Photography Credit: Irvin Lin
Unlike other lemon cookies, which have just the barest hint of lemon flavor, these cookies pack quite a lemony punch, but without tasting too sour or too artificial. The secret is to use three different types of lemon flavoring in the dough: lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract.
Most lemon cookies also tend to be crispy and crumbly. I have anything against those cookies, but I want a cookie that I can really sink my teeth into. These soft and chewy lemon cookies are certainly that.
On the other side are those folks who desire bright and sunny lemon treats. Their eyes light up when they see lemon bars. They start salivating at the idea of lemon meringue pie.
When I mentioned these soft and chewy lemon cookies, these friends immediately clamored for the recipe. If you love lemon, this one is for you!
Because of the lemon juice, the dough will seem really sticky and hard to work with. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes to help make it easier to work with, but also use a light touch when rolling the dough. Don’t worry if things get a little messy, you can always wash it all off later!
Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies Recipe
PrintBe sure to let the cream cheese and butter warm to room temperature before making the cookies.
Resting the dough for 15 minutes before shaping the cookies makes it easier to work with.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 3/4 cup (170g or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) cream cheese, room temperature
- Zest of 1 medium lemon
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (200g) granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup (55g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
To finish:
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
2 Cream the butter and sugar: Place the softened butter, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon extract, vanilla extract, both sugars and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Cream the ingredients together until the butter is light, fluffy, and clings to the side of the bowl.
3 Beat in the egg and lemon juice: Add the egg and beat to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the lemon juice and mix to incorporate, about a minute. The batter will look “broken” but don’t worry about that. Again scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4 Mix in the flour: Add the flour and baking soda. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are mostly absorbed, then increase the speed for a few seconds until fully incorporated.
5 Let dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
6 Roll and shape the cookies: Scoop up a heaping tablespoon dough and lightly roll the dough in the palms of your hands to form a ball roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter, about the size of a ping-pong ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with even after resting, wet your hands, dry them slightly with a paper towel, and try rolling again with damp hands. Roll the dough in the granulated white sugar and place on the baking sheet. Repeat, leaving about 2 inches between each ball.
Using the flat bottom of a glass, press down and form thick disks, about 2 inches wide. Sprinkle some extra sugar over each cookie.
7 Bake 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges of the cookie are starting to turn golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
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