Iced Lemon Cookies

Name: Iced Lemon Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup unsalted butter softened; 1 large egg at room temperature; 2 tablespoons lemon zest; 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 1/2 tablespoons milk; 2 tablespoons lemon zest

February 28, 2020 by Beth Pierce 57 Comments

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These delectable Iced Lemon Cookies are soft on the inside with slightly chewy crispy edges, all topped with a four-ingredient light sweet lemon glaze. These spring and summer-friendly cookies are perfect for Easter, barbecues, picnics, potlucks, and baby showers. I love to serve these at my summer shindigs, along with Orange Meringue Cookies and Snickerdoodle Cookies.

Iced Lemon Cookies are soft on the inside with slightly crispy edges all topped with a four ingredient sweet lemon glaze.

Calling all lemon lovers. These lemon cookies with the freshest lemon flavor are for you. These fun family-friendly cookies are a cinch to pull together. The cookie dough can be made up to five days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If a whole batch of cookies is not your thing, freeze the dough for up to three months (see my steps for freezing cookie dough). That way, you can have fresh cookies anytime for the kids after school snacks or for that neighbor who is stopping by for a quick chat.

Iced Lemon Cookies are soft on the inside with slightly crispy edges all topped with a tangy sweet lemon glaze.

How do you make Lemon Cookies?

First, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and set it aside for a few minutes. Next, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This usually takes at least five minutes using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Now add the egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix just until incorporated.

Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three parts. Mix on low just until incorporated. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and beater when needed. Now using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, place the dough on baking sheets covered with parchment paper or silicone mats. Bake for about 10 minutes and cool on cookie cooling racks.

Next, in a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk. Finally, ice the fully-cooled cookies and place them on cookie cooling racks to set.

Family friendly Iced Lemon Cookies are soft on the inside with slightly crispy edges all topped with a sweet lemon glaze.

Always preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes and cover the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about five minutes on medium using a mixer or stand mixer.
Load the cookies on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
These cookies spread, so leave a couple of inches between them when baking,
Make the first batch a test run. Bake one or two cookies. This allows you to test baking time. If the dough spreads too much, refrigerate for about 40 minutes and try again.
Use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, as fresh lemons are flavor-packed, and it makes quite the difference.
These cookies work well scooped with a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, but you can also roll them into about a one-inch ball using your hands.
If possible, ice the cookies the same day that you bake them, as it helps keep the cookie’s texture soft.
If the icing is too thick, add just 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice at a time to thin it, and if it is too thin, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time to thicken it.

These delectable soft lemon cookies are perfect for spring with a super easy four ingredient tangy lemon icing.

If you plan on baking the whole batch of cookies off sometime in the near future, freeze it in a solid lump wrapped with several layers of plastic wrap and placed it in a freezer-safe container. Or place it in a double-wrapped freezer zipper bag. The dough freezes well for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge for a couple of days until soft enough to scoop or roll.

If you plan on baking them off in small portions, then scoop them onto parchment paper-covered baking sheets. Then place them in the freezer until the balls are frozen. This technique is commonly referred to as flash freezing. Now place the balls into a freezer bag and place that bag inside another freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, place the frozen cookie balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or silicone mats. Let them sit and thaw while the oven preheats. Calculate the amount of icing you will need by estimating the percentage of cookies you have baked off. Prepare that percentage of icing and ice fully-cooled cookies.

These family friendly delectable soft lemon cookies are perfect for spring with a super easy four ingredient tangy lemon icing.

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