Lemon Cookies With Lemon Glaze (Printable Version)
Buttery, zesty cookies with a sweet-tangy lemon glaze—bright, quick to make, and perfect for sharing.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Lemon Cookies
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ For the Lemon Glaze
11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 2–3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
13 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional, for extra flavor)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add the egg, lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until well combined and smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
07 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
08 - In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice, adding the juice gradually until the desired drizzling consistency is reached. Stir in lemon zest if using for additional flavor.
09 - Drizzle or spread the glaze evenly over the completely cooled cookies. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature before serving.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The double hit of lemon in both the cookie and the glaze makes these anything but a boring sugar cookie.
- They come together in under 40 minutes with zero chilling required, which means you can satisfy a craving almost instantly.
02 -
- If you glaze cookies while they are even slightly warm, the icing melts right off and pools into a sticky mess beneath them.
- Over-mixing the dough after adding flour develops gluten and turns tender cookies into little lemon-flavored hockey pucks.
03 -
- Freeze the shaped dough balls on a tray for 15 minutes before baking and you will get thicker, more uniform cookies with a chewier center.
- Always zest your lemons before juicing them because a halved, squeezed lemon is nearly impossible to zest well.