I finally perfected How To Make Lemon Cookies with a rich, buttery texture and triple-lemon brightness, and I dare you to try to eat just one.
I confess I built these Soft & Chewy Lemon Cookies to satisfy a lemon obsession. I wanted big zing but a tender, almost gooey crumb so I leaned into lemon zest and unsalted butter, and that triple-lemon brightness surprised even me.
They look harmless but the first bite makes you rethink every cookie you thought you knew. Friends keep comparing them to Starburst Cookies or sending me cheesy links called How To Make Lemon Cookies, but its the chewy center and bright finish that hook you.
Try one warm, youll swear you meant to stop at one.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour gives structure, carbs and some protein, not much fiber
- Cornstarch keeps cookies soft and tender, pure starch, adds little nutrition
- Unsalted butter adds richness, fat, moisture and flavor, makes crumbs tender
- Granulated sugar sweetens and helps spread, pure carbs, no real nutrients
- Brown sugar brings moisture and caramel notes from molasses, keeps cookies chewy
- Eggs and extra yolk give protein, structure and extra chew and richness
- Lemon zest and juice add bright sour zing, fragrance, small vitamin C boost
- Powdered sugar makes a soft sweet glaze, adds sweetness not structure
- Vanilla and optional lemon extract lift flavors, tiny amount goes a long way
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set a rack in the middle of the oven. In a bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
2. In a large bowl beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light and a bit fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, scrape the sides as you go. Add the eggs one at a time then the extra yolk, beat just until combined.
3. Stir in the vanilla extract, all of the lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons of the fresh lemon juice; if you want a stronger lemon punch add the optional lemon extract. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice for the glaze.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions and fold with a spatula until just incorporated. Dont overmix, overworking makes the cookies tough.
5. Cover the dough and chill it for 30 to 60 minutes, this helps stop the cookies from spreading too much and gives a chewier texture.
6. Scoop or spoon rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart, gently press each ball down so the tops are slightly flattened.
7. Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
8. While cookies cool make the glaze: whisk the powdered sugar with the reserved 1 tablespoon lemon juice, add more tiny drops of lemon juice if you need it to reach a pourable consistency, stir in the optional 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract if using.
9. Dip or drizzle the cooled cookies with the lemon glaze, sprinkle a little extra lemon zest on top if you like. Let the glaze set about 15 to 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven (preheat to 350°F) and oven mitts
2. Two rimmed baking sheets plus parchment paper
3. Mixing bowls (one large one medium)
4. Electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer) or a sturdy wooden spoon if you gotta do it by hand
5. Whisk and rubber spatula
6. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale for the grams
7. Microplane or zester and a small citrus juicer or reamer
8. Cookie scoop or tablespoon, plus a wire cooling rack and some plastic wrap for chilling the dough
FAQ
Soft & Chewy Lemon Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- All purpose flour: swap with a 1-to-1 gluten free all purpose blend that contains xanthan gum, use the same weight (312 g). Dough might be a bit more fragile so chill 20–30 minutes before scooping.
- Cornstarch: replace with arrowroot or tapioca starch, same volume (3 tbsp). Arrowroot gives a slightly silkier crumb, tapioca works fine too.
- Unsalted butter: use a firm vegan/butter substitute (block style) 1:1 by weight (227 g). It can spread a little differently so chill the dough longer and flatten gently before baking.
- Powdered sugar (for glaze): make your own by blitzing 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar with 1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch in a high speed blender until super fine, then sift. Use same volume for the glaze, you might need a touch more lemon juice if it seems thick.
Pro Tips
1) Rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar before you cream the butter, this releases way more citrus oil and makes the cookie smell 10x better. Dont grate the white pith, it turns bitter.
2) Chill the dough until it feels firm not rock hard. If your kitchen is warm chill an extra hour or pop scoops in the freezer 10 to 20 minutes. Cold dough = less spread and chewier centers. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack so the temps stay consistent.
3) Weigh the flour or use the spoon and level method, dont scoop straight from the bag. Too much flour makes them dry and tough even if you follow the recipe. Also the cornstarch is doing the softening work here so dont skip it.
4) For the glaze sift the powdered sugar then add tiny drops of the reserved lemon juice until just pourable. If it gets too thin add more sugar, too thick add another drop or two of juice. Finish with a tiny pinch of flaky salt or extra zest to make the lemon pop.

Soft & Chewy Lemon Cookies Recipe
I finally perfected How To Make Lemon Cookies with a rich, buttery texture and triple-lemon brightness, and I dare you to try to eat just one.
36
servings
140
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350°F) and oven mitts
2. Two rimmed baking sheets plus parchment paper
3. Mixing bowls (one large one medium)
4. Electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer) or a sturdy wooden spoon if you gotta do it by hand
5. Whisk and rubber spatula
6. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale for the grams
7. Microplane or zester and a small citrus juicer or reamer
8. Cookie scoop or tablespoon, plus a wire cooling rack and some plastic wrap for chilling the dough
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (312 g) all purpose flour
3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest of 3 lemons (about 3 tablespoons)
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set a rack in the middle of the oven. In a bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light and a bit fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, scrape the sides as you go. Add the eggs one at a time then the extra yolk, beat just until combined.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, all of the lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons of the fresh lemon juice; if you want a stronger lemon punch add the optional lemon extract. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice for the glaze.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions and fold with a spatula until just incorporated. Dont overmix, overworking makes the cookies tough.
- Cover the dough and chill it for 30 to 60 minutes, this helps stop the cookies from spreading too much and gives a chewier texture.
- Scoop or spoon rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart, gently press each ball down so the tops are slightly flattened.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- While cookies cool make the glaze: whisk the powdered sugar with the reserved 1 tablespoon lemon juice, add more tiny drops of lemon juice if you need it to reach a pourable consistency, stir in the optional 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract if using.
- Dip or drizzle the cooled cookies with the lemon glaze, sprinkle a little extra lemon zest on top if you like. Let the glaze set about 15 to 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 35g
- Total number of serves: 36
- Calories: 140kcal
- Fat: 5.5g
- Saturated Fat: 3.3g
- Trans Fat: 0.06g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.17g
- Monounsaturated: 1.16g
- Cholesterol: 29mg
- Sodium: 61mg
- Potassium: 20mg
- Carbohydrates: 21.2g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Sugar: 13.9g
- Protein: 1.3g
- Vitamin A: 56IU
- Vitamin C: 1.1mg
- Calcium: 4.8mg
- Iron: 0.16mg