Description
Delightfully soft and tangy Lemon Crinkle Cookies with a luscious lemon flavor, perfect for lemon lovers seeking a moist and chewy treat coated in sweet confectioners’ sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (225g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh or bottled lemon juice, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (packed Tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 3 Tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar (optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. The mixture may appear curdled, which is normal. Scrape down the bowl sides and bottom.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. The dough will be thick, creamy, and sticky.
- Chill Dough: Cover dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. This chilling step is mandatory to handle the sticky dough properly.
- Prepare for Baking: Remove dough from refrigerator. If chilled longer than 3 hours, let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to make rolling easier. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Roll in Sugar: Scoop and roll about 1 tablespoon (20g) dough balls. For best results, first roll dough balls in granulated sugar, then generously coat with confectioners’ sugar 2-3 times to get a thick coating. Place dough balls 3 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 12–13 minutes until edges look set but centers are soft. If cookies are not spreading by minute 9, remove pan and gently bang baking sheet on counter 2–3 times to encourage spreading, then return to oven.
- Cool: Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will deflate slightly as they cool.
- Store: Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Dough can be chilled for up to 3 days for make-ahead convenience. Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked dough balls (uncoated) also freeze well up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.
- Granulated Sugar Amount: The extra 2 tablespoons sugar helps balance the tart lemon flavor and improves texture.
- Cornstarch: Optional for softer texture but can be omitted without compromising cookie integrity.
- Lemon Juice & Zest: Use 1–2 lemons to get required juice and zest; Meyer lemons can be used for a sweeter, less tart flavor.
- Rolling in Sugar: Rolling the dough balls multiple times in confectioners’ sugar ensures a thick, crackly, sweet coating after baking.
- Spreading Tip: If cookies do not spread naturally in the oven, gently banging the baking sheet helps initiate spreading.
- Special Tools Recommended: Mixing bowls, electric mixer, citrus juicer & zester, baking sheets, silicone mats or parchment paper, cooling rack.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
