Description
Lemon Crinkle Cookies are soft, chewy treats bursting with tangy lemon flavor and a delightfully cracked powdered sugar coating. These cookies are perfect for brightening your cookie jar with their zesty freshness and tender texture, achieved by chilling the dough and rolling in sugar before baking.
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 Tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 3 Tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar (optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Mix 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 using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy and creamed, about 3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on high speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. The mixture may appear curdled, which is normal. Scrape down the bowl sides and bottom.
- Combine with Dry 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 or up to 3 days to firm up the sticky dough.
- Prepare Dough for Baking: Remove dough from refrigerator. If chilled longer than 3 hours, let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften slightly for easier scooping.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Roll Dough Balls in Sugar: Scoop about 1 tablespoon (approximately 20g) of dough and roll into balls. First, roll each ball in the optional granulated sugar, then roll generously in confectioners’ sugar 2 to 3 times for a pretty cracked sugar coating. Place dough balls 3 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 12 to 13 minutes, or until edges appear set and centers look soft. If cookies are not spreading by 9 minutes, gently bang the baking sheet 2 to 3 times on the countertop to encourage spreading, then continue baking.
- Cool: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will deflate slightly as they cool.
- Store: Store cooled cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- The dough can be made ahead and chilled up to 3 days for convenience.
- Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Unbaked cookie dough balls (without sugar coating) also freeze well up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling in sugar and baking.
- Cornstarch is optional but helps create a softer cookie; omitting it still yields delicious cookies.
- If you don’t have lemons, try substituting with other citrus like Meyer lemons for a different flavor profile.
- Rolling dough balls multiple times in confectioners’ sugar gives the cookies a striking crinkle appearance.
- Use parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Bring butter, egg, and lemon juice to room temperature before mixing for best dough consistency.
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: 13 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
