Crackly and chewy, these lemon crinkle cookies are a burst of sunshine. Soft and zinging with fresh lemon, if you’re looking for an easy cookie for Christmas, these are it!
I found this lemon crinkle cookie recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction, and I followed it to the tee. After a month of earthy, deep, chocolatey, and cinnamon flavors, these crinkle cookies with lemon are a spot of refreshing air.
The perfect balance of citrus and sweetness, these cake cookies are absolutely lovely to nibble on while you bask in the sun sipping a cup of hot tea. I promise these melt in the mouth, brighten up any occasion, and leave your taste buds singing with delight!
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WHY TRY THIS LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES RECIPE?
A top-tier festive treat
A lovely addition to the Christmas cookie platter
Perfect for dunking in your favorite hot drink
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 thick and sticky lemon crinkle 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: Arrange 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 have a crackled appearance.
Step 10: Cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container.
BEST LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES TIPS
- Want the signature crackly tops of crinkle cookies? Chill the dough. If you’re short on time, 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 mess-free rolling of the cookie dough balls in sugar.
- Although it’s optional, I always 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 cookies for up to a month. When you’re ready to bake, thaw the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
CRINKLE LEMON COOKIES SUBS & SWAPS
Butter: Make sure the butter is softened for the best texture.
Cornstarch: is what makes the lemon crinkle cookies soft.
Sugar: I used caster sugar. But cane, raw or granulated, works like a charm too in this recipe for lemon crinkle cookies, although it will change the texture.
Flour: All-purpose flour makes the tenderest cookies, so that’s what I go for. But 50% all-purpose and 50% whole-wheat flour work too. Buckwheat flour is a great option for gluten-free crinkle cookies.
Egg: To make eggless lemon crinkle cookies, swap the egg with yogurt, as I did for my gingerbread crinkle cookies.
Lemon: The best choice for these Christmas cookies with lemon is fresh lemon juice and freshly grated zest. Nothing beats them. Don’t skimp on them. Use a hefty amount, and if you want an extra punch of lemony flavor, add a good-quality lemon extract.
EASY LEMON DESSERTS
MORE HOLIDAY COOKIE RECIPES
Biscoff Truffles With Chocolate
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love these soft lemon crinkle cookies as much as we do!
📖 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 soda, 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 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 for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops of cookies are slightly firm to 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.
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!