Soft Chewy Lemon Cookies (Printable)
Zesty lemon cookies with a tender, chewy center and crisp edges—quick to mix and bake for a citrusy treat.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 2 teaspoons lemon zest
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ For Rolling
11 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll each ball in the extra granulated sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers remain soft.
08 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The texture lands somewhere between a sugar cookie and a cloud, soft in the center with edges that barely hold their shape.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest in the dough mean the citrus flavor is genuine and bright, nothing like the artificial stuff from a bottle.
- They come together in about twenty five minutes from bowl to cooling rack, which makes them dangerously easy to justify on any weeknight.
02 -
- Overbaking is the single biggest threat to these cookies, so pull them from the oven the moment the edges look set even if the center seems too soft, because they firm up as they cool.
- Room temperature butter is nonnegotiable here, as cold butter leaves lumps that spread unevenly and melted butter makes the dough greasy and flat.
03 -
- Zest the lemon directly into the sugar and rub it together with your fingers before creaming with butter, because this releases the essential oils and distributes lemon flavor more evenly through every single cookie.
- Chill the rolled dough balls for fifteen minutes in the fridge before baking if your kitchen is warm, as this prevents excessive spreading and keeps the centers thick and chewy.