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Lemon Crinkle Cookies are sweet-tart lemon cookies dipped in sugar. As the cookies bake, the tops of the cookies crinkle up showing the soft lemon center below the white sugar topping.
Delicious Sweet-Tart Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Today’s easy cookie recipe is a lemon variation of the popular chocolate crinkle cookies that just about everyone knows and loves to bake. Truth is though – our family would prefer these Lemon Crinkle Cookies any day of the year, especially with a cold glass of milk on the side.
These cookies have the perfect balance of sweet and tart lemon flavor in every bite. Balls of lemony cookie dough are dipped in two kids of sugar. Then, as the cookies bake, the tops crinkle up – showing off the soft lemon cookie center below the white powdered sugar topping.
How to Achieve the Perfect Crinkle on your Lemon Cookies
There are a few simple tips and tricks to achieve that perfect “crinkle” effect as your cookie bakes.
- Use cold butter to start, not softened. Our recipe below has you cut the butter into small pieces so, even cold, it will still mix well with the other ingredients.
- Chill the dough before baking and keep it chilled between batches. As the cold butter in the dough bakes in the heat of the oven, the moisture will evaporate creating a quick rise and that perfect crinkle effect.
- Roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar first, then powdered sugar. This two-sugar combination is key. The granulated sugar basically “seals” the cookie dough so the powdered sugar (aka confectioner’s sugar) doesn’t just soak in.
Why you’ll love Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- These cookies are loaded with perfectly sweet-tart lemon flavor.
- You probably have all the ingredients on hand in your refrigerator and pantry – so you can bake up a batch anytime the craving strikes.
- These easy lemon cookies store very well, so you can bake them ahead of time if you wish.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Lemons – You’ll use both lemon juice and lemon zest in this recipe so buy fresh lemons with nice yellow skins. Don’t be tempted to swap in bottled lemon juice and dried lemon peel – the flavor just won’t be the same.
- Unsalted Butter – For best results, choose a quality European butter such as Kerrygold.
- Eggs – Both whole eggs and egg yolks are included in this lemon cookie recipe. Use up the extra egg whites in this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract
- Lemon Extract – Needed to achieve and extra lemony flavor, buy a pure lemon extract, not one with artificial flavors.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Sugar – Both granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
Special Tools Needed
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board and Sharp Knife
- Lemon Juicer
- Microplane Zester
- Medium Bowl
- Sifter
- Whisk
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment (or hand mixer and mixing bowl)
- Two Smaller Bowls – To hold each kind of sugar
- Insulated Cookie Sheets
- Parchment Paper Sheets
- 1 ounce scoop – We used a number 40 scoop.
- Cooling Racks
- Small Cookie Spatula
How do I make Lemon Crinkle Cookies?
- Cut cold butter into small cubes and place in the mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and beat for five minutes, scraping bowl a few times.
- Add eggs one at a time with mixer running on low, scraping a few times.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Mix, scrape, and mix again.
- Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.
- With mixer running on low, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix only until combined.
- Refrigerate dough for two hours to firm up.
- Scoop out about 36 one-ounce balls onto your counter and roll into a neat ball and keep refrigerated until ready.
- Place granulated sugar into one bowl and powdered sugar into another.
- Roll balls in the granulated sugar then into the powdered sugar and place 12 on each pan and bake one pan at a time for 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Repeat for last two pans, keeping cookie dough cold until ready to bake.
- Slide parchment onto cooling racks and cool for five minutes. Then use a cookie spatula to lift each cookie from the parchment and to another cooling rack and cool completely. They will be very soft and will firm up as they cool.
More Tips & Tricks
- Cookies will be very soft when they come out of the oven and will firm up as they cool. The centers should still be a bit gooey but the bottoms lightly browned.
- Using insulated cookie sheets helps bake a perfect cookie. If you do not have insulated, you should bake your cookies on rack positioned in the top third of the oven, or double up on the pans to help insulate the bottom of the cookies as they bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Lemon Crinkle Cookies ahead of time? Yes, these keep very well for a few days after baking
- How do I store leftovers? Store at room temperature in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. If you have to layer the cookies in the container, place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer so the powdered sugar stays more intact.
- Can I freeze? Yes, these freeze well.
- Why didn’t my cookies crinkle? See the How to Achieve the Perfect Crinkle on your Lemon Cookies tips and tricks in the post above.
You might like these other Lemon Recipes:
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Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Lemon Crinkle Cookies are sweet-tart lemon cookies dipped in sugar. As the cookies bake, the tops of the cookies crinkle up showing the soft lemon center below the white sugar topping.
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes and left cold
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large whole eggs
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
Sugar To Roll Dough Balls Before Baking
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Line three insulated cookie sheets with parchment paper. (Or, if you don’t have that many cookie sheets, allow the cookie sheets to cool completely in between batches.)
- In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt then whisk to combine. Set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, place cold cubed butter and granulated sugar and beat for five minutes on medium high, scraping a few times during mixing.
- With mixer running on low, add one egg at a time and incorporate before adding the next egg and egg yolks. Scrape a few times during the addition.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and lemon extract and beat until fully mixed, scraping a few times.
- With mixer running on low, slowly add flour mixture and just mix until no dry shows, scraping once or twice during the addition.
- Refrigerate the dough for two hours to set up.
- Preheat oven 350-degrees F.
- Keeping the dough refrigerated while you work, roll out 36 one-ounce balls of dough. We used a #40 scoop.
- Place granulated sugar in one bowl and powdered sugar in another.
- Remove 12 balls from the refrigerator and roll each one first in the granulated sugar, then in the powdered sugar.
- Place on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Remove pan from the oven and slide the parchment onto a cooling rack. Let sit for five minutes and then use a cookie spatula to move each cookie to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookie will be very soft and a bit gooey when it first comes out of the oven. This is normal and will firm up as they cool.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie sheets. Note that if you are reusing cookie sheets, run the cookie sheet under cold water to cool off and dry before using for the next batch. Everything must be cold for the best results.
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