Description
Delight in these tangy and soft Lemon Crinkle Cookies, featuring a luscious lemon flavor from fresh juice and zest. These cookies have a perfectly chewy center with crinkled, powdered sugar-coated exteriors that make them irresistibly charming and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (225g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh or bottled lemon juice, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 3 Tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar (optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment to beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. The mixture may appear curdled; this is normal. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick, creamy, and sticky.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours up to 3 days. Chilling is essential for workable dough.
- Prepare for Baking: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If chilled longer than 3 hours, let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to ease scooping. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Roll the Dough: Scoop about 1 tablespoon (20g) of dough and roll into balls. Optionally roll dough balls first in granulated sugar to prevent confectioners’ sugar from melting, then roll generously 2-3 times in confectioners’ sugar for a crinkled look. Place the balls 3 inches apart on prepared sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 12–13 minutes until edges are set but centers appear soft. If cookies do not spread by minute 9, remove from oven and gently bang baking sheet on the counter 2–3 times to encourage spreading. Return to oven to finish baking.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. They will slightly deflate as they cool.
- Store: Keep cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- The dough can be chilled up to 3 days for convenience and flavor development.
- Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Unbaked dough balls (without confectioners’ sugar coating) can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw for at least 30 minutes before rolling in sugar and baking.
- If you don’t have cornstarch, you can omit it, though it helps keep cookies soft and thicker.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest deliver the best flavor, but bottled juice can be used as a substitute.
- Feel free to experiment with other citrus fruits, like Meyer lemons, for unique flavor variations.
- Rolling dough in granulated sugar prior to confectioners’ sugar helps prevent melting and ensures a bright crinkle effect.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Let slightly warm dough rest briefly before rolling if chilled over 3 hours for easier handling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
