Lemon Sugar Cookies
These Lemon Sugar Cookies are one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes! They've been tested and perfected to deliver thick, soft, chewy, bakery-style cookies bursting with bright, sweet-tart lemon flavor in every bite, all topped with an irresistible lemon cream cheese glaze!
Servings 30 cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 3 cups (360g) all purpose flour (measured correctly, see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 TBS/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
Cream Cheese Lemon Glaze
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 oz. block style full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two half sheet pans with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.
- Dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: Add the butter, sugar, and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a couple times. (May use hand mixer.)
- Add the wet ingredients: Add the egg and egg yolk, and beat to combine. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice, and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients. Gradually beat in the flour mixture ingredients on low speed, don’t overmix. The dough will be sticky.
- Make dough balls: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, roll 12 dough balls and space them two inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 15-30 minutes while you fill the next cookie sheet.
- Bake: Chill the second cookie sheet for 15 minutes while you bake the first batch. Bake the chilled dough balls for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are barely golden and the center is just set. Do not over-bake.
- Cool: Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Add Glaze only when completely cooled.
- Make Glaze: While the cookies are cooling, make the Glaze. Beat the butter and cream cheese with a handheld mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt, and beat until smooth.
- Glaze cookies: Using an offset spatula, top each cookie with the Glaze. The Glaze will be runny at first but will harden slightly over time. Dig in!