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    Home » cookies » Lemon Crinkle Cookies

    Lemon Crinkle Cookies

    Published: May 30, 2022 · Modified: Jan 23, 2023 by Madeeha Anwar

    31 shares
    • 17
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These powdered sugar lemon cookies are bursting with lemon flavor and coated with powdered sugar and these soft-baked-bites will just melt in your mouth. These little treats are chewy and gooey, and the crinkle print of the cookies will make you fall in love with them. Enjoy the melt-in-the-mouth cookies with tangy lemon-ish flavor and sweet tartness.

    close up shot of the stacked lemon crinkle cookies.

    Here in Virginia, summers are right around the corner. Summers more incorporation of more citrusy fruits in the bakes. That is the reason I am sharing my all-time favorite lemon crinkle cookies recipe. Love lemons? Try Lemon Yogurt Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze and Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze.

    This traditional recipe goes by different names such as Lemon Crackle Cookies, Lemon Cookies with Powdered Sugar and Lemon Whippersnappers, and technically they are all the names of the same cookies.

    These lemon crinkle cookies are easy to bake, have a golden bottom with a fudgy crumb loaded with sweet tartness of lemons and powdered sugar.

    Table of Contents
    • Why this Recipe Works?
    • What are 'Crinkle Cookies'?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Important Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • How to Store
    • More Recipes You'll Like
    • Recipe

    Why this Recipe Works?

    • Zesty Lemon Flavor: These cookies are soft-pillowy little bites with crunchy corners are made from fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. So, they are loaded with fresh lemon flavor.
    • Refreshing Summer Delights: These cookies are loaded with tangy and sweet flavor and their unique crinkle print make them desirable.
    • Easy to Bake: These cookies look fancy, but they are easy to bake. Just follow the tips and recipe card to get the perfect results.
    • Christmas & Holiday Cookies: Make these cookies any time of the year but they will look fabulous on your holiday and Christmas dessert corners. Impress your guests.
    lemon cookies on each other in the silver tray.

    What are 'Crinkle Cookies'?

    The crinkle cookies get their name because of the way they look – crinkled. Once the sugar rolled cookies are placed in the oven they expand and react with heat, raising in height and consequently cracking, displaying the dough beneath. This process gives the crust of the cookies the beautiful crinkle effect.

    According to the blog ‘A Spicy Perspective’, these cookies were invented by Helen Fredell in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The recipe was then published by Betty Crocker’s in the 1950’s, which made it popular.

    Ingredients

    • All- Purpose Flour: The flour gives structure to the cookies.
    • Castor Sugar: Sugar will bring sweetness and enhance the tangy lemon.
    • Butter: Use room temperature butter for this recipe for best results.
    • Baking Powder: The baking powder will give these cookies its height.
    • Baking Soda: The baking soda helps will expansion of the cookies.
    • Egg: The egg will help to bind the dough. Use it at room temperature.
    • Lemon Zest and Juice: Use fresh lemons to get the best flavor in these cookies.
    • Vanilla Extract: Will add extra flavor to the cookies. (Optional)
    • Confectioners’/Icing Sugar: To roll the cookies to get the crinkle effect.
    • Salt: is to enhance the flavor of the cookies and to balance the sugar in the dough.

    Important Note: The cookie batter will be soft and a little sticky as well. That is why chilling in the fridge is very important. To work easily with the cookie balls, grease your hands with a few drops of oil, which will help to handle the batter

    Instructions

    These are the pictures and instructions of different steps of this recipe. For detailed ingredients measurement and in-depth instructions please refer to the recipe card at the bottom.

    add the flour and other dry ingredients and whisk together in a bowl.

    Whisk together the dry ingredients and rub the sugar with lemon zest to infuse zesty lemon flavor.

    cream the butter and sugar together and add vanilla, lemon juice and an egg in a bowl.

    Beat butter and sugar together until the butter turns pale and fluffy. Add in vanilla, egg and lemon juice to the batter.

    Sticky and soft cookie dough ready to go in the fridge.

    Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat at slow speed only until just combined. Do not overmix. Cover the dough bowl with a plastic wrap and place in fridge for an hour.

    generous confectioners sugar rolled over the cookie ball.

    Using and ice-cream scoop, scoop out the balls, give them a good roll on the icing powder.

    cookies on the baking tray at 2 inch distance on a silicone mat.

    Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes until the bottom and edges turn slightly light golden.

    lemon crinkle cookies on the cooling tray after baking.

    Let the cookies sit on the baking tray for 3 – 5 minute until slightly cool. Then transfer the cookies to the cooling wire rack.

    Substitutions

    • You may use any other citrus instead of lemons for this recipe such as orange, grapefruit or clementine.
    three lemon cookies with powdered sugar around.

    Important Tips

    Chilling the Dough: Remember that chilling the dough in the fridge for an hour is crucial for this recipe. If you skip the step, you will get flat cookies that will spread too much with no powdered sugar crinkle effect that we want to achieve.

