Glazed Lemon Cookies
Published on April 28, 2023
Quick Summary
Lemon Cookies- soft, buttery lemon cookies with a simple lemon glaze. These sweet and tart cookies are light, refreshing, and the perfect treat for any occasion.
I love lemon everything: lemon cake, lemon bars, lemon bread, and of course lemon cookies!
If you are a lemon lover like me, get ready to jump for joy because these Glazed Lemon Cookies are DREAMY!
I make these cookies all the time during the spring and summer months. They’re soft and buttery with a hint of lemon and a sweet, tart glaze.
This lemon cookie recipe is a crowd pleaser. The cookies make a great dessert for parties, potlucks, bridal showers, baby showers, or any occasion.
Every day is a good day for lemon cookies! They are guaranteed to brighten any day!
Table of Contents
Cookie Ingredients
You only need a lemon and some basic cookie ingredients to make these bright and cheery cookies. You should have most of these ingredients in your pantry!
- All-purpose flour– fluff, spoon, and level your flour. Never pack flour or you will end up with dry cookies.
- Baking powder– check the date to make sure it is fresh!
- Salt– a must in all cookies!
- Granulated sugar– for sweetness!
- Lemon zest– Always wash lemons before using. Zest with a microplane.
- Unsalted butter– I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in the recipe.
- Egg– Use a large egg, preferably at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract– I always use pure vanilla extract. The good stuff!
- Confectioner’s sugar– Also known as powdered sugar and what we need to make the glaze!
- Lemon juice– Use fresh lemon juice, not the bottled stuff! Juice the lemon you zested!
How to Make Lemon Cookies
Let’s get baking! (Scroll down to the recipe card for ingredients and full recipe).
- Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat. Set aside.
- Whisk your dry ingredients in a small bowl until it’s nice and fluffed. Set aside for later!
- In another small bowl, add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingers until it’s all incorporated and fragrant. Rubbing together the sugar and lemon zest really maximizes the lemon flavor. Don’t skip this step!
- Beat the butter together with the sugar and lemon mixture until it’s light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, then continue beating until everything is smooth.
- Put the mixer on a low speed and slowly beat in the dry ingredients until everything is blended. Don’t over mix! Once the dough forms, turn off the mixer.
- Drop the dough in one-tablespoon scoops onto the baking sheets. Space them 2 inches apart and gently flatten the dough with the palm of your hand or the back of a spoon.
- Bake until the cookies are slightly golden brown. Don’t over bake. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them onto a cooling rack.
- To make the lemon glaze, whisk confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice together until it’s smooth. Dip each cookie top into the glaze and let the cookies sit until the glaze is set.
How to Store
Once the glaze is set, you can store the cookies in an airtight container for up to four days on the counter.
If you are going to stack the cookies, make sure you put a piece of parchment paper or wax paper in between the layers so the cookies don’t stick together.
If you live in a hot and humid location, you might want to store the cookies in the refrigerator, so the glaze stays set.
How to Freeze
You can freeze lemon cookies. Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag. If you are stacking the cookies, make sure you put a piece of parchment paper or wax paper between the layers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Freezing is great if you have an event coming up and you want to get ahead on baking. And let’s be real, having cookies in the freezer is ALWAYS a good idea
More Lemon Cookie Recipes
- Lemon Rosemary Shortbread
- Lemon Bars
- Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- Lemon Cookies with Toasted Coconut Frosting
Glazed Lemon Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4-5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside.
- In a small bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers, until fragrant.
- Beat butter and sugar/lemon mixture together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Slowly beat in flour mixture on low speed until blended. Drop dough by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Gently flatten dough with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are just set and slightly golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes and transfer to cooking racks. Cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Dip each cookie top into the lemon glaze. Let cookies sit until icing has set.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Excellent….All ingredient amounts spot-on! I added mini chocolate chips for my chocoholic husband and used Rumford low sodium baking powder although these are quite low in sodium according to the recipe. Thanks for a recipe I will definitely use again!
Oh my goodness this recipe is PERFECTION. I had been craving lemon cookies for some reason and decided to go with this recipe for the first time. These cookies are flawless. They get crispy around the edges and stay soft and cakey in the middle. And the glaze is just simple and perfect. Exactly what I was looking for and I will be making these ALL THE TIME!! Thank you!!!
I made these over the weekend and gave them out at church on Sunday to bring some sunshine to our LOOOOOOONG MN winter. The cookies were just as described – wonderfully buttery and lemony! The perfect amount of both. I will for SURE make these again and that is saying something for someone who doesn’t think a cookie is much of a cookie unless there is chocolate in it! I noticed on person added mini chocolate chips but I think I will still leave them “chocolateless.” My only struggle was with the lemon zest. I don’t know how many lemons to use to make 2Tbl of zest. I googled around and found someone who said use 2 medium. I was a little short so next time will get 2 large. Even with being short, the flavor was wonderful. Thank you for all the good recipes!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I am glad you loved the cookies.
