Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (2024)

  • 84 Comments
  • Baking, Cookies, Desserts

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The BEST soft and chewy Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies with icing. You’ll want to bake these lemon citrus cookies this summer. Each bite is delicately crisp on the outside, soft, chewy, and cakelike inside.

Lemon desserts and sugar cookies are my two favorite types of desserts. This luscious cookie is packed with plenty of lemon flavor.Made from scratch, this quick and easy cookie is one of my most requested summer recipes. These cookies pair nicely with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream toppings.

If you are looking for a way to make the most out of your lemons this season, use fresh lemon juice in place of extract flavors. By doing this, the cookies will have a subtle floral flavor instead of tasting like regular sugar cookies with any artificial flavor. Along with the tart flavor, we also add lemon zest for texture and citrus notes.

I use fresh lemon juice and zest instead of extracts in my recipe. The cookies are very soft and moist. The technique I use is to roll the drop dough and bake it at 350°F for about 9-11 minutes or just until the edges turn brown. I recommend greasing a baking sheet or using a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to prevent spreading.

I list two ways to make these cookies. I have a homemade version that uses fresh ingredients like fresh lemons, and butter and I have an easier version to make a quick lemon cookie recipe. I prefer the homemade version because fresh lemons are amazing, but I’ve also made the cake mix cookie version when I just didn’t have all the ingredients and was short on time.

Lemon Cookie Ingredients

☑ LEMON: I used fresh lemon juice and zest instead of extracts to get the best flavor.

BUTTER: Adds flavor and moisture which results in a cookie chewy.

SUGAR: I use granulated sugar in my sugar cookie recipes. Using this sugar also helps sweeten the lemon juice so it’s not tart.

FLOUR: All-purpose flour.

EGG: Helps bind the ingredients.

How to Make Lemon Sugar Cookies

  1. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
  2. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Roll 1-inch balls of cookie dough.
  4. Bake in 350°F oven for 9-11 minutes.
  5. Mix together water and powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies using a spoon.

Easier Lemon Cookies – Made with a Cake Mix

Looking to make these luscious lemon cookies but don’t have the time or all of the ingredients? These Lemon Sugar Cookies can be made an alternative way and come out just as good and mix up in half the time. Using pre-made boxed cake mix is a super simple way to bake desserts ranging from this Peach Cobbler Delight to this Strawberry Shortcake Muddy Buddy recipe. A box of lemon cake mix from your grocery store will yield delicious lemon sugar cookies in just a few easy steps.

Ingredients

  • Lemon Cake Mix, I like Pillsbury
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, place all of the ingredients together.
  3. Using a spoon, fold ingredients together until dough forms and everything is well incorporated.
  4. Grease a cookie sheet and form 1 inch round balls and flatten slightly.
  5. In a small bowl, roll the top of the cookie in powdered sugar.
  6. Bake for 5-6 minutes, don’t allow to turn golden brown.
  7. Mix glaze together and drizzle over cooled cookies.
Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (4)

For more cookie recipes, try my Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies. These cookies bake up thick and chewy, with just the right about of lemon notes, and remind me of bakery-style cookies.

The ultimate soft and chewy lemon cookies are great for any occasion.You are not done with summer until you have baked a batch of these decadent and cheerful sunshine cookies. Simply add poppy seeds for extra flavor and texture.

Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (5)

Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies

Favorite Recipe

Soft and chewy lemon sugar cookies rolled in powdered sugar and drizzled with icing. Truly a lemon lovers’ dream dessert cookie.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 122 kcal

Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 1/2 cup butter , softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling

For the Glaze

  • 1 + 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 3/4 cup – 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • For the Lemon Cookie Dough

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

  • Slowly add flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir well to combine.

  • Use a cookie scoop or roll dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Place on lightly greased baking sheets.

  • Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes, or till set and crackly. After a couple minutes, remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

  • For the Glaze – Slowly add powdered sugar to water until a thick consistency forms. Drizzle over cookies.

Notes

These Lemon Sugar Cookies can be made an ALTERNATIVE WAY and come out just as good. We are talking about Lemon Cake Mix, the pre-made kind. Yep, that’s right, the cake mix found in your grocery store. Follow these simple steps to get started.
Ingredients
Lemon Cake Mix, I like Pillsbury
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, place all of the ingredients together. Using a spoon, fold ingredients together until dough forms and everything is well incorporated.
Grease a cookie sheet and form 1 inch round balls and flatten slightly. In a small bowl, roll the top of the cookie in powdered sugar. Bake for 5-6 minutes, don’t allow to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. Follow the recipe below to glaze these cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate and it’s accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.

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updated 6/2021

84 Responses

  1. Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (6)
    I make these every holiday and it is my most popular cookie (and I make a bunch of cookies). They are the most fought after as well. This recipe is amazing. I do add some lemon extract to the cookie and the frosting because we LOVE lemon! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  2. I make these every year! They are the most requested cookie that I make when making my yearly holiday cookies for friends and family. I make a lot but everyone wants these! My family and friends all love them. This is a MUST make recipe. Thank you for sharing it!

