Calling all lemon lovers! These soft and chewy lemon poppy seed cookies are loaded up with fresh lemon and are finished off with a lovely lemon icing. You’ll love them.
Chewy Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies with Lemon Icing
I am a big cookie girl. If I had to pick one category of dessert to eat for the rest of my life it would (without hesitation) be cookies. And these soft and chewy lemon poppy seed cookies are in the top 5 cookies I’ve ever eaten–which is saying a lot because these tastebuds have eaten a whole lot of cookies.
Long story short, you NEED to make these lemon poppy seed cookies.
What are lemon poppy seed cookies?
We love lemon poppy seed around here. Lemon poppy seed quick bread, lemon poppy seed pancakes, lemon poppy seed cake…it’s truly an incredibly flavor combination. It tastes like sunshine, is fancy enough for a cake, but rustic enough for a no-fuss muffin, and perfectly bright and tangy. And it is downright delicious in cookie form. These lemon poppy seed cookies have the most incredible texture with a chewy edge, delicate crumb and gooey center. They’re packed full of lemon flavor, but aren’t too tart. And, of course, they’re loaded up with poppy seeds. The result is a delicious lemon cookie that packs a delicate punch. You’ll love them.
Ingredients for lemon poppy seed cookies
One of the main reasons I love cookies is that they’re usually pretty easy to make. And these lemon poppy seed cookies are no exceptions. You’ll need 11 ingredients and about 20 minutes to whip up these lovely lemon cookies. Plus, these cookies require zero chill time so you can whip them up last minute and no one will know.
Here’s your shopping list:
Butter
Granulated Sugar
Lemon
Lemon Extract
Vanilla Extract
Eggs
All Purpose Flour
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Poppy Seeds
Powdered Sugar
How to make lemon sugar
My secret sauce to lemon desserts is lemon zest infused sugar. I picked up this trick working at a bakery. Instead of just folding the lemon zest into the sugar, use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar. This will release all the lemon oils from the zest into the sugar and intensify the lemon flavor. I think it makes all the difference in really deepening the lemon flavor of any lemon dessert.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the sugar and the lemon zest, using your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar starts to clump together and is fragrant. Set aside for 5 minutes to infuse.
Combine the butter and the lemon sugar in a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, gradually increasing to high until the butter is light and fluffy and pale in color, about 3 minutes.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and completely combined.
Scrape down the bowl and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir on low speed until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Do not over mix. Last, add the poppy seeds, beating until evenly distributed.
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough out into round balls, dropping them 2 inches apart on your cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until the edges are set and the centers have puffed up, but are still gooey. Remember, the cookies will continue to cook as they cool so you want them to be a little under baked when you take them out. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
While the cookies cool, make the lemon icing. Combine all of the icing ingredients in a bowl, whisking together until smooth. If your icing seems too thick, add a teaspoon of milk in until it is your desired consistency.
Drizzle the icing over your cooled cookies. If desired, sprinkle with more poppy seeds for garnish. Enjoy!
Yes you can! Freeze them in an airtight plastic bag or container. When ready to bake, let them come too room temperature (about an hour on the counter) and bake as directed!
These cookies are incredible and so easy to make! I only had lemon juice because I saw this recipe at night and just wanted them and couldn’t wait! I will definitely make them again with lemon extract and that will really make the lemon flavor pop more. But they were still the best chew and texture with a nice lemon flavor without the extract. Great Recipe!
Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
I’ve made these several times now. Everyone loves them. Even my brother in law who does not like sweets loved them!
★★★★★
In a pinch, can I use fresh lemon juice in place of the lemon extract? Or should I make a last minute trip to the store?
Yes! You can omit the lemon extract and just use zest and juice!
These are amazing!
Are you able to freeze extra dough balls and cook them later? X
★★★★★
Yes you can! Freeze them in an airtight plastic bag or container. When ready to bake, let them come too room temperature (about an hour on the counter) and bake as directed!
These are out of this world! They turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing! Love all of your recipes.
Hi Cierra! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review–we so appreciate it! And so happy to hear you enjoyed these 🙂
These cookies are incredible and so easy to make! I only had lemon juice because I saw this recipe at night and just wanted them and couldn’t wait! I will definitely make them again with lemon extract and that will really make the lemon flavor pop more. But they were still the best chew and texture with a nice lemon flavor without the extract. Great Recipe!
★★★★★