Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies

April 17, 2019 by Morgan 38 Comments

I'm a firm believer that the best cookies are anything but firm. A soft, big, buttery, chewy cookie is the key to my heart, and these Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies absolutely fit the bill. They're made from scratch and bursting with tart lemony flavor from both lemon zest and real lemon juice!

As tends to be the case with all of my cookie recipes, this one has been a while in the works. That is to say that I've made about 20 batches of cookies in the testing process, eaten them all, cried to myself about how a girl cannot survive on cookies alone, and then continued to eat some more in the name of "recipe-testing". I made flat lemon cookies. Puffy ones. Cakey ones. Lackluster ones. Crunchy ones. Just nearly perfect ones. Really perfect ones. And I just kept going for weeks on end until they were the greatest lemon cookies I could possibly imagine ever coming out of my kitchen-- or any kitchen-- and yes, I ate cookies from every batch. These are the sacrifices I make for you. (Truly, I'm such a martyr.)

Of course I shared some with friends throughout the process, both for feedback and to get some of the cookies out of my house, where my self-control is seemingly non-existent. And while I have a bit of a reputation 'round here for making awesome cookies (not to pat myself on the back too much), several of my friends proclaimed these to be the best cookies I've ever made. Or their favorite cookies they've ever had. Who would have thought that lemon sugar cookies could trump gooey, chewy chocolate chip, or dreamy, giant peanut butter cookies? I definitely didn't.

The thing is, these Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies may not be loaded up and oozing with crazy fillings, but they are intensely flavorful thanks to a combination of lemon zest and lemon juice, and their dense, chewy texture makes them a joy to sink your teeth into.

They're the sort of cookie that you crave year-round. Their brightness makes them perfect for spring and summer holidays-- you can bet I'm making another batch for Easter-- but they'd be just as welcome at a Christmas cookie exchange, where their zippy tart flavor would be a great departure from the usual richness of chocolate-spiked desserts. Honestly, any excuse to make these is a good one. Any time, a good time.

Table of Contents

TIPS FOR THE PERFECT LEMON COOKIES

Truly perfect lemon cookies, above all else, should be lemony, right? It seems pretty straight-forward, but there hundreds upon thousands of lemon cookies out there that are really lacking in the tartness department. Or even worse, they taste bitterly lemony and unbalanced, or perfectly lemony but the amount of lemon juice has messed with the consistency of the cookies. (Too much moisture will make cookies gummy and cake-like.)

So how do we get lemony-flavored cookies that are sweet, chewy, and perfectly baked?

Ditch the lemon extract. Lemon extract and lemon juice are often thought of as being entirely interchangeable, but lemon extract has an oil or alcohol base and does not achieve the same tartness as you get with real lemon. If you want your cookies to truly taste lemony, go with the real thing.
Use both lemon juice AND lemon zest. Fresh lemon juice adds signature lemon flavor to the dough, but too much will throw off your proportions. Adding the zest of the lemons as well means that you're wasting less and getting more flavor without increasing the volume of wet ingredients.
Use butter, not shortening. Many cookie recipes call for shortening or a mix of butter and shortening, but using butter only gives you more richness and-- obviously-- buttery flavor. Who doesn't want a truly buttery lemon cookie?
Use both white AND brown sugar. Obviously regular white granulated sugar adds sweetness to the cookies, but it also encourages the cookies to brown as the sugars caramelize, absorbs moisture in the dough, and encourages the cookies to spread from their ball shape as the sugar melts. Meanwhile, a bit of brown sugar creates a chewier, more deeply flavorful cookie thanks to the addition of molasses which is moist and slightly acidic.
Don't skip the cornstarch! It might seem like a strange addition, but cornstarch is my "secret ingredient" when it comes to making the perfect chewy cookies. Cornstarch helps to soften harsh proteins in the flour, making the cookies more tender in the end.
Chill the dough. Chilling the dough accomplishes two things: It allows the dough ingredients to meld together and it also prevents the cookies from spreading too much and getting overly thin and crisp.
Line your sheet pans with parchment paper. On the subject of preventing cookies from spreading too much, lining baking sheets with parchment paper is another way to help your cookies keep their shape. It also prevents the cookies from burning or sticking on the bottom and makes for easier clean up. You can also use a silicone baking mat instead!
Roll the dough ball in extra sugar. Rolling the cookie dough in extra sugar means that that sweetness is the first thing that will hit your tongue when you take a bite. It also encourages the cookies to crinkle slightly and adds a more interesting texture to the final product.
Take the cookies out of the oven BEFORE they look like they're finished, and let them cool on the baking sheet. If you want your cookies to be ultra-dense and chewy, the best way is to take them out when they're still light and fluffy and undercooked in the center and just lightly browned along the edges. If you let them cool on the baking sheet, the residual heat will continue to bake them and they will firm up just enough to the point where they're solid but still incredibly soft. And then you can dig in.

POSSIBLE ADD-INS

If you're the sort of person who likes to add extra ingredients to everything, I get that. I'm also that person. The original version is great, but if I can sneak some pantry ingredients into half of a batch of cookies, I'm sure gonna try. These Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies are no exception. So here's some add-in inspiration for you!

Nuts. Macadamia nuts and almonds would both be great additions to these cookies! Just watch out if serving to a big group of people who might have allergies.
White chocolate chips. I'm not big on regular milk or dark chocolate with lemon, but white chocolate pairs fantastically with tart lemon!
Poppy seeds. Poppy seeds add a distinctive nutty flavor and slight crunch that is perfect for adding to lemon desserts.
Berries. Berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries would make great add-ins, either in fresh or dried form. Coconut is also technically a berry, and a little shaved coconut would do well here!
Fresh herbs. It might sound weird to add herbs to a cookie, but fresh basil, thyme, or mint would be delicious.

Have more ideas or suggestions? Let me know in the comments!

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