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- Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies
Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies
These frosted lemon sugar cookies are soft, buttery, and bursting with bright lemon flavor. Made with a tender lemon sugar cookie base and topped with a dreamy lemon buttercream, they’re basically sunshine in cookie form.
The tastiest spring cookie
Some things just got together. Peanut butter and chocolate. Strawberries and cream. Mary Kate and Ashley. Lemon and sugar cookies. The sweet, buttery cookie balances the tart citrus perfectly, creating a cookie that is bright, soft and ridiculously tasty. cookies have quickly become one of my favorite treats to make for all the lemon lovers in my life. And by “the lemon lovers in my life” I obviously mean…myself.
They start with a soft lemon sugar cookie dough that bakes up into a soft, tender cookie with slightly chewy edges. Then each cookie gets a fluffy cloud of lemon buttercream on frosting on top . You can absolutely enjoy these cookies frosting, but they’re just as tasty plain.
Just like the grocery store bakery, but better
Remember those soft sugar cookies from the grocery store baker? The ones with a thick layer of frosting and sprinkles on top? Yeah, of course you do. These frosted lemon sugar cookies are basically that nostalgic treat, but homemade and about, oh I don’t know, a million times better.
Soft, buttery, citrusy and way more delicious. Without any unpronounceable ingredients or artificial aftertaste. Listen I’m no hater for a grocery store cookie, but we can’t deny that real butter, fresh lemon and simply pantry ingredients tend to taste better to the adult palate.
What ingredients do you need to make these lemon sugar cookies?
The ingredient list for these cookies is simple, but each one plays an important role in creating the perfect soft texture and bold lemon flavor. If you have any substitutions q’s always feel free to ask in the comments!
Here’s your shopping list:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Fresh lemon zest
- Fresh lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon extract (optional)
- Cake flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
How to zest a lemon
Make sure you have your zester ready because the lemon zest is the star of these cookies. It imparts so much real lemon flavor thanks to the natural lemon oils!
So, how do you zest a lemon? No, it is NOT a stupid question! It’s actual super, super simple. Just wash your fruit and whip out your zester. If you don’t have a zester I would highly recommend investing in one, but you can also use a microplane. In desperate times I have even used a fine cheese grater and it does the trick. Hold the zester at an angle and pull your lemon across until you reach the white of the rind. Rotate your lemon, repeating until you’ve gone all the way around your fruit. All of the zest will gather on the back side, where you can just scrape it into your batter!
How to store lemon sugar cookies for best results
These lemon sugar cookies will stay soft and tender for days when stored correctly. Read on for our top tips to extend the life of your cookies!
- Underbake the cookies slightly: Underbaking the cookies slightly will keep the center super soft and chewy for days. Remember that they will continue to bake as they cool, so the center should still be pretty soft when you take them out of the oven!
- Keep them stored in the fridge in an airtight container or plastic bag: I like to keep these cookies stored in a single layer in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge. They’ll last for up to a week as long as the they’re sealed tightly!
- If prepping ahead, freeze them unfrosted: If you want to break up the work of these cookies, you can make the cookies ahead of time and freeze them until ready to frost. Be sure to let the cookies cool completely before storing in a freezer safe plastic bag or container!
Happy baking, lemon lovers!
XXX
PrintFrosted Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Prep Time 45 min
- Cook Time 11 min
- Total Time 1 hour and 30 min
- Yield 12 cookies
- Category Dessert
- Method Baking
- Cuisine American
Frosted Lemon Sugar Cookies
These frosted lemon sugar cookies are soft, buttery, and bursting with bright lemon flavor. Made with a tender lemon sugar cookie base and topped with a dreamy lemon buttercream, they’re basically sunshine in cookie form.
- Prep Time 45 min
- Cook Time 11 min
- Total Time 1 hour and 30 min
- Yield 12 cookies
- Category Dessert
- Method Baking
- Cuisine American
Ingredients
For the lemon cookies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the lemon frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and the lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub together until fragrant, infusing the zest into the sugar. Add the butter and oil to the bowl and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the egg, vanilla, and lemon extract. Beat on medium-high until the mixture is fluffy and lightens in color, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat on low speed until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Use a 1 ½ ounce cookie scoop to portion out equal amounts of dough (a large spoon also works; the ball should be about 3 tablespoons). Roll the dough between your palms to smooth the edges and place onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the dough 2 inches apart.
- Bake until the cookies have puffed up and the edges look set, but the centers still look soft and pale, 11 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet, as they’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Once the cookies are cool, make the lemon frosting. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, vanilla, salt, and yellow food coloring if using. Beat on low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high until the frosting is fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Use an offset spatula to frost each cookie. Top with sprinkles and more lemon zest. Enjoy!
- Prep Time 45 min
- Cook Time 11 min
- Total Time 1 hour and 30 min
- Yield 12 cookies
- Category Dessert
- Method Baking
- Cuisine American
If I don’t have cake flour, what’s the amount of all purpose flour I may use? Thanks!