Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies
These super soft lemon sugar cookies have the best light and fluffy sugar cookie texture with a subtle brightness from fresh lemon zest and juice. They are easy to make - with no rolling or cutting required. Enjoy them as they are, or top them with lemon buttercream frosting for an extra special treat!
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Servings: 25 cookies
Calories: 102kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 2 lemons
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Lemon Buttercream Frosting (optional)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- Pinch fine salt, as needed
Instructions
- In a small bowl (or your mixing bowl) rub together granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon zest until a sand-like mixture forms. This releases the oil in the zest to infuse the lemon flavor throughout.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the lemon zest and sugar, powdered sugar, and butter. Cream together butter and sugars until pale in color and fully combined (like a paste). Add oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, mixing until combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix the combined dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. This helps the cookies hold their shape; if the dough isn't too warm, you can bake them right away if you don't mind a little extra spread/thinner cookies, although the chill is recommended.
- 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour a small amount of granulated sugar into a small bowl for later.
- Dollop a scoop (#40 scoop) or 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Dampen a flat-bottomed glass with water, then dip in a small bowl of granulated sugar. Gently press each cookie dough ball with the bottom of the glass approximately halfway down, about 1/2 inch thick. Dip the glass back in the sugar between each cookie to recoat.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are just beginning to barely turn golden brown around the edges. See notes about baking sheet type.
- Let the cookies cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet until set up enough to transfer to a cooling rack. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add juice and vanilla extract to combine. Rub the zest with the powdered sugar for additional flavor (optional) then, in 1/2 cup increments, add the sugar to the butter, beating between each addition until smooth. Continue working until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Spread on cooled cookies.
Notes
- Lemon Extract: replace half of the lemon juice with lemon extract for an even brighter lemon flavor.
- Baking Sheet: A light-colored (aluminum) sheet pan will require more cooking time than a darker-colored sheet pan. If using a darker-colored baking sheet, you will likely want to only bake the cookies for 7 minutes - no longer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
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