These lemon cookies are my new favorite treat! They have that bakery-perfect chewy middle with a lightly crisp edge and a lovely balance of light and bright citrus flavor. I’ll be making them on repeat throughout the holiday season, but honestly, these lemon cookies are so delicious that I would happily take one any day of the year. This lemon cookie recipe comes from my friend Melissa Coleman’s book The Minimalist Kitchen. You may know of her blog, The Faux Martha. If you don’t, go check it out – you’ll absolutely love her. She has wonderfully approachable mealtime recipes, highly do-able organizational tips (check out her pretty pantry), and, man, can that girl bake.
Lemon Cookies Ingredients
This lemon cookie recipe is an excellent example of Melissa’s baking prowess. It’s SO delicious! Here’s what you need to make it:
All-purpose flour makes up the base of the dough. Spoon and level it to avoid packing too much into your measuring cup! Cornmeal and poppyseeds give these cookies substance and contribute to their delectable crisp/chewy texture. Baking soda helps them rise. Sea salt highlights the lemon flavor. Sugar sweetens them up. Butter and olive oil combine to add richness and accent the citrus essence. Fresh lemon juice and orange and lemon zest make them bright and citrusy. Skip the orange zest and use all lemon if you prefer! And an egg puffs them up and perfects their moist, chewy middles.
That’s it! Let’s bake. Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Lemon Cookies
This lemon cookie recipe is simple to make—you don’t even have to chill the cookie dough! Here’s how it goes: First, combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, poppy seeds, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Next, mix the wet ingredients. Cream the butter, sugar, and citrus zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the oil, egg, and lemon juice and mix until pale and well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then, combine the wet and dry. Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients, and mix on low speed until just combined. Finally, scoop and bake the cookies! Use a 1/4-cup cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving an inch or so between each scoop. Sprinkle the tops with sugar, then bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy! These photos make these lemon cookies look kind of small, but made with a 1/4-cup cookie scoop, they’re a perfect 1-cookie afternoon indulgence with a cup of coffee or tea.
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
If you love these lemon cookies, try one of these favorite cookie recipes next:
Perfect Oatmeal Cookies Easy Sugar Cookies Lemon Shortbread Cookies No Bake Cookies Chewy Molasses Cookies Thumbprint Cookies Best Peanut Butter Cookies Or any of these 17 Easy Cookie Recipes!
