These Lemon Cookies are soft, melt-in-your-mouth lemon cookies that were inspired by Paradise Bakery’s lemon cookie recipe!

I love the cookies at Paradise Bakery and Cafe, but we don’t have one nearby. So, when I had a craving for their lemon cookies, I had to try to come up with my own version.
These Tart and Tangy Lemon Cookies weren’t an exact copy, but they were really tasty and definitely satisfied my craving. They were also really soft and tender, which I love in a cookie.
The cookies have a buttery lemon flavor that makes them hard to resist. Feel free to dust them with powdered sugar for a bit of extra sweetness!

Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter – I use salted butter. If you’re using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt along with the flour and baking powder.
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Large eggs
- Fresh lemon juice – Depending on the size of your lemons, you’ll need about 2 lemons. I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice as bottled lemon juice can have an off flavor to it.
- Lemon zest – Use less lemon zest for a milder lemon flavor and more lemon zest for a more lemon-y cookie.
- All-purpose flour – It’s important to properly measure the flour to avoid doughy or dry cookies. To properly measure the flour, weight the flour or sift/stir it to break it up. Then lightly spoon into a measuring cup and level.
- Baking powder
How to make lemon cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, until blended.

Add lemon juice and zest, mixing until combined.

Whisk in the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour and baking powder). Mix until just blended. Don’t overmix.
Cover and chill cookie dough for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Drop by 1.5 tablespoon scoops (a medium cookie scoop) onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake until edges are firm with no color, about 7-10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Once cool, dust with powdered sugar.

Tips
- Lemon flavor – The lemon juice and lemon zest both help to give the cookies their lemon flavor. If you would like a stronger lemon flavor, feel free to add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon lemon flavor or lemon extract with the eggs.
- Texture – The dough is sticky. Chilling the dough helps make it easier to work with and helps the cookies to hold their shape.
If your dough gets too warm or your cookies start to spread too much, simply cover and chill the dough again. - Baking – The cookies will still look soft and a little underdone when they’re finished baking. Slightly underbaking them helps to keep the cookies soft.

Storage
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
You may find that the powdered sugar “melts” in the cookies as they sit. Feel free to dust the cookies with powdered sugar again just before serving.

More lemon desserts!
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Lemon Cookies
Equipment
- Mixer
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter at cool room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, and mix until blended.
- Add lemon juice and zest, mixing until combined.
- Add flour and baking powder. Stir in until just combined. Don't overmix.
- Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- Drop by 1.5 tablespoon scoops (a medium cookie scoop) onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until edges are firm with no color, about 7-10 minutes.
- Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks and let cool.
- Once cool, dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published 2/6/12. Updated with new photos, tips, and information on 1/26/22.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Maureen McBurney says
can I use lemon extract instead of real lemons?
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t used lemon extract in place of the real lemon to say how it might work. You could certainly use lemon extract along with the lemon, but I’m not sure how it would substitute.
Bronwyn says
Really good but since I jumped to recipe I used unsalted butter and didn’t add the salt, I was eating one (or 2-3) and thought they we’re missing something. I have only used 1/2 the dough, I guess it’s too late to add a little salt now.
But still really good, thanks
Kate says
Thanks!
Nic says
I used unsalted butter… how much salt should I use?
Kate says
About 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Mary says
This will be my new go to lemon cookie recipe. It even tastes better the next day. Soft and lemony cookie!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Peggy B says
These lemon cookies are fantastic!! Will make them again. Thank you!!!!!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Nancy says
Love the lemon cookies!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Reggae Slowpoke says
These are the best lemon cookies ever!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you like them!
Terri says
Very lemony and tart and easy to make.
Kate says
Thank you!
SueAnn says
Update: I love these cookies! I actually customized the recipe as follows: 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and then added more lemon juice to 1/3 cup and more lemon zest. Only let the dough rest for 30 minutes before baking as leaving it overnight made it too stiff to work with in the morning. EXCELLENT!
SueAnn says
Excellent Lemon Cookies! I made this for a small neighborhood party yesterday and they were an instant hit. Very light and refreshing for a hot summer night. I think next time, I’ll experiment by adding a little more lemon juice and a little less sugar.
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m glad the cookies were a hit! =) I might have to try that next time, too, as I love a tart cookie. Thanks for coming back to comment!
Caroline says
So good!! Thanks for the recipe!
Kate says
Thank you! And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! =)