Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Fresh Lemon
Updated May 15, 2025, Published Mar 26, 2025
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These bright and zesty lemon crinkle cookies with real lemon are soft, chewy, and bursting with fresh citrus flavor. Perfect for any occasion, and you’ll love that the dough comes together in one bowl. Enjoy!
Love easy desserts? Don’t miss my recipes for lemon bars with shortbread crust and my famous chocolate crinkle cookies!
Quick Look at This Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Servings: 18-20 cookies
- Dietary Info: can be made Gluten Free and Dairy Free
- Method: Oven Baked
- Technique: Rub the lemon zest into the sugar, then cream the sugar and eggs. Add the rest of the wet ingredients, then sift the dry ingredients and stir them into the dough. Chill, roll in powdered sugar, and bake.
- Flavor & Texture: These lemon crinkle cookies have a zingy fresh lemon flavor and bright, dye-free yellow color. They strike the perfect balance between sweet and tart, with a soft and chewy texture.
Why You’ll Love this Family Favorite!
I love REAL lemon anything, and this lemon crinkle cookie recipe is the ultimate treat for lemon lovers. Here’s why these lemon cookies are easy to love:
- Light and Refreshing: A bright dessert option that’s not overly heavy or rich.
- Simple and Bright: The magic lies in their simplicity—using fresh lemon zest and juice gives them a bright, natural flavor that’s hard to resist.
- Versatile: Great for the holiday season, parties, or an everyday sweet pick-me-up.
These cookies are often called “snow cookies” in some regions because of their powdered sugar coating. But honestly, they’re so refreshing that you’ll want to make them all year long!
Made With Amore,
“Really yummy!! Everybody loved them. So light and bright! Great summer cookies and easy to make.”
– TLS
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Simple ingredients and quick prep make these a go-to treat. Skip the cake mix cookie recipes and use wholesome ingredients for the best chewy lemon crinkle cookies!
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Adding freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a natural, tangy brightness that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the cookies. This really is the key ingredient in perfect lemon crinkle cookies!
- Fresh Lemon Zest: Using freshly grated lemon zest gives the cookies a bright burst of fresh lemon flavor and aroma.
- Lemon Extract: Adding just a touch of lemon extract intensifies the lemony flavor for an extra punch of citrus. Leave this out if you prefer.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Roll the cookie dough in confectioner’s sugar to create a beautiful crinkled look and to add a touch of sweetness to the exterior.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy Free Version: Swap unsalted butter with coconut oil for a dairy-free option.
- Gluten Free Version: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour for a gluten-free version. (If you want to try a nut flour, use my Italian pistachio cookies!)
- Other Citrus Flavors to Try: Substitute lemon juice and zest with lime or orange for a fun flavor variation. (If you love orange desserts, don’t miss my orange olive oil cake.)
- Add-Ins: Mix in white chocolate chips or shredded coconut for extra texture.
How to Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
This is an easy, one-bowl recipe that’s perfect for whipping up when you crave a chewy lemon cookie! See the photo instructions and printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Rub the sugar and lemon zest with your hands to infuse the sugar.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the eggs and mix until pale yellow and fluffy in texture.
- Pour in the melted butter and mix on low speed until well combined.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Let the dough chill in the fridge for 1 hour and up to overnight.
- Roll the dough ball in the powdered sugar to cover all the cookie dough.
- Place the powdered sugar-covered dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Let them rest on a cooling rack for a few minutes.
- Enjoy these freshly baked lemon crinkle cookies while they’re fresh out of the oven. If you’re adding these to your Christmas cookie tins, try my recipes for Italian wedding cookies, lemon ricotta cookies, and pignoli cookies.
Recipe FAQs
The secret is using fresh lemon zest and juice and giving the dough time to chill. The juice and zest provides a bright, fragrant lemon flavor, while chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape and develop those beautiful crinkles as they bake without spreading too much. A generous coating of powdered sugar before baking is what creates that classic crackled look.
