Go Back

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Lemon sugar cookies with soft, pillowy centers and crackled sugary tops, baked until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. Finished with a bright lemon glaze drizzled over each cookie for a vivid, dripping finish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling dough 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

All-purpose flour
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
Leaveners and salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Butter
  • 1 lb butter, softened softened (about 65–70°F/18–21°C)
Granulated sugar (dough)
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
Eggs
  • 2 eggs large
Lemon (dough)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
Vanilla
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Extra sugar for rolling
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar use extra as needed for rolling; measure loosely
Lemon glaze
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the lemon cookie dough
  1. Beat butter and granulated sugar until very fluffy, about 2–3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed; this helps the cookies bake up light and tender.
  2. Add eggs, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, then mix until smooth and glossy.
  3. Stir in all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until a dough forms, with no dry streaks remaining.
Chill the dough
  1. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes until firm, so the cookies hold their shape when rolled.
Shape, roll, and bake
  1. Roll the dough into 1.5-inch balls, keeping them uniform so they bake evenly.
  2. Roll each dough ball in extra granulated sugar, then place on parchment-lined baking sheets with spacing between cookies.
  3. Bake at 375°F for 10–12 minutes until edges are just set but centers look underdone, so the cookies stay soft and pillowy.
  4. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets or a rack, until no warmth remains in the centers.
Glaze and set
  1. Whisk powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth, then drizzle over fully cooled cookies.
  2. Let the lemon glaze set for 15 minutes before serving, until the surface looks lightly set but still bright.

Notes

Pro tip: underbake slightly—when the centers still look soft and underdone at 10–12 minutes, they finish setting as they cool, keeping the chewy texture. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; freeze baked cookies (glazed or unglazed) for up to 2 months and thaw before serving. For a gluten-free swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and chill the dough the full 30 minutes for better rolling.