These delectable Iced Lemon Cookies are soft 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.
Calling all lemon lovers. Try this simple, tasty lemon cookie recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth. You can whip up a batch of these delectable treats in no time with just a few ingredients. These fun and family-friendly cookies are a cinch to pull together. I love to serve these at my summer parties with cream cheese brownies, Texas sheet cake, strawberry rhubarb crisp, and blueberry cobbler.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Butter: Unsalted or salted. If using salted, omit the added salt from the recipe.
- Lemons: Use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, as fresh lemons are flavor-packed and make quite the difference.
- Vanilla Extract: Use the pure stuff, please.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar.
- Milk: Use whole or 2% milk.
How to Make Lemon Cookies
This is a summary; for the full list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
- Use a cookie scoop to place the dough on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Bake for 10 minutes and cool.
- Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk.
- Spoon the icing over the fully cooled cookies.
Cook’s Tips
- 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 5 minutes on medium using a mixer or stand mixer.
- 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 lets you test the baking time. If the dough spreads too much, refrigerate for about 40 minutes and try again.
- These cookies work well scooped with a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, but you can also roll them into about a one-inch ball by hand.
- If possible, ice the cookies the same day you bake them, as it helps keep the cookie’s texture soft.
- If the icing is too thick, add ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice at a time to thin it; if it is too thin, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time to thicken it.
How to Freeze this Lemon Cookie Dough
If you plan on baking the whole batch of cookies off sometime in the near future, freeze it in a solid mass wrapped with several layers of plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container. Or put it in a double-wrapped freezer zipper bag. The dough freezes well for up to 3 months. To thaw, put it in the fridge for a couple of days, until soft enough to scoop or roll.
If you plan to bake them in small portions, scoop them onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Then, place them in the freezer until the balls are frozen. This technique is commonly called flash freezing. Place the balls in a freezer bag, then put 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 need by estimating the percentage of cookies you have baked off. Prepare that percentage of icing and ice fully cooled cookies.
More Lemon Recipes
Iced Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Icing
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons milk, whole or 2%
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, using a stand or hand mixer on medium speed. Turn the mixer to low. Add egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract; mix just until incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts. Mix on low just until incorporated.
- Using 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop, place dough on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned on the edges. Cool on cookie cooling racks.
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk, and lemon zest.
- Spoon the icing onto the fully cooled cookies and place them on cookie cooling racks to set.
Notes
- Once the icing sets, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freeze the cookies in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between the layers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature overnight.
Nutrition
Are you on the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Rebecca Sands
These are my all time favorite cookies! I bring them into work all the time because everyone requests them!
Beth Pierce
So happy that everyone likes them!
Shelby Meyers
These cookies are bright and bursting with lemon flavor! Love them as a springtime treat! Everyone loved them!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Shelby! We love them too!
Nadia K
Light, refreshing and delicious, these lemon cookies are going on my Spring baking list right now. Yummy!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Nadia! I am so glad that you like them!
Harriet Young
Really tasty lemon cookies with lots of flavor. Great recipe, thank you!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Harriet!
Vanessa S
I love lemon baked goods so I knew I had to try these and they definitely did not disappoint! Yum.
Beth Pierce
We love them too Vanessa! You should check out my other lemon recipes.
Mio
Just made these last night they are super tasty! Absolutely love them!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Mio! We love them too!
Linda Chambless
Question…. does this icing cool in a hardened state – making them ‘stackable’ for storage/transport? Or, do they need to be kept and stored in a single layer?
I know, I know…. there may not be any left for long distance sharing…
Thanks!
Beth Pierce
If my memory serves me right it does harden but it has been a while since I made these. Sorry about the delayed response. I am sure that the cookies have been consumed by now.
Cis ramsdell
I just made these and the icing set up quite nicely and within a couple of hours to make them stackable. I did add a bit more powdered sugar.
Maria
I just baked these cookies today and they are sooooooo good. So simple and easy to make and they came out delicious. One of my favorite things I’ve baked… and I bake a lot! Thanks for a great recipe, I’m definitely saving this one to make again. 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Maria! I am so glad that you liked them.
Jamie Rainwater
Best cookies I’ve ever made! Making another batch less than a week later. I have too many away!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Jamie! So glad that you like them. I just love lemon desserts!
Jeanne
What would you recommend as a sub to be gluten free?
Beth Pierce
I am not familiar with gluten free cooking so maybe the readers can help.
Onita
I would try these using any gluten free flour. I use White Gold gluten free for all by baking.