Crackly and chewy, these lemon crinkle cookies are a burst of sunshine. Soft, lemony, and bright, these lemon cookies are totally irresistible!
Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction, these lemon crinkle cookies are a spot of refreshing air, especially after a month of deep, chocolatey, and cinnamon flavors!
The perfect balance of citrus and sweetness, these soft lemon cookies are absolutely lovely to nibble on while you bask in the sun, sipping a cup of hot tea. They fit right into your festive Holiday cookie box! I promise these melt in the mouth, brighten up any occasion, and leave your taste buds singing with delight!
Love lemony flavor in your cookies? Then you must try my lemon crescent cookies, almond cinnamon cookies, and Christmas wreath cookies!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨ Bright lemon flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest!
✨ Soft, cake-like texture! Thanks to the cornstarch, these lemon cookies are tender and melt-in-your-mouth!
✨ The sugary, crackly tops make these lemon crinkle cookies so pretty and festive.
✨ Make-ahead friendly - The dough stays well for up to 3 days in the fridge, so you can make the cookies on demand!
✨ Easy to make! With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, these soft lemon cookies are easy to master, even for a beginner baker!
Reader Love ❤️
Loved by my family …I was a bit apprehensive as they were quite different from the choco chip
variety that kids love but they were a hit. - Pratibha
Recipe Ingredients
Butter: Make sure the butter is softened for the best texture. You can use salted or unsalted butter. Do add a quarter teaspoon of salt if using unsalted.
Cornstarch: Also known as cornflour. This is what makes the lemon crinkle cookies soft and tender.
Sugar: I used caster sugar as it blends easily. But cane, raw or granulated, works like a charm too in this recipe for lemon sugar cookies. We also use icing sugar ( powdered sugar) and granulated sugar for coating the dough balls, like I did for my gingerbread kiss cookies.
Flour: All-purpose flour makes the tenderest cookies, so that’s what I go for. Buckwheat flour is a great option for gluten-free crinkle cookies.
Egg: For structure and richness. To make eggless lemon crinkle cookies, swap the egg with yogurt, as I did for my gingerbread crinkle cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies.
Lemon: The best choice for these Christmas cookies with lemon is fresh lemon juice and freshly grated zest. Avoid bottled lemon juice. Use a hefty amount, and if you want an extra punch of lemony flavor, add a good-quality lemon extract.
Please see the recipe card for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Step 1: Whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt (if using unsalted butter). Set aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in lemon juice, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing with a spatula just until you have a soft cookie dough.
Step 4: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Step 5: When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven and line a baking tray with Silpat or parchment paper.
Step 6: Take tablespoon-sized portions of chilled dough (or scoop them using an ice cream scoop) and roll them into 1-inch balls using your palms.
Step 7: Coat each ball in granulated sugar and then icing sugar liberally.
Step 8: Place the sugar-coated lemon holiday cookies on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie.
Step 9: Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are crackly.
Step 10: Cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container.
Pro Tips
- Want the signature crackly tops of crinkle cookies? Chill the dough. If you’re short on time, even 30 minutes will do. Or, you can make the cookie dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
- Chilling also helps with the easier rolling of the cookie dough balls in sugar.
- Although it’s optional, I like to roll the cookies in granulated sugar first and then give the lemon crinkles an icing sugar-coating. Why? It prevents the icing sugar from being absorbed into the dough while baking.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. Keep in mind that they harden as they cool, and you want that soft, cakey texture in the center.
- You can freeze lemon-crinkle cookie dough for up to a month. When you’re ready to bake, thaw the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
How To Store Lemon Crinkle Cookies
These cookies stay well for 4-5 days in an air-tight container.
Baked cookies can also be frozen, in an airtight container, for up to 1 month.
You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 1 month. Scoop out the dough and roll it into balls. Place on a tray and freeze for 1-2 hours. Transfer the frozen cookie dough into a freezer-friendly container or bag. Thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, roll in sugars, and bake.
📖 Recipe
Soft Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Cornstarch / Corn flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt Omit if using salted butter
- 3/4 cup Butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Caster sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 cup Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Lemon zest
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp Granulated sugar For rolling
- 1/2 cup Icing sugar For rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt ( if using).
- In another bowl, beat together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture and combine using a spatula until a soft dough is formed.
- Refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 3 hours. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days at this point.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F and line a baking tray with Silpat or parchment paper.
- Scoop out the dough into 1" balls and coat in granulated sugar, then liberally in icing sugar.
- Place on the prepared tray and bake at 180 C/ 350 F for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of cookies are slightly firm to the touch.
- Let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack.
- Cool completely before transferring them to an air-tight container. Enjoy!
- These cookies will stay well for about 10 days.
Video
Notes
- Want the signature crackly tops of crinkle cookies? Chill the dough. If you’re short on time, even 30 minutes will do. Or, you can make the cookie dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
- Chilling also helps with the easier rolling of the cookie dough balls in sugar.
- Although it’s optional, I like to roll the cookies in granulated sugar first and then give the lemon crinkles an icing sugar-coating. Why? It prevents the icing sugar from being absorbed into the dough while baking.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. Keep in mind that they harden as they cool, and you want that soft, cakey texture in the center.
- You can freeze lemon-crinkle cookie dough for up to a month. When you’re ready to bake, thaw the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Jenny May says
Love this very”lemony”cookie. It came together easily. I like to include a citrusy flavor among all the chocolate flavors in my holiday cookie selections. This one offers a burst of lemon! Will definitely be making this one again.
Natasha Minocha says
So happy to hear this, Jenny! Thank you so much, really appreciate your support. Happy Holidays!
Kay says
Hi,
The cookies look lovely! If I want to swap the egg with yogurt, how much yogurt do I need to use? And does it give the same texture as with egg?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Kay, thank you! I haven't tried this recipe without egg, but you could start with 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt. Add more if the dough feels too dry. Hope the cookies turn out fabulous, I'd love to hear from you. Happy baking!
Pratibha j Sharma says
Loved by my family …I was a bit apprehensive as they were quite different from the choco chip
variety that kids love but they were a hit
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you so much! Really appreciate your wonderful feedback!