Perfectly Soft and Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies with a Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture

These lemon sugar cookies are sunshine in cookie form. Soft, chewy, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor, they’re the kind of cookies you’ll crave again and again. Each bite delivers a pillowy texture that practically melts on your tongue—sweet, buttery, bright, and zesty all at once.

What makes these cookies special is the balance of flavor and texture. They’re soft and chewy in the center with just enough crispness around the edges. The fresh lemon zest and juice give them a vibrant citrus punch without being overly tart. Rolled in sparkling sugar before baking, the outside has a delicate crunch that makes every bite even more satisfying.

Whether you’re baking for a spring celebration, Easter dessert table, or just because you love lemon, these cookies are simple to make and guaranteed to impress. They stay soft for days and freeze beautifully—making them perfect for gifting, meal prep, or late-night cravings.

Why You’ll Love These Lemon Sugar Cookies

• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture: These cookies are thick, tender, and stay soft for days. They’re the ultimate chewy cookie.
• Bright Lemon Flavor: Made with both lemon zest and juice, these cookies pack a citrus punch in every bite.
• Easy to Make: No complicated steps, no chilling required—just mix, roll, and bake.
• Great for Gifting or Freezing: These cookies store and travel well, making them ideal for holidays and cookie boxes.
• Beautifully Balanced: Sweet but not too sweet, lemony but not sour—just the perfect flavor profile.

Ingredients You’ll Need (and Why)

For the Cookie Dough:

• All-purpose flour – The base of the cookies. It gives the structure and helps them hold their soft, chewy form.
• Baking soda – This leavening agent helps the cookies puff slightly and gives them their signature chewy texture.
• Salt – Balances out the sweetness and enhances the lemon flavor.
• Unsalted butter – Adds rich, buttery flavor and keeps the cookies moist and soft.
• Granulated sugar – Sweetens the dough and helps create a crisp outer edge when rolled.
• Egg – Binds the ingredients together and adds richness to the dough.
• Vanilla extract – Adds warmth and rounds out the citrus, giving the cookies a fuller flavor.
• Fresh lemon zest – Intensifies the lemon flavor without adding moisture.
• Fresh lemon juice – Adds brightness and tang, cutting through the sweetness for balance.

For Rolling:

• Granulated sugar or sparkling sugar – Rolling the dough balls in sugar adds a subtle crunch and a pretty shimmer to the baked cookies.

How to Make Lemon Sugar Cookies

Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Start by preheating your oven and lining your baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and gives your cookies a soft bottom.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. This ensures that everything is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This step is crucial—it aerates the mixture, giving your cookies that soft and tender texture.

Step 4: Add Flavor
Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. These ingredients add richness and bring out the vibrant citrus notes.

Step 5: Combine Everything
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until no flour streaks remain. Don’t overmix—this helps maintain that tender texture.

Step 6: Scoop and Roll
Scoop the dough into balls and roll each one in granulated or sparkling sugar. This adds sparkle and a light crunch to the finished cookies.

Step 7: Bake
Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Bake until the edges are just set and the centers are still soft. The cookies will continue to bake slightly on the hot pan after removal.

Step 8: Cool
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This helps set their shape and keeps them from crumbling.

Tips for the Best Lemon Sugar Cookies

• Use fresh lemons for both zest and juice. Bottled lemon juice lacks the aroma and brightness you need here.
• Don’t overbake — take the cookies out when they look slightly underdone. They’ll firm up as they cool.
• Use a cookie scoop for uniform size and even baking.
• Try lemon extract for an even bolder lemon flavor, especially if you love citrus.
• Roll generously in sugar — it gives that gorgeous, bakery-style sparkle.

Storage Instructions

These cookies stay soft and chewy for several days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll last up to 5 days and are just as delicious on day three as they are fresh.

To freeze:
You can freeze the baked cookies or the raw dough balls. For baked cookies, cool completely before freezing in a single layer. For raw dough, roll into balls, freeze on a sheet tray, then store in a zip-top freezer bag. Bake from frozen with an extra minute or two added to the bake time.

Enjoy!

Soft, chewy, and glowing with lemon flavor, these sugar cookies are the perfect treat for citrus lovers. They’re easy to make, impossible to resist, and always a hit at any gathering. Pair them with tea, package them up for a gift, or keep a secret stash in your freezer for when the craving hits—you won’t regret it.