Lemon Crinkle Cookies
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Brighten your day with these Lemon Crinkle Cookies! Packed with fresh citrus flavor, chewy centers, and crispy edges, these easy-to-make treats are a perfect dessert for any occasion.
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Lemon Crinkle Cookies: The Perfect Citrusy Treat
When life gives you lemons—bake cookies! These Lemon Crinkle Cookies are among my favorite treats, with soft, chewy centers and a sweet, crackly powdered sugar coating. With a delicate crinkle on top and a burst of lemon flavor in every bite, they’re the perfect treat for spring baking or any time you need a little sunshine in dessert form.
I love baking these cookies in spring, but they’re a year-round favorite in my kitchen. Pair these lemon cookies with a cup of tea or coffee, and you have the ultimate indulgence for sunny afternoons.
Why Make this Lemon Crinkle Cookie Recipe
- Packed with Flavor – these cookies are bright, tangy, and unforgettable, thanks to the combination of fresh lemon juice, zest, and an extra hint of lime.
- Perfect Texture: A soft, chewy center with just the slightest crunch around the edges.
- Easy to Make: No complicated steps! A simple dough, a quick roll in sugar, and you’ll have a tray of these beauties out of the oven in no time.
- Beautiful Crinkle Effect: Rolling the dough balls in granulated and powdered sugar gives them their crinkled look.
Ingredients and substitutions
(Ingredients at a glance; you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch: Adds softness and keeps the cookies chewy and fluffy.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Essential for creating the puff and crinkle.
- Salted butter: Brings richness and flavor to the dough. Unsalted butter works too— just add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Granulated sugar:
- Egg: Large
- Lemon Juice & Lemon Zest: Always use fresh lemons for maximum flavor! One lemon is usually enough.
- Lime Juice: Adds a subtle extra zing. Substitute with more lemon juice if needed.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and a hint of depth—swap for agave or maple syrup if you prefer.
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar: For that beautiful crackled coating.
- Yellow Food Coloring: Optional if you want a brighter yellow cookie.
How to make lemon crinkle cookies
(The full recipe is at the bottom of the post on the printable recipe card.)
1 Prep: Preheat the oven and prep the baking sheet.
2 Mix the dry ingredients: whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
3 Beat in the next eight ingredients: Beat the salted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Then, beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, lime juice, and vanilla extract.
4 Add the Flour: Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until everything is just incorporated.
5 Shape the dough into balls: Optional step: The dough is sticky, so to help with that, you can chill it for a minimum of 15 minutes to up to overnight. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, measure out the dough, roll it into a ball (about the size of a walnut), drop it into the granulated sugar, and roll to coat. Then, drop the balls into the powdered sugar to coat them, and transfer the dough to the prepared sheet pan.
6 Bake: Bake at 325 F for 11-13 minutes or until you notice visible cracks and the edges are just starting to brown.
7 Cool and enjoy: Let cookies sit on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Recipe Tips for Perfect Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Chill the Dough: While it’s optional, chilling the dough for 15 minutes makes it much easier to work with and helps maintain the cookie shape during baking.
- Keep Your Parchment Paper in Place: Lightly spray the baking sheets with nonstick spray before lining them with parchment paper to keep it from sliding around.
- Double Sugar Coating: Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar first, followed by powdered sugar. This step is key for achieving the signature crinkled look.
- Perfectly round cookies: If you want perfectly rounded cookies, after removing them from the oven, immediately use a round cookie cutter that is slightly bigger than the cookie (or a mason jar rim) and place it over the cookie. While holding the pan with one hand, use the other hand to move the jar in a circular motion around the warm cookie for 2-3 motions. It will help smooth the edges into a perfect circle. Work quickly because the cookies will no longer be easily shaped as they cool.
- Fresh Citrus Is Best: Always opt for fresh lemon juice and zest for the brightest flavor—don’t skip the zest; it’s where a lot of the magic happens!
Variations to try
- Add a Glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and a splash of milk for a sweet lemony drizzle on top of the cooled cookies.
- White Chocolate Drizzle: Melt white chocolate and lightly drizzle over your cookies to complement the zesty flavor.
- Try Orange Zest: Swap the lemon zest for orange zest for a slightly sweeter, citrus-forward flavor.
- Make Them Extra Zesty: Add an extra tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or a teaspoon of lemon extract to the dough to amp up the lemon flavor.
- Mix in White Chocolate Chips: For a touch of creamy sweetness, mix in white chocolate chips to the cookie dough before baking.
- Add a touch of crunch: Stir in ½ cup of chopped nuts or white chocolate chips for added texture.
Storage Suggestions
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to a week. They stay soft and chewy!
- Freezing Dough: You can freeze the unbaked dough balls (coated in sugar) for up to three months. Bake directly from frozen, adding a couple of extra minutes to the bake time.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for 3-6 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
FAQs
Why are my crinkle cookies not crinkling?
The key to crinkles lies in the baking soda and powder working together and rolling the dough in both granulated and powdered sugar. Ensure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature (325°F) to ensure proper spread.
How do I increase lemon flavor in cookies?
Add ½ teaspoon of lemon extract for a stronger lemon flavor and ensure you’re using fresh lemon juice and zest. Avoid bottled lemon juice, which can be less vibrant.
Can I add a glaze to these cookies?
Absolutely! A simple lemon glaze can elevate these cookies even more. Combine 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice and drizzle over cooled cookies for an added tang.
Can I make these cookies in an air fryer?
While this lemon crinkle cookie recipe is best suited for a traditional oven, you can bake them in small batches in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 325°F, use parchment paper, and bake for about 6-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the edges to ensure they don’t brown too quickly.
Why are my cookies too fluffy/not flat?
Overmixing the dough or adding too much flour can result in fluffy cookies or cookies that do not flatten. Be careful to mix until just combined.
More lemon desserts
- Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe
- Microwave Blueberry Lemon Mug Cake for Two
- Lemon Cheesecake Pie Recipe
- The BEST Lemon Icebox Cake
- No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe
- Lemon Blueberry Bread w/ Lemon Glaze
Did You Make This Lemon Crinkle Cookie Recipe?
Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram or Facebook, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmomrecipes!
Print
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2.5 dozen 1x
- Category: desserts
- Method: oven
Description
These Lemon Crinkle Cookies are chewy, zesty and bursting with fresh lemon flavor, and are as pretty as they are delicious.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (or the juice of one lemon)
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest (or the zest of one lemon)
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/2 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sugar Coating:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper. Set the sheet pan aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until all of the ingredients are completely incorporated. Set aside.
- Use a standing mixer or hand mixer and a large bowl, beat together the salted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- On low speed, beat in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, lime juice, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add in the flour mixture and continue to mix on low until everything is just incorporated.
- The dough will be a little sticky, so you can refrigerate it for 15 minutes or even overnight if you like.
- Place powdered sugar into a bowl and the granulated sugar into a separate bowl. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, measure out the dough, roll into smooth ball (about the size of a walnut) and drop into the granulated sugar and coat. Then drop the balls into the powdered sugar to coat them and transfer dough to the prepared sheet pan.
- Once all the dough is rolled and coated, bake in the oven for 11-13 minutes or until you notice visible cracks and the edges are just starting to brown.
- Let cookies sit on the baking sheet on a cooling rack for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 157
- Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Protein: 1
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