These Old Fashioned Lemon Sugar Cookies are made from scratch! They are a little crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside and are bursting with the fresh flavor of lemons.
These cookies are the perfect summer treat and they are great to make for Mother's Day, birthday parties, baby showers, Church socials or any other social event where you need to bring a easy dessert.
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Old Fashioned Lemon Sugar Cookies Recipe
This is an Old Fashioned Lemon Sugar Cookies recipe and it's made from scratch just like Grandma used to make them! There is nothing like pulling hot homemade cookies out of the oven!
If you need more Lemon dessert ideas try these Baked Lemon Blueberry donuts, Lemon Pound Cake and Lemon Cookie Bars.
Tips For Making Cookies
Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking so the cookies expand slower and hold onto their texture better. This prevents flat cookies.
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat for easier cleanup.
Soften butter to room temperature before using to make it easier to cream with the sugar.
Let the baked cookies cool in the pan for a few minutes before moving to wire rack.
Use a medium cookie scoop to make the cookie dough balls so they will be evenly sized for baking.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- softened unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- large egg
- vanilla extract
- fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- granulated sugar for rolling cookie dough
How To Make Lemon Sugar Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, cream the butter and one cup sugar until the mixture is combined and light in texture.
Pour in wet ingredients starting with the fresh squeezed lemon juice and then the vanilla.
Add in the egg and the lemon zest from 2 lemons and mix until just combined.
Slowly stir in the flour mixture a little at a time, gently mixing as you go until well combined.
Chill the dough in the fridge for at least one hour.
In a small bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup sugar and the zest from the 3rd lemon.
Once dough is chilled use a cookie scoop to form the dough into Tablespoon sized balls and then roll in the sugar/lemon mixture before placing on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the tops are no longer wet looking and cracks start to form.
Allow the cookies to cool for an additional 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack or wax paper.
How To Store Cookies
Store cooled cookies on the counter in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Make sure you completely cool the cookies before storing to prevent condensation.
Helpful Supplies and Tools
Here are a few items that I recommend and use in my kitchen that are helpful when baking. (Affiliate links).
If you bake a lot of cookies this Silpat Cookie Size Baking Mat is a must have! I have it and love it.
OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop is the perfect size for scooping cookie dough. Makes it so easy to get uniform sizes which is better for even cooking.
Every kitchen needs these 100% Cotton Super Soft and Absorbent Dish Towels. I have them in the yellow color and they are good quality.
Baking is a lot more fun wearing one of these cute Vintage Aprons. These also make great gifts.
More Cookie Recipes To Try
If you love cookies you might like these Lemon Pound Cake Cookies, Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies, Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies with Sprinkles and these Pumpkin Spice Maple Sugar Cookies. You can never have too many cookie recipes to try!
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I hope you enjoy these Old Fashioned Lemon Sugar Cookies. They are delicious with a little bit of crunchy on the outside from the sugar coating and the soft, buttery inside full of fresh lemony flavor.
If you try these cookies, please come back and rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you!
Old Fashioned Lemon Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Lemon zest from 3 lemons (separated 2 lemons + 1 lemon)
- ½ granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Set aside.
- In a larger bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup sugar until the mixture is combined and light in texture.
- Pour in wet ingredients starting with the fresh squeezed lemon juice then the vanilla.
- Add in the egg and the lemon zest from 2 lemons and mix until just combined.
- Slowly stir in the flour mixture a little at a time, gently mixing as you go until well combined.
- In a small bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup sugar and the zest from the 3rd lemon.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for at one hour.
- Once dough is chilled use a cookie scoop to form the dough into tablespoon sized balls and then roll in the sugar/lemon mixture before placing on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the tops are no longer wet looking and cracks start to form.
- Allow the cookies to cool for an additional 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack or wax paper.
