Lemon Crinkle Cookies
These bright and zesty lemon crinkle cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with fresh citrus flavor. Perfect for any occasion, they’re easy to make and even easier to devour! You'll love that it is all made in one bowl, too.
Servings: 20 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
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
