answered
Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: Yes, use your favorite gluten-free flour blend. The results are just as lovely.
Q: How far ahead can I make dough? A: You can keep it in the fridge for two days. Or freeze it for up to three months.
Q: What if I have no lemon extract? A: Use more fresh lemon juice and zest. The flavor will still be wonderfully bright.
Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 12 minutesRest time:1 hour Total time:1 hour 27 minutesServings:21 servingsCalories: kcal Best Season:Summer
Description
These lemon crinkle cookies bake soft and chewy with a bright citrus flavor and a sweet sugar-coated crackle top. They mix up fast and look great on cookie trays, party tables, or lunchbox snacks.
Ingredients
Instructions
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
Using either a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and 1 cup granulated sugar for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Lower the mixer speed to medium, add the lemon juice, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix for an additional 30 seconds.
Keeping the mixer on medium, add the egg and mix until no more yellow streaks of egg are visible.
Lower the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time. Mix just until the flour mixture is just combined, do not over mix the dough.
Add the 4 to 5 drops of yellow food color gel. Mix just until the yellow is worked into the dough. Cover well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Just before you remove the dough from the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, set them aside.
Using a tablespoon cookie dough scoop, scoop out the cookie dough. Roll the dough into balls. Roll the dough balls 1st in the ¼ cup granulated sugar, then roll the dough balls in the powdered sugar.
Space the dough balls 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, the edges should not be golden, and the center should appear to be not completely set.
Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving the cookies to a cooling rack.
