Sweet and tart crinkle cookies bursting with bright lemon flavor.
Welcome to Lemon Week! Celebrate summer with an array of bright, sunny lemon recipes — from appetizers and drinks to entrées and desserts.
I adore lemons in almost every dessert form. Their tart, fragrant flavor brightens cookies, cakes, bars, and more.
Over the years I’ve made lemon biscotti, truffles, curd, bars, mousse, and macarons. But lemon cookies were a gap I wanted to fill — something real and lemony without relying on pudding or cake mix.
Lemon Crinkle Cookies — made without pudding or cake mix
I wanted an honest lemon cookie with genuine lemon zest and juice. I found a promising recipe and boosted the lemon so each bite really sings.
These cookies have become a favorite wherever they’re baked. Their bright lemon profile and tender texture earn rave reviews every time.
A friend calls them a cult favorite, and I’ve lost count of how many batches have come out of her oven. They’re reliably delicious and wonderfully lemony.
Powdered sugar + cookie dough = crinkle cookies
Crinkle cookies get their signature look from rolling dough balls in powdered sugar before baking. As they spread, the surface cracks and reveals the cookie beneath, leaving pretty white patches and the characteristic crinkles.
The batter is simple — flour, sugar, butter, egg — but the flavor comes from almost an entire lemon: the zest plus 1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh juice. A few drops of yellow food coloring can enhance the hue, but it’s optional.
How to make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Mix the wet ingredients with the sugar and lemon, then fold in the dry ingredients. Chill the dough for at least an hour. When ready, scoop and roll the dough into balls, then generously coat each ball in powdered sugar so there’s a small mound on top. Bake until the cookies look mostly matte and let them cool briefly on the pan before transferring to a rack.
When the powdered sugar melts and you bite into the cookie, the lemon flavor takes center stage: tart, bright, and balanced by the sweetness. The result is a soft cookie with slightly crisp edges, reminiscent of lemon bars but in cookie form.
These cookies work year-round — they’re great for summer baking and even as a bright addition to holiday cookie trays.
If you want to boost the lemon even more, add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract along with the vanilla. The cookies store well at room temperature for over a week in a tightly sealed container and do not require refrigeration.
Variations and tips
For maximum lemon flavor, add lemon extract. If you plan to chill dough longer than an hour, let it sit at room temperature about 15 minutes before rolling. To reduce mess, roll all dough balls first and then coat them in powdered sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren’t my crinkle cookies crinkling?
If they don’t crack, you may not have used enough powdered sugar. Roll the dough balls generously — a small pile on top helps create pronounced crinkles as the cookie spreads.
What makes crinkles crack?
As the dough spreads and flattens during baking, the powdered sugar cracks, exposing the cookie beneath and creating the cracked appearance.
Why are my crinkles dry?
They may be overbaked. Look for edges that are just set; cookies will appear slightly underbaked and puffy in the center but will finish as they cool.
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- Best Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
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- Lemon Curd Cake
- Fresh Strawberry Bundt Cake
Lemon Crinkle Cookies Recipe
15 mins
14 mins
1 hr
1 hr 29 mins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons (23 mL) fresh lemon juice
- Zest of one lemon
- 4 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest; mix until combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Add food coloring if using. Mix until just combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. If chilled longer than 1 hour, let sit at room temperature about 15 minutes before rolling.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
- Pour powdered sugar onto a small plate. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball generously in powdered sugar so there’s a mound on top. Place up to 8 balls per sheet and chill unused dough.
- Bake 13–14 minutes, or until cookies look mostly matte. Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 10 days. Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months; freeze rolled dough up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to baking time.
Notes
- Room temperature egg: Using a room temperature egg helps it incorporate more easily with room temperature butter.
- Fresh lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. For extra punch, add 1 teaspoon lemon extract.
- Food coloring: Optional; it simply intensifies the yellow color.
- Rolling the dough: Roll all dough balls first, then coat in powdered sugar to minimize mess.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided as a courtesy. Changing ingredients or quantities will alter the estimates.
Calories: 143 kcal |
Carbohydrates: 22 g |
Protein: 1 g |
Fat: 5 g