Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Bright and sweet-tart, Lemon Crinkle Cookies are like a breath of spring. Perfect for dessert, snacking, Easter or Mother’s Day.
Where have you been all my life, crinkle cookies! It was about a year ago when I made my first ever–aGingerbread Crinkle Cookie for Christmas! I had so much fun, I followed up with a Grinch Crinkle Cookie that I’ll publish next November (subscribe to not miss it)!
Crinkle cookies get their name from the fun colorful base that bursts through a powdered sugar coating. This makes them super cute–plus they’re easy to adapt to any season.
So for spring, it’s Lemon Crinkle Cookies.
Flavored with lemon (I’ll bet you guessed that) and boasting a sunny yellow color, they’re a perfect mood booster in the changeable days of spring. Or any time!
Why You’ll Love This!
Flavorful. The bright lemon flavor is a perfect send off for the warm flavors of winter!
Cheery. Whether you think they look like bright yellow flowers… or smiling golden suns, it all adds up to delight!
Easy. Since these are little harder than rolling a ball, it’s almost like you get a pretty exterior for no effort!
Step by Step Overview
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and food color, then beat again until fluffy.
Mix flour and baking soda, then add to butter mixture, mixing by hand until combined. (I stripped the gears on my kitchenaid on a similar recipe)
Form into 1 1 /2 inch balls, then chill for an hour. After chilling, roll each cookie ball in powdered sugar, making sure to coat well.
Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Don’t crowd the cookie sheet since they spread.
Tips & FAQs
I usually try to omit color or use a natural coloring, but since the yellow color is so important to these, I went with a conventional food color. I recommend adding the color early in the process since the dough is very thick–it takes a lot of kneading to get it worked in if you add at the end (ask me how I know this).
I did not refrigerate the dough before baking against all baking advice. But since winter is making a second round here, my kitchen is 64 degrees. So while I’ve kept the chilling step in the instructions, you can skip this if your kitchen is 64 too!
I recommend a microplane to get perfect fine zest with little effort. And it helps you bypass the bitter lemon pith which can alter the cookie’s flavor.
I tried to get a fairly thick layer of powdered sugar to give good definition to the crinkles. But if a couple come out of the oven without enough sugar, you can pat on a little extra after baking (shhh).
And for more tasty #SpringSweetsWeek treats:
- Strawberry Pop Tart Cookie Bars by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
- Napoleon with Fresh Berries by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Strawberry Lemon Crinkle Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Lemon Pudding Cake by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Matcha Strawberry Cream Buns by Magical Ingredients
- Strawberry Basil Lime Curd Tart by The Spiffy Cookie
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies by Art of Natural Living
- Bowtie Cookies with Strawberry Jam by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Lemon Lush by Rave About Food
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoon lemon zest from about 2 large lemons
- 6 drops yellow food coloring approximate, optional
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup powdered sugar for coating
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and food color, then beat again until fluffy.
- Mix flour and baking soda, then add to butter mixture, mixing by hand until combined.
- Form into 1 1 /2 inch balls, then chill for an hour.
- After chilling, roll each cookie ball in powdered sugar, making sure to coat well. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Don’t crowd the cookie sheet since they spread.
Lovely flavor and crinkles on top – these call me. Perfect choice to make for spring entertaining.
These sound amazing, Inger. I am in the midst of reviewing a cookie book, so am making tons of cookies… when I am done, I will make these.
Woah reviewing a cookie book–I’d come away seriously round. But sounds like fun!
I love lemon for spring, it’s like sunshine on a plate. Considering we’re still getting snow I’ll take the cheeriness any way I can get it!
So bright with a punch of lemon flavor, these favorite spring cookies never last long in my house!
They didn’t last long here either!
These just scream “springtime!” They are so pretty. I always hold my breath when making crinkle cookies hoping that they really do crinkle, lol! Yours came through with flying color.
Thanks! Such a crinkle fanatic now!!
Crinkle cookies are so fun and these lemon ones are perfect for spring!
Crinkle cookies are so much fun and lemon just screams Spring to me.