Glazed Lemon Cookies

These light and fluffy Glazed Lemon Cookies are lemony, soft, and topped with a delicious lemon glaze.  They’re made with fresh lemon juice and zest and have the perfect balance of sweet and sour.

Jump to:

• Glazed Lemon Cookies
• Ingredients in Lemon Glazed Cookies
• How to Make Lemon Iced Cookies
• Recipe Variations for Iced Lemon Cookies
• Tips & Tricks
• How to Store Lemon Glaze Cookies
• Glazed Lemon Cookies Recipe
• More Lemon Recipes

Glazed Lemon Cookies

If you love lemons, it will be impossible to resist these buttery, sweet, and perfectly tart Glazed Lemon Cookies.  The dough itself is made with a hefty dose of fresh lemon zest. But, as if that weren’t enough, we top it all off with a light, bright lemon glaze. 

Between the bold lemon flavor and the insanely soft texture, thanks to the cornstarch, these cookies may just become your new favorites.  They’re equally perfect to make during the hot summer, or any time you're craving a burst of lemon goodness. 

If you're on the hunt for more irresistible lemon recipes, be sure to try my Lemon Blueberry Muffins, Lemon Raspberry Parfait, Lemon Bars, and of course a classic, Lemon Curd. 

Ingredients in Lemon Glazed Cookies

• Butter - you want your butter to be at room temperature so that it will cream properly with the sugar.  We prefer to use unsalted butter in this recipe.
• Sugar - use plain white granulated sugar.
• Eggs - it’s helpful if your eggs and yolks are at room temperature so that they will mix smoothly into the butter and sugar.
• Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
• Lemon Zest - use fresh lemon zest.
• Flour - all-purpose flour works great.
• Cornstarch - this helps to make the cookies nice and soft.  Any type will work.
• Baking Soda - this helps the cookies to rise a bit in the oven.
• Salt - we like to use sea salt.
• Powdered Sugar - we recommend sifting to remove any lumps.
• Lemon Juice and Zest - use fresh lemons for both the juice and zest as they have a much better flavor than the bottled juice.  If you can find them, you could also try using Meyer lemons for a slightly different flavor.

How to Make Lemon Iced Cookies

1. Mix the wet ingredients. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, or about 3-5 minutes. Slowly add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest and mix on low, scraping the bowl as needed to make sure it is all mixed.
2. Add the dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined, then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until the dough is well-combined. Do not overmix.
3. Scoop the cookie dough. Using spoons or a small ice cream scoop, scoop 1" balls, place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet about 3 inches apart and then flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand.
4. Bake. Bake in a preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, or until slightly golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.  Well until completely smooth, adding a little extra lemon juice or water to thin down as necessary.
6. Drizzle lemon cookies with lemon glaze. Use a spoon to drizzle the cooled cookies with the glaze, then let the glaze set at room temperature before storing.  Enjoy!

Recipe Variations for Iced Lemon Cookies

Glazed lemon cookies are a delightful treat, and there are loads of ways to add interesting twists to the classic recipe. Here are a few recipe variation ideas:

• Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies: Incorporate poppy seeds into the cookie dough for added texture and a nutty flavor.
• Lemon Lavender Cookies: Infuse the cookie dough with dried culinary lavender for a floral note.
• Lemon Blueberry Cookies: Fold in dried or fresh blueberries into the cookie dough for a burst of sweetness.
• Coconut Lemon Cookies: Add shredded coconut to the cookie dough for a tropical twist.
• Ginger Lemon Cookies: Mix ground ginger into the cookie dough for a warm and spicy kick.
• Raspberry Lemon Cookies: Swirl in raspberry preserves or fresh raspberries into the cookie dough.
• Lemon Cardamom Cookies:Infuse the cookie dough with ground cardamom for a unique and aromatic flavor.

Tips & Tricks

• Glaze the cooled cookies. Make sure your cookies have cooled completely before glazing them. Otherwise, the glaze will run off the edges and become very thin.
• Room temperature ingredients. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature so that you can make a cohesive dough. It will also help to prevent you from overmixing.
• Fresh lemons only. For best results, always use fresh lemons. It doesn’t take much more effort, will taste much better and the lemon zest from the lemons adds so much tart flavor.

How to Store Lemon Glaze Cookies

• Storing at room temperature.  Store Glazed Lemon Cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.  Make sure the icing has been set completely before transferring them.
• Storing in the freezer.  You can freeze completely cooled cookies before glazing them for the best results.  Store in freezer bags either in a single layer or in 2 layers separately by parchment paper.  Once you are ready to eat them, thaw them at room temperature and glaze them.
• Freezing the dough.  You can freeze the unbaked dough to be baked at a later time.  Just make and scoop the dough as directed, then place it on a baking sheet to chill for about 1 hour.  Once they have firmed up slightly, transfer them to freezer bags and store them frozen for up to 2 months.  You can bake them from frozen whenever you get the urge!  Just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

More Lemon Recipes

• Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Bread
• Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
• Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
• Lemon Syrup Recipe
• More Cookie Recipes
• More Easy Dessert Recipes

Have you ever done a recipe swap? I'm doing it with a few friends. If lemon desserts are your favorite, you're in luck! You can try out my friend Michaela's original Chewy Glazed Lemon Cookies on her site,  An Affair from the Heart. I have been following her for a while and it's been so fun to get to know her.  Her recipes are always spot on and she has an incredible collection of lemon recipes, yes, please!  You can find the 25+ Lemon Recipes here. 

Her baked Glazed Lemon Donuts are delish and I can't wait to try her Lemon Sweet Rolls. They're my new favorites. 

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes:

1. A Dish of Daily Life - Smoky Chicken Street Tacos
2. An Affair from the Heart - Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas with Cilantro Lime Butter
3. An Affair from the Heart - Blueberry Mojitos
4. Aunt Bee's Recipes - Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
5. The Carefree Kitchen - Glazed Lemon Cookies
6. The Culinary Compass - Easy Candied Pecan Recipe
7. Devour Dinner - Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
8. The Foodie Affair - Keto Broccoli Salad
9. The Fresh Cooky - Bowtie Pasta Recipe
10. Hostess at Heart - No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake 
11. House of Nash Eats - Roast Beef Sliders
12. Lemon Blossoms - Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars
13. Lemoine Family Kitchen - Lemon Blueberry Bread
14. Life, Love & Good Food - Sandwich Cubano
15. Off the Eaten Path - Grilled Vegan Guacamole
16. Or Whatever You Do - Blackstone Mexican Style Street Corn
17. The Speckled Palate - Lemon Bars
18. Take Two Tapas - Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

Between the bold lemon flavor and the insanely soft texture, these Glazed Lemon Cookies may just become your new favorites.  They're made with fresh lemon juice and zest and have the perfect balance of sweet and sour.

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