Soft Chewy Lemon Cookies (Print Version)

Soft, chewy lemon cookies with bright citrus and tender centers - ready in minutes for tea or dessert.

# 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball in the extra granulated sugar to coat evenly and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
07 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers remain soft.
08 - Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture lands somewhere between a sugar cookie and a soft shortbread, and that balance is genuinely addictive.
  • Fresh lemon juice and zest in the dough mean the flavor is bright and real, nothing like the artificial taste from a mix.
  • You probably have every ingredient sitting in your kitchen right now, no special grocery run required.
02 -
  • Underbaking by a minute is always better than overbaking because these cookies set up as they cool and nobody likes a dry lemon cookie.
  • Fresh zest makes a dramatically bigger difference than you expect, I once tried substituting dried zest and the flavor was like comparing a whisper to a shout.
03 -
  • Room temperature butter is the single most important detail here, if your butter is cold the cookies will not spread properly and you will end up with thick, uneven rounds.
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them because a juiced lemon is frustratingly difficult to zest and you will end up scraping the bitter white pith.

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