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With a zesty lemon flavor in every bite, this Lemon Sugar Cookie Recipe has the perfect pop! The best summer dessert to bring a fun color and taste to any party, get together, or just to brighten up a day at home.

I love all things summer, especially when it comes to food. My No-Bake Strawberry Pie brings all those summer feels and is perfect for any get together. Also check out my other lemon inspired desserts like Lemon Raspberry Cookies, and Lemon Pie Bars.

Plate of lemon sugar cookies.

Table of contents

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Sugar Cookies Recipe!

  • They are the ultimate Lemon flavored dessert without being too overbearing.
  • A go-to summer treat the whole family will love.
  • A fun twist on traditional sugar cookies, Lemon Sugar Cookies are the best.
  • These are so easy to make, you can bake them in no time at all.
Stack of lemon sugar cookies.

Ingredients

  •  All-Purpose Flour: It’s super important to measure the flour correctly. Too much or too little flour can change the consistency of the cookie.
  • Baking Soda: Make sure your baking soda is no more than 3 months old. If you’re using old baking soda, the cookies won’t rise properly and will be flat.
  •  Baking Powder: Again, make sure your baking powder is not too old or your cookies will come out flat and spread!
  • Salted Butter: If you don’t have salted butter, I would add about 1/2-1 teaspoon of salt. Also, make sure your butter is at room temperature. If your butter is too warm, it will also result in cookies that will spread. So the best thing to do, is let the butter sit out on the counter for at least 1 hour before you start baking and it will be perfect!
  • Sugar: You will also need about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, for rolling the dough balls in before baking them. 
  •  Egg Yolks: It’s very important that you separate the egg yolks, this recipe will NOT turn out if you use 3 whole eggs.
  • Vanilla Extract: Always a great way to blend the flavors together.
  • Lemon Zest: Using a zester is an easy way to get lemon zest.
  • Lemon Juice: Fresh is the best, but you can use bottled lemon juice.
Step by step instructions on how to make Lemon Sugar cookies.

How To Make Lemon Sugar Cookies

  1. Preheat: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  2. Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
  3. Cream: In a large bowl, using an electric or stand mixer, cream together the butter, and granulated sugar until combined.
  4. Combine: Add egg yolks, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
  5. Mix: Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX!
  6. Roll: Using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, scoop dough into balls of about 2 Tablespoons each, roll in sugar, and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
  7. Bake: Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tops of cookies start to crack. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack. Let cool completely on wire rack.
Lemon Sugar cookies baked on a cookie sheet.

Tips & Variations

  • Softened Butter. Having softened butter is a must in this lemon sugar cookie recipe. If your butter is not softened the dough will be dry and crumbly, making it hard to form the dough into balls. So about an hour or two before you start making these cookies take 2 sticks of butter out of the fridge to soften.
  • Don’t Over Mix. With almost all my cookie recipes, I always make sure to remind you to not overmix the cookie dough. Meaning, when you mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, only mix them together until just combined…you should still see some flour in your mixing bowl.
  • Scooping the cookie dough:  I always use a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop, each cookie dough ball has “2 scoops” of cookie dough, meaning that each cookie dough ball is 2 Tablespoons in size. In my opinion, this is the perfect-sized cookie. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can use an ice cream scooper but you will only need 1 ice cream scoop of cookie dough.
Stack of lemon sugar cookies.

Recipe FAQ

Can I make this recipe with lemon extract?

Yes, you can replace the lemon zest from fresh lemons with lemon extract.

Can I use a different sugar instead of granulated sugar?

Yes, you can use other types of sugar such as brown sugar or powdered sugar, but it may change the texture and taste of the cookies.

Can I make the dough ahead of time and bake later?

Yes, you can refrigerate the prepared dough for up to three days before baking.

Can I add other flavors to the cookies?

Yes, you can add other extracts like vanilla or almond extract, or add spices like cinnamon or nutmeg to change the flavor.

Plate full of baked lemon sugar cookies.

Storing

  • Store. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
  • Freeze. Roll the dough into balls and place them in an airtight container. You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months. To bake, place frozen cookie dough balls onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes.

More Lemon Recipes

Homemade Lemonade

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Frosted Lemon Cheesecake Bars

More Summer Dessert Recipes

S’mores Cookie Dough Dip

Strawberry Shortcake Cups

Very Berry Ice Cream Pie

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Stack of delicious Lemon Sugar cookies.
4.60 from 93 ratings
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Servings: 24 Cookies

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
These Lemon Sugar Cookies will make your taste buds dance literally all night long.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup SALTED butter, softened, 2 sticks
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, using an electric or stand mixer, cream together the butter, and granulated sugar until combined.
  • Add egg yolks, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
  • Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX!
  • Using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, scoop dough into balls about 2 Tablespoons each, roll in sugar and place onto prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tops of cookies start to crack. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving them to a wire rack. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Notes

  • Softened Butter. Having softened butter is a must in this lemon sugar cookie recipe. If your butter is not softened the dough will be dry and crumbly, making it hard to form the dough into balls. So about an hour or two before you start making these cookies take 2 sticks of butter out of the fridge to soften.
  • Don’t Over Mix. With almost all my cookie recipes, I always make sure to remind you to not overmix the cookie dough. Meaning, when you mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, only mix them together until just combined…you should still see some flour in your mixing bowl.
  • Scooping the cookie dough:  I always use a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop, each cookie dough ball has “2 scoops” of cookie dough, meaning that each cookie dough ball is 2 Tablespoons in size. In my opinion, this is the perfect-sized cookie. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can use an ice cream scooper but you will only need 1 ice cream scoop of cookie dough.
  • Store. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
  • Freeze. Roll the dough into balls and place them in an airtight container. You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months. To bake, place frozen cookie dough balls onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes.
Calories: 171kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 114mg, Potassium: 20mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 269IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Cookies
Author: Jennifer
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