Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Buttery and absolutely packed with lemon flavor, with the perfect balance of sweetness and lemony acidity.
Texture: Beautifully tender, with a soft shortbread-like consistency.
Ease: Crazy easy. No chill time required!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Easy, delicious cookies that are so pretty – especially when decorated with a little extra lemon zest.
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There’s something about Glazed Lemon Cookies that immediately puts a smile on your face.
Arizona is famous for its citrus, so I constantly see citrus baked goods everywhere. But often they lack a citrusy punch or are overly sweetened to compensate for the acidity.
So, when I went to work on this recipe, I wanted to make sure these Lemon Cookies weren’t too sweet and were packed with as much lemon flavor as possible. After all, lemon is one of my favorite dessert flavors (second only to chocolate!)
These cookies are full of bright, beautiful lemon flavor. The lemon glaze adds a touch of sweetness, along with even more wonderful lemonyness. They’re an absolute joy to eat!
And, bonus: they’re crazy quick to make and don’t require a chill time, so they’re ready to serve in no time.
Add a platter of my easy Blondies or my pretty Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies and you’re ready for Mother’s Day, Easter, or any party!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Glazed Lemon Cookies
What is the Texture of These Lemon Cookies?
Glazed Lemon Cookies have soft, moist interiors with a slightly crisp exterior. These cookies are somewhere between my Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies and a shortbread in texture.
The glaze adds a little sweetness and a refreshing zip of lemon flavor that I just love. You can always enjoy these without the glaze, but I love the additional bright, citrusy-sweet layer the glaze gives these cookies.
Measure Your Flour Correctly!
If you add too much flour, you may end up with dense, hard cookies that don’t spread. I recommend using a digital scale, but if you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method.
The Lemons
I used two very large lemons for these cookies, plus an additional medium lemon to add the pretty zest to the tops. If you can only find smaller or medium-sized lemons, you will need more.
The Butter
Always use unsalted butter in baking. It’s important that your butter is at a cool room temperature. If your butter is too warm, your cookies can spread into thin puddles. Sticks of butter should give slightly when pressed but still hold their shape, about 67°F.
Parchment Paper vs. Silicone Baking
I typically prefer to use parchment paper. See my side-by-side experiments with parchment paper and silicone baking mats here! Whatever you do, never spray your baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or grease them any other way when baking cookies. This will lead to too much browning and spread (hello, burnt cookie puddles).
How to Get Bright, Fresh, Super Lemony Cookies:
- Don’t use bottled lemon juice. Some contain preservatives and the flavor just isn’t as fresh.
- Lemon extract? I don’t find it necessary. The zest in the cookies and the fresh juice in the glaze provide plenty of lemony flavor – but feel free to add a little to the glaze to taste if you prefer a super strong punch of lemon flavor.
- Food coloring? Some recipes include yellow food coloring, but I don’t think that’s necessary here. These cookies are bright and cheerful all on their own.
- Smooth glaze: For an ultra-smooth glaze, remove the pulp by straining the lemon juice with a small fine mesh strainer.
- Helpful tools: This is the juicer I love, and this is the zester I love.
- Tip: Be sure to zest your lemons before juicing.
Glazed Lemon Cookie FAQs
Do I Need to Refrigerate This Dough Before Baking?
No! Unlike many cookie recipes, these delicious Glazed Lemon Cookies can be baked right away – no waiting required. In testing, Team HTH found no improvements in the baked, finished cookies after a 24-hour refrigerated period – so bake and enjoy right away.
If you need to prep these cookies ahead of time, however, I have tips on that below.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Sure! Simply double all ingredients, no modifications needed.
Can I Halve This Recipe?
Halving this recipe is easy and works well, but you’ll need to also divide the egg in half. To do this, crack the egg into a small bowl and beat well. Let it settle, then measure out two tablespoons for the recipe.
Why No Vanilla in These Cookies?
Most cookie recipes will include vanilla extract. However, I don’t find it necessary here since the punchy lemon flavor will overpower the vanilla flavor anyway.
Try my Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookies if you’re looking for soft sugar cookies where vanilla is the star flavor!
Can I Use A Different Citrus Instead?
Although we haven’t tried that ourselves, there’s no reason why orange, lime, or even grapefruit wouldn’t work in this recipe. Just note that it may take a little experimenting to get the flavor perfect, as other citrus fruits have differing levels of flavor, acidity, and sweetness, so it might not be a straight swap.
If you give another citrus a try yourself, let us know how it goes in the comments below!
Can I Make This Recipe Into Glazed Lemon Cookie Bars?
Yes, and they’re delish! Line an 8×8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper. Press dough evenly into the pan. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the center is no longer wet. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing from parchment paper to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, use a spatula to evenly coat the cookie bars with glaze (use 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar for a thick glaze that sets perfectly), then garnish with extra lemon zest. Let set for 30 minutes before slicing.
Can I Make These Lemon Cookies Ahead of Time?
Yes! Although these cookies don’t require a chill period before baking, they can definitely be prepped and portioned ahead of time if needed.
Store the dough balls inside an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator before baking, cooling, and glazing.
How to Store Glazed Lemon Cookies?
Glazed Lemon Cookies store very well in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Be sure the glaze has completely dried before storing. If you live somewhere humid, you can place wax paper between each layer of cookies to prevent them from sticking to one another.