The most common mistake is skipping the chill time, which can cause the cookies to spread too much and lose their shape. Another is using bottled lemon juice instead of fresh. You need the freshly squeezed juice and zest to give the cookies an incredible flavor. Also, be sure to avoid overbaking; these cookies should be soft and tender in the center.
If your cookies aren’t crinkling, the dough may be too warm or not coated heavily enough in powdered sugar. Cold dough going into a hot oven creates steam, which helps the surface crack as the cookies rise. Be sure to roll them generously in powdered sugar and bake straight from the fridge. Also, check to make sure your baking powder is less than 3 months old; if it’s not fresh, the cookies may not rise as well.
Yes! Roll the dough into balls before coating in sugar and freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a bag or container. Roll in sugar and bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
Yes, you can! Prep the dough in advance, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Roll in confectioners’ sugar and bake when ready.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Serving Suggestions
These lemon crinkle cookies made with fresh lemon are perfect to finish a lemon-themed dinner! Enjoy with a main course like my creamy lemon chicken, Tuscan roasted broccoli with Parmesan and lemon, and a fresh green salad with 5-ingredient lemon basil vinaigrette.
Looking for more lemon desserts? You’ll also love my lemon tiramisu and lemon olive oil cake!
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Bring the eggs to room temperature before mixing up the dough. This helps the dough emulsify better and combine smoothly.
- For the brightest, freshest flavor, squeeze the juice from fresh lemons using a citrus reamer or press, and grate the lemon zest with a microplane grater. Then, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar to enhance the flavor.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before baking. This helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading during baking.
- Generously coat in a thick layer of confectioner’s sugar for dramatic crinkles and a sweet finish.
- Be careful not to overbake. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are set but the centers are still soft to keep them chewy.
More Cookie Recipes
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Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- citrus press or reamer
- microplane
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup confectioner's sugar, for rolling cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine sugar and lemon zest. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix the granulated sugar and lemon zest using your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and slightly moist. (You can also use an electric mixer to get the same effect.) This helps infuse the lemon flavor.
- Cream the eggs and sugar. Add the eggs to the lemon sugar and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes on high speed, and combine well.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Add the melted and cooled butter, lemon juice, lemon extract, and vanilla extract to the
- Add the dry ingredients. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt over the top of the bowl with the wet ingredients. Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture using a rubber spatial or dough hook until no streaks of flour remain. The dough will be slightly sticky.
- Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes overnight. This step helps make the dough easier to handle. Do not skip this step.
- Prepare for rolling. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of chilled dough and roll it into a ball.
- Coat with sugar. Roll each dough ball generously in the confectioners’ sugar until fully coated. This creates the signature crinkle effect when baking.
- Bake the cookies. Arrange the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops are slightly puffed and crinkled. The centers should remain soft.
- Cool and enjoy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy when they're still fresh and delicious!
Notes
- Bring the eggs to room temperature before mixing up the dough. This helps the dough emulsify better and combine smoothly.
- For the brightest, freshest flavor, squeeze the juice from fresh lemons using a citrus reamer or press, and grate the lemon zest with a microplane grater. Then, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar to enhance the flavor. You can also add a pinch of citric acid or extra lemon zest to the dough for more tang.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before baking. This helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading during baking.
- Generously coat in a thick layer of confectioner’s sugar for dramatic crinkles and a sweet finish.
- Be careful not to overbake. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges are set but the centers are still soft to keep them chewy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great lemon flavor
Yes! So happy you loved these!
Really yummy!! Everybody loved them. So light and bright! Great summer cookies and easy to make.
My kids and I loved them! I will definitely make them again.
Yay! So happy they were a hit!
Can I use white flour instead of almond?
I am allergic to almonds.
You have truly great recipes.
Thank you๐ป
Ewa
Hi! The lemon crinkle cookies use white flour. Enjoy!
Honestly, these are the best lemon crinkle cookies you’ll ever taste. We can’t get enough of them!