Bake a batch of these Chewy Iced Lemon cookies that have a bold taste of fresh lemon in a soft buttery sugar cookie. A delicious recipe for the lemon lover.
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To make these cookies you just need eight basic ingredients, nothing fancy because these cookies are all about lemons. I just picked these beauties from my backyard tree, they are beautiful this year.
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Another reason to love these cookies
- The dough and the icing are both simple to make
- This cookie recipe uses a few pantry ingredients.
- No chilling of the dough is required, just mix and bake
- You can freeze the cookie dough for later, and you can freeze the baked and frosted cookies too!
- These are delicious lemon sugar cookies with real lemon.
Cookie Tips
If you like chewy cookies there are a few tricks to help you get that perfect chewy cookie texture.
- Use brown sugar which has more moisture than white sugar
- Add a small amount of corn syrup, honey, golden syrup, or which attracts moisture
- Watch your baking time. Remove the cookies when they are still soft in the center, otherwise, your cookies are going to be crispy because you baked the moisture out of the cookie
Cookie Ingredients
Simple ingredients for a soft lemon cookie
- Butter - I love unsalted butter in my baked goods for its great flavor. Make sure it is softened and at room temperature.
- Brown Sugar - Using brown sugar helps make these cookies chewy and of course to sweeten them.
- Light corn syrup - this also adds moisture to the texture of the cookie.
- Granulated Sugar - I use this to roll the cookies in before they get baked.
- Flour - I use all-purpose flour to give the cookie structure.
- Baking soda - This will react with the acid in the lemon and help the cookie rise.
- Salt - just a little bit adds flavor.
- Lemons - try to use fresh if available for the best lemony flavor. Make sure to check out this guide to learn about the difference in lemon sizes so you can determine how many lemons you need for a recipe.
- Powdered sugar - use this to make the icing
Let's Make Cookies
Step 1. With a stand mixer or a hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter, brown sugar, and the egg to combine for 3-4 minutes, this will add air into the mixture and helps dissolve the sugar.
Step 2. Next, mix in the corn syrup and lemon juice. Make sure to use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Lemon juice tip - You can use store-bought bottled lemon juice as a substitute for fresh lemon juice. But keep in mind that bottled lemon juice can contain preservatives that can affect the lemon taste. Use the same amount of bottled juice as you would for the fresh juice.
Step 3. Finally, mix in all the dry ingredients and the lemon zest. Don't overmix the batter, just make sure all the flour is incorporated.
That's as easy as it gets, you don't even have to chill this dough!
Step 4. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line your cookie sheets with parchment or a Silpat.
Step 5. Fill a small bowl with sugar. Scoop out the lemon cookie dough and roll the balls in the granulated sugar, then place on the cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining dough. I like using a cookie dough scoop to make the dough balls because it's super quick and easy and all the cookies come out the same size.
Ready, set, bake!
Step. 6 Bake for 10 minutes for beautifully browned buttery cookies. Remove from the oven then transfer to a wire rack to cool before frosting.
Step 7. But wait, there's more, learn how to make lemon cookie icing, it's super easy and will add extra lemony flavor on top of the cookies. Just mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy, then ice the cooled cookies. Let the icing set until firm.
More lemon recipes
- If you love cake and lots of lemon flavor this Lemon Bundt Cake will be the perfect dessert for you.
- Another favorite cake is this Raspberry Iced Lemon Ginger Sponge Cake, three flavors in one delicious cake.
- Another easy lemon cookie recipe is these Slice and Bake Lemon Shortbreads. They are tender and lemony and the perfect cookie for tea, coffee, and lemonade.
- And, if cookie baking is your thing check out all the One Hot Oven Cookie Recipes. You will find some delicious and fun cookies to make.
Tools I used to make cookies
- Stand Mixer with a bowl or use a handheld mixer and a large mixing bowl
- Lemon zester
- Lemon reamer
- Measuring cups
- Rubber spatula
- Cookie scoop
- Small bowl
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper or Silpat
Help yourself
Lemon FAQs
The lemon juice is acidic and will add a bitter flavor to a recipe. The lemon zest is from the peel of the lemon and contains citrus oils that have a tangy flavor. So each has a different flavor.
You can buy dried lemon peel in the spice section at the market. If the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, use a ½ teaspoon of dried lemon peel.
