Just like chocolate crinkle cookies, these lemon crinkle cookies are soft-baked and chewy, coated in confectioners’ sugar, and practically melt in your mouth. Lemon lovers will appreciate that the zingy flavor comes from real fresh lemon, not extract. I call them “very lemon” because there is so much natural lemon flavor!
One reader, Marcia, commented: “Goodbye, favorite bakery. Hello, Sally’s Very Lemon Crinkle Cookies! These are quite possibly the best cookies I have ever baked. Thank you so very much for sharing your recipe. I think I might try this with orange or lime, too. ★★★★★“
I always love a variety of flavors on my assorted holiday cookie platter, and especially like to throw in something unexpected among classics like gingerbread cookies and peanut butter blossoms. In previous years, little lemon coconut drop cookies and apricot thumbprint cookies have been favorites! Today, I’m introducing a zesty (and festive looking!) sweet-tart lemon cookie to your annual lineup of Christmas cookies.
Here’s Why You’ll Love These Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Mouth-watering sweet-tart flavor
- Uses more lemon than other lemon cookie recipes
- No food coloring, no artificial flavoring
- Thick and pillow-soft
- Built-in beauty from the crinkly confectioners’ sugar coating—no icing or decorating
- Warm from the oven, these melt in your mouth
- Feel free to replace the lemon with another citrus fruit, or try using Meyer lemons
Like Chocolate, But With Lemon
Have you made chocolate crinkle cookies, Nutella crinkle cookies, or even chocolate raspberry crinkles before? Like the chocolate version, these lemon crinkle cookies are also thick and soft-baked, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and iconic crinkle surface… but with the fresh flavor of citrus. Unlike these lemon ginger cookies or lemon coconut shortbread cookies, there’s no competing flavor today. This is a purely lemon-flavored cookie, and it’s sure to become a new favorite, no matter the time of year.
Why is it called a crinkle? While snowball cookies and peppermint snowball cookies get their sugar-snow dip after baking, crinkle cookies get a roll in confectioners’ sugar before baking. As the cookies bake, the powdery sugar coating cracks apart as the cookies puff up, leaving a crinkled surface. Hence the cute crinkle name.
What You Need & Why (Ingredients)
The recipe is based off of my coconut lime cookies, and you’ll be happy to find 1/4 cup (60ml) of lemon juice in the dough. Typical lemon cookies have half that amount. Get ready for flavor! Here are some key points about the ingredients you need:
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides the structure of these cookies.
- Cornstarch: The same magic ingredient for softness we use in chewy chocolate chip cookies; you only need a touch and it helps keep the cookies soft.
- Baking Soda: Makes the cookies puff up in the oven, creating that signature crinkle look.
- Salt: Brings out the flavors and balances the sweet.
- Butter: You need proper room temperature butter for this cookie dough, so it will cream nicely with the sugar. If you’re interested in learning more about this crucial step, here is my tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar.
- Sugar: Just the right amount to balance the tangy lemon.
- Egg: Binds the dough together.
- Lemon Juice: I recommend fresh lemon juice for the best flavor, but you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch. Here is a wonderful juicer if you don’t have one and need a recommendation. And make sure you have a zester.
- Lemon Zest: Zest the lemon first, before you cut it and juice it. Much easier than the other way around!
- Vanilla Extract: For extra flavor.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: For rolling.
In Photos: How to Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
After you make the dough, you’ll notice it’s quite soft and fluffy. That’s totally expected, and the dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. I know it’s a long time to wait, but your puffy cookies will be worth it! Go ahead and make the dough the night before if needed.
After chilling, the dough is much easier to work with. Each cookie is about 1 Tablespoon (20g, 5/8 ounce) of chilled dough:
Roll very generously into confectioners’ sugar:
And arrange on a lined baking sheet, and then bake:
#1 Success Tip: Chill the Dough
Chilling the cookie dough for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator is a non-negotiable. These lemon crinkle cookies contain extra liquid from the lemon juice, so the dough is very soft and sticky. The colder and firmer the cookie dough, the less they’ll over-spread. As you might remember from baking these chewy chocolate chip cookies, chilled cookie dough is not only easier to handle, it bakes thicker cookies.
Can I Use Other Citrus Flavors?
Yes! Try these crinkles with grapefruit, orange, or lime. You may also love these similar coconut lime cookies. Note that recipe has a shorter chill time because the dough is filled with coconut, which helps bulk it up.
Or if you can’t get enough lemon flavor, try my lemon thumbprint cookies and lemon shortbread cookies next. These lemon blueberry cookies are also favorites!
Their snowy exterior makes these perfectly festive in the winter months, but the zippy citrus flavor is refreshing year-round! They have become a favorite on my Summer Cookie Recipes collection page. I hope you love these too.
