These glazed lemon sugar cookies are bright and buttery with a pop of fresh citrus! They're easy to make and beautiful too. Perfect for spring celebrations like Easter and bridal showers.
Why You'll Love Them:
When spring hits, I crave lemon desserts. I want ALL things bright, tart, and tangy. These lemon sugar cookies are the perfect combo of buttery cookie meets fresh citrus.
These glazed lemon cookies are a summer breeze to make, but a quick glaze and specks of lemon zest make them look elegant.
They're perfect for spring parties but easy enough for any old night of the week. Lemon lovers will adore them!
Key Ingredients:
- Butter - I buy unsalted so I can control the amount of salt. If you only have salted, just omit the salt from this recipe. I buy my butter in bulk at Costco so I rarely run out. I put one pound in the fridge and 3 pounds in the freezer.
- Sugar - For sweetness! I didn't use brown sugar because I didn't want to add any subtle toffee notes. This recipe is distinctly lemon + vanilla.
- Eggs - You need two large eggs.
- Lemons - Both the juice and zest. I always buy fresh lemons, not bottled juice.
- All-purpose flour - Spoon and level it into the measuring cup. To do this, use a large spoon to spoon the flour into the cup, then use the flat edge of a butter knife to level the top.
- Baking powder - For a lighter texture!
- Powdered sugar - It dissolves into the lemon juice to make a thin glaze.
How to Make Lemon Cookies:
These cookies are simple to make! Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Mix in the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. The eggs should be room temperature so they mix effortlessly into the dough.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixture. Mix until combined.
- Roll out the cookie dough. Flour a clean counter and roll out to ½ inch thickness.
- Cut out the cookies with a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter. Gather the remaining dough and repeat the process.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet pan.
How to Glaze the Cookies:
The icing takes 2 minutes to make!
- In a medium bowl, combine the icing ingredients.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze. Set them back on the cooling rack.
- If desired, garnish the cookies with lemon zest before the icing sets up.
- The icing will set and "harden" in about an hour.
Expert Tips:
- For the soft and chewy texture that we want for these lemon sugar cookies, make sure not to overmix the dough once the flour is added.
- You can increase the amount of lemon zest for a more intense lemon flavor.
- If using salted butter, omit the added salt. I prefer to use unsalted butter and then be able to control the amount of salt.
- These cookies can absolutely be enjoyed shortly after icing them, but if you want to stack or store them you will want to wait until the icing fully sets.
Storage Tips:
- You can store these lemon cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- They freeze well too! Place them in an even layer on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer to a large zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cookie Recipes:
Lemon Sugar Cookies
These glazed lemon sugar cookies are bright and buttery with a pop of fresh citrus! They're easy to make and beautiful too. Perfect for spring celebrations like Easter and bridal showers.
Equipment
- Sheet pans
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Rolling Pin
- 2.5 inch round cookie cutter
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (see note)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the glaze:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale and creamy. Mix in the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed during the mixing process.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and mix just until combined
- Place the cookie dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll dough to ½-inch thickness. Dip a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter into flour and cut out the cookies. Gently bring together the excess dough and re-roll as needed. Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheets
- Bake for 8 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, water, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Dip the top of each cookie into the icing before placing back onto the cooling rack or onto a parchment lined surface. Garnish with fresh lemon zest while the icing is still wet, if you choose
- The icing should be fully set in about an hour.
Nutrition
Calories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 73mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 205IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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