    Reply

  3. Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (7)
    Can these be made with orange cake mix and orange glaze?

    Reply

    1. Sure, sounds delish!

      Reply

  4. Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (8)
    EVERYONE loves these. If you like lemon, you must add to your list. They are easy to make (from scratch).

    Reply

  5. These look amazing! Can you make these ahead of time, freeze them, and then let them thaw before adding the glaze?

    Reply

    1. Yes, that works!

      Reply

  6. Do you sift the powered sugar before measuring it? Most recipes call for doing that.

    Reply

    1. No, I just spooned it in for this recipe. However, if yours is really lumpy, go ahead and sift it.

      Reply

  7. Can the lemon cookies be mailed?

    Reply

    1. Yes! Just be sure to stack them between parchment paper and paper towel for any extra space.

      Reply

  8. Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (9)
    These turned out wonderful. I used extra lemon juice to make the glaze instead of water, they are so good!

    Reply

  9. Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (10)
    Gorgeous pictures. I made these glazed lemon sugar cookies for the super bowl party and it was a crowd favorite. I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing, Laura!

    Reply

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Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (11)

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Glazed Lemon Sugar Cookies | Swanky Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is lemon glaze made of? ›

Lemon glaze requires only two ingredients: powdered sugar and lemon juice.

What happens if you add more sugar to cookies? ›

What happens if you increase the amount of sugar called for in cookies? Conversely, when you increase the sugar in cookies, you'll get cookies that spread more and have an ultra moist and chewy texture in addition to a sweeter flavor.

How to make sugar cookie dough better? ›

A teaspoon or two of extracts will noticeably boost flavor when blended into your sugar cookie mix. Vanilla is the obvious choice. For a more intriguing flavor, add both vanilla and almond extracts. Rum, maple and anise are other delicious varieties to consider.

How to make Betty Crocker sugar cookies taste better? ›

Easy Add-In: After creating the dough according to the sugar cookie mix instructions, Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream to create a tangier, cakier and all-around more flavorful cookie. Flavor Twist: For a punchier twist, swap the water in the sugar cookie mix instructions for rum, bourbon or coffee liqueur.

What are the 3 basic ingredients in glaze? ›

A BASE GLAZE is a mixture of these three basic groups: SILICA, FLUX AND ALUMINA.

How to make lemon glaze martha stewart? ›

Simply stir fresh lemon juice into confectioners' sugar until the glaze is thick yet pourable. It's easy to adjust: if you like a thick glaze, add more sugar; for a thinner glaze, add more lemon juice. It's a two-ingredient wonder recipe that makes the perfect finishing touch for all kinds of baked goods.

What is the best sugar for cookies? ›

In that role, white sugar aerates the dough when creamed with butter for thick and puffy cookies. Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more.

What happens if I forgot brown sugar in my cookies? ›

What happens when you bake without brown sugar? To be succinct, the resulting baked good could be slightly drier or more crisp. Without the excess moisture from the molasses in the brown sugar, the final cookie won't be as chewy and the final bread might be drier.

How to fancy up sugar cookies? ›

5 Ways to Get Fancy with Your Sugar Cookies
  1. Make a fancy thumbprint cookie. ...
  2. Turn them into sandwich cookies. ...
  3. Decorate with melted chocolate. ...
  4. Try different flavorings in the sugar cookie dough. ...
  5. Roll cookie dough logs in sparkly sugar.
May 1, 2019

Can you over mix sugar cookie dough? ›

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

Should you cool sugar cookie dough before baking? ›

Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you're more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies.

Why is my Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix so dry? ›

You may not have used enough water, margarine or egg. Be sure to measure ingredients carefully.

How to dress up sugar cookie dough? ›

You can add citrus zest, cinnamon, or almond extract to the dough. You could also ice them with a tasty frosting and add some nuts or toasted coconut. I already made lemon cookies but i don't think I added enough lemon extract they are tasteless.

How to spice up boxed sugar cookie mix? ›

Add different flavors.

Dig around in your pantry or explore the baking aisle and pick out different flavor add-ins that can change up your cookie mix. You could use peppermint, lemon, or almond extract instead of vanilla, dump in plenty of rainbow sprinkles, or even mix in chopped nuts or dried fruit!

What is a glaze and how is it made? ›

A glaze is made up of three parts. A flux/melter that lowers the melting point, a refractory/stabilizer that bonds the glaze to the clay, and a glass former like silica. This creates the base and then a stain is added to give the glaze its color. It's a bit like mixing paint and a bit more like a chemistry experiment.

What's the difference between frosting and glazing? ›

Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries. Glaze is the thinnest and most fluid of the three, and it will set but won't harden as much as icing.

What is lemon drizzle made of? ›

While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice and caster sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve.

What are the 4 components of glaze? ›

A basic understanding of glaze application and firing yields consistent and desirable results, as the key components of different glazes each have their own function.
  • 01 of 04. Silica: The Glass-Former. ...
  • 02 of 04. Alumina: The Refractory. ...
  • 03 of 04. Flux: The Melting Agent. ...
  • 04 of 04. Colorant: The Beautifier.
Nov 13, 2019

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