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 35 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This citrus spin on a crinkle cookie is a lemon lover’s delight. Chilling the cookie dough is important because it helps the flavors to develop, prevents spreading, and makes the otherwise sticky cookie dough easy to handle. Make sure you have a citrus juicer and zester.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (225g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh or bottled lemon juice, at room temperature*
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest* (packed Tablespoon, it’s a lot of zest!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 3 Tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar (optional, see step 6)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Mixture will appear curdled and that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Dough is thick, creamy, and sticky.
- Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Roll in sugar: Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls. (Each dough ball should weigh about 20g.) Some readers have had trouble with the confectioners’ sugar melting/absorbing into the cookie dough balls, so to prevent that, you can roll the balls in the granulated sugar first. And then roll each ball very generously in the confectioners’ sugar. If you want lots of confectioners’ sugar to show on the baked cookies, roll 2-3x in sugar! Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
- Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can chill for up to 3 days, so this is a great make-ahead recipe. Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls (that are not coated in confectioners’ sugar) freeze well up to 3 months. When it’s time to bake the cookies, remove them from the freezer and thaw on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Roll into confectioners’ sugar as instructed and bake.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Sheets | Cooling Rack
- Granulated Sugar: 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons is an odd amount, but the cookies really benefit from a little extra sugar because of all the tart lemon juice.
- Cornstarch: If you don’t have cornstarch, you can leave it out. It helps maintain a thicker, softer cookie but test batches without it were still intact and delicious.
- Lemons: I usually need 1–2 lemons to yield 1/4 cup (60ml) juice and 1 Tbsp zest. Feel free to replace the lemon with another citrus fruit, or try using Meyer lemons.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made the lemon cookies. Followed every step but the came out flat! Very flat. They tasted good but very thin & flat.
I plan to bake these for a party and want to prep as much as I can ahead of time. Can I bake the cookies and then freeze them? Has anyone tried this before?
You bet! See recipe notes for make-ahead instructions.
Would Myer lemons not have enough zest for this recipe? I have some fresh ones I’d love to use.
Hi CJB, You can use Meyer lemons!
bLoved the lemon flavor and the soft, pillow like inside. I couldn’t get the beautiful sugar effect in your photos though – maybe I should have rolled them more than once? I rolled once in granulated and then a second time in confectioner’s sugar.
Hi Dianna, these need a very generous roll in confectioners’ sugar to stay visible after baking, so you could definitely try and additional coating next time. So glad you enjoyed these cookies!
I can’t tell you how many compliments I have received on these cookies since I started making them! They are my favorite lemon dessert by far. To make them extra lemony I add about 1/4 cup more lemon juice than it calls for, then I make sure to overly roll them in the granulated sugar and confectioners sugar to make the crinkle. I also lightly push down on the tops of them with a fork when they come out of the oven to help them flatten just a bit.
Is the lemon zest required or can I leave it out? Asking because I don’t have any lemons at home rn.
Hi Jade, you can skip it, but you will lose a lot of lemon flavor. I recommend picking up a few lemons; you won’t regret it!
The Lemon Crinkle Cookie recipe is excellent! I prepared and baked as directed and they turned out wonderful. My husband loves lemon flavor and he really enjoyed these cookies. We’ll make them many more times.
I’ve made these cookies twice now- SO good! My partner doesn’t care for lemon though, and I was considering swapping it with orange zest & juice. Any advice? Do you think it will come out as well?
Hi Erin, you won’t have that tang from the tart lemon, but you could still use orange juice/zest instead. (Or even do half lemon, half lime?)
I have made these before and LOVE it ( and everything else we’ve made from your book and website)! I am hosting a very large family gathering and like to do as much as possible beforehand. Can the dough be kept in the freezer for a week?
Hi Andrea, we’re so glad you love these! Unbaked cookie dough balls (that are not coated in confectioners’ sugar) freeze well up to 3 months.
The cookies didn’t spread quite as much as I expected it to, but holy heck they are so tender and tart and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hello Sally,thanks a lot for sharing your exciting to try cookie recepies! The recepie was clear loved the way you had added pictures and next to cups measurement in g were given.It was quick to make and I usually never go through all long recepie explanation but this time I did and cookies came out the way they should.But really I was hopeing a bit different more chewy texture but have to say next day they tasted better I could finally taste the lemony tangieness you described.Now I will have to give it a try of your chocolate crinkle recepie.
These are great cookies. I have been making lemon cookies for several years using a different recipe that used Lemon Extract instead of fresh lemon juice. Using fresh lemon juice makes a noticeable difference. This is now my go to recipe. I rarely make a single batch. I am making a double batch today. My husband belongs to a fishing club. Every spring they host a crawfish boil and a fish fry in the fall. Last fall I brought lemon cookies to the fish fry. I was planning on making your cream cheese zucchini muffins for the crawfish boil. Yesterday my husband got Text messages from several members asking for the lemon cookies. So I shifted gears and have my ingredients for the cookies ready.
