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Lemonade Cookies

ByCaro Jensen
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Sweet, sour, and simply delicious! These melt-in-your-mouth lemonade cookies made with plenty of fresh lemon juice and zest will be a new favorite all year around. Picture-perfect lemon crinkle cookies make a fresh addition to any tea party or Christmas cookie selection.

Close-up of a lemonade cookie.
Table of contents

Sweet and sour: This recipe is packed with real lemon flavors including plenty of lemon juice and zest. Balanced nicely with the sugar they really do taste like lemonade!

Easy crinkle cookie recipe: These melt-in-your-mouth cookies look harder than they are to make. This quick and easy lemon crinkle cookie recipe is easy to follow – even for baking newbies.

Not just for Christmas: Just like German coconut macaroons, lemon snowball cookies are not just for Christmas. They make a delicious dessert or snack all year round.

If you loved this Lemonade Cookie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating below. Thank you!

Close-up of a lemonade cookie.

Lemonade Cookies

Caro Jensen
Melt-in-your-mouth lemonade cookies made with real lemon juice and zest. Sweet, sour, and simply delicious! A fresh addition to your cookie selection all year round!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 16 cookies
Calories 132 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1/3 cup butter softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg medium-sized
  • 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar to coat before baking

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes using an electric mixer or stand mixer until they're light and fluffy. Add the egg, lemon, juice, zest, and mix again for another minute until fully combined.
    1/3 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon zest
  • Add the flour and baking powder to the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is lump-free but be careful to not overmix the dough at this stage. The dough should be similar to playdough and not too sticky at this stage.
    2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt
  • Divide the dough into 40 bite-sized (or golf ball-sized) balls. Roll the dough balls in the confectioners sugar and place them onto the baking trays, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Remove the lemonade cookies from the oven and let them fully cool.
    1/4 cup powdered sugar

Notes

Chill the dough: If the dough is too soft to easily form the balls, simply chill it for 5-10 minutes in the fridge.
Add color: Butter, eggs, and lemons are really yellow here in New Zealand creating a lemon-like color. You can add some food coloring or a pinch of turmeric to color the cookies of needed.
Storage: These cookies can last for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze these cookies for up to 3 months. I recommend storing them unbaked as dough balls without the powdered sugar and bake them on demand. You’ll need to add more time during baking if you’re baking them from frozen.

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 98mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 134IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
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Ingredients and substitutions

  1. Lemon – One large lemon should give you enough juice and zest for these lemon cookies but you may need two. I don’t recommend using lemon extract.
  2. Coconut oil – I use unflavored coconut oil but you can also use other light vegetable oil or butter.
  3. Sugar – Granulated sugar and confectioners sugar balance the sourness of the lemon.
  4. Flour – All-purpose flour or plain flour works best.

Variations

Tropical citrus cookies: Substitute half of the lemon juice and zest with lime and roll in desiccated coconut instead of sugar for a tropical twist.

Lemon glaze: Skip the powdered sugar and add a simple lemon glaze to the cookies once baked. Simply combine 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tbsp of lemon juice.

Curd center: Freeze some lemon curd drops ahead of time (about 1 tsp each) and add them to the center of the dough balls.

How to make lemonade cookies (step-by-step)

Wet ingredients combined in a glass bowl

1. Combine all wet ingredients.

Cookie dough once mixed.

2. Add the dry ingredients.

Cookie being rolled in confectioners sugar.

3. Shape the dough into golf ball size balls and roll them in confectioners sugar.

Unbaked lemonade cookies on a baking sheet.

4. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough.

Caro Jensen

Hi, I'm Caro, I help home chefs get confident cooking delicious food from scratch. Developing recipes from my adopted home in New Zealand, I help you create restaurant-quality dishes, especially lamb, and build a from-scratch lifestyle. I post new recipes here every week but you can connect with me on any of the platforms below. I'd love to hear from you!

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5 from 1 vote