Extra Zesty Lemon Sugar Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
These lemon sugar cookies are the most lemon-flavored sugar cookie recipe available! My special combination of lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and lemon oil packs a powerful punch of lemon flavor perfectly balanced into soft and chewy sugar cookies that will have you reaching for another and another! (This recipe makes 36 cookies)
Servings: 36
Calories: 129kcal
Ingredients
For The Lemon Sugar:
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon zest from two large lemons
For The Cookies:
- 1 cup salted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest from one large lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon oil See Note #1
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice a scant measurement - read directions
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour See Note #2
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
To Make the Lemon Sugar
- Zest the lemons until you have 2 Tablespoons of zest. (I press it lightly into the measuring spoon but don’t cram it down.) Juice the lemons for the cookies.
- Combine the zest and the 2/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the zest is evenly distributed through the sugar. Set the sugar aside.
To Make the Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed or a handheld electric mixer and large mixing bowl on medium-high speed. I usually use my handheld here.
- Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest together until lightly and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Measure the teaspoon of lemon oil and put it into a liquid measuring cup. Add lemon juice to make a ¼ cup of liquid total.
- Add the egg, lemon juice mixture and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix again for 1 minute until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough might look a little bit chunky or curdled. This is normal.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix JUST until combined and no dry streaks remain. Scrape bottom and sides to ensure everything is mixed.
To Form The Cookie Dough Balls
- Scoop the cookie dough into rounded balls about 1.5 tablespoons in size. I use a #40 cookie scoop to do this easily.
- Stir the lemon sugar to break up any clumps. Roll dough balls in lemon sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets 12 cookies to a sheet.
- Bake at 350F for 12-13 minutes until slightly crackly on top and the edges are browning just the least little bit. (Overbaking will make the cookies crunchy instead of chewy.)
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then move to a rack to cool completely
Notes
Note #1: Lemon oil is a different ingredient than lemon extract. It is much stronger. Lemon extract cannot be substituted for lemon oil if you want the same results.
Note #2: This recipe has a lot of liquid compared to an average cookie recipe! Make sure you measure the flour correctly (spoon and level) and that you add the extra 2 Tablespoons. If you live at a higher elevation, you might need a total of 3 cups of flour. You can always bake one cookie by itself the first time you make these just to make sure you have enough flour. If it spreads too much then add more flour to the rest of the dough and bake as directed.
If your cookies don’t spread enough, chances are good you scooped the flour and got too much in the recipe.
Note #2: This recipe has a lot of liquid compared to an average cookie recipe! Make sure you measure the flour correctly (spoon and level) and that you add the extra 2 Tablespoons. If you live at a higher elevation, you might need a total of 3 cups of flour. You can always bake one cookie by itself the first time you make these just to make sure you have enough flour. If it spreads too much then add more flour to the rest of the dough and bake as directed.
If your cookies don’t spread enough, chances are good you scooped the flour and got too much in the recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 0.001g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.01mg