Half Batch Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies

Lemon lovers unite. These thick lemon sugar cookies stay soft for days. Fresh lemon zest perfumes the entire dough.

Rolling the dough in sanding sugar before baking creates a crisp, sparkly exterior.

What to Know Before You Start

This recipe makes a half batch, a dozen cookies total. These are regular size cookies about 2.5 inches wide.

I've included ingredient amounts below for a regular batch of 24 cookies. The instructions are the same.

Fresh lemon zest is what gives these cookies their bright lemon flavor. No juice is used.

To help incorporate that flavor evenly through the cookie dough, you'll add the zest to the butter and beat it for a minute so the lemon is thoroughly combined.

Most of the lemon flavor comes from the peel, which has natural oils.

You'll need a rasp style grater to properly remove the zest.

Start with cool butter to help the cookies bake up thick instead of spreading.

And make sure your baking powder is fresh. Here's a quick baking powder freshness test.

9 Tips for Baking Soft Cookies

Adding fresh lemon zest to the butter incorporates the flavor throughout the batch of dough.

Watch How to Zest a Lemon

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt (best salt for cookie dough)
• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• Half of a large egg
• One medium or large lemon for the zest
• Sanding sugar (for finishing)

See recipe card for ingredient amounts

Don't Skip This: This recipe really does work best with half of a beaten egg. It only takes an extra minute and using a whole egg means the cookies won't bake up with quite the same texture.

How to Make Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies

These are a basic drop cookie, meaning you mix up the dough and "drop" it onto the cookie sheet by the spoon or cookie scoop.

Use a rasp style grater, like a Microplane, to remove zest or the yellow colored part, of the lemon. Do this over wax paper or plastic wrap and set aside.

Beat butter for two minutes, add lemon zest and then granulated sugar and half an egg. Continue beating until lighter and fluffier.

Mix in flour, baking powder and salt until combined.

Scoop into balls using a #30 or #40 cookie scoop (1.6 tablespoons).

Roll in sanding sugar.

Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350F° for 10 to 12 minutes.

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

Store covered at room temperature for three to five days.

Freeze either baked cookies or balls of cookie dough, wrapped in plastic or freezer paper, then tucked inside a freezer safe container for up to three months.

Bake as directed in the recipe card below.

More Lemon Recipes

Meyer Lemon Cake is an easy, every day cake also infused with zest.

Discover more lemon desserts in my Lemon category.

You might also like Panera Copycat Lemon Cookies.

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies are another reader favorite as are Half Batch Cake Mix Cookies.

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Recipe

Yield: 12

Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies

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Soft and chewy lemon sugar cookies made with fresh lemon zest for bright citrus flavor and roled in sanding sugar for crackly, sparkling tops.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Additional Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• * 1 Cup All-purpose flour
• * ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• * ¼ teaspoon salt (best salt for cookie dough)
• * ¼ cup butter
• * ½ cup granulated sugar
• * ½ large egg
• * One medium or large lemon for the zest (two teaspoons)
• * Sanding sugar (for finishing)

Instructions

1. Beat butter for two minutes, add lemon zest and then granulated sugar. Continue beating until lighter and fluffier.
2. Add ½ an egg and beat one minute or until no yellow spots of egg can be seen.
3. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt until combined.
4. Scoop into balls using a #30 or #40 cookie scoop (1.6 tablespoons).
5. Roll in sanding sugar.
6. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 350F° for 10 to 12 minutes.

Recommended Products

This post and/or recipe may contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I'll earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure policy.

• 
  Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet - USA Made Aluminum Commercial Quality Sheet Pan for Baking or Roasting, Encapsulated Galvanized Steel Rim Prevents Warping, 2-Pack
• 
  KitchenAid 5 Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer - KHM512
• 
  Reynolds Kitchens Stay Flat Dispensing Parchment Paper for Baking and Roasting, Parchment Paper Roll, Great for Baking and Rolling Dough, Non-stick, Reusable Up to 3x, 45 Sq. Ft.
• 
  Pyrex Prepware 4-Quart Rimmed Mixing Bowl, Clear
• 
  Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester Grater, 18/8, Black - Lemon Zester & Cheese Grater & Vegetable Grater - Citrus, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic, Ginger, Nutmeg, Chocolate - Stainless Steel Grater

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 110

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