    Apply Oil on Hands: While making the balls of the dough just grease your hands a little with a few drops of oil. It will help you to easily handle the batter. Once you make the balls of equal sizes, give it a good roll in the powdered sugar.

    Infusing Sugar and Lemon Zest: When you rub the sugar and lemon zest, the sugar will get fragrant with lemon flavor as the lemon will infuse its oil. This will ensure an overall strong lemon flavor of the cookies.

    Do not Over-mix: While mixing the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, make sure to not mix it for too long. Over-mixing will result in tough and dense cookies.

    cookies in the antique silver tray with half lemon and milk bottle.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use yellow food color to give them a rich yellow color?

    Yes – absolutely, you may use the sharp yellow food color (just 3-5 drops) to give dark yellow hue to the cookies.

    Can I double the recipe for more cookies?

    Yes, this is a fool proof recipe and you may easily double or triple the quantity, and will achieve the same results.

    Can I make the dough ahead of time?

    I would say prepare the dough a day ahead of baking the cookies. Keep the dough in an airtight jar in the fridge and they should be fine the next day.

    Can I freeze the cookie dough?

    Yes, prepare the dough and cover it an airtight jar. It will stay fresh in the freezer for 2-3 months.

    close up shot of the cookies on the tray.

    How to Store

    • Place the cookies in an airtight jar for up to 2 days. These cookies will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days.
    • You may also keep the cookies in the freezer in a Ziploc bag for 3 – 4 months.

    More Recipes You'll Like

    Looking for other lemon recipes like this? Try these:

    • Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • Lemon Yogurt Cake
    • Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze
    • Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

    Recipe

    close up shot of the stacked lemon crinkle cookies.

    Lemon Crinkle Cookies

    Madeeha Anwar
    These powdered sugar lemon cookies are bursting with lemon flavor. These beauties are chewy and gooey, and the crinkle print of the cookies will make you fall in love with them.
    4.88 from 8 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Course Cookies
    Cuisine American
    Servings 26 cookies
    Calories 90 kcal

    Equipment

    • 2 Baking Tray
    • 2 Silicon Sheets
    • 1 Electric Mixer

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (180 grams)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
    • ½ cup unsalted butter (113 grams)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (2 grams)
    • 1 egg (large)
    • ¼ cup lemon juice (58 grams/ml) (1 - 2 large lemons)
    • 2 teaspoon lemon zest (4 grams) (1 large lemon)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt (⅕ grams)
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder (1.25 grams)
    • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda (0.62 grams)
    • ½ cup powdered sugar (50 grams)

    Instructions
     

    • Take a medium sized bowl and sift together all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk and set aside.
    • Take a large bowl and combine sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar is fragrant with lemon flavor.
    • Now add the softened butter to the mixture and beat using an electric mixer until the butter turns pale, light and fluffy.
    • At this point add in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice to the batter. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently.
    • Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat at slow speed only until just combined.
    • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for an hour. Check – you want to make sure that the butter presses easily but it does not slide through the dough.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking tray with parchment sheet. You will need two trays.
    • Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop out the balls, give them a good press on the icing powder.
    • Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes until the bottom and edges turn slightly light golden.
    • Let them sit on the baking tray for 3 – 5 minute until slightly cool. Then transfer the cookies to the cooling wire rack.

    Notes

    Chilling the Dough: Remember that chilling the dough in the fridge for an hour is crucial for this recipe. If you skip the step, you will get flat cookies that will spread too much with no powdered sugar crinkle effect that we want to achieve.
    Apply Oil on Hands: While making the balls of the dough just grease your hands a little with a few drops of oil. It will help you to easily handle the batter. Once you make the balls of equal sizes, give it a good roll in the powdered sugar.
    Infusing Sugar and Lemon Zest: When you rub the sugar and lemon zest, the sugar will get fragrant with lemon flavor as the lemon will infuse its oil. This will ensure an overall strong lemon flavor of the cookies.
    Do not Overmix: When you combine the dry ingredients in the butter mixtures, make sure you just mix it until it is well-combined. Over-mixing will result in tough cookies.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Lemon Crinkle Cookies
    Serving Size
     
    1 cookie
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    90
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    4
    g
    6
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    13
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    16
    mg
    5
    %
    Sodium
     
    35
    mg
    2
    %
    Potassium
     
    14
    mg
    0
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    13
    g
    4
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    8
    g
    9
    %
    Protein
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    118
    IU
    2
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    1
    mg
    1
    %
    Calcium
     
    6
    mg
    1
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Keyword easy lemon cookies, lemon cookies, lemon cookies recipe, lemon cooler cookies recipe
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    madeeha anwar chaudhry
    Hello and Welcome !!
    I am Madeeha Anwar, a journalist by profession and a baker by heart. I am the founder, recipe developer and food photographer behind this blog.
    Welcome to your new stop for authentic and delicious baking recipes.
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