Lemon Crinkle Cookies — Lemon crinkles are pillowy soft on the inside and chewy on the outside, with slightly crispy edges from the powdered sugar coating! They taste like lemon bars, but in cookie form! The dough is flavored with lemon three ways and is perfect for holiday gatherings, Easter, Mother’s day, or whenever you’re craving an EASY lemon dessert 🍋!
Table of Contents
Easy Recipe for Lemon Crinkle Cookies
If you love lemon bars, you’re going to love these lemon crinkles! They’re very lemony thanks to the combination of lemon juice, zest, and lemon extract. Using just one wouldn’t make the cookies taste very lemony, but when used together they’re a triple threat of lemon flavor!
Before baking, the cookie dough balls are rolled in a powdered sugar coating, and as the cookies expand in the oven they develop that signature crinkle effect.
Before the powdered sugar, I also roll them in granulated sugar which makes the very edges of the cookies crisp up. You feel a slight crunch as you bite into the cookies, but the centers remain pillowy soft.
There’s also a little honey and cornstarch in the cookie dough. Both work to keep the lemon crinkle cookies super soft in the middle with chewy edges. I’ve made so many cornstarch cookies over the years, and it’s a tried and true baking trick I swear by!
Lemon-flavored desserts like these lemon crinkles are especially perfect for spring gatherings, special holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day, or summer barbecues.
I’ve also found that lemon cookies are a huge hit around Christmas and make excellent Christmas cookies and cookie exchange cookies. I think people get tired of heavier tasting chocolate or other decadent buttery cookies by the time Christmas Day rolls around and these are like a ray of sunshine! But if you need it, I have a great Chocolate Crinkle Cookies recipe.
If you’re looking for an easy lemon dessert for your next gathering, you need to make this lemon crinkle cookie recipe!
Love Lemon Cookies? Try These Recipes Next!
My Classic Lemon Cookies and Cream Cheese Lemon Cookies have both been reader favorites for years. After you make these crinkle cookies, try another of my lemon cookie recipes!
Ingredients for Lemon Crinkles
This is a no-frills crinkle cookie recipe that uses basic pantry staples. You’ll need the following:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Lemon extract (such as McCormick or Nielsen-Massey)
- Lemon zest
- Honey
- Yellow food color, optional but recommended (I prefer gel because you need less but liquid works)
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Lemon juice
- Confectioners’ sugar
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Lemon crinkle cookie dough comes together much like any other recipe. Be sure to allot enough time for the dough to chill before baking it — chilling the dough is a must!
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, granulated and brown sugar, egg, and lemon extract.
- Add the lemon zest, honey, and optional yellow food coloring.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the lemon juice and a tip – I like to squeeze it directly over the baking soda to make sure it bubbles up — that means it’s still good – and mix to combine the flour mixture with the wet ingredients.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place in the fridge, and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon each. A small cookie scoop is handy for this!
- Place granulated sugar and powdered sugar in a medium bowl, roll the dough balls through each, and place on a parchment paper-lined or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the lemon crinkles just until the edges are set and the centers are barely set.
- Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Tip
If you like a stronger powdered sugar look on your lemon crinkles, coat the raw cookie dough balls in the powdered sugar mixture two to three times. (I rolled them in powdered sugar just once, because I don’t have the time or patience to do it more than that!)
Recipe Tips
Use fresh lemon juice. You’ll need the lemon zest anyways, so go ahead and buy a fresh lemon for this recipe rather than using bottled lemon juice.
Use the amount of lemon extract called for. In this case, it’s 1 tablespoon not 1 teaspoon. I also call for a large amount of lemon extract in my Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf recipe.
- I find that 1 tbsp gives you the perfect lemony flavor in these cookies and using less simply does not. So don’t skimp.
- If you’d like an even stronger lemon flavor, do NOT add more lemon extract (cookies will taste chemically) nor more lemon juice (it’s acidic and will affect the texture of the cookies). Instead, add extra lemon zest for lemon flavor. However, make the recipe once as written and then start playing around with it.
Use two types of sugar when rolling the cookie dough balls. Powdered sugar is what gives lemon crinkle cookies their crinkly appearance, but the addition of granulated sugar makes the very edges of the cookies crisp up in the oven. The crisp edges paired with the soft centers is divine!
Use both honey and cornstarch in the cookie dough. Both work to make the cookies bakery-style soft. Honey also adds moisture and prevents the cookie dough from drying out.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but the cookies won’t be yellow in color if you omit the liquid food coloring.
