Easy Lemon Crinkle Cookies

You’ll love these easy lemon crinkle cookies. They are perfectly sweet, with just the right amount of tart lemon flavor, and they simply melt in your mouth. And what’s even better, they are super easy to make!

Lemon crinkle cookies are the perfect dessert for your Easter brunch, Summer barbecues, cookie exchange parties, or Holiday gifting.

Lemon crinkle cookies recipe

Have you ever made crinkle cookies? Crinkle cookies are basically regular cookies rolled first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar until fully coated. As the dough bakes, it flattens out, and the surface cracks, revealing the cookie underneath and a beautifully unique pattern over the tops. 

Slightly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, each crinkle cookie is packed with a delightful lemony flavor!

Lemon crinkle cookie ingredients

This is a super easy lemon cookie recipe that requires just a handful of ingredients, most of which you likely have in your pantry already. 

• Butter – I always use unsalted butter when it comes to baking. This recipe calls for softened, not melted butter. To get softened butter you have to plan ahead of time. A couple of hours before you want to bake these cookies, place the butter on the counter. If you are in a hurry, you can microwave the butter in 5-second intervals. Please be careful when softening butter this way. It can easily go from solid to melt in a matter of seconds! 
• Lemon juice + zest – Use fresh lemon juice, not bottled. Plus you’ll need a lemon for the zest anyway. I recommend zesting your lemon first, then juicing it.
• Sugar – You will need granulated sugar to bake the cookies and granulated sugar + powdered sugar for coating.
• Egg – At room temperature. If you forget to take it out of the fridge ahead of time, simply place your egg in a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes.
• Flour – All-purpose flour.
• Baking powder – It makes the cookies rise.
• Salt – It brings out all the flavors.

How to make crinkle cookies

• Dry ingredients – Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Wet ingredients – Cream the butter and sugar, then add the egg and lemon juice. Mix until smooth.
• Combine – Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. The cookie dough will be soft and sticky. Don’t panic and definitely don’t add more flour.
• Chill – Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour (you can also keep it in the fridge overnight if you want to bake them the next day). This step makes the sticky cookie dough easier to roll into balls and it also helps bake thicker cookies.
• Shape – Roll about 1 tablespoon of the chilled dough into balls. You should get 27 cookies in total.
• Coat – Roll each ball first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar until it’s fully coated. The granulated sugar prevents the powdered sugar from being absorbed.
• Bake – Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. While baking, the cookies will spread and create gorgeous cracks on top. They’re just so pretty!

A few tips to get perfect results every time!

• Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with the back of a spoon or with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. This method releases the natural oils of the zest and enhances the lemon flavor.
• You can increase the amount of lemon zest according to your taste. But I don’t recommend increasing the amount of juice because it adds liquid to an already soft dough.
• Don’t skip the chilling part!!! In addition to firming up the cookie dough, chilling also ensures that the cookies won’t melt into puddles during baking.
• The cookies will be very soft and delicate directly out of the oven. Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

Recipe variations

• Use different citrus – You can use any type of citrus fruit you like, instead of lemons. Limes, oranges, Meyer lemons are great options, grapefruits work as well!
• Add-ins – Add some white chocolate chips, coconut flakes, or chopped nuts.
• Make them gluten-free – Simply replace all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend (1:1).

Storage and make-ahead

To store– Crinkle cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week

These cookies freeze well, either unbaked or baked.

To freeze unbaked cookies – Freeze the unbaked balls (don’t coat them with sugar)on a baking pan until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. When you want to bake them, let the balls thaw for a few minutes on the counter while the oven pre-heats, then roll in granulated sugar+ powdered sugar and bake. You may need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

To freeze baked cookies – To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely first. Freeze in single layers between sheets of parchment paper for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.

Frequently Asked Questions

More cookie recipes:

• Cantucci (Italian Almond Cookies)
• Coconut Key Lime Crinkle Cookies
• Flourless Chocolate Cookies
• Baci di Dama

More lemony desserts:

• Healthy Lemon Coconut Energy Balls
• Strawberry Lemon Baked Donuts
• Lemon Blueberry Tartlets
• Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

If you make this recipe, please leave a feedback and rating in the comment section below. I always love hearing how it turns out for you! ♡

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HOW TO MAKE IT: Easy Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Chill time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins

Servings: 27 cookies

(5 stars) 14 ratings

You’ll love these easy lemon crinkle cookies. They are perfectly sweet, with just the right amount of tart lemon flavor, and they simply melt in your mouth. And what’s even better, they are super easy to make!

Ingredients

• 2.8 oz. (80 g) unsalted butter softened
• the zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

You will also need:

• powdered sugar
• granulated sugar

Instructions

• Use your fingertips or the back of a spoon to rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar until the sugar is moist and fragrant.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and lemon-sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Add the egg and lemon juice and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. The cookie dough will be sticky.
• Cover the dough tightly with clingfilm and chill for at least 1 hour. You can also keep it in the fridge overnight if you want to bake the cookies the next day.
• Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place some granulated sugar in a shallow, wide bowl or on a plate and put the powdered sugar in a second shallow bowl or on a plate.
• Take the dough out from the fridge and roll it into balls (about 1 tablespoon each ball).
• Roll each ball in granulated sugar first and then in the powdered sugar.
• Place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8/10 minutes.
• Allow the lemon crinkle cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

To store– cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

To freeze unbaked cookies – Freeze the unbaked balls (don’t coat them with sugar) on a baking pan until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. When you want to bake them, let the balls thaw for a few minutes on the counter while the oven pre-heats, then roll in granulated sugar+ powdered sugar and bake. You may need to add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

To freeze baked cookies – To freeze baked cookies, let them cool completely first. Freeze in single layers between sheets of parchment paper for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 77 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12.1 g, Protein: 1.1 g, Fat: 2.7 g, Saturated Fat: 1.7 g, Cholesterol: 13.2 mg, Sodium: 45.4 mg, Fiber: 0.3 g, Sugar: 5.5 g

Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #aseasyasapplepie. We’d love to see what you come up with!

Author: Elena Tomasi

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American