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. A couple of days ago I made your lemon cheesecake. Over the top delicious! I am using your lemon sugar tip in the cookie recipe.
I really like your explanations, tips and tricks. You have improved my understanding of the science of baking.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for the kind note and for making and trusting our recipes, Elizabeth!
Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose? I realized I don’t have any all purpose on hand currently and am craving these haha
Hi Mary, it’s best to wait until you have some all-purpose flour on hand!
I made the lemon crinkle cookies twice. The first time they were extraordinary and because of that my husband asked to take them to a watch party. This time the cookies tasted like a delicious butter cookie but no hint of lemon! I used zest from 2 lemons, and juice from 1.5 lemons. Any suggestions?
Hi Cynthia! Because these cookies are naturally flavored, the lemon flavor will totally depend on the lemons you’re using. Perhaps the lemons for the second batch just weren’t very flavorful? That’s our guess! Thank you for making this recipe!
This was very underwhelming for me. Despite my best efforts rolling in sugar they didn’t get very crackly looking. Cake-like texture and just ok. Usually never go wrong with a Sally recipe but this were a miss for me!
Perfect recipe! Everybody loved!
What a great recipe! It’s the perfect amount of lemon (for people who aren’t crazy about lemon – I thought about adding more because I’d eat all lemon things as sour as possible, but this is a nice lemon flavor overall). I did modify it to be vegan and gluten-free for some friends. I used Cup4Cup for the flour, Earth Balance Original for the butter (just don’t sit it out beforehand – use it immediately out of the fridge), and Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer for the egg. Everything else was the same, including chilling and cooking times, and they turned out perfect!
I have not made these cookies yet, they look delicious. Has anybody tried rolling them in crushed freeze dried strawberries or raspberries?
Hi RJ, We haven’t tried that but let us know if you do!
These cookies are fantastic!! Bursting with flavor, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. I’m obsessed.
These cookies are the best! My family says they are the best cookies I have ever made. Can the dough be frozen in one big piece before rolling into balls? Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!!
Hi Linda, we’re so glad you love these! The may be more difficult to roll into balls that way, but you can try!
These lemon crinkle cookies look fantastic! I am allergic to wheat and wanted to ask if you think I could substitute almond flour instead. Do you think it would be a 1-to-1 swap? Thanks for your help!
Hi Jack! We don’t recommend almond flour as it has very different baking properties and is not usually a 1:1 swap. We haven’t tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, we’d love to know how it goes for you!
Unfortunately they just spread into a big goo. Very disappointing. Dough chilled etc.
Turned out great! Didn’t have lemons but I had limes and still is delicious (:
The flavor of these cookies is amazing! However, when we baked them they spread out and became very chewy. I’m wondering if adjustments need to be made for high altitude. What would your suggestion be for trying these cookies again with adjustments for high altitude baking.
Thank you for giving these cookies a try! I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I made these once and everyone LOVED them!!! Definitely a repeat recipe of mine based on how how many texts I got from friends! Curious about adding freeze dried raspberries or strawberries next time around, if I do, how much should I use? Thanks Sally!
Julia, I think that sounds absolutely fantastic and I would love to try it myself one time. Honestly, I would maybe reduce the flour by just 1 Tablespoon and add 1/3 cup of freeze-dried powder from strawberries or raspberries. I have not tested this, but it is where I would begin.
Thank you! I’m going to try this out today. I’ll let you know how it goes
The raspberry addition was AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much! I got so many compliments on these cookies again. They came out super fluffy and flavorful, The best!!!
Hello! Would adding white chocolate chips affect this?
Hi Carlee, you could try adding a cup of white chocolate chips — white chocolate is lovely with lemon! Let us know if you give it a go.
What would you recommend to make them more tart? Less white sugar? More lemon juice and zest? Is there a way to make the confectionery sugar more tart? Thanks!
Hi Dawn, we don’t recommend reducing the sugar, as it plays an important role in the texture of the cookies. Adding a bit more lemon zest would be our first recommendation. Hope you enjoy these cookies!
Delicious soft, sweet, lemony cookies. They turned out just like the photos! Like a lemon square in cookie form.
I love chocolate crinkle cookies so am very excited to try these..LOVE lemon anything.
I never buy cornstarch and hate to buy a box for 1 teaspoon. Can I substitute?
Hi Kathy, If you don’t have cornstarch, you can leave it out. It helps maintain a thicker, softer cookie but test batches without it were still intact and delicious.
Made these for a going away party for neighbors and everyone (kids and adults alike) could NOT stop raving about these cookies! They came out so soft and pillowy and were delicious. This will be my go-to recipe to use up lemons in the future!
We just finished baking the lemon crinkle cookies for a friend’s art studio reception. So yummy and lemony! This is definitely a keeper recipe!
Awesome! Delicious and zingy. All of your recipes always come out amazing.