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!)
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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
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 ¼ cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon 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.
This is a good recipe. Light lemon flavor throughout. Good texture and I love that you didn’t have to put them in the refrigerator first before baking
These are spectacular!!!!
hi! my cookies came out of the oven really crumbly and fragile, I wonder if the problem is the amount of flour (I used a digital scale), the temperature of the butter (really soft) or the size of the cookies, can u help me with this problem? I currently have 2/3 of the batch in the freezer and I would appreciate it if u gave me an option to fix it a bit !
Hi Cata! It’s tricky to pinpoint the exact cause without baking alongside you, but crumbly cookies are often due to too much flour. The butter should also be slightly softened and at a cool room temperature, around 67°F. We love using an instant-read thermometer to check, but if you don’t have one, this visual may help!
If you made the cookies smaller than the recipe suggests, they might be more fragile, especially if the baking time wasn’t adjusted. Additionally, the type of flour can matter. For example, we tested this recipe using Gold Medal bleached all-purpose flour. King Arthur’s unbleached all-purpose flour has a higher protein content than Gold Medal, which can lead to a drier, crumbly dough. While we haven’t experienced issues with this recipe ourselves, depending on your location and humidity, you may need to reduce the flour by 1-2 tablespoons if using unbleached flour. Since your dough has already been made and frozen, unfortunately, there’s not much you can do besides bake it! That said, I’ve made these cookies into cookie bars before, which might be a great alternative to using up the rest of your dough. You can find instructions above the recipe here, but you’ll want to keep an eye on the bake time since you only have 2/3 batch. I hope that’s helpful!
Making cookies for a cookie box. Would freezing the baked cookies work if I make the glaze/icing for when I unfreeze them?
Yes, that should work fine!
My nephew asked for lemon baking for Christmas. So I tried this recipe. My husband and I have eaten enough of these “taste testing” that I had to make another batch for him.
Delicious, soft and moist cookies that have a nice mild lemon aftertaste. Add the icing and the lemon pops in your mouth like a glass of lemonade on a hot day. I will be making this recipe for years to come, regardless if my nephew ends up liking them or not.
haha I love that you had to make a second batch! So glad you both enjoyed them, thanks for sharing 🙂
Every time I bake these delicious lemon cookies, they’re always a huge hit. This year, I’ve been asked to include them in my Christmas cookie basket.
Do you think these would hold up for shipping through the mail?
Hi Diana! We haven’t tried stacking these cookies for an extended period of time, so I can’t say for sure how the glaze will hold up in the mail; however, I think if you placed some parchment paper between each layer of cookies, that would help! I personally would love getting these in a cookie basket, they’re one of my favorites!
I had not made these in a while. With this new contest and a lot of lemons in my kitchen 🙂 I decided to make a batch for the office. It was a huge success!!! the soft crumbly cookie and the tart lemon glaze is a perfect match of taste and texture.
I prepared them with 1:1 Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour and they are delicious! However, I wondered how well they freeze? Freeze with glaze or put glaze on before serving?
Hi Susan! We don’t recommend freezing glazed cookies because the glaze may become sticky or seep after freezing and thawing. For best results, freeze the cookies without the glaze and add it just before serving once the cookies have thawed.
These are my first batch of successful cookies and they were wonderful. The lemon flavor was too strong in the glaze the first day, but the next day it was perfectly balanced
They look beautiful, Areesha! So happy you loved this recipe 🙂
these cookies were soooo gooodd!!! why family loves them!!
i keep getting people asking for more every time i make them! they love them. once a girl i havent spoken to for a year told me shes been craving them ever since. I love this quick and delicious recipe. though I’d say around 200 grams of butter instead worked better for me.
I was wondering if i’d need to hand mix it because i have a hand mixer but it does not have the paddle attachment though it does have a whisk and the bread(spiral thingy) attachment. So, which one should i use and for how long?
Thanks for the help in advance 🙂
I had the same issue and opted for the whisk and they turned out great!