Ingredients
To prepare about 18–22 cookies, you will need:
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Yellow food coloring (optional) – just a tiny drop for color
- ½ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This step ensures the cookies rise properly and stay light and fluffy on the inside. The baking powder and soda are key to achieving the airy structure you see in the photo.
Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with granulated sugar until pale and creamy. This step introduces air into the dough, creating the soft, cloud-like texture typical of lemon crinkle cookies. The butter should be at room temperature—not melted—to blend smoothly and trap air.
Add Lemon, Egg, and Flavor
Now mix in the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. The lemon zest is extremely important because it adds strong natural citrus oils that give the cookies their intense lemon smell and flavor.
If you want the cookies to have a beautiful yellow tone like the ones in your photo, add a very small drop of yellow food coloring. This step is optional but creates that bright, lemony appearance.
Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two portions. Mix gently using a spatula or spoon—avoid overmixing or the dough will become dense. The dough should be soft, thick, and slightly sticky.
At this point, the dough needs to chill to firm up.
Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30–60 minutes. Chilling helps the cookies keep their shape during baking and prevents them from spreading too much. It also develops the flavor, so the lemon becomes more pronounced.
You’ll know the dough is ready when it’s firm enough to roll into balls without sticking too much to your hands.
Shape the Cookies
Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into smooth balls using your hands. Each should be about the size of a small lemon truffle.
Place them on a tray, but before baking, each dough ball must be coated generously with powdered sugar. This is what creates the “crinkle” effect during baking—the dough expands and cracks, showing beautiful lines of yellow beneath the white sugar.
Roll each ball heavily in powdered sugar until fully coated, as seen in your image.
Bake to Perfection
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the dough balls on the sheet, leaving space between each one. They will not spread too dramatically, but they do puff up and develop cracks.
Bake for 10–12 minutes.
The cookies should stay pale and soft. Avoid baking until golden; lemon crinkle cookies are meant to be light and tender. They will finish setting as they cool.
Cool the Cookies
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack. As they cool, the exterior becomes slightly chewy while the inside stays soft, fluffy, and cakey—exactly like the bite shown in your photo.
The powdered sugar creates a soft coating that melts slightly into the cookie but still gives a beautiful snowy appearance.
Serve and Enjoy
These cookies taste incredible when fresh, but they’re also wonderful the next day. The lemon flavor deepens over time, and the texture remains soft and moist. Serve them with tea, lemonade, coffee, or simply enjoy them as a light dessert.
Tips for Perfect Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Use fresh lemons
Avoid bottled lemon juice—it doesn’t have the aroma or flavor of fresh lemons. The zest gives the cookies their signature smell.
Don’t overbake
The cookies should look pale, not golden. Overbaking will make them dry instead of soft.
Coat generously in powdered sugar
The more powdered sugar, the better the crinkle effect. Don’t shake off excess.
Add cornstarch (optional) for extra softness
A teaspoon added to the dry ingredients makes the cookies even fluffier.
Chill the dough
This prevents spreading and ensures the cookies keep their round, domed shape.
Variations
Lemon Cream Cheese Crinkles
Add 2 ounces of softened cream cheese to the butter mixture for extra richness.
Lemon-Vanilla Crinkles
Increase vanilla extract for a sweeter, warmer flavor.
Lemon-Coconut Crinkles
Add ¼ cup shredded coconut for a tropical twist.
Lemon Glazed Crinkles
Drizzle with lemon icing once cooled for a shiny finish.
Storage
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freeze baked cookies for 2 months; thaw at room temperature.
- You can also freeze the dough balls (before rolling in powdered sugar) for later baking.