• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Classy & Delicious
  • Home
  • About
  • Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Muffins
  • Contact
  • Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Baking Tips
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Baking Tips
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » 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. Love lemons? Try Lemon Yogurt Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze and Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze.

    stacked lemon crinkle cookies on blue crinkled table cloth and a milk bottle in the backdrop.

    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
    • Expert 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 crinkle cookies spread on a baking 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

    Pro Tip # 1 - Room Temperature Ingredients
    Always use room temperature ingredients (unless otherwise specified) for baking. Ingredients such as butter, eggs and other dairy ingredients like milk, sour cream, yogurt form an emulsion by trapping air inside the batter. The trapped air expands in the oven resulting in perfect baked treats.

    ingredients for lemon crinkle cookies.
    • 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.

    Pro Tip # 2 - Digital Scale
    Use a digital scale to measure all-purpose flour and other dry ingredients. To measure with cup, fluff up the all-purpose flour container using a spoon, then scoop out the flour with spoon into the measuring cup. Never scoop out of the container. It may result in more flour than required resulting in dense bakes.

    Instructions

    These are basic process shots for this recipe. For detailed instructions refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    whisking the dry ingredients for lemon crinkle cookies.

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

    creaming the butter and sugar together with other ingredients in a bowl for lemon cookies.

    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 lemon crinkle 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.

    lemon crinkle cookies balls placed on a silicone mat ready to go to the oven.

    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.

    baked lemon crinkle cookies on the cooling tray out of the oven.

    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 placed with each other on a crinkled blue cloth.

    Expert 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.

    lemon crinkled cookies sitting in an antique silver tray along with a milk bottle and a lemon.

    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.

    overhead closeup shot of the lemon crinkle cookies on an antique baking 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.

    Did you make this recipe and loved it? Give it a 5-star 🌟 rating with a comment. Join our Classy & Delicious newsletter to get a free ebook and weekly recipes. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Tiktok as well.

    More Recipes You'll Like

    Looking for other lemon recipes like this? Try these:

    • Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins stacked on one another.
      Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
    • Lemon Yogurt Cake
    • Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze
    • over the head shot of the shortbread cookies with tea cups and cookies in the deep blue dish.
      Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

    Recipe

    stacked lemon crinkle cookies on blue crinkled table cloth and a milk bottle in the backdrop..

    Lemon Crinkle Cookies

    Madeeha Anwar
    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. Love lemons? Try Lemon Yogurt Cake, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, Blueberry Cake with Lemon Glaze and Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze.
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Course Cookies
    Cuisine American
    Servings 26 cookies
    Calories 99 kcal

    Equipment

    • 2 Baking Tray
    • 2 Silicon Sheets
    • 1 Electric Mixer
    • Digital Scale
    • Measuring Cups and Spoons
    • Ice-cream scoop (3 tablespoon)

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (180 g)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
    • ½ cup unsalted butter (113 g)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (2.5 ml)
    • 1 egg (large)
    • ¼ cup lemon juice (58 g/ml) (1 - 2 large lemons)
    • 2 teaspoon lemon zest (4 g) (1 large lemon)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder (1.25 g)
    • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda (0.62 g)
    • ½ cup powdered sugar (50 g)

    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

    Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Keyword easy lemon cookies, lemon cookies, lemon cookies recipe, lemon cooler cookies recipe
    Tried this recipe? Tag @classyanddeliciouson Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter !

    More Cookies

    • five chocolate chip cookies placed on one another with a bowl of chocolate chips and a milk bottle in the backdrop.
      Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
    • matcha cookies in a fancy blue plate.
      Matcha Cookies
    • almond flour peanut butter cookies placed in a decorative red bowl with golden vase in the backdrop.
      Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies (Video)
    • close shot of the pinwheel cookies showing the chocolate and vanilla swirls.
      Pinwheel Cookies

    Subscribe

    for your weekly recipe fix.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar


    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.

    More about me →

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Mail

    Fresh Bakes

    • overhead shot of four breads on the jute plate with pieces and crumbs of roghni naan around.
      Roghni Naan
    • close shot of one square piece of ghee cake placed in a plate over a colorful table cloth.
      Ghee Cake
    • one piece of chocolate brownie with cream cheese frosting standing diagonally among the rest of the pieces.
      Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • banana chocolate chip cake on blue decorative cake plate.
      Chocolate Chip Banana Bundt Cake

    Cakes

    • close up shot of one piece of southern praline cake in the cake plate.
      Southern Pecan Praline Cake
    • close up shot of one slice of coconut coffee cake on a white plate.
      Coconut Coffee Cake
    • Peanut butter slices on each other.
      Peanut Butter Bread
    • chocolate sour cream pound cake main image.
      Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake (Video)

    Footer

    ↑back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Mail
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Classy & Delicious LLC © 2021 - 2023