Soft Chewy Lemon Cookies (Printable Version)
Zesty lemon cookies with a soft, chewy center and crisp edges, ready in 25 minutes — perfect for tea or gatherings.
# Ingredient List:
→ 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:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy.
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 flour is incorporated. Do not overmix.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat evenly, then 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 still appear soft and underbaked.
08 - Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture walks a perfect line between cakey and chewy, and the lemon flavor is assertive without tasting like cleaning product.
- They come together in under 30 minutes, which means you can satisfy a citrus craving almost as fast as you can preheat the oven.
02 -
- Overbaking is the fastest way to ruin these, pull them when centers still look dewy because they continue cooking on the sheet.
- Adding an extra teaspoon of lemon zest transforms these from very good to aggressively citrusy in the best way.
03 -
- Use a microplane for zesting because it captures only the fragrant outer layer and none of the bitterness underneath.
- Freeze the rolled dough balls on a sheet for thirty minutes before baking if you want thicker, more domed cookies that spread less.