Can You Freeze Glazed Lemon Cookies?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing a glazed cookie. The glaze will seep or get sticky and tacky after freezing and thawing.
The portioned balls of dough can be stored in a zip-top bag or an airtight container for up to 2 months. Learn how to freeze cookie dough and bake from frozen here!
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Lemon Pound Cake (Starbucks copycat recipe!)
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Raspberry Lemonade Cheesecake Bars
- Strawberry Swirl Sugar Cookies
- See ALL my cookie recipes here!
Glazed Lemon Cookies
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Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 ¼ cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, from about 3 medium lemons
- 1 large egg, at a cool room temperature
For the glaze:
- 1 ½ cups (189 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Additional lemon zest, to garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl at least once. Beat in egg until very well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. On low speed, add the flour mixture and blend until just incorporated. Dough will be slightly dry.
- Using a medium spring-loaded cookie scoop, drop 1 ½-tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Roll each ball with your palms, then using your palm, gently flatten dough to about 1/3-inch thick.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are just set and slightly golden brown at the edges. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes and transfer to cooking racks. Cool completely.
Make the glaze:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice, a tablespoon at a time, until a very thick but pourable glaze forms. Spoon each cookie with the lemon glaze. Garnish with extra lemon zest, if desired. Let cookies sit until icing has set, at least 30 minutes. Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2011 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Quick question- how many calories approximately is one cookie?
Also, instead of spooning the icing onto the cookies, I found that turning them upside down and dipping the surface is way easier and provides an even coverage!
I really enjoyed making these however I decided my cookie need more flavor so I added 1 and 1/2 t of vanilla and about a 1/2 t of lemon extract and it tasted so much better! Also, am I able to freeze the dough for a few days before baking?
I had to leave a review. I would pay stupid money for these from a bakery!! I’m on my second batch. I brought them to work and each person has raved about how delicious they are! They taste best if you let them sit overnight. I am so excited over how simple they are to make. I have to be careful from eating too many and myself sick!
One thing to note – I use a kitchen scale when I measure my ingredients. When I sifted and measured my flour the second time, I noticed that the amount did not look like 2¼ cups – it was much closer to 2 cups. I double checked the accuracy of my scale, which was fine, and remeasured just in case. This is possibly why some peoples’ dough is turning out too dry to work with, maybe they are measuring manually with cups and adding too much flour…definitely worth mentioning! The dough has turned out perfectly after scraping my mixer bowl and gently folding in any remaining dry parts.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!!!
I loved this cookie. I followed recipe exactly and my only concern was that the dough was very dry. they were still very tasty.
My dough was still sticky. Is it bc the butter was too warm?
Could be! Or that not enough flour was added. Did your cookies spread in the oven?
Yes, it was totally spreading like butter melting! I quickly took it out and added more flour to the mixture (I think I under measured). Came out perfect after that 🤌🏼 Crowd favorite!
Glad you were able to fix them! 🙂
I make cookie trays and I need to store cookies as I make them. Is there any way to store these for a week or so in the fridge or freezer?
Glazed cookies don’t refrigerate/freeze well because the glaze can get sticky. I’d recommend making the cookies ahead of time, then freezing them unglazed in an airtight container. A day or two before you’re ready to deliver the cookies, thaw them at room temp and top with the glaze. Make sure the glaze has completely dried before you add them to your boxes so they don’t get damaged! You can also place wax paper between the cookies if you live somewhere humid so they don’t stick to each other. Hope that helps!
I made these cookies and they are absolutely delicious. I followed your recipe to a T, however my cookies spread out into thin disks, I didn’t waste, I used the glaze and made sandwich cookies. My butter was at 67°,
I’m thinking because I live in Hawaii and we have high humidity, perhaps that’s the reason they spread. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Cynthia, thanks so much for your feedback! I’m so glad you were able to turn them into cookie sandwiches (nice save!). High humidity could definitely have contributed to the spreading, along with the overall climate where you live. How sticky was the dough when you scooped it, and what brand/type of flour did you use? I live in Michigan where our humidity can get up to about 95%, and I’ve noticed I sometimes need to add an extra tablespoon or two of flour to cookies (and especially breads). Next time, I’d recommend adding a little extra flour and chilling the dough for about 30 minutes before baking. Even if your butter was at the correct temp, a warm kitchen can quickly change the outcome. Hope that helps for your next batch! Let us know how it turns out.
I’ve never commented on an online recipe in my life but these are the best cookies I’ve ever eaten so this recipe deserves some praise! The cookie is so light and fluffy, the lemon is the glaze is so fresh! Made these 3 times in a week, 10/10
We’re thrilled to hear how much you love this recipe, Georgia! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Looked just like the images and tasted delicious! All of my coworkers and friends loved the recipe.
Yay! Well done, Anna! I’m so glad they loved the recipe.
This sounded like a great recipe and a good way to use up lemons, but I was disappointed by how they turned out. The butter, sugar and lemon zest was simply too tough for my electric mixer, and the dough was sticky, even after I added the flour! I measured and made sure everything was the right amount, and I followed the recipe completely. The recipe says to use 3 medium lemons (roughly) to get two tablespoons of zest, but I used 4 lemons and only got a tablespoon and a bit! I’m very disappointed with the recipe accuracy, but the cookies smell nice (they’re cooling right now) and I hope they taste just as good. (this recipe took over an hour!)