I prefer gel because you need less. Although old-fashioned liquid is fine, too.
Probably yes, but the cookies won’t be as soft. Honey is also hygroscopic (attracts water) so it helps the cookies stay moister and denser without becoming cakey.
It makes them soft batch-style soft. You only need 2 teaspoons to make this recipe, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it makes a huge difference!
Yes, the baked cookies will last for up to 5 days on your counter and can also be frozen for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the raw cookie dough balls for up to 3 months (wait to roll in sugar until you bake them).
By adding more lemon zest. Do not add more lemon juice or extract; lemon juice is acidic and will affect the texture of the cookie dough, and too much lemon extract makes the cookies taste artificial.
There are two brands I can stand behind. The less expensive is McCormick and readily found in most grocery store baking aisles. The other is Nielsen-Massey, maker of very fine extracts and baking supplies. Both will lend great results, without tasting artificial in my experience. There’s no vanilla extract in these cookies.
If your lemon crinkles didn’t crinkle, it’s probably because the cookie dough was too warm. You must let the dough chill in the fridge for at least an hour before scooping and baking.
If during the baking process your dough balls aren’t spreading after baking for about 7-8 minutes, take the baking sheet out of the oven and let it nearly “slam” on your counter or burner area. Don’t actually slam it, but give let the baking sheet fall by a few inches out of your hands. This will encourage the dough balls to relax and spread more.
I don’t see why not! Orange crinkle cookies would be great (use orange zest, juice, and extract) and lime would also be a very fun option if like like lime flavor rather than lemon flavour. I have Lime Mojito Cookies which are so unique, but so good!
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Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon extract*
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon yellow food color**, optional but recommended and as desired
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Rolling
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Cookies
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and handheld electric mixer), add the butter, sugars, egg, lemon extract* (See Notes), and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the lemon zest (tip – make sure to only use the bright yellow part and not the white pith which is bitter), honey, optional yellow food color ** (see Notes) start with 1/2 teaspoon), and beat on medium speed momentarily to incorporate. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda; do not mix yet. Tip – Keep the baking soda in a little mound on top of the other dry ingredients.
- Squeeze the lemon juice directly over the baking soda mound. It will bubble and foam, which means the baking soda is good and active, which translates to better tasting and better-textured cookies. Beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute; do not overmix.
- Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Tips – Do not bake with unchilled dough, as it will spread when baking. However, don't forget about the bowl and chill it for more than 2 hours because the dough will get too firm and will be difficult, crumbly, and necessarily challenging to scoop out.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners; set aside.
- Using a small cookie scoop, form approximately 24 equally-sized mounds of dough balls.
Rolling
- To a small/medium bowl add the granulated sugar and in a separate small/medium bowl add the confectioners' sugar.
- Roll each dough ball first in granulated sugar, then in confectioners' sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all dough balls have been rolled. Tip – If you want a heavier looking appearance (or taste) of powdered sugar, roll each dough ball a second or even a third time through the confectioners' sugar. It has a way of almost disappearing into the cold/moist dough so I always roll 2-3x. You will need to use more sugar if you decide to do roll them extra times.
- Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers are just set and done. Baking Tips – I always bake one sheet of cookies at a time on the center rack of my oven, rotating the baking sheet once midway through baking to ensure the most even baking results. I find that baking two sheets at once results in the sheet underneath not baking quite as nicely although your results may vary. Baking time will vary depending on your oven, climate, the exact size of your dough balls, and so forth. Bake until done, whatever that means, for you. Watch your cookies not the clock. If for some reason your cookies aren't spreading (could be you over-floured the dough, or it was exceptionally cold going into the oven), but about halfway through the baking time, remove the baking sheet from the oven and give is a light 'slam' on your counter or burners, or allow it to fall about 2 inches. This whack will help encourage the cookies to spread a bit if they aren't already so that the crinkle appearance can develop.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temp for up to 5 days.
Freezing
- You can freeze baked cookies but the appearance of the powdered sugar look will greatly minimize during the freezing/thawing process. I find it better to freeze unbaked dough balls airtight for up to 3 months, and before baking the dough, roll them through the two sugars. You don't need to thaw the dough balls fully and they can be semi-frozen going into the oven, noting you may need to add a couple minutes to the overall baking time.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Great lemony cookies. I just added a bit more flour but they taste just like lemon pie. 5 of my grandkids are lemon eaters
Love em.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad they tasted just like lemon pie and your grandkids loved them!