Thanks Jan! I read your comment and got three small/medium lemons – really appreciate it!
I needed to make dairy free cookies, so I substituted vegan butter sticks for the real butter here. I was a little nervous because these cookies seem to depend on the buttery flavor, but they were FANTASTIC! Very well received by a few different groups of all ages! I highly recommend these cookies, even with a non-dairy butter replacement.
These cookies are delicious, and so easy to make!
So happy you loved them!
These are delightful. Too easy and too good. Followed recipe exactly.
I would like to freeze a batch of lemon cookies. Should I glaze them before or after freezing?
Fantastic cookies. Only difference I made was using Country Crock Plant Butter with Olive Oil. I try to get not so much saturated fat.
Thank you for all the great recipes.
Glad you loved the cookies!
I made these for my teen grandkids. Loved by the entire family! Great recipe and easy to make.
Made these yesterday as part of a cookie box and they are so good! I had tried another recipe first which was so bland and dry. I knew I couldn’t serve them. I made yours on a whim with fingers crossed and was so pleased! Bonus: no weird ingredients, so I didn’t have to run out last minute to get anything else.
These were easy to make with just a bowl and a fork (my preferred utensil for cookie mixing), and baked up into perfectly round puffy little cookies. I sprinkled the glaze with little white nonpareils and they looked so pretty.
Best part is they actually taste delicious. I ate 3 in a row because they are so light with a lovely lemony flavor. My recipients loved them too.
Thanks for another reliable, easy, perfect recipe!
You are welcome!
hi im very excited to make these for a picnic! i’m just curious if adding a tiny bit of strawberry purée would enhance these or be overpowering? maybe in the glaze?
I haven’t tried the recipe with strawberry. Sounds good though.
I have made these cookies to the exact recipe countless times since 2016. They have become notorious in my family as THE lemon cookies. I love lemon which is why I initially sought out this recipe but the flavor is buttery sweet enough to please even my non-lemon obsessed family members. I have taken these to baby showers, wedding showers and family dinners and they are always well received. I have subbed lemon for orange/lime juice and zest in a pinch but I prefer the lemon. I have doubled it and frozen a batch. I have doubled it and shared a batch. I have doubled it and watched all 6 dozen tiny perfect cookies get gobbled up. This recipe is one you’ll need to save.
Thanks for your comment. I am so glad you love the cookies.
I tried 4 other lemon cookie recipes this week, 3 found online and one from a “Best Cookies” cookbook. I bake a lot, and tho they all turned out OK, none were really good, and not good enough to take as requested to a party tomorrow night. So, your recipe was my last try to get a really, really good lemon cookie. Thank You!! These are great. Definitely worth keeping your recipe and will make again. My only change was doubling the lemon zest to 4 TB. Very tasty, moist, east to handle. Know my friends will enjoy these!
I am so glad you loved my recipe.
I had a great time making it, but the end result turned out to be a bit dry. I realized that I skipped the glaze, which could be the reason for it. Nonetheless, it was a decent outcome.
Extremely dry and disappointing. Glaze was disgusting and bitter.
Absolutely delish!! I was looking for a light, summer cookie and I found it! They didn’t last long, will double recipe next time 🙂
They are so delicious.
My go to recipe for any occasion!!
Yay!
A friend gave us some lemons so I made these wonderful cookies today — been wanting to try this recipe as my family loves lemon baked goods. They are out of this world, and the recipe turns out perfectly exactly as written (not overly sweet tasting). This is definitely going to be a repeat recipe, and it’s a great one to take when attending potlucks, etc.
I am so glad you loved the cookies! I make them all of the time.
I made these exactly as instructed and they came out good. A little too olive oil tasting for me but still very good nonetheless. Next time I might try melted butter, but aside from that wouldn’t change anything else. The raw consistency of the cookie dough / batter is surprising loose so I was pleasantly surprised at the baked consistency, which is chewy and heavenly. The lemon glaze makes it all pop. Definitely a do-over. Thank you for sharing.
These cookies are delicious and so easy to make. I will definitely be making them again.
Yay!
These were a hit at two parties. I asked people to rate and should I keep the recipe or toss? Raited best possible and a keeper. I followed recipe exactly, but mine were flat. Still tasted good. Couldn’t dip in glaze so I spread on with icing knife. What made my cookies go flat?
Yahoo! Was your butter too warm?