You can add some extra lemon juice to the recipe to get more lemony flavor, but this can add a more bitter flavor. For a teaspoon of lemon zest add a tablespoon of lemon juice.
More cookies to bake and eat!
Recipe
Chewy Lemon Cookies
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Ingredients
Chewy Lemon Cookie Dough
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2¼ cups AP flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup lemon zest 2-3 medium sized lemons
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup granulated sugar use this for rolling the cookie in before baking
Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest 1 lemon
Instructions
Making the cookie dough
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and prepare baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. A stand mixer with the paddle attachment works best for this heavy dough.
- Beat in the egg until thoroughly combined then add the corn syrup and lemon juice. Beat again until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and beat on low until combined. Add the lemon zest and mix in just to combine.
- Using a cookie scoop make 1" balls of dough then roll in the sugar to coat. Place the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. To keep the cookies chewy remove from the oven while the centers are still soft. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes then move to a cooling rack.
Making the Lemon Glaze
- Stir all the glaze ingredients together until smooth. If the glaze is too thick add additional amounts of lemon juice. You do want this glaze to be fairly thick so it doesn't run off the cookie.
- Once the cookies have cooled ice the top of the cookies with the glaze.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for several days.
Notes
- Take the cookies out of the oven while the centers are still soft. The cookies will continue to bake for a minute longer out of the oven.
- You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough. Form the cookie dough balls and place them on a tray in the freezer. Once frozen place the dough balls in a plastic bag or freezer container. When you are ready to bake the cookies, remove them from the freezer and let sit for 15 minutes, then bake.
- You can freeze the baked and glazed cookies. Once the cookies have been baked and glazed and the glaze has hardened on the cookie, place the cookies in a plastic bag or freezer container. When ready to eat remove from the freezer and let sit for one hour.
Nutrition
Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say Hello, or just let me know what you are baking these days; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? My contact information is on my About page, and I’ll be happy to help.
About Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Elizabeth
I badly want to try these as this lemon glaze sounds so good. I’m sure the cookies are easily vegan Isabel, right?
Nancy
These cookies were so incredibly tasty. Will be making them again very soon. Thanks!
Freya
The more lemon the better! Ship bought cookies never seem lemony enough but these seem perfectly zesty for me!
Courtney
I also love lemon so it's no surprise I loved these cookies! The lemon glaze is a nice touch too.
Sue
Sweet plus Lemon is the best flavor combo ever!!
Chris Collins
I'm a sucker for a cookie so these have got my name all over them! Can't wait to try the recipe 🙂
rika
My kids and I love everything with lemon flavor! These cookies look good and chewy!
Jere Cassidy
They are delicious. My kids love lemons, that's why I have two lemon trees.
Jess
Yes! So glad we are getting into citrus season so I can make these!
veenaazmanov
Delicious Lemon Flavor and delicious cookies are definitely a try recipes. Would love to make my batch and gift it to my loved ones.
Angela
You had me at lemon! Love seeing all that fresh zest ready to add to some amazing cookies. So need to head to the kitchen and bake something lemony now 🙂
Jere Cassidy
I promise your kitchen will smell deliciously lemony.
Fatima Torres
This recipe brought back so many memories from my childhood. My grandmother would make these for me.
Jere Cassidy
Oh, there is nothing better than grandma's cooking and remember what she made for us.
Jacqui DeBono
I love anything with lemon (including your lemon cake recipe!). The perfect cookie is chewy and crunchy, so I cannot wait to try this recipe!
Jere Cassidy
Lemon just makes the best flavor in baked goods. My lemon tree is so heavy with lemons this year.
Deanne
Totally drooling over here at that zesty lemon! These cookies are amazing
Jere Cassidy
Nothing better than drool-worthy cookies.
VANESSA
Can I use something other than corn syrup, like honey or agave syrup?
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Love, love, LOVE these cookies! They look amazing and lemon is one of my faves!
Jere Cassidy
Thanks so much for the kind comment. These lemon cookies are amazing.
Alisa Infanti
I love love love lemon anything and can't wait to try these. I would never have thought about adding corn syrup to cookies to make them chewier. Can't wait to try this trick with a few recipes I have. Thanks for the tip!
Jere Cassidy
The corn syrup really makes a difference for these lemon cookies. I agree I love all things lemony.