Made with fresh lemon zest and real lemon juice, these Lemon Crinkle Cookies bake up soft and chewy in the center with lightly crisp edges. There’s no cake mix shortcut here, just simple pantry staples and a double roll in powdered sugar for those bold, snowy cracks. Chill the dough before baking to keep them thick and perfectly crinkled.
A Little Sunshine in Cookie Form
The dough is loaded with lemon zest, then backed up with lemon juice, so you get that fresh lemon flavor instead of the flat “lemon” taste you get from a cake mix shortcut. When they bake, the tops split open into crinkles and you can see the soft, moist center peeking through.
When I want something bright in the middle of winter, or honestly anytime the dessert table needs a little zip, these are the cookies I reach for.
Texture is what makes them worth the extra chill time. The edges set up crisp, but the middle stays chewy, almost fudgy, and the powdered sugar turns into a thin, sweet shell. The dough is sticky when you first mix it, so plan ahead, it needs to refrigerate, to keep the cookies from spreading into pancakes.
If you want strong crinkles, don’t rush the rolling. Coat the dough balls once, let them sit for a minute, then roll them again. That second coat is what gives you that true “snowflake” look after baking. You could serve these with chocolate cherry crinkles if you want to keep the theme going, same idea but completely different flavors.
These also brighten up a cookie exchange and go great with other homemade cookie recipes.
Lemon snowflakes have always been one of my husband’s favorites. We even had them at our wedding, just for him. 🥰
Fresh Lemons Are Key
Lemons are the key ingredient along with basic pantry staples. You’ll find exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Lemons: You’ll be using both lemon zest and juice for this recipe. Just remember to zest them before you squeeze out the juice.
Rolling Up a Batch of Lemon Crinkles
Step One: Make the Dough
Step Two: Roll and Bake
Double roll for crinkles: That second coat is the trick for bold cracks and a true snowy finish.
If you’re craving something bright but still cozy, this is the cookie to make. They’re simple, dependable, and just a little extra with that snowy crackle on top.
Don’t Forget!
Like and review this post – it helps our website grow so we can give you more delicious Southern recipes!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled slightly
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Zest two lemons first before juicing.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and lemon zest from two lemons until well combined. Add the egg and yolk, butter, oil, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix until pale and thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add flour and mix just until it's incorporated. The dough will be stickier than most cookie doughs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350º and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift the powdered sugar and place it in a small bowl.
- Form into balls using a 2 tablespoon scoop. Toss 2 times in powdered sugar to coat and place on prepared pans. Bake until cracked and set on top but still moist within the cracks, 12-13 minutes depending on the size of the cookies.
Notes
- The dough will be sticky but will firm up when refrigerated.
- This dough needs to be refrigerated at least an hour or the cookies will spread.
- To help the powdered sugar evenly coat the cookies, try sifting it first and then roll the balls several times to make sure each ball is coated.
- You can refrigerate the dough longer than 1 hour.
