Description

Lemon Crinkle Cookies are delightfully soft, chewy, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. These cookies have a tender texture from the cornstarch and lemon juice, with a sweet and tangy taste that's perfectly balanced by the dual coating of granulated and confectioners’ sugar. They are chilled before baking to make handling easier and to enhance their texture, resulting in beautifully cracked, sugar-coated cookies that stay fresh for up to a week.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (225g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh or bottled lemon juice, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (packed, about 1 Tbsp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Rolling

3 Tablespoons (35g) granulated sugar (optional)
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar

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Instructions

Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl to combine. Set this bowl aside for later.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Beat on high speed until fully combined, approximately 1 minute. The mixture might look curdled, which is normal. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
Combine with Dry Ingredients: Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined and the dough has a thick, creamy, and sticky consistency.
Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory to make the sticky dough manageable and to improve the texture of the cookies.
Prepare to Bake: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If chilled longer than 3 hours, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to soften slightly for easier scooping.
Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set them aside.
Roll Dough Balls: Using about 1 tablespoon of dough (roughly 20 grams), scoop and roll dough into balls. For best results, roll each ball first in the optional granulated sugar, then very generously roll in confectioners’ sugar 2-3 times to ensure a thick coating. This helps prevent the sugar from melting into the dough and creates the classic crinkle appearance. Place the balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake Cookies: Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. If you notice the cookies aren’t spreading by minute 9, remove the baking sheet and gently bang it on the countertop 2 to 3 times to encourage spreading, then return to oven to finish baking.
Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will deflate slightly as they cool but maintain their soft texture.
Store: Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week to maintain freshness.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing: Dough can be chilled up to 3 days before baking. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked dough balls (not rolled in confectioners’ sugar) freeze well for 3 months; thaw for at least 30 minutes before rolling in sugar and baking as usual.
Cornstarch: Optional but helps keep cookies soft and thick. Dough without it is still tasty but less tender.
Lemons: Typically 1–2 lemons yield the required juice and zest. Meyer lemons can be used for a sweeter, less tart flavor.
Sugar Coating: Rolling dough balls multiple times in confectioners’ sugar enhances the classic crinkle effect and sweetness on the exterior.
Butter and Sugar Creaming: Proper creaming is key to a light texture; beat butter and sugar until fluffy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 120 kcal
Sugar: 12 g
Sodium: 80 mg
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 1 g
Cholesterol: 25 mg