Lemon Butter Cookies are a delectable take on the classic butter cookies recipe. This lemon cookie recipe makes the best of both sweet and sour flavors!
My sister-in-law sent a big box of lemons to all of the Utah-based side of the family so I’ve been making lemon anything. I adore lemon cookies and have posted several recipes over the years. This one is delightful! They’ve got a soft texture with bright, lemony flavor. Our whole family devoured them. The glaze is amazing- I think the cookies taste delicious on their own, but adding the glaze takes them over the top!
Ingredients needed for Lemon Butter Cookies
These are the foods you’ll need to make Lemon Butter Cookies:
- Butter
- Lemon juice
- Eggs
- Lemon zest
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Flour
- Vanilla
How to make Lemon Butter Cookies
With a hand mixer, cream together butter and both the white and brown sugars. Add eggs, lemon zest and vanilla and mix until combined. Add in baking soda, salt and flour and mix once again.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop!) onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 7-9 minutes.
Cool completely and spoon glaze onto each cookie.
How to make Lemon Butter Cookies Icing
To make the frosting for Lemon Butter Cookies, you just whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 TBSP softened butter, 1 TBSP lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest until smooth. Then you just spoon onto each cookie!
LEMON BUTTER COOKIES
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 TBSP lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Glaze Ingredients
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp water
- extra lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment.
- Cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, lemon zest and vanilla and mix until combined. Add in baking soda, salt and flour and mix once again.
- Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 7-9 minutes.
- Cool completely and spoon glaze onto each cookie.
- Glaze: Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 TBSP softened butter, 1 TBSP lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest until smooth.
Video
Nutrition
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Enjoy lemon desserts? So do we! Here are more you can try:
- Easy Lemon Quick Bread
- Lemon Poke Cake
- Glazed Mini Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
- Easy Lemon Ice Box Pie
- Lemon Butter Bars Recipe
- Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Buttermilk Bread
- Raspberry Lemon Muffins
- Easy Lemon Pudding Cookies
- Lemon Lush Dessert
How to get the juice out of a lemon
I often use bottled lemon juice in this recipe, but it’s very easy to get fresh lemon juice if you prefer! To get the juice from a lemon, I just cut the lemon in half and squeeze it really hard. You can also use a citrus press like this one to get all the juice out of the lemon.
How to zest a lemon
You can also add a little more lemon flavor to the recipe by adding some lemon zest to the cheesecake filling.
Don’t be intimidated about getting the zest from a lemon – it’s really easy! And fresh lemon zest adds such an amazing lemon flavor to recipes!
Lemon zest is just tiny pieces of the outside of the peel of a lemon. I just use the small side of a regular cheese grater – as long as the holes are tiny, it will work just fine. You can also use a citrus zester like this one if you prefer! Either way, make sure to just grate the darker yellow outer layer of the lime peel. Once you have revealed the lighter part of the peel underneath, rotate the lemon and start grating another part of the outer layer.
How do I soften butter?
The traditional way of softening butter is leaving however much you need for a recipe out at room temperature for long enough to soften. However, there are some other, quicker ways to soften butter such as: cutting up the butter, pounding the butter, beating the butter and if it comes to it, microwaving the butter. If microwaving, use the defrost setting for only about 15 sec. You don’t want your butter to melt!
Lemon Butter Cookies is one of my favorite butter cookie recipes and lemon desserts! Every time I make them I’m surprised at just how GOOD these lemon cookies taste.
Joyce says
I followed this recipe for an upcoming cookie swap. the recipe looked fairly easy. I followed the directions as stated in the recipe. The end result was a batch of cookies that spread out about 3inches in diameter, and the cookies were paper thin! I bake often enough to have some knowledge of the process; I have never ever experienced a result like this. Are you sure the recipe calls for baking powder? I’ve used baking soda for other cookie recipes without issue. I will not use this recipe again.
Jessica says
Hi Joyce- I’m sorry these didn’t turn out for you! Dang it!
Patricia Evans says
I like these cookies and have made them a few times. Mine spread like others have mentioned but I like a thinner cookie. I would recommend making more icing. Also I don’t know if I’m a fan of the butter in it. I love the taste but the icing is still too soft to stack cookies. I would have to refrigerate one layer at a time put parchment between layers. Also i would recommend either using butter but icing while still warm or just using lemon juice and powdered sugar.
r says
I wish I read this review before baking. The same thing happened to me 🙁
Jessica says
Do you mind letting me know what elevation you’re at? It seems that those near sea level have issues with cookie recipes that contain a good amount of butter. Try adding 1/2 cup of flour to the dough next time, perhaps?
Laurie says
Ok. Do I use baking soda (or) baking powder???
Alison says
Baking Powder 🙂
Dawn Gerber says
I made these and the recipe printed a as 1 2/3 cup butter and 2 cups flour? Looked really thin but I tried anyway, had too throw away batter
Jessica says
I’m confused- the recipe is pretty clear- 2 1/2 cups flour and 1 cup butter.
Dawn Gerber says
you send out recipe cards via e mail and I printed it up and that what is on the e mail. When I went onto your website directly the amounts were different. Hope this clears up my comment.
Teri Summers says
How much lemon juice in the cookie batter
Jessica says
None- I fixed it! You just put lemon zest in the cookie batter.
Rose McGowan says
When imadeit it uses baking soda and all they taste of is baking soda. Revolting, used all my butter up and havent anything to show for it or anything to share formorning tea.
Jessica says
Maybe halve the baking soda next time since it seems you’re more sensitive to the flavor? You could also replace it with baking powder.
Carol Everest says
I’m not impressed with these cookies. The one tablespoon size is much too big, causing even well-spaced cookies to run into one another. The resulting cookies are therefore soggy in the middle. I am an experienced cookie maker and I followed the recipe exactly, but the outcome was very disappointing.
Nellie says
Maybe try adding a bit more flour next time? Or chill the dough for about 30 minutes before scooping and baking?
Geoff Murray says
It was very tasty