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Soft, chewy cookies bursting with fresh lemon flavor, topped with creamy lemon frosting. Bright and tangy treats perfect for uplifting any day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest (for frosting)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for frosting)
  • 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional, to adjust frosting consistency)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Beat in the egg, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice until combined.
  4. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
  5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until a dough forms without overmixing.
  6. If the dough is sticky or too soft, chill it in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes.
  7. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  8. Gently press each dough ball down with your fingers or a glass to slightly flatten.
  9. Bake cookies 10–12 minutes, until edges are just starting to turn golden and centers still look soft.
  10. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Beat softened butter for the frosting until creamy in a medium bowl.
  12. Gradually add powdered sugar to the butter, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
  13. Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice into the frosting until smooth and creamy.
  14. If frosting is too thick, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it spreads easily.
  15. Once cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe the lemon frosting onto each cookie.
  16. Garnish each frosted cookie with a pinch of lemon zest, if desired.

Notes

For softer dough and better shaping, chill the dough if sticky before baking., Use fresh lemon zest and juice for best flavor; bottled juice is less vibrant., If cookies spread too much, chill dough longer or add a little more flour., To make vegan or dairy-free, substitute vegan butter and use flax or chia egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water, let sit 5–10 minutes)., Frosting can be stiffened by chilling or adding more powdered sugar if piping is desired., Cookies can be stored unfrosted at room temperature for up to 2 days, frosted cookies in the fridge for 4–5 days., Freeze unfrosted dough or cookies up to 3 months; freeze frosted cookies for 4–6 weeks with flash-freezing method., Flavor twists include adding poppy seeds, blueberry jam centers, or substituting some lemon juice with limoncello., To refresh unfrosted cookies, warm in oven or microwave briefly; do not warm frosted cookies.